Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Pawniard is a dual type dark and steel Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Bisharp and will evolve upon reaching the level threshold. Pawniard is classified by the Pokedex as the “Sharp Blade Pokemon” which indicates its preferred fighting style. This guide will showcase Pawniard’s appearances in the anime, its capabilities in battle, as well as other general facts about Pawniard.
About Pawniard
As a generation five Pokemon, Pawniard first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Cilan Versus Trip, Ash Versus Georgia!. Pawniard’s appearances in the anime are fairly limited and typically showcase the Pokemon in rival roles. The Pokedex mentions that its entire body is covered in blades and it will expend great effort in keeping its blades sharp.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Cilan Versus Trip, Ash Versus Georgia! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Bisharp, not known to evolve from any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 52 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Blades comprise this Pokémon's entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them on stones by the river. |
Pawniard Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 85 |
| DEFENCE | 70 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 60 |
| TOTAL | 340 |
Appearance
Pawniard is a small, bipedal, vaguely humanoid Pokemon with blades at the end of its forehead, around its chest, as well as at the ends of its arms. It has two orange eyes with black pupils and most of its body is red and gray. Pawniard appears to be wearing a suit of armor along with a helmet reminiscent of a Japanese bandit’s armor. Despite its intimidating stature, it is quite small at only 1 foot and 8 inches, or 0.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
Pawniard are typically found in groups led by a single Bisharp and will form these groups for protection as well as acting as highwaymen to take whatever goods they need. As Pawniard fights, its blades will dull and it picks a favorite sharpening stone to hone its blades. The Pokedex mentions their social instincts as well as their constant training to eventually lead their group.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a base evolution, Pawniard is not particularly powerful, as keeping in mind it is a base evolution, it does have a strong physical attack and defense stat. Pawniard also has a fantastic defensive typing allowing it to resist many types in the games. It is also decently fast for a Pokemon that has yet to evolve. As a dual type dark and steel type Pokemon, Pawniard is 2x weak to ground and fire while taking 4x damage from fighting type moves. It is immune to poison and psychic type moves, and resistant against normal, flying, rock, ghost, steel, grass, ice, dragon, and dark type moves.
Best Moveset
At its base evolution, Pawniard is exclusively limited to LC (Little Cup) brackets of competitive play. These brackets only allow base evolution Pokemon, which allows Pawniard to shine as an offensive Pokemon. It can also take advantage of the Eviolite held item which compounds its strong defensive typing. Consider running Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Brick Break/Pursuit, and Iron Head/Night Slash. Swords Dance can help set up a sweep, Sucker Punch can grant you some outplay potential, while Brick Break/Pursuit is used for type coverage or for read potential respectively. Finally, Iron Head/Night Slash can be utilized as type coverage options.
| Swords Dance | Sucker Punch |
| Brick Break/Pursuit | Iron Head/Night Slash |
How to Catch Pawniard in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Pawniard in Pokemon Go, there are a few ways to do so. You can encounter Pawniard in the wild, albeit rarely, as it is a powerful Pokemon. Pawniard will also hatch from tier one, 12 km, strange eggs which makes it a little easier to obtain. Unfortunately, it does not seem as if Pawniard or Bisharp has appeared as a Pokemon Gym raid battle boss, so you will have to find one the hard way. In order to evolve a Pawniard into Bisharp, you will need 50 Pawniard candies, so keep one as your buddy if you manage to find one to collect enough candies.
Trivia
- Of all the available Pokemon in the franchise, Pawniard and Bisharp are the only dark and steel type Pokemon.
- The inspiration for Pawniard’s design likely comes from traditional Japanese bandits.
- Pawniard’s name comes from a combination of pawn and poniard (a lightweight dagger).
Video
FAQ
Is Pawniard rare in Pokemon Go?
Pawniard is a fairly rare Pokemon as it is difficult to encounter in the wild. It also does not appear as a raid boss making it an exclusive Pokemon. You can potentially hatch a Pawniard from 12 km strange eggs but obtaining these eggs themselves can prove to be a hassle. Search near urban environments or industrial buildings around nighttime to improve your odds.
Is Pawniard a good Pokemon?
Pawniard gives you access to Bisharp, a powerful offensive threat. It also has a unique type combination that resists a majority of types available in the franchise. While Pawniard is powerful, it only becomes stronger through Bisharp. Not only that, it can also be difficult to slow down a Pawniard with the Defiant ability. All of this combined makes Pawniard and its evolution line difficult to deal with.
Where is Pawniard in Black?
In Pokemon Black and Black 2, you can find Pawniard on Route 9. In the first Pokemon Black game, you can also find Pawniard on Route 11 and these are the only locations where Pawniard will spawn normally. Pawniard is not an exclusive Pokemon in generation five, and you can find Pawniard in the same locations in Pokemon White and White 2.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Sharp Blade Pokemon”. Pawniard’s involvement in competitive play may be restricted to a rather niche bracket, but it becomes a reliable offensive Pokemon upon evolving into Bisharp. Whether your focus is competitive or casual play, Pawniard can give you a good return on a long investment. Reserve a slot on your team for Pawniard if you want a unique typed Pokemon with powerful offensive capabilities.
