Zorua is a dark-type Pokemon that evolves into Zoroark from level 30 onwards. The Tricky Fox Pokemon, Zorua and its evolution were the first Pokemon Black and White Pokemon introduced to the public on February 10, 2010. First appearing in the fourth Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Series Movie, Zoroark: Master of Illusions, it’s special early appearance made Zorua stick out. This, alongside it’s creepy habit of replacing children, has given Zorua a type of charm that has made it popular among fans of Pokemon lore.
| First appearance in anime | Zoroark: Master of Illusions |
| First appearance in game | Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | --> Zoroark |
| 1st Evo level | 30 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | To protect themselves from danger, they hide their true identities by transforming into people and Pokémon. It changes into the forms of others to surprise them. Apparently, it often transforms into a silent child. |
Zorua Base stats
| HP | 40 |
| ATTACK | 65 |
| DEFENCE | 40 |
| SP. ATTACK | 80 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 65 |
| TOTAL | 330 |
Appearance
Zorua resembles a slate grey fox with red and black accents. Zorua has a large tuft of fur tipped with red on top of its head and triangular ears which are a darker shade of black. Zorua has a large head to body ratio and its face is framed by tufts of fur with its large eyes a cyan color, with red eyelids and circular red markings acting as eyebrows. Zorua also has a black fur wrapped around its neck like a scarf and a short, pointed muzzle with fangs that are visible when it opens its mouth. Its four short limbs are tipped with red and a short and bushy tail.
Behavior
Zorua can change its physical appearance through the use of illusions. These illusions have come about due to Zorua’s timid nature with it using the forms of other Pokemon in order to scare off potential predators. On occasion Zorua will take the form of a silent child in order to search for food in more populous areas and it occasionally even replaces normally talkative children. An unpracticed Zorua may keep its tail when it takes on a human form, although touching this tail can force Zorua to revert to its original form. Despite its timid and fearful nature, Zorua is mischievous and will often use its abilities to surprise or scare others.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Zorua has a signature ability Illusion that activates when it enters battle and changes the appearance of Zorua to that of the last conscious Pokemon in its party until it takes direct hit from another Pokemon's attack. Along with this strategic ability, Zorua has a high special attack and relatively high speed and attack stats. As a dark-type Pokemon, it is weak against fighting, bug, and fairy-types, immune to psychic-types, and resistant to ghost and dark-types.
Shiny Zorua
Shiny Zorua is a version of Zorua in which its red accents and cyan accents are switched, causing parts of its fur to become cyan and its eyes to become red. The main way to get a Shiny Zorua is to continuously breed either Zorua or Zoroarks until you get a Shiny Zorua.
Best moveset
Zorua's signature ability Illusion gives Zorua an unique niche for a competitive strategy. Illusion activates when it enters battle and changes the appearance of Zorua to that of the last conscious Pokemon in its party until it takes direct damage from another Pokemon's attack. Zorua’s high attack and special attack also assist in making it useful for a surprise attack. Night Daze serves as the primary STAB (same-type attack bonus) move, with the added bonus of potentially lowering the opponent's accuracy, since the longer Zorua can avoid being hit, the longer the opponent is left in the dark about the best type to use. Extrasensory is a psychic-type move which allows Zorua to battle fighting-types preferably while the opponent is not yet aware of their type advantage. Knock Off is an effective common move which can help Zorua put up the guise of being another Pokemon. Finally, U-Turn allows Zorua to switch out of battle when in danger, resetting its signature ability.
| Night Daze | Extrasensory |
| Knock Off | U-Turn |
How to catch Zorua in Pokemon Go?
Zorua is not yet available in Pokemon Go.
Trivia
- Zorua and its evolution were the first Pokemon Black and White Pokemon introduced to the public on February 10, 2010
- Zorua resembles the kitsune of Japanese folklore, a mythical fox capable of shape-shifting (the detail of its tail not being hidden bears reference to the kitsune)
- Zorua bears similarities to Irish folklore about the changeling, a fairy-child that replaces human children kidnapped by either fairies or, in some tales, the devil
- Zorua may be a combination of the Spanish word, zorro (fox) and the Irish word, rua (red, possibly referring to its red fur; madra rua is Irish for fox)
FAQs
What is Zorua's hidden ability?
Zorua’s signature ability is Illusion, which activates when it switches in and changes the appearance of Zorua to that of the last conscious Pokemon in its party until it takes direct damage from another Pokemon's attack.
Is Zorua a good Pokemon?
Zorua's signature ability Illusion gives Zorua an unique niche for a competitive strategy based around trickery, an uncommon strategy in Pokemon. Zorua also has a high special attack and relatively high speed and attack stats. These traits make Zorua an incredibly useful Pokemon if you use it well.
Is Zorua rare in Pokemon Sword?
Zorua is not obvious within Pokemon Sword or Shield, and is only available within the Isle of Amour Expansion, making it so many players may not encounter it. Zorua can be found in the Forest of Focus, specifically during fog, with a 10% spawn rate in the overworld and a 15% spawn rate in random tall grass encounters.
Conclusion
Zorua is a Pokemon with a charming design and lore which has made it popular among fans of Pokemon lore. From a unique competitive strategy to its resemblance to traditional folklore, Zorua has become one of the most popular Pokemon Black and White Pokemon.
