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Acritical hit (Japanese:急所pressure point) is a (generally) random event that multiplies thedamage of a damage-dealingmove. When one occurs, the game will display the message "A critical hit!" (Japanese:急所に　当たった！Hit a pressure point!) after the damage is dealt.

Generation I

Damage

When a move lands a critical hit, the attacker's level will be doubled duringdamage calculation. A rough approximation for the damage multiplier is$\frac{2L+5}{L+5}$ where$L$ is the attacker's level; as a result, lower-leveled Pokémon have a smaller critical hit boost than higher-leveled Pokémon. For example, a level 5 Pokémon will inflict about 1.5× damage on a critical hit, while a level 20 Pokémon will inflict 1.8× and a level 95 Pokémon will inflict 1.95×.

Critical hits use the attacker and defender's originalstats with no modifications. This means it is possible for a critical hit to deal less damage than a non-critical hit if the attacker's stat modifications were high enough and the defender's were low enough. If the player's Pokémon hastransformed, its untransformed stats will be used (but enemies use the stats of their transformation).^[1]

Probability

Whether a move scores a critical hit is determined by comparing a 1-byte random number (0 to 255) against a 1-byte threshold value (also 0 to 255). If the random number is strictly less than the threshold, the Pokémon scores a critical hit. For a given threshold value${\displaystyle T}$, the probability of scoring a critical hit is$\frac{T}{256}$.

If the threshold would exceed 255, it instead becomes 255. Consequently, the maximum possible chance of landing a critical hit is 255/256. (If the generated random number is 255, that number can never be less than the threshold, regardless of the value of the threshold.)

Core series

Main article:List of Pokémon by critical hit rate in Generation I

In the Generation I core series games, the threshold is normally equal to half the user'sbaseSpeed. If the move used has a high critical-hit ratio (Crabhammer,Karate Chop,Razor Leaf, orSlash), the move is 8 times more likely to be a critical hit (up to a maximum of 255/256). If the Pokémon has usedFocus Energy or aDire Hit, due to a bug, the user is 1/4 as likely to land a critical hit.

The threshold has the following values, depending on the move used and whether the user is under the effect of Focus Energy or a Dire Hit. The probability of landing a critical hit is simply these values divided by 256.

Pokémon Stadium

InPokémon Stadium, the threshold is normally equal to 19 plus one quarter of the user'sbaseSpeed. If the move used has a high critical-hit ratio (Crabhammer,Karate Chop,Razor Leaf, orSlash), the move is 8 times more likely to be a critical hit (up to a maximum of 255/256). If the Pokémon has usedFocus Energy or aDire Hit, the user is more likely to land a critical hit (the exact increase is slightly complicated).

The threshold has the following values, depending on the move used and whether the user is under the effect of Focus Energy or a Dire Hit. The probability of landing a critical hit is simply these values divided by 256.

In Pokémon Stadium, the threshold valueT is determined by a different formula. IfT would exceed 255, its value instead becomes exactly 255.

Generation II onwards

Damage

From GenerationII toV, a critical hit deals 2 times the normal damage. From GenerationVI onward, a critical hit deals 1.5 times the normal damage.

In Generation II, when a move scores a critical hit, all stat stage modifiers, the halved Attack from burn, and the defensive boosts from screens (Light Screen andReflect) are ignored if the target's defending stat stage (Defense orSpecial Defense) is greater than or equal to the attacker's attacking stat stage (Attack orSpecial Attack).

FromGeneration III onward, when a move scores a critical hit, the attacker's negative stat stages, the defender's positive stat stages, and the defensive boosts fromscreens are always ignored. However, the halved damage from physical moves due to a burn is no longer ignored.

Examples

• If the attacker is using aphysical move and is at +2 Attack stages while the target is at +1 Defense stage...
  • Gen II: a critical hit will not ignore either stat. (Damage with a critical hit will have an 8/3× modifier.)
  • Gen III-V: a critical hit will ignore the Defense boost. (Damage with a critical hit will have a 4× modifier.)
  • Gen VI+: a critical hit will ignore the Defense boost. (Damage with a critical hit will have a 3× modifier.)
• If the attacker is using aphysical move and is at -1 Attack stages while the target is at -2 Defense stage...
  • Gen II: a critical hit will not ignore either stat. (Damage with a critical hit will have a 2.64× modifier.)
  • Gen III-V: a critical hit will ignore the Attack drop. (Damage with a critical hit will have a 4× modifier.)
  • Gen VI+: a critical hit will ignore the Attack drop. (Damage with a critical hit will have a 3× modifier.)

Other effects

If a Pokémon with theSniper Ability gets a critical hit, the damage dealt will be multiplied by an additional factor of 1.5.

IfGalarianFarfetch'd lands at least three critical hits in a single battle, itevolves intoSirfetch'd at the end of the battle.

Probability

The probability of landing a critical hit is no longer based on the attacker's base Speed, but rather is based on a fixed formula for all Pokémon. Similar tostats, there are temporary in-battle stages used to determine the probability that a particular move will be a critical hit.

If a Pokémon has maximumaffection (Gen VI-USUM) orfriendship (PE onward exceptLA), the probability from above is multiplied by 2.^[2]

Stage modifiers

An attacking move will start out at stage 0, but there are several ways to increase a move's stage as detailed in the table below.

Only a single instance of thegetting pumped effect can be applied at once, so causes within that column will not stack (including with itself).^[3] A Pokémon may acquire the effect of aLansat Berry even if it is already holding another item, through the use ofBaton Pass,Pluck,Bug Bite, orFling; or by obtaining another item after consuming the Berry, such as viaThief orSymbiosis.

Moves that cannot score a critical hit

In some early battles, the games prevent all moves from scoring critical hits:

• InPokémon Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald, during the first battle withPoochyena^RS/Zigzagoon^E.
• InPokémon Diamond and Pearl, during the first battle withStarly atLake Verity.
• InPokémon Platinum, during the first battle withBarry.
• InPokémon Scarlet and Violet, during the first battle withNemona.

Generations II and III introduced a handful of moves that cannot score a critical hit. They are denoted by the ✔ symbol in the table below.

Starting in Generation V, all damaging moves, exceptmoves that deal direct damage and confusion damage, can score a critical hit.

Other factors

The AbilitiesBattle Armor andShell Armor prevent Pokémon from landing critical hits on the Pokémon with that Ability.Lucky Chant prevents Pokémon from landing critical hits on the Pokémon it is protecting for a span of five turns.

Pokémon with the AbilityMerciless will always score critical hits onpoisoned Pokémon (unless prevented by one of the above effects).

The movesStorm Throw,Frost Breath,Zippy Zap,Surging Strikes,Wicked Blow, andFlower Trick, along with any move used by a Pokémon that is under the effect ofLaser Focus, will always result in a critical hit (unless prevented by one of the above effects).

InPokémon Legends: Z-A, a move that lands a sneak attack on an opposing Trainer's Pokémon in theZ-A Royale or aHyperspace battle zone will always result in a critical hit. Additionally, the moveFirst Impression always results in a critical hit if used as aPlus Move.

InPokémon Colosseum, the moveShadow Rush has an additional 90% chance to land a critical hit when the user is inHyper Mode. Failing that, it has the usual 6.25% chance to land a critical hit regardless, for overall a total of a 90.625% chance to land a critical hit.

Moves with increased critical-hit ratio are granted a further increase by 1 stage when performed in thestrong style.

In side-games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Rescue Team and Explorers

There are some differences from how critical hits work in the main series:

• Critical hits deal only 50% more damage, unless the Pokémon hasSniper, in which case it will deal double damage.
• Male or gender unknown Pokémon will have the move's base critical hit rate multiplied by 1.5×.
• Scope Lens,Patsy Band, SharpshooterIQ skill andSuper Luck add a flat modifier to the move's critical hit rate (30% in Red/Blue Rescue Team, 15% in Explorers). This can also allow theregular attack to deal critical hits.
• Type Advantage Master will set the critical hit rate to 40%, ignoring all other effects.
• Focus Energy will guarantee critical hits, provided the critical hits are not prevented byexclusive items,Abilities, Critical Dodger IQ skill, orLucky Chant.

Pokémon Masters EX

Here are some notable qualities of critical hits in this game:

• Critical-hit rate is treated as a stat like Attack or evasion, except critical-hit rate can only be raised to a maximum of three stat ranks (or to +3) and can't be lowered below 0. A few moves, such asSnatch, can reset target's critical-hit rate to 0 unless that target has Steady Aimskill.
  • Attack moves passively have their base critical-hit rates set to 0, which means that using one with its user's critical-hit rate raised to three stat ranks yields an 100% chance to land a critical hit (per target).
  • Damage-dealing sync moves and max moves have their base critical-hit rates set to -1, which means that using one with its user's critical-hit rate raised to three stat ranks normally yields an 80% chance to land a critical hit (per target).
• Some effects allow critical hits to land more easily [from attack moves like Slash or Spacial Rend, sync moves like Moonlight Leaf Blade, or skills like Zero In 1, Soften Up 1 (only for sync moves), Dire Rain 1, etc.].
  • Attack/Sync moves with this effect passively have their base critical-hit rates set to +1. Sync moves with this effect no longer have -1 critical hit-rate penalty.
  • Each skill with this effect is always accompanied by a one or a two, and if that skill's conditions are met, then it passively raises critical-hit rate by that number.
• Applying the Critical Hit Next effect on a sync pair guarantees that their next attack/sync move will be a critical hit, except in certain circumstances.
• Critical hits do ×1.5 damage, which can be further enhanced by having Critastrophe [X] (for sync moves) or Critical Strike [Y] (for any attacks) skills; in which case, it will do even more damage by a factor of +(X × 10)% or +(Y × 10)%, respectively. (X and Y are numbers between one and nine.)
  • Multiple copies of such multipliers stack additively. For example, if a sync pair has Critical Strike 9 (+90% damage) and Critical Strike 2 (+20%), then the skills will stack to become a factor of +110% (or ×2.1).
• Critical hits ignore effects of physical damage reduction (from Reflect etc.) and special damage reduction (from Light Screen etc.).
• Critical-Hit Defense effects temporarily protect all pairs in its field of play from critical hits. The moveDefog removes this effect from opposing fields of play.
• Skills such as Vigilance protect their users from critical hits. A few moves, such asSunsteel Strike, and a few skills, like Piercing Blows, bypass these effects.
• Chances to land critical hits with attack moves, ignoring certain circumstances, are as follows:

Pokémon UNITE

InPokémon UNITE, critical hits are a mechanic. It is very similar to the main series games, in that an attack that inflicts a critical hit deals double the damage to the opponent that it would normally. Critical hits are indicated by a symbol resembling a thick arrow appearing next to the damage numbers displayed by an attack, and said damage numbers appear larger than they otherwise would.

SomeHeld items,moves andAbilities, such as theScope Lens andSuper Luck can increase the chance that critical hits occur.Huge Power causes all attacks that hit a single opponent to be critical hits, but prevents attacks that hit multiple opponents from being critical hits.

In the Prize Machine, aUnite Ball that causes the progress meter to fill by three or five points displays the same arrow symbol by the visual of the added points, implying that this is also considered a critical hit of sorts.

In animation

Pokémon the Series

Pokémon the Series: The Beginning

InBad To The Bone,Otoshi'sMarowak usedFocus Energy to heighten its chances of landing a critical hit, which it did when it knockedAsh's Bulbasaur out with a singleBone Club attack.Jessie's Arbok also took a critical hit from Marowak in the same fashion.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

In the Japanese version ofFrom Brags to Riches,Morrison'sGligar'sGuillotine was referred to as a critical hit when it defeatedGavin'sMachamp, despite the fact that aone-hit knockout move can never land a critical hit. This was corrected in the Englishdub.

InShocks and Bonds, duringAsh's match againstClark in theEver Grande Conference,Ash's Glalie defeated Clark'sCharizard with a critical hit fromHeadbutt, giving Ash the victory.

InChoose It or Lose It!, during Ash'sFull Battle against Morrison in the Victory Tournament portion of the Ever Grande Conference,Ash's Corphish knocked Morrison'sGrowlithe out with a critical hit fromCrabhammer.

InThe Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!, duringMay's battle againstDrew, Both Drew'sRoselia andButterfree knocked May'sCombusken andBeautifly out with a critical hit fromSolar Beam andPsybeam.

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

InBuizel Your Way Out Of This!,Dawn's Piplup usedBubble Beam to land a critical hit on a wildBuizel andknock it out beforecatching him.

InPursuing a Lofty Goal!, during the second match in theSquallville PokéRinger,Paul'sHonchkrow usedSky Attack in conjunction with itsSuper LuckAbility to land a critical hit onProvo'sDragonite and knock it out.

InWith the Easiest of Grace!,Dawn's Togekiss usedAir Slash to land a critical hit onJessie's Yanmega and knock her out.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

InA Rival Battle for Club Champ!,Trip'sTranquill usedAerial Ace in conjunction with its Super Luck Ability to knockAsh's Oshawott out in one critical hit. Later on in the match, Tranquill defeatedTepig in the same manner, this time having its damage also boosted byWork Up.

InA Clubsplosion of Excitement!,Bianca's Emboar usedFling to knockTrip's Conkeldurr out in one critical hit by using its own pillar against it.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

InBeyond Chivalry… Aiming to be a Leek Master!, during aWorld Coronation Seriesbattle, Ash'sFarfetch'd landed three critical hits onRinto'sGallade withFury Cutter, causing theWild Duck Pokémon to evolve into aSirfetch'd.

InA Battle of Mega Versus Max!,Bea'sGigantamax Machamp attacked Ash'sMegaLucario withG-Max Chi Strike. While Mega Lucario survived long enough for Machamp to turn back to normal, it retained the enhancements that it received from using itssignatureG-Max Move, allowing it to pinpoint Mega Lucario's weak points.

InA Flood of Torrential Gains!,Leon'sInteleon landed a critical hit onAsh's Gengar withDark Pulse during theirMasters Eight Tournament battle, resulting in Gengar's Gigantamax state ending prematurely.

In other languages

Related articles

• Same-type attack bonus
• Damage

References

This game mechanic article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.

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