Skull Bash (move)

Skull Bash ロケットずつき Rocket Headbutt

The user tucks in its head to raise its Defense in the first turn, then rams the foe on the next turn.

Battles Type  Normal Category  Physical PP  15 (max. 24) Power  100 Accuracy  100% Priority  {{{priority}}} Makes contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by BrightPowder Affected by King's Rock

Target Foe Foe Self Ally May affect anyone but the user

Availability Introduced  Generation I TM40 in Generation I

Contests Category  Tough Appeal  1 ♥ Jam  4 ♥♥♥♥  ???

Super Contests Category  Tough Appeal  1 ♥ Earn +3 if no other Pokémon has chosen the same Judge.

Skull Bash on Legendary Pokémon MoveDex Skull Bash on Eevee's Movedex

Skull Bash (Japanese: ロケットずつき Rocket Headbutt) is a damage-dealing Normal-type move introduced in Generation I.

Effect

Generation I

Skull Bash does nothing on the turn it is selected, other than say that the user lowered its head. On the following turn, Skull Bash will do damage, PP will be deducted from it, and it will count as the last move used. Once Skull Bash is selected, the user won't be able to switch out until it is disrupted or fully executed.

If Skull Bash is not fully executed, PP will not be deducted from it, and it will not count as the last move used. If the opponent uses Mirror Move during the turn that the user lowers its head, Mirror Move will copy the move that the user executed immediately before using Skull Bash (or fail if it can't).

Sleep, freeze, partial trapping, and flinching will pause but not disrupt the duration of Skull Bash.

In Stadium, Mirror Move will copy Skull Bash on either of the turns it takes to execute.

Generation II and on

On the turn it is selected, Skull Bash will raise the user's Defense one level.

Learnset

Generation I

By leveling up

#   Pokémon Type Level 007 Squirtle Water 35 008 Wartortle Water 39 009 Blastoise Water 42 Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By TM40

#   Pokémon Type 004 Charmander Fire 005 Charmeleon Fire 006 Charizard Fire Flying 007 Squirtle Water 008 Wartortle Water 009 Blastoise Water 015 Beedrill Bug Poison 019 Rattata Normal 020 Raticate Normal 023 Ekans Poison 024 Arbok Poison 025 Pikachu Electric 026 Raichu Electric 027 Sandshrew Ground 028 Sandslash Ground 029 Nidoran♀ Poison 030 Nidorina Poison 031 Nidoqueen Poison Ground 032 Nidoran♂ Poison 033 Nidorino Poison 034 Nidoking Poison Ground 035 Clefairy Normal 036 Clefable Normal 037 Vulpix Fire 038 Ninetales Fire 039 Jigglypuff Normal 040 Wigglytuff Normal 046 Paras Bug Grass 047 Parasect Bug Grass 052 Meowth Normal 053 Persian Normal 054 Psyduck Water 055 Golduck Water 056 Mankey Fighting 057 Primeape Fighting 058 Growlithe Fire 059 Arcanine Fire 060 Poliwag Water 061 Poliwhirl Water 062 Poliwrath Water Fighting 063 Abra Psychic 064 Kadabra Psychic 065 Alakazam Psychic 066 Machop Fighting 067 Machoke Fighting 068 Machamp Fighting 072 Tentacool Water Poison 073 Tentacruel Water Poison 077 Ponyta Fire 078 Rapidash Fire 079 Slowpoke Water Psychic 080 Slowbro Water Psychic 083 Farfetch'd Normal Flying 084 Doduo Normal Flying 085 Dodrio Normal Flying 086 Seel Water 087 Dewgong Water Ice 094 Gengar Ghost Poison 095 Onix Rock Ground 096 Drowzee Psychic 097 Hypno Psychic 104 Cubone Ground 105 Marowak Ground 106 Hitmonlee Fighting 107 Hitmonchan Fighting 108 Lickitung Normal 111 Rhyhorn Ground Rock 112 Rhydon Ground Rock 113 Chansey Normal 114 Tangela Grass 115 Kangaskhan Normal 116 Horsea Water 117 Seadra Water 118 Goldeen Water 119 Seaking Water 120 Staryu Water 121 Starmie Water Psychic 122 Mr. Mime Psychic 123 Scyther Bug Flying 124 Jynx Ice Psychic 125 Electabuzz Electric 126 Magmar Fire 128 Tauros Normal 130 Gyarados Water Flying 131 Lapras Water Ice 133 Eevee Normal 134 Vaporeon Water 135 Jolteon Electric 136 Flareon Fire 137 Porygon Normal 139 Omastar Rock Water 140 Kabuto Rock Water 141 Kabutops Rock Water 143 Snorlax Normal 147 Dratini Dragon 148 Dragonair Dragon 149 Dragonite Dragon Flying 150 Mewtwo Psychic 151 Mew Psychic Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Generation II

By leveling up

#   Pokémon Type Level 007 Squirtle Water 40 008 Wartortle Water 45 009 Blastoise Water 55 Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#   Pokémon Type Father 001 Bulbasaur Grass Poison Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise 104 Cubone Ground Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

Generation III

By leveling up

#   Pokémon Type Level 007 Squirtle Water 40 008 Wartortle Water 45 009 Blastoise Water 55 319 Sharpedo Water Dark 48 Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#   Pokémon Type Father 001 Bulbasaur Grass Poison Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise 104 Cubone Ground Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise 369 Relicanth Water Rock Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise Sharpedo Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

Generation IV

By leveling up

#   Pokémon Type Level 007 Squirtle Water 31 008 Wartortle Water 36 009 Blastoise Water 39 319 Sharpedo Water Dark 50 Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

#   Pokémon Type Father 001 Bulbasaur Grass Poison Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise 029 Nidoran♀ Poison Squirtle, Wartortle, BlastoiseHGSS 104 Cubone Ground Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise 111 Rhyhorn Ground Rock Squirtle, Wartortle, BlastoiseHGSS 324 Torkoal* Fire Rhyhorn, Rhydon, RhyperiorHGSS 369 Relicanth Water Rock Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise Sharpedo 459 Snover Grass Ice Squirtle, Wartortle, BlastoiseHGSS Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move. *Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding.

Other apperances

• Pikachu uses Skull Bash as its side B attack in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Skull Bash can be charged up to inflict more damage and knockback.
• Pichu uses Skull Bash as its side B attack in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is similar to Pikachu's, but when Pichu uses it, it damages itself a little.

In the anime

	Magmar	Scyther
The user tucks in its head and rams the opponent with it.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Episode Used In		Notes
Charmander	Charmander runs at the opponent with its head down and strikes it with its head.
Ash's Charmander	Pokémon Scent-sation		Debut
Squirtle	Squirtle either runs and jumps at its opponent with its head down and strikes it with its head, or jumps into the air, gets a silver aura, and slams its head into its opponent.
Ash's Squirtle	The Kangaskhan Kid		None
Magmar	Magmar hurtles itself towards its foe and hits them with its head.
Blaine's Magmar	Volcanic Panic		None
Scyther	Scyther flies at top speed towards its foe. Its body begins to glow before hitting its target.
Tracey's Scyther	A Way Off Day Off		None
Eevee	Eevee runs at the opponent while glowing white. It then strikes the opponent with its head.
Gary's Eevee	The Rivalry Revival		None
Raticate	Raticate charges at the opponent with a glowing yellow aura and smashes them with its head.
Cassidy's Raticate	The Fortune Hunters		None
Totodile	Totodile slams its head into its opponent.
Ash's Totodile	Dueling Heroes		None
Blastoise	Blastoise slams its head into its opponent. Sometimes it has a silver aura when using it.
A Blastoise Jessie borrowed from the Battle Park	One Trick Phony!		None
Gary's Blastoise	Can't Beat the Heat!		None

Trivia

• All Pokémon to learn this move by leveling up are of the Water-type.

In other languages

• Dutch: Schedelbeuk
• Spanish: Cabezazo
• French: Coud'krâne
• German: Schädelwumme
• Italian: Capocciata
• Hindi: Sakht Khopri

This move article is part of Project MoveDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each move.