Characteristics Guide and Meaning

Characteristics indicate which of the Pokemon's stats grows the fastest. Read on for a list of characteristics, how to check a Pokemon's characteristic, and what are the best characteristics in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP).

List of Characteristics

Best Characteristics for Pokemon

Characteristics That Increase Speed

Generally, anything that increases your Pokemon's Speed is highly welcome, as a high Speed stat ensures your Pokemon to move first before opposing Pokemon of the same level, or even of higher levels.

Characteristics That Increase Attack or Special Atk.

If a Pokemon's learnset is mostly comprised of physical attacks, it's best to get a characteristic that increases the growth of the Attack stat, rather than Special Attack, and vice versa for Special Attackers.

Check if a move is is Physical or Special via Move Summary

Physical Moves

Special Moves

It's important to know whether the moves you'll have your Pokemon learn are Physical or Special moves. On the move summary page, a blast symbol denotes a Physical attack, while a 3-circled ripple denotes a Special attack.

How to Check Characteristics

Trainer Memo in Pokemon Summary

Check the Pokemon's characteristic by going to their Summary page. From there, go to the Trainer Memo tab, where it will list the Pokemon's characteristic in plain text, right above the food that they like.

What Do Characteristics Do?

Denotes Which Stat Grows the Fastest

Characteristics indicate which of the 6 stats—HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed—grows the fastest.

Unlike Nature, which can also be checked on the same page, a Pokemon's Characteristic doesn't make another stat grow slower than the rest. Additionally, it's not depicted on the Pokemon Skills page, which stat is affected by Characteristic, while the 2 stats affected by Nature have a curved arrow beside them.

Natures Chart and How to Check

Determined Upon Encounter

The characteristic of a Pokemon is determined upon your first encounter with the Pokemon in the wild or when it hatches from an Egg. It is possible to reroll if you want the Pokemon to have a specific characteristic.

How to Reroll for the Best Nature and IVs

Pokemon BDSP Related Guides

Beginner's Tips and Tricks

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Tips and Tricks