Abstract The tetrapod jacket foundations that are always used to support offshore wind turbines have been investigated primarily in laboratory experiments. In this study, the ultimate lateral soil resistance on this type of foundation was investigated using the finite element method and the analytical upper bound plasticity method. The numerical results show good agreement with the theoretical upper bound solutions under the same pile spacings ( S ) and soil-pile adhesion factors ( α ). Three distinct failure mechanisms (mechanisms A, B and C) were established in terms of different pile spacings. The ultimate lateral pressure was subsequently determined using numerical analyses with consideration of the loading direction. The most critical loading direction angles ( θ ) vary with the soil-pile adhesion factors, and are θ = 0 for α = 1 and θ = π/4 for α = 0. Selected empirical equations were proposed to predict the ultimate lateral bearing capacity for engineering practice, considering the pile spacing, soil-pile adhesion and loading direction.