Though Pokemon is often considered a children’s franchise, the series’ full Type-chart can take months for even an adult to memorize.
Remembering every Pokemon Type is difficult, let alone all the interactions between them. Some Pokemon deal Super Effective damage to one Type while taking Not Very Effective damage in return. Others can inflict major damage to certain types while counterattacks deal neutral damage. Most Pokemon resist their respective Type, yet some are weak to their own Type’s attacks. That’s just scratching the surface!
To help you out, we’ve chronicled every Type’s weaknesses and resistances to reference if you ever get confused. Note that this applies to the most recent Generation of Pokemon games, as earlier games featured fewer Types and occasionally different weaknesses. If you are playing legacy games like Gold or Silver, take this into account.
A few notes on verbiage
- Super Effective means an attack deals twice the damage it normally would.
- Not Very Effective damage inflicts half of what the attack normally would.
- A Pokemon with two Types that share a weakness will take four times the damage from that attack.
- A Pokemon with two Types that both resist the same Type will take only .25% damage from it.
- A Pokemon with a Type immunity will always take zero damage regardless of what their secondary Type is (with some rare exceptions). For example, a Flying/Electric-Type Pokemon will be immune to Ground-Type attacks, even though Electric Pokemon would normally take Super Effective damage from them.
We couldn’t track every possible Type combination to make this list, so do these calculations yourself if you’re evaluating the strength of a specific Pokemon.
Normal
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- N/A
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Rock
- Steel
Inflicts no damage against
- Ghost
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Fighting
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- N/A
Receives no damage from
- Ghost
Summary: The Normal-Type is the only Type in the game that cannot inflict Super Effective damage or receive Not Very Effective damage. They don’t specifically match-up well against any specific Pokemon Type, though they have a unique immunity against Ghosts. Read our detailed guide here.
Fighting
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Normal
- Rock
- Steel
- Ice
- Dark
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Flying
- Poison
- Bug
- Psychic
- Fairy
Inflicts no damage against
- Ghost
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Flying
- Psychic
- Fairy
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Rock
- Bug
- Dark
Summary: Fighting-Type Pokemon are some of the strongest physical attackers in the franchise. In addition to their impressive offensive spread, they are the only Type that deals Super Effective damage to Normal-Type opponents. These monsters are an excellent counter against Dark enemies, but they get shut down by Flying, Psychic, and Fairy-Types. Read our detailed guide here.
Flying
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Bug
- Grass
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Rock
- Steel
- Electric
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Rock
- Electric
- Ice
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Bug
- Grass
Receives no damage from
- Ground
Summary: Flying-Type monsters are a straightforward counter to Fighting, Bug, and Grass-Type foes. Since Ground-Type Pokemon are traditionally fierce attackers, the Flying-Type’s immunity to Ground attacks is especially noteworthy. Rock and Electric-Type foes are major threats to Flying Pokemon.
Poison
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Grass
- Fairy
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Poison
- Ground
- Rock
- Ghost
Inflicts no damage against
- Steel
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Ground
- Psychic
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Poison
- Bug
- Grass
- Fairy
Summary: The Poison-Type adds a strong spread of defense to any Pokemon. It is especially powerful against Grass and Fairy opponents, and its added immunity to the Poison status effect can seriously come in handy. That said, Poison-Type Pokemon need to watch out for Psychic and Ground-Type foes. Read our detailed guide here.
Ground
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Poison
- Rock
- Steel
- Fire
- Electric
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Bug
- Grass
Inflicts no damage against
- Flying
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Water
- Grass
- Ice
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Poison
- Rock
Receives no damage from
- Electric
Summary: Ground Pokemon are some of the most powerful threats in the series’ history. They are the sole source of Super-Effective damage against Electric Pokemon in addition to their already impressive offensive capabilities. Poison and Rock monsters will fold before a Ground-Type monster, though Grass-Types are a strong counter. Read our detailed guide here.
Rock
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Flying
- Bug
- Fire
- Ice
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Ground
- Steel
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Ground
- Steel
- Water
- Grass
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Normal
- Flying
- Poison
- Fire
Summary: Rock-Type monsters are situationally useful due to how many Types they are effective against and weak to. Flying and Fire-Type Pokemon are especially vulnerable to them, while Fighting, Ground, and Steel make for dangerous opponents. Pick your match-ups carefully and consider all secondary Types for best results.
Bug
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Grass
- Psychic
- Dark
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Flying
- Poison
- Ghost
- Steel
- Fire
- Fairy
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Flying
- Rock
- Fire
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Ground
- Grass
Summary: Looking at those offenses, Bug-Type Pokemon clearly got a raw deal. They can be deadly in the right match-up, but they only truly excel against Grass opponents. Meanwhile, Rock, Flying, and Fire-Type Pokemon will destroy them. That’s not to say Bug-Types are useless, as their resistance to the dangerous Ground-Type comes in handy. In particular, Bug-Type Pokemon can learn unique moves like Quiver Dance and Bug Buzz that make them more powerful than they appear.
Ghost
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Ghost
- Psychic
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Dark
Inflicts no damage against
- Normal
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Ghost
- Dark
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Poison
- Bug
Receives no damage from
- Normal
- Fighting
Summary: As the only Type with two immunities, Ghost Pokemon are among the most unique in the franchise. Though Dark-Types shut them down, Ghosts work best if you play to their unusual strengths. For example, they deal at least neutral damage to a majority of Pokemon Types, making them function well as well-rounded attackers. It can be scary to pit two Ghosts against each other since they’ll both deal Super Effective damage, so make sure you’re working with the better speed stat if you engage in such a match.
Steel
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Rock
- Ice
- Fairy
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Steel
- Fire
- Water
- Electric
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Ground
- Fire
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Normal
- Flying
- Rock
- Bug
- Steel
- Grass
- Psychic
- Ice
- Dragon
- Fairy
Receives no damage from
- Poison
Summary: Holy moly is this the absolute king of defensive Types. Just look at those resistances! Steel-Type Pokemon are somewhat lacking offensively, though their effectiveness against Fairy-Types can’t be ignored. Fire-Type Pokemon are among the best counters to Steel-Types, though any Pokemon that can at least deal neutral damage should be considered viable when breaking defenses like that. The Poison status condition also does not affect Steel monsters.
Fire
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Bug
- Steel
- Grass
- Ice
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Rock
- Fire
- Water
- Dragon
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Ground
- Rock
- Water
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Bug
- Steel
- Fire
- Grass
- Ice
- Fairy
Summary: Fire is a potent defensive Type with respectable offensive capabilities. Its most unique niche is countering Steel-Type Pokemon, though it fares just as well against Grass, Ice, and Bug opponents. That said, Rock and Water Pokemon are deadly to a Fire monster. Remember that some Fire-Type attacks inflict the Burn status effect, rendering physical attackers less threatening. Read our detailed guide here.
Water
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Ground
- Rock
- Fire
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Water
- Grass
- Dragon
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Grass
- Electric
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Steel
- Fire
- Water
- Ice
Summary: It might not look it, but Water is an invaluable Type. Aquatic creatures combine solid offense with respectable defense, especially considering only two Types inflict Super Effective damage to them. They fare best against Fire Pokemon, though Grass opponents will give Water-Types trouble. Read our detailed guide here.
Grass
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Ground
- Rock
- Water
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Flying
- Poison
- Bug
- Steel
- Fire
- Grass
- Dragon
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Flying
- Poison
- Bug
- Fire
- Ice
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Ground
- Water
- Grass
- Electric
Summary: With that spread of weaknesses, Grass Pokemon can seem awfully frail. On one hand, they struggle when facing Flying, Poison, Bug, and Fire Pokemon. On the other hand, they’re among the best counters for Ground and Water-Type Pokemon, both of which are as strong as they are common. Keep in mind that Grass-Types also resist powder moves, making them viable to block a Spore user in a pinch. Read our detailed guide here.
Electric
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Flying
- Water
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Grass
- Electric
- Dragon
Inflicts no damage against
- Ground
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Ground
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Flying
- Steel
- Electric
Summary: Electric Pokemon don’t necessarily do a lot, but they’re very good at what they do. They’re typically a great answer to Flying opponents, and their penchant to inflict the Paralyze status effect makes them almost universally useful. Ground of course renders Electric-Types useless, though otherwise they don’t have many hard counters. Check out our detailed guide here.
Psychic
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Poison
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Steel
- Psychic
Inflicts no damage against
- Dark
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Bug
- Ghost
- Dark
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Psychic
Summary: Psychic Pokemon were the masters of Generation 1, but since then they’ve become more niche. They are very effective against Fighting-Type Pokemon, but Dark-Type foes pose a major threat. Like Bug-Types, Psychic monsters are best used when you lean into their unique moves and traits, such as Light Screen for protection or Stored Power for comically high damage.
Ice
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Flying
- Ground
- Grass
- Dragon
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Steel
- Fire
- Water
- Ice
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Rock
- Steel
- Fire
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Ice
Summary: Ice is the ultimate glass cannon Type. Its sole resistance to itself pales in comparison to the amount of moves that deal Super Effective damage to it. However, they make up for this with their impressive offensive spread. It can’t be understated how useful Ice attacks are in shutting down Ground and Dragon Pokemon, as both Types feature incredibly dangerous monsters. Just make sure your Ice-Type goes nowhere near a Steel or Fire opponent. Read our detailed guide here.
Dragon
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Dragon
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Steel
Inflicts no damage against
- Fairy
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Ice
- Dragon
- Fairy
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fire
- Water
- Grass
- Electric
Summary: Looking at a Dragon‘s spread of weaknesses and resistances doesn’t tell the entire story of this Type’s power. Numerous pseudo-legendary Pokemon feature the Dragon-Type, so monsters in this category typically are threatening for their stats alone. Combine this with moves like Draco Meteor and Dragon Dance and it’s easy to see why Dragons are scary. That said, Fairy Pokemon are the best option for shutting down Dragons by a landslide.
Dark
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Ghost
- Psychic
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Dark
- Fairy
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Bug
- Fairy
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Ghost
- Dark
Receives no damage from
- Psychic
Summary: A Dark-Type’s purpose is straightforward: take out Psychic and Ghost Pokemon. They are utterly fantastic in this niche, but outside of that, you’ll once again want to lean into unique Dark-Type moves like Knock Off and Taunt to see what makes them unique. Fighting and Fairy Pokemon are threats to Dark-Types, so avoid them as much as you can.
Fairy
Inflicts Super Effective damage against
- Fighting
- Dragon
- Dark
Inflicts Not Very Effective damage against
- Poison
- Steel
- Fire
Receives Super Effective damage from
- Poison
- Steel
Receives Not Very Effective damage from
- Fighting
- Bug
- Dark
Receives no damage from
- Dragon
Summary: Fairy was specifically created to bring balance to the franchise, so it’s no surprise they are well worth using. They are an unparalleled counter to Dragon-Type Pokemon, though Fighting and Dark monsters should absolutely fear Fairies. That said, they have two notable weaknesses in Steel and Poison. While Poison is still somewhat niche, Steel is already a powerful defensive option that can bring Fairies monsters down with ease. As long as you can play around these weaknesses, Fairy Pokemon fulfill a valuable role.
Published: Jan 3, 2024 02:16 pm