Bug types take double damage from Fire, Flying and Rock moves. They resist Fighting, Ground and Grass. They have no immunity. The chart has not changed since Generation 2, when the old two-way link with Poison was cut to a plain resistance. On offence, Bug moves reach 2x against three types and lose half their power against seven, the most of any type.
What Bug Type Moves Are Strong Against
Bug hits Grass, Psychic and Dark for double damage. Seven types halve it. No type blocks it, which is the one point where Bug beats Normal and Poison on offence.
| Defending type | Damage dealt | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Grass | Super effective | 2x |
| Psychic | Super effective | 2x |
| Dark | Super effective | 2x |
| Fire | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Fighting | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Flying | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Poison | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Ghost | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Steel | Not very effective | 0.5x |
| Fairy | Not very effective | 0.5x |
U-turn stays on almost every Bug attacker for a different reason. The move swaps the user out after it lands, so the free switch matters more than the damage. First Impression and Megahorn are the moves that need a Psychic or Dark target in front of them.
Seven resisting types mean a Bug move rarely works as the only attack on a set. Kingambit, Gholdengo and Corviknight all take half from it. Each of them turns up on a large share of ranked teams.
Bug Type Pokemon Weakness Chart
Three weaknesses and three resistances put Bug in the middle of the pack on defence. The trouble is which three. Fire, Flying and Rock cover some of the most used attacks in every format.
| Attacking type | Damage taken | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | 2x | Weak |
| Flying | 2x | Weak |
| Rock | 2x | Weak |
| Fighting | 0.5x | Resists |
| Ground | 0.5x | Resists |
| Grass | 0.5x | Resists |
| All other types | 1x | Neutral |
The Rock weakness costs more than the other two because of Stealth Rock. A pure Bug Pokemon loses 25 percent of its health on every switch-in while the hazard is up. Bug and Flying pairings lose 50 percent.
That entry damage is why Volcarona and Scyther see far less play than their stats suggest. Both need a Rock type answer or hazard removal on the same team before they can switch in at all.
What Beats Bug Type Pokemon
Fire gives the widest coverage. Flamethrower, Overheat and Fire Blast all reach 2x, and most Fire attackers resist Bug moves in return. Chi-Yu and Heatran win that trade without taking a real hit back.
Flying gives the fastest kills. Brave Bird from Talonflame or Hurricane from Tornadus lands before most Bug Pokemon move. The Bug moves that come back are halved. The usual Flying type counters do not apply here. Bug carries nothing that threatens them.
Rock attackers finish the job. Stone Edge and Rock Slide deal double on contact. Stealth Rock then taxes every Bug switch-in after that. Garganacl and Tyranitar set the hazard and hit with the type in the same slot.
Dual Type Bug Pokemon and Their Weaknesses
A second type moves every number on the chart. Some pairings remove two of the three weaknesses. Others double them.
| Typing | Fire | Flying | Rock | Added 2x weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug / Steel | 4x | 1x | 1x | None |
| Bug / Flying | 2x | 2x | 4x | Electric, Ice |
| Bug / Fighting | 2x | 4x | 1x | Psychic, Fairy |
| Bug / Rock | 1x | 1x | 2x | Water, Steel |
| Bug / Grass | 4x | 4x | 2x | Bug, Ice, Poison |
Scizor and Forretress end up with one weakness between them. Their Steel half cancels Flying and Rock, brings the resistance count to eight plus a Poison immunity, and leaves Fire as a 4x hole. One Flamethrower removes either of them.
Heracross and Buzzwole trade the Rock weakness for a 4x weakness to Flying. Their Fighting typing opens Psychic and Fairy as well. That puts four types on the list where a pure Bug has three.
Crustle and Shuckle come out with the fewest gaps of any pairing on this list. Rock halves Fire and Flying, which drops both to neutral and leaves Rock, Water and Steel as the only 2x hits.
Resistances Bug Types Keep
Halving Fighting damage is the resistance that matters most in play. Close Combat sits on a large share of physical attackers. A Bug Pokemon takes one at half power where a Normal or Ice type would fold.
The Ground resistance lets Bug Pokemon switch into Earthquake, the most common coverage move in the series. Add the Grass resistance and Bug types get three safe entries against moves most teams carry. The full type matchup chart lists Bug and Grass as the only two types that resist Ground rather than ignore it.
FAQs
What is bug type weakness in Pokemon?
Bug types take 2x damage from Fire, Flying and Rock moves. Those are the only three weaknesses. Flamethrower, Brave Bird and Stone Edge are the most common ways to hit them for double damage.
What resists Bug type moves?
Fire, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Steel and Fairy all halve Bug damage. That is seven resisting types, more than any other attacking type faces. No type is immune to Bug moves.
What are Bug type Pokemon strong against?
Bug moves deal 2x damage to Grass, Psychic and Dark types. Megahorn, U-turn and First Impression are the moves most often used to reach that multiplier in ranked play.
Which Bug Pokemon has the fewest weaknesses?
Scizor, Forretress and other Bug and Steel pairings have one. Steel cancels the Flying and Rock weaknesses, leaving Fire as the single type that hits them, at 4x.
Does Stealth Rock hurt Bug types?
Yes. A pure Bug Pokemon loses 25 percent of its maximum health on each switch-in. Bug and Flying types such as Scyther and Butterfree lose 50 percent because they take 4x from Rock.
