Dark types take double damage from Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves. Nothing else lands at more than 1x, and Psychic attacks deal zero. The list held at two entries from 1999 until 2013, when Fairy arrived and added a third. A second typing moves those numbers in both directions, and the tables below track the full matchup.
Where the Dark Typing Came From
Game Freak added Dark in Gold and Silver to rein in Psychic, which had run over the first generation without a real check. The type answered that problem twice over. Dark moves strike Psychic for double damage, and Psychic moves fail against Dark on defence.
The same offensive slot punishes Ghost Pokemon, which also take 2x from Dark attacks. Fighting, Fairy and other Dark types halve them.
Dark Type Pokemon Weakness Chart
A pure Dark Pokemon defends against three types badly, shrugs off three others and ignores one outright. Everything else hits for standard damage.
| Attacking type | Damage taken | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting | 2x | Weak |
| Bug | 2x | Weak |
| Fairy | 2x | Weak |
| Ghost | 0.5x | Resists |
| Dark | 0.5x | Resists |
| Psychic | 0x | Immune |
| All other types | 1x | Neutral |
Since Generation 7, Dark types also block status moves boosted by the Prankster ability. Taunt and Thunder Wave from a Prankster user fail against them, a rule the full type chart does not show. Check both before you build a team around the matchup.
How Fighting Moves Break Dark Types
Fighting is the classic answer. Close Combat carries 120 base power, Mach Punch strikes first, and Drain Punch heals the attacker while it chips away.
The coverage costs little. Fighting moves also break Normal, Rock, Steel and Ice, so the slot that removes a Dark wall earns its place against four other types too.
Attackers worth running
Machamp, Lucario and Annihilape all pressure Dark teams with Fighting STAB. The Fighting type pays for it on defence, so bring these Pokemon in on a predicted Dark move rather than a Fairy one.
Bug Attacks Against Dark Pokemon
Bug does the quiet damage. U-turn deals super effective damage and swaps the user out in the same turn, which makes it the safest way to punish a Dark switch-in.
Moves that carry the matchup
Bug Buzz reaches 90 power on the special side, and First Impression hits at 90 with priority on the turn Golisopod enters. Scizor and Volcarona run Bug coverage that doubles as pivot support.
Why Fairy Counters Dark Types Best
Fairy attacks the matchup from both sides. Its moves deal 2x damage to Dark, and it takes half damage from Dark in return, so a Fairy Pokemon switches in on Crunch or Knock Off without cost.
Strong Fairy picks
Moonblast at 95 power is the standard weapon, with Play Rough at 90 for physical builds. Flutter Mane, Iron Valiant and Gardevoir all outspeed the bulky Dark cores they are sent in to remove.
Doubles players lean on Dazzling Gleam instead. The move hits both opponents at once, and a Dark and Dragon pair on the other side of the field takes it at 4x and 2x in the same turn.
Dual Types That Change the Dark Weakness List
A second type can double a weakness to 4x or delete it. These pairings shift the chart the most.
| Pokemon | Typing | Weakness change |
|---|---|---|
| Kingambit | Dark / Steel | 4x from Fighting |
| Tyranitar | Rock / Dark | 4x from Fighting |
| Hydreigon | Dark / Dragon | 4x from Fairy |
| Scrafty | Dark / Fighting | 4x from Fairy |
| Malamar | Dark / Psychic | 4x from Bug |
| Sableye | Dark / Ghost | Immune to Fighting, weak only to Fairy |
| Drapion | Poison / Dark | Weak only to Ground |
Kingambit still anchors ranked teams because Steel pairings add ten resistances along with the 4x hole. One Close Combat ends it anyway.
Drapion sits at the other extreme. Its Poison half resists Fighting, Bug and Fairy all at once, which wipes every standard Dark weakness off the card.
Honchkrow splits the difference. A Flying second type cuts Fighting and Bug to neutral, though it opens new doors for Electric, Ice and Rock.
FAQs
What are dark type Pokemon weak against?
Dark types take 2x damage from Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves. They resist Ghost and Dark at 0.5x and take nothing from Psychic attacks.
What is the best counter to Dark types?
Fairy types. They resist Dark moves at 0.5x and hit back for 2x with Moonblast or Play Rough, so they switch in and attack without taking real damage.
Why is Dark immune to Psychic?
Game Freak designed Dark in Generation 2 as a hard stop to Psychic, which dominated the original games. Psychic moves deal 0x damage to any Dark type.
Is Dark weak to Ghost?
No. Dark resists Ghost moves at 0.5x. The two types mirror each other, since Ghost also takes 2x damage from Dark attacks.
Which Dark Pokemon have a 4x weakness?
Kingambit and Tyranitar take 4x from Fighting moves. Hydreigon and Scrafty take 4x from Fairy, and Malamar takes 4x from Bug.
