Normal type Pokémon have one weakness. Fighting moves deal double damage to them, and no other type does. Normal resists nothing, but it takes no damage at all from Ghost attacks. On offense the type hits nothing for double damage, does half damage to Rock and Steel, and cannot touch Ghost. None of those numbers have changed since Gen II.
Normal type Pokémon dual type weaknesses
A second type changes the list. Some pairings cancel the Fighting weakness. One pairing doubles it. Ghost still deals 0× to each pairing except Normal/Ghost, which blocks Normal and Fighting instead.
| Combination | Example | Takes double damage from | Immune to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal/Flying | Staraptor | Rock, Electric, Ice | Ghost, Ground |
| Normal/Dark | Obstagoon | Fighting (4×), Bug, Fairy | Ghost, Psychic |
| Normal/Ghost | Hisuian Zoroark | Dark | Normal, Fighting, Ghost |
| Normal/Fairy | Wigglytuff | Poison, Steel | Ghost, Dragon |
| Normal/Psychic | Oranguru | Bug, Dark | Ghost |
| Normal/Water | Bibarel | Electric, Grass, Fighting | Ghost |
| Normal/Ground | Diggersby | Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting | Ghost, Electric |
Obstagoon is the worst case. Its Dark typing shares the Fighting weakness, so Close Combat lands at four times damage. Hisuian Zoroark sits at the other end. It blocks three types and fears one.
What beats Normal type Pokémon
Fighting is the one type that reaches 2× against a pure Normal Pokémon. Close Combat, Drain Punch and Body Press all hit at double damage. The other side of that matchup sits on the Fighting type page.
All other types land at 1×. Fire, Water, Grass, Ice and the rest deal plain damage to Snorlax, Blissey and Ursaluna. Ghost moves deal 0×.
That makes Normal one of two types with a single weakness on defense. Electric is the other, and it fears Ground alone.
Abilities and moves that change Normal type matchups
A short list of moves and abilities lets Normal hit Ghost, or turns Normal moves into a new type. Moves that change type gain 20% power from Gen VII on. The boost was 30% in Gen VI.
| Mechanic | Kind | Effect | Debut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrappy | Ability | Normal and Fighting moves hit Ghost at 1× | Gen IV |
| Mind’s Eye | Ability | Normal and Fighting moves hit Ghost at 1×, ignores evasion | Gen IX |
| Foresight | Move | Removes the target’s Ghost immunity | Gen II |
| Odor Sleuth | Move | Removes the target’s Ghost immunity | Gen III |
| Pixilate | Ability | Normal moves become Fairy | Gen VI |
| Refrigerate | Ability | Normal moves become Ice | Gen VI |
| Aerilate | Ability | Normal moves become Flying | Gen VI |
| Galvanize | Ability | Normal moves become Electric | Gen VII |
| Normalize | Ability | All moves become Normal | Gen IV |
Normalize works in reverse. Delcatty turns each move into a Normal attack, so its whole set stops working on Ghost. Refrigerate on Mega Glalie and Aurorus turns Hyper Beam into an Ice move with a boost.
Normal type moves: strengths and weaknesses
Normal attacks score no super effective hits. Body Slam, Return, Extreme Speed and Hyper Beam top out at 1× against 15 of the 18 types.
Rock and Steel cut Normal damage to 0.5×. Steel joined that list in Gen II, so Gold and Silver players saw Tackle fall off against Steelix and Skarmory. The Rock half-damage rule dates back to Red and Blue.
Ghost takes 0× from Normal moves. Gengar, Dragapult and Mimikyu switch into a Normal attack for free, unless the user has Scrappy or Mind’s Eye. The same rule is recorded on the Ghost page from the other side.
Same-type attack bonus keeps the type in play. Normal moves gain 50% power when a Normal Pokémon uses them. Ursaluna and Snorlax lean on that boost rather than on type edges.
How many Normal type Pokémon are there
Bulbapedia records 134 Normal type Pokémon as of Gen IX. That is 13.04% of all species and the second highest count of any type, behind Water.
Most are single type. The largest group of dual types pairs Normal with Flying, from Pidgeot and Fearow to Staraptor and Braviary. Later games added Normal/Psychic, Normal/Dark, Normal/Ghost and Normal/Fairy.
Gym leaders who run the type include Whitney in Goldenrod, Norman in Petalburg, Lenora in Nacrene, Cheren in Aspertia and Larry in Medali. Ilima is the Normal trial captain on Melemele Island. Each matchup they field can be checked on the full type weakness chart.
FAQs
What is Normal type weak to?
Normal type Pokémon are weak to Fighting moves and nothing else. Fighting attacks deal 2× damage to a pure Normal Pokémon. All other types deal 1× damage, and Ghost attacks deal no damage at all.
>What is super effective against Normal type Pokémon?
Fighting moves are the one super effective option against Normal. Close Combat, Drain Punch and Body Press all deal double damage. No other type gets a damage bonus against Normal.
Does Normal type resist anything?
No. Normal resists nothing. It takes 1× damage from 16 types and 0× from Ghost. That Ghost block is the one defensive edge the type has held in every game.
What is Normal type strong against?
Nothing. Normal moves are not super effective against any type. They deal 0.5× damage to Rock and Steel and 0× damage to Ghost. Against the other 15 types they deal 1× damage.
Why can Normal moves hit Ghost Pokémon sometimes?
The Scrappy and Mind’s Eye abilities let Normal and Fighting moves hit Ghost at 1× damage. The moves Foresight and Odor Sleuth strip the Ghost block from a target for as long as it stays in.
