Dark Type Weakness in Pokémon: What Beats Dark Types

Dark type is weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy. Any of those three deals double damage to a pure Dark Pokémon such as Umbreon in the main series games, or 1.6x in Pokémon GO. Dark resists Ghost and Dark, and it’s completely immune to Psychic moves.

That’s the whole answer for single-type Dark Pokémon. Most Dark types carry a second type, though, and that can turn a weakness into a 4x hit or erase it entirely. Kingambit, Tyranitar and Weavile all take quadruple damage from Fighting, while Skuntank isn’t weak to any of the three.

Dark type questions that trip players up

“Why does Bug beat Dark? Bugs aren’t scary.”

This one has been asked for years. A long-running PokéBase thread collected several theories, and none is official. The two that come up most: lots of insects are nocturnal and thrive in the dark, and Dark’s Japanese name is closer to “evil”, which makes heroic bug imagery (think insect-themed superheroes) a natural counter. Treat it as fan reasoning. The matchup itself is simply part of the chart.

“My Leech Seed failed on a Dark type. Bug?”

No, that’s a rule. Since Pokémon Sun and Moon (Generation VII), Dark-type Pokémon are immune to opposing moves that get priority from the Prankster Ability. A player on PokéBase asked why Leech Seed didn’t work on Mandibuzz, and the answers pointed to exactly this. Bulbapedia adds that it covers moves called by other moves, like Assist, but not ones triggered through Instruct or After You.

“Why did Game Freak make Dark immune to Prankster at all?”

Nobody outside Game Freak knows for sure. On the GameFAQs Pokémon Moon board, players tied it to Dark’s sneaky flavor (you can’t prank a trickster) and to Generation VII’s wider crackdown on priority moves, alongside Abilities like Dazzling and Queenly Majesty. That’s community interpretation, but the mechanic is real and matters a lot in doubles.

“How did Sableye have no weaknesses?”

Before Generation VI, Dark/Ghost was the only type pairing with zero weaknesses. The PokéBase answer from 2011 explains it neatly: Ghost cancels Dark’s Fighting weakness with an immunity and halves Bug, while Dark cancels Ghost’s weaknesses to Ghost and Dark. Fairy broke the streak. Fairy is super effective on Dark and neutral on Ghost, so Sableye and Spiritomb now have exactly one weakness: Fairy.

What is Dark weak to? The full defensive chart

These numbers apply to the current type chart, which has been in place since Fairy arrived in Generation VI, according to Bulbapedia and PokémonDB.

The Pokémon GO column comes from PokémonDB’s GO chart. GO has no true immunities, so a Psychic move still lands on a Dark type there, just at heavily reduced damage.

Dark dual types: weaknesses for every combination

Here’s where the real battle planning happens. Every Dark pairing in the games, with the weaknesses taken from PokémonDB’s dual-type chart and individual Pokédex entries. A 4x weakness is the one to aim for.

Two rows deserve a second look. Poison/Dark is the odd one out: Poison resists all three of Dark’s usual weaknesses, so Skuntank and Drapion only fear Ground. And Dark/Fairy, per Grimmsnarl’s Pokédex entry, isn’t hurt by Fighting or Bug at all; bring Steel or Poison instead. Abilities can change things too. Hydreigon has Levitate, so it also ignores Ground moves.

Best moves to use against Dark Pokémon

For most fights, a strong Fighting or Fairy move is the answer. Bug works too, but the common Bug options hit for less (U-turn has 70 power against Close Combat’s 120), so treat Bug as a backup unless you’re facing a Grass/Dark or Psychic/Dark target.

A practical tip: check whether the Dark Pokémon in front of you is part Steel or part Fairy before reaching for a Fairy move. Steel resists Fairy, which is why Fairy is only neutral on Kingambit, as its type defense chart shows.

What Dark moves are strong and weak against

On offense, Dark-type moves hit Psychic and Ghost for double damage. Fighting, Dark and Fairy resist them, and nothing is immune. The only type combination that takes 4x from Dark moves is Psychic/Ghost, according to PokémonDB.

That neat symmetry (Dark beats Psychic and Ghost, Fighting beats Dark) is why Dark-type attackers are the go-to answer for Psychic-heavy teams. Just expect the opponent to keep a Fighting or Fairy type ready.

Has Dark always had these weaknesses?

No. Dark was introduced in Generation II alongside Steel, and back then it was weak only to Fighting and Bug. Fairy was added in Generation VI. Steel used to resist Dark moves too: from Generation II through V, Dark attacks were not very effective against Steel, a resistance that’s gone in the current chart. If you’re playing an older game like HeartGold, SoulSilver or Black and White, Fairy doesn’t exist and Steel takes half damage from Dark. Both points are listed on Bulbapedia’s Dark type page.

As of Generation IX, Bulbapedia counts 84 Pokémon that are Dark-type in at least one form, making it the ninth rarest type.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dark type weak to in Pokémon?

Dark is weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy moves, each dealing double damage in the main series games. In Pokémon GO those hits deal 1.6x damage.

What is Dark type immune to?

Dark Pokémon take no damage from Psychic-type moves. Since Generation VII they’re also immune to status moves boosted by an opponent’s Prankster Ability.

Is Dark weak to Fairy?

Yes. Fairy has been super effective against Dark since Fairy was introduced in Generation VI. Dark/Steel Pokémon like Kingambit are the exception, because Steel resists Fairy.

Which Dark Pokémon has no weaknesses?

None in the current games. Sableye and Spiritomb (Dark/Ghost) had no weaknesses before Generation VI, but Fairy moves are now super effective against them.

Is Dark weak to Psychic?

No, it’s the opposite. Dark is immune to Psychic moves and Dark moves are super effective against Psychic Pokémon.

Is Bug or Fighting better against Dark?

Fighting is usually better, because it has stronger options such as Close Combat at 120 power. Bug is the better pick against Grass/Dark and Psychic/Dark Pokémon, which take 4x damage from it.

Featured image: Nintendo / The Pokémon Company; via Dexerto