Dark Type Weakness
Dark is weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy. Check every Dark matchup, 4× dual-type weaknesses and the best counters below.
Check Dark Matchups ↓🌙 Dark Type Matchup Checker
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Quick Answer: What Is Dark Weak To?
Dark-type Pokémon are weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy. These attacking types deal 2× damage to a pure Dark type. Dark resists Ghost and Dark and is immune to Psychic.
What Is Dark Weak To in Pokémon?
Dark is immune to Psychic moves and resists Ghost and Dark.
A pure Dark-type Pokémon takes 2× damage from these attacking types:
- Fighting (2×): common moves include Close Combat and Drain Punch. See how Fighting works in the Fighting type guide.
- Bug (2×): common moves include U-turn and Bug Buzz. See how Bug works in the Bug type guide.
- Fairy (2×): common moves include Moonblast and Play Rough. See how Fairy works in the Fairy type guide.
The final result changes when a Dark Pokémon has a second type. Some combinations add a 4× weakness, and others cancel one of the weaknesses above. Use the checker at the top of this page for exact numbers.
Dark Type Strengths
Dark-type moves are super effective (2×) against:
Psychic Ghost
Not very effective (½×) against: Fighting Dark Fairy
Dark Type Resistances and Immunities
Resists (takes ½× damage from): Ghost Dark
Immune to (takes no damage from): Psychic
Dark has 3 weaknesses, 2 resistances and 1 immunity in the current type chart.
Dark Type Traits and Battle Mechanics
- Dark types are immune to Psychic-type moves.
- From Gen 7 onward, Dark types are immune to status moves boosted by the Prankster ability.
- Knock Off, a Dark move, removes the target’s held item and deals extra damage if the target is holding one.
- Dark is weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy.
Dark Type Weaknesses for Dual-Type Pokémon
A second type can add a 4× weakness, cancel one of Dark’s normal weaknesses, or give an extra immunity. This table covers every Dark dual-type combination that exists in the games, with real Pokémon examples.
| Type combo | Example Pokémon | 4× weak to | 2× weak to | Immune to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Normal | Obstagoon, Alolan Rattata, Alolan Raticate | Fighting | Bug Fairy | Psychic Ghost |
| Dark Fire | Houndour, Houndoom, Incineroar | None | Water Fighting Ground Rock | Psychic |
| Dark Water | Carvanha, Sharpedo, Crawdaunt | None | Electric Grass Fighting Bug Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Electric | Morpeko, Hangry Morpeko | None | Fighting Ground Bug Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Grass | Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Cacturne | Bug | Fire Ice Fighting Poison Flying Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Ice | Sneasel, Weavile, Chien-Pao | Fighting | Fire Bug Rock Steel Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Fighting | Scraggy, Scrafty, Pangoro | Fairy | Fighting Flying | Psychic |
| Dark Poison | Stunky, Skuntank, Drapion | None | Ground | Psychic |
| Dark Ground | Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile | None | Water Grass Ice Fighting Bug Fairy | Electric Psychic |
| Dark Flying | Murkrow, Honchkrow, Vullaby | None | Electric Ice Rock Fairy | Ground Psychic |
| Dark Psychic | Inkay, Malamar, Hoopa Unbound | Bug | Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Bug | Lokix | None | Fire Flying Bug Rock Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Rock | Tyranitar, Mega Tyranitar | Fighting | Water Grass Ground Bug Steel Fairy | Psychic |
| Dark Ghost | Sableye, Spiritomb, Mega Sableye | None | Fairy | Normal Fighting Psychic |
| Dark Dragon | Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon | Fairy | Ice Fighting Bug Dragon | Psychic |
| Dark Steel | Pawniard, Bisharp, Kingambit | Fighting | Fire Ground | Poison Psychic |
| Dark Fairy | Impidimp, Morgrem, Grimmsnarl | None | Poison Steel Fairy | Psychic Dragon |
Watch out for 4× weaknesses: Dark/Normal (Obstagoon) takes 4× from Fighting, Dark/Grass (Shiftry) takes 4× from Bug, Dark/Ice (Weavile) takes 4× from Fighting, Dark/Fighting (Scrafty) takes 4× from Fairy, Dark/Psychic (Malamar) takes 4× from Bug, Dark/Rock (Tyranitar) takes 4× from Fighting, Dark/Dragon (Zweilous) takes 4× from Fairy and Dark/Steel (Bisharp) takes 4× from Fighting.
Combos that cancel a Dark weakness: Dark/Fire is no longer weak to Bug and Fairy, Dark/Fighting is no longer weak to Bug, Dark/Poison is no longer weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy, Dark/Flying is no longer weak to Fighting and Bug, Dark/Psychic is no longer weak to Fighting, Dark/Bug is no longer weak to Fighting, Dark/Ghost is no longer weak to Fighting and Bug, Dark/Steel is no longer weak to Bug and Fairy and Dark/Fairy is no longer weak to Fighting and Bug.
Best Pokémon to Use Against Dark Types
The safest counters hit Dark Pokémon for super effective damage and also resist Dark-type attacks. These popular Pokémon do both:
| Pokémon | Types | Hits Dark with (2×) | Takes from Dark moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Valiant | Fairy Fighting | Fairy Fighting | ¼× |
| Great Tusk | Ground Fighting | Fighting | ½× |
| Lucario | Fighting Steel | Fighting | ½× |
| Azumarill | Water Fairy | Fairy | ½× |
| Primarina | Water Fairy | Fairy | ½× |
| Iron Hands | Fighting Electric | Fighting | ½× |
Before you switch in, check the opponent’s second type and its coverage moves. Tap any Pokémon to see its full matchup in the calculator.
About This Guide
Written and maintained by Mical Boje, who has been playing Pokémon games for more than 10 years. All matchups, tables and examples on this page come from the same data that powers the Pokémon Type Calculator.
- Rules used: the current type chart, from Gen 6 (X and Y) to Scarlet and Violet.
- Sources: the official main-series games, cross-checked with Bulbapedia’s Dark type page. Pokémon types and forms come from PokéAPI.
- Last updated:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dark weak to in Pokémon?
Dark is weak to Fighting, Bug and Fairy. Each of these deals 2× damage to a pure Dark-type Pokémon.
What is Dark strong against?
Dark-type moves are super effective against Psychic and Ghost.
What does Dark resist?
Dark resists Ghost and Dark, and it is immune to Psychic.
Which Dark dual types have a 4× weakness?
Dark/Normal (Obstagoon) is 4× weak to Fighting, Dark/Grass (Shiftry) is 4× weak to Bug, Dark/Ice (Weavile) is 4× weak to Fighting, Dark/Fighting (Scrafty) is 4× weak to Fairy, Dark/Psychic (Malamar) is 4× weak to Bug, Dark/Rock (Tyranitar) is 4× weak to Fighting, Dark/Dragon (Zweilous) is 4× weak to Fairy and Dark/Steel (Bisharp) is 4× weak to Fighting.
What is the best counter to Dark-type Pokémon?
Pokémon that resist Dark moves and hit back super effectively work best, such as Iron Valiant, Great Tusk, Lucario and Azumarill.
Are Dark types immune to Prankster?
Yes, from Gen 7 onward. Status moves that get priority from Prankster fail against Dark-type targets.
Other Type Weakness Guides
Need the whole picture? See the complete Pokémon Type Chart or the overview of all 18 type weaknesses.