Pokémon Type Chart: strengths, weaknesses and immunities

The full 18-type chart

ATT \ DEF
													½	0			½
		½	½		2	2						2	½		½		2
		2	½		½				2				2		½
			2	½	½				0	2					½
		½	2		½			½	2	½		½	2		½		½
		½	½		2	½			2	2					2		½
	2					2		½		½	½	½	2	0		2	2	½
					2			½	½				½	½			0	2
		2		2	½			2		0		½	2				2
				½	2		2					2	½				½
							2	2			½					0	½
		½			2		½	½		½	2			½		2	½	½
		2				2	½		½	2		2					½
	0										2			2		½
															2		½	0
							½				2			2		½		½
		½	½	½		2							2				½	2
		½					2	½							2	2	½

Types

Normal

Fire

Water

Electric

Grass

Ice

Fighting

Poison

Ground

Flying

Psychic

Bug

Rock

Ghost

Dragon

Dark

Steel

Fairy

Legend

2 super effective (x2)

½ not very effective (x0.5)

0 no effect (immune)

normal damage (x1)

What a Pokémon type is

A type is an elemental category assigned to both Pokémon and moves. There are eighteen of them: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel and Fairy. Each Pokémon has a primary type and, very often, a second type that combines into a dual-type.

A move's type determines how effective it is against the type or types of the target. A Pokémon's type, meanwhile, governs both the attacks it receives and the attacks it can launch with a bonus. This dual role makes type the single most defining parameter in the game, far ahead of raw stats or level.

The interactive chart below summarizes every offensive and defensive relationship among the eighteen types. It is the reference grid to keep in front of you while learning, and the one veteran players eventually know by heart.

The effectiveness multipliers

When a move connects, the game applies a damage multiplier based on the relationship between the attack's type and the defender's type or types. There are four base cases:

• Super effective (x2): the attack exploits a weakness. The message "It's super effective!" appears. Example: a Water move on a Fire Pokémon.
• Neutral (x1): no advantage or disadvantage, damage is calculated with no modifier.
• Not very effective (x0.5): the target resists. The message "It's not very effective..." appears. Example: a Fire move on a Water Pokémon.
• No effect (x0): the target is fully immune and the attack deals zero damage. Example: a Normal move on a Ghost Pokémon.

These multipliers are the foundation of the entire system. A move dealing only half damage can lose you a game, while a super effective hit can knock out an opponent that looked perfectly safe. Reading these relationships fluently is the first skill a competitive trainer develops.

STAB, the same-type bonus

STAB stands for Same Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokémon uses a move that shares one of its own types, the damage is multiplied by 1.5. A Charizard (Fire/Flying) using Flamethrower therefore enjoys a 50 percent bonus it would not get from a move of a different type.

STAB is why players usually favor moves matching their Pokémon's type: at equal base power, a STAB move hits noticeably harder. It is also why versatile dual-types are prized, since they get the bonus on two different families of attacks, broadening their offensive coverage.

Note that Terastallization, introduced in the ninth generation, interacts strongly with STAB: a Pokémon that Terastallizes into one of its original types sees its bonus rise from 1.5 to 2, a detail that radically reshapes damage calculations in competitive play.

Dual-types and stacked multipliers

Most Pokémon carry two types, and that is where the chart gets truly interesting. When a move hits a dual-type, the game multiplies the two relationships together. The multipliers stack, producing values beyond the four base cases:

• x4 (double weakness): both types are weak to the attack. A Butterfree (Bug/Flying) takes x4 from a Rock move, since both Bug and Flying are weak to it.
• x0.25 (double resistance): both types resist. A Gligar (Ground/Flying) takes only a quarter of the damage from a Bug move.
• Dominant x0: if either of the two types is immune, the attack does nothing, no matter the other type. A Ghost/Ground stays immune to Normal.

This stacking makes some dual-types defensively fearsome and others extremely fragile. The famous x4 Rock weakness on Fire/Flying or Bug/Flying explains why a simple Rock move can flip a battle. Conversely, combinations like Water/Ground or Steel/Flying pile up resistances while keeping very few weaknesses.

The immunities to know

Immunities (x0) are the sharpest relationships in the game: no attack gets through, regardless of power. Memorizing them prevents costly mistakes. Here are the main ones:

Defending type	Immune to
Normal	Ghost
Ground	Electric
Flying	Ground
Ghost	NormalFighting
Dark	Psychic
Steel	Poison
Fairy	Dragon

These immunities often follow the game's internal logic: a Ground Pokémon cannot be electrocuted because it stays grounded, a Flying Pokémon escapes Ground moves because it hovers out of reach, and a Ghost cannot be touched by physical Normal or Fighting blows. Steel's immunity to Poison reflects the idea that a metallic body cannot be poisoned.

In battle, these immunities are used to set up pivots: a Ground Pokémon sent in against an Electric attacker fully cancels the move while gaining a free turn. It is one of the most exploited mechanics in competitive play.

How to guess the type in the quiz

The Type quiz does not show you the mystery Pokémon: it gives you its defensive profile, meaning what it is weak to (x2), resists (x0.5) or is immune to (x0). To find the answer you read that profile backwards, from the multipliers up to the type, or dual-type, that produces them.

The method comes down to four reflexes:

1. Look for immunities (x0) first: they are unique fingerprints. Immune to Electric means Ground, immune to Ground means Flying (or the Levitate ability), immune to Normal and Fighting means Ghost, immune to Psychic means Dark, immune to Dragon means Fairy.
2. Spot a x4 weakness: it betrays a dual-type whose two types are both weak to the same element. A x4 Rock weakness is the signature of Fire/Flying and Bug/Flying.
3. Count weaknesses and resistances: a pure type gives a simple profile, while a dual-type stacks and multiplies relationships, producing many x4, x0.25 or combined immunities.
4. Cross-check the clue board: the generation, BST and size of your guesses tell you which direction to search among the Pokémon that fit the type you found.

Single-type example. The profile shows a single weakness, to Ground, resistances to Flying, Steel and Electric, and no immunity. A lone weakness with no immunity points to a pure type: here Electric. A generation 1 Pokémon with a modest BST matches Pikachu.

Dual-type example. The profile shows a x4 weakness to Rock, weaknesses to Water and Electric, an immunity to Ground and resistances to Fighting, Grass and Bug. The x4 Rock weakness plus the Ground immunity leave only one combination: Fire/Flying. With a high BST and generation 1, it is Charizard.

The best defensive types

Some types shine through their ability to soak up damage. At the top of the list:

• Steel: the undisputed defensive champion. It resists a huge number of types (including Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon and Fairy) and is fully immune to Poison. Its only weaknesses are Fire, Fighting and Ground.
• Water: few weaknesses (Grass and Electric), solid resistances to Fire, Water, Ice and Steel, and a vast pool of available Pokémon.
• Fire: resists Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel and Fairy, making it an excellent wall against strategies built on those families.

A type's defensive value also depends on its combination. Steel paired with Flying, Fairy or Water creates walls that are remarkably hard to crack. Conversely, even a great defensive type can become vulnerable if it is paired with a second type that shares its weaknesses.

The best offensive types

On offense, you want types that hit super effectively against the largest number of targets, ideally without being resisted too often. The reliable picks:

• Ground: super effective against five types (Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel), an outstanding spread, and notably one of the few ways to hit Steel.
• Ice: super effective against Grass, Ground, Flying and Dragon, making it the nightmare of countless Dragon Pokémon and Ground/Flying combinations.
• Rock: super effective against Fire, Ice, Flying and Bug, with the bonus of hammering the many x4 Flying targets.
• Fairy: super effective against Fighting, Dragon and Dark, three offensively prominent families.

A good attacker often pairs two complementary types to cover blind spots. The classic Ground + Ice duo, nicknamed "EdgeQuake" when joined by Rock, shows how two types complement each other to hit almost the entire metagame. For more on choosing moves, see our moves guide.

The arrival of the Fairy type and the anti-Dragon lock

The Fairy type was introduced in the sixth generation (X and Y) and is the most recent addition to the chart. Its creation answered an imbalance that had grown glaring: the Dragon type dominated high-level play, being weak only to Dragon itself and to Ice, two relationships hard to exploit without risk.

Fairy rebalanced the game by being fully immune to Dragon and super effective against it. Overnight, the Dragon kings had to reckon with a family that could shut them down. Fairy also hits Fighting and Dark hard, and resists Bug, making it a very complete type both offensively and defensively.

Its weaknesses (Poison and Steel) and the fact that it is resisted by Fire, Poison and Steel keep it from becoming completely overpowered. This addition is a perfect illustration of how the type chart is a living system, tuned across generations to preserve strategic depth.

Building a team with balanced coverage

A strong team is not six powerful Pokémon, but six Pokémon whose types complement one another. A few principles for good coverage:

• Avoid shared weaknesses: if four of your Pokémon fear Ground, a single Ground opponent can sweep your team. Diversify your types.
• Cover your own weaknesses: every major weakness should have a teammate that resists or is immune to it, so you can switch in safely.
• Think about global offense: your team as a whole should be able to hit any opposing type super effectively, with no blind spots.
• Exploit immunities: a Ground pivot against Electric or a Ghost against Fighting grants precious free switch-ins.

The art of teambuilding is turning these type relationships into synergies. A Steel wall covering the Ice weakness of a Dragon sweeper, itself covering the Fire weakness of the Steel, forms a defensive core that is hard to break. To review each Pokémon's profile, take a look at our Pokémon guide.

Terastallization and the variable type

Introduced in the ninth generation (Scarlet and Violet), Terastallization is the most disruptive type mechanic ever added to the game. Once per battle, a Pokémon can Terastallize and completely change its type to adopt its Tera Type, which can be one of its original types or any other of the eighteen.

In practice, a Pokémon with a double weakness to a type can, by Terastallizing, erase that weakness and even become resistant to it. Conversely, it can shift its STAB to hit harder, or grant itself a surprise new offensive type. A Pokémon that Terastallizes into one of its original types enjoys an enhanced STAB of x2 instead of x1.5.

This mechanic adds a major layer of uncertainty: the type chart remains the reference grid, but a Pokémon's effective type can change mid-battle. Anticipating the opponent's Tera Type is now an integral part of reading a game at the highest level.

Frequently asked questions