Welcome to our dark-type weakness guide. There are many different types of Pokémon out there, but one of the most popular is arguably dark. Not that this is surprising, given the likes of Obstagoon, Umbreon, Tyranitar, Weavile, and Krookodile fall under this category. However, to make the most out of them, you need to know what the dark Pokémon weakness is.
Wait, we can go one better. If you want to know who the best dark Pokémon are, check out our guide. We also have articles about the strongest Pokémon and the best fire Pokémon, poison Pokémon, water Pokémon, Mythical Pokémon, ice Pokémon, grass Pokémon, steel Pokémon, and dragon Pokémon.
Anyway, let’s descend into our dark Pokémon weakness guide.
What is dark Pokémon’s weakness?
Dark-type Pokémon have three weaknesses – bug, fighting, and fairy-types. Admittedly, multiple weaknesses are usually a cause for concern, but in the case of dark Pokémon, they can learn some powerful attacks that still give them a fighting chance.
If you want to discover how to defeat these types, however, our fighting Pokémon weakness, bug Pokémon weakness, and fairy Pokémon weakness guides hold the answers.
Dark Pokémon counters
As for specific Pokémon to use as a counter for dark-types, we suggest the likes of Scyther, Gardevoir, and Gallade. We also have some suggestions from each generation below:
- Gen 1 Pokémon Beedrill
- Gen 2 Pokémon Hitmontop
- Gen 3 Pokémon Gardevoir (check our Ralts evolution guide for more information)
- Gen 4 Pokémon Lucario (our how to evolve Riolu guide can help you get one)
- Gen 5 Pokémon Accelgor
- Gen 6 Pokémon Florges (check out our Floette evolution guide for more information)
- Gen 7 Pokémon Bewear
- Gen 8 Pokémon Grimmsnarl
- Gen 9 Pokémon Dachsbun
While we consider those to be reliable as bug, fighting, and fairy-types, respectively, it’s vital that you consider the secondary type of a hybrid ‘mon, for they could, in theory, be weak to dark or do little damage with those attacks.
Furthermore, when using Sylveon, for example, make sure to strike the dark Pokémon with a fairy-type attack – using one of its available psychic attacks isn’t going to do much damage against a dark-type. Plus, if you use a Pokémon like Gardevoir, you open yourself up to a potentially dangerous counter-attack as psychic Pokémon are weak to dark moves.
On the flip side, Grimmsnarl’s second typing is dark, meaning it’s highly resistant to dark attacks and can cause a lot of damage with its fairy-type moves.
Why is dark weak to bug?
If we had to hazard a guess, we’d say that the fact that bugs tend to come out at night and may have superior vision in the dark is part of why dark Pokémon are weak to bug Pokémon. Beyond that, maybe dark creatures naturally fear bugs, which is a common thing among humans – just ask Misty.
What are dark Pokémon resistances?
- Dark Pokémon
- Ghost Pokémon
- Psychic Pokémon
Dark Pokémon are resistant to dark-, ghost-, and psychic-type moves. So, psychic Pokémon and ghost Pokémon like Alakazam and Gengar won’t be as effective against you as they’d like to be, and neither will any dark-type ‘mon like Obstagoon.
What are dark Pokémon strengths?
- Ghost Pokémon
- Psychic Pokémon
Dark Pokémon are super effective ghost- and psychic-types. As such, the likes of Gengar, Hoopa, Gardevoir, and Jynx really struggle against dark-type ‘mon.
However, do remember that the likes of Sableye are a dark-type with a secondary ghost-type, meaning Gengar could pull off a devastating comeback should you not be careful. You’re best off using a dark Pokémon such as Obstagoon and Umbreon in a situation like that.
If you want to know what other types these poor ‘mon are weak to, take a look at our psychic Pokémon weakness and ghost Pokémon weakness guides.
What is a dark Pokémon?
It’s really easy to tell whether or not a Pokémon is a dark-type, thanks to their appearance. You see, most of them, such as Umbreon and Obstagoon, have black fur to some degree, or maybe a dark grey, and this tends to be a sign that they’re dark creatures. Another example is Murkrow and Hunchkrow, as while they don’t have black feathers, they are a midnight blue color, which is also a color that’s highly associated with darkness – the clue is in the name, really.
With any luck, this guide explaining what the dark Pokémon weakness is can help you to succeed in your quest to become the very best. Should you want to expand your knowledge on other types, our water Pokémon weakness, fighting Pokémon weakness, normal Pokémon weakness, flying Pokémon weakness, poison Pokémon weakness, steel Pokémon weakness, dragon Pokémon weakness, ground Pokémon weakness, and fire Pokémon weakness guides are a great read.