Pokémon Type Calculator
Check weaknesses, resistances, immunities, and full dual-type effectiveness instantly. Choose one or two defensive types to see what attacking types deal 4×, 2×, 1×, 0.5×, 0.25×, or 0× damage.
Select defensive typing
Pick a primary type and, if needed, a secondary type. The calculator combines both types and shows the final damage multiplier for every attacking type, including dual-type weaknesses and stacked resistances.
Final multiplier = attacking type vs. primary type × attacking type vs. secondary type.
Examples: 2× × 2× = 4× weakness, 0.5× × 0.5× = 0.25× resistance, and any 0× value creates an immunity.
4× Weaknesses
2× Weaknesses
0.5× Resistances
0.25× Double Resistances
0× Immunities
| Attacking Type | Multiplier |
|---|
Pokémon Type Calculator: The Definitive Guide to Weaknesses, Resistances, Dual-Type Effectiveness, and Building Smarter Teams
The Pokémon type system is one of the most enduring strategy mechanics in all of gaming — a 18-type matrix of strengths, weaknesses, resistances, and immunities that has shaped competitive and casual play since 1996. Understanding it deeply is not just an advantage; it is the foundation on which every other strategic decision in the game is built. Choosing a move, selecting a team member, deciding whether to switch — none of these decisions make sense without a clear grasp of type interactions. Our Pokémon Type Calculator at WalDev gives you instant type matchup results for every single and dual-type combination, and this guide gives you the knowledge to understand and use those results strategically.
Whether you are a returning player who knows the basics but gets tripped up by dual-type interactions, a competitive player who wants to refine their understanding of defensive and offensive coverage, or someone brand new to Pokémon who wants to understand why their Charizard keeps fainting to Rock-type moves, this guide covers everything you need. We walk through the mechanics of the type chart, explain how dual-type interactions produce 4× weaknesses, break down every one of the 18 types individually, discuss how to use type knowledge in team building, and answer the 25 most commonly asked type questions. For more gaming tools across different systems, our complete gaming calculators suite covers everything from Pokémon damage calculations to competitive builds in other titles.
One thing worth noting before we dive in: the type chart is generation-specific. The guide you are reading primarily reflects the modern 18-type chart (Generation VI onward), which includes the Fairy type and the steel resistance modifications introduced in X and Y. Where earlier generations differed meaningfully, we note it explicitly. The WalDev calculator uses the modern chart by default.
How the Pokémon Type System Works: The Fundamentals Every Trainer Needs to Know
Every Pokémon in the franchise has one or two types — its defensive typing, which determines how much damage it takes from different attacking move types. Every move also has a type — its offensive typing, which determines how much damage it deals against different defenders. When a typed move hits a typed Pokémon, the game computes a type effectiveness multiplier that either amplifies or reduces the damage before any other calculations happen.
The multipliers work on a simple three-tier system for single-type Pokémon. When an attacking type is super effective against the defending type, the multiplier is 2× — the move deals double damage. When the attacking type is not very effective, the multiplier is 0.5× — the move deals half damage. When the defending type is immune to the attacking type, the multiplier is 0× — the move deals no damage at all. For types that have neither a specific relationship nor an immunity, the multiplier is 1× — damage is unmodified. This core framework has been consistent across every generation of the main series games.
What makes the type system genuinely interesting strategically is that it forces constant evaluation of both sides of every interaction — an attacking Pokémon needs to ask whether its moves will land effectively against the current target, while a defending Pokémon needs to consider whether it can safely absorb the incoming attacks. A move being super effective against the opponent is great; a move being not very effective when you expected 2× damage can be game-changing in the wrong direction. The type calculator eliminates the uncertainty from these evaluations by giving you the exact multiplier before you commit.
For players who want to go beyond basic type look-ups and understand the full math behind a specific matchup — factoring in base power, STAB, and other modifiers — the Pokémon Damage Calculator at WalDev is the complementary tool that calculates the exact damage output of any move against any target. Type effectiveness is one input into that full damage calculation, and using both tools together gives you the most complete picture of any matchup.
Type Effectiveness Multiplier:
Super Effective = ×2.0 | Not Very Effective = ×0.5 | No Effect (Immune) = ×0
Neutral = ×1.0 (no modifier applied)
Dual-type total multiplier = Type 1 modifier × Type 2 modifier
Example: Fire vs. Grass/Steel → (Fire vs. Grass = ×2) × (Fire vs. Steel = ×2) = ×4 total
Dual-Type Interactions: Where the Math Gets Interesting and the Strategy Gets Deep
Most of the strategic complexity in Pokémon type matchups comes not from single-type interactions — those are simply memorized from the chart — but from the multiplicative stacking that happens when a dual-type Pokémon is attacked. When both of a Pokémon’s types are weak to the same attacking type, you get a 4× weakness. When one type resists and the other type is weak, you often get 1× neutrality. When both types resist the same attacking type, you get a 0.25× reduction. These stacking interactions create both dangerous vulnerabilities and powerful defensive synergies that are the key to understanding any specific Pokémon’s defensive profile.
The 4× weakness is the most immediately dangerous consequence of dual-type stacking. A Pokémon that takes quadruple damage from a common move type is extremely difficult to safely deploy against teams that carry that move. The classic example is Water Gyarados, which takes 4× damage from Electric-type moves because Water is weak to Electric (2×) and Flying is also weak to Electric (2×), multiplying to 4×. Similarly, Fire Charizard takes 4× from Rock-type moves. In competitive play, knowing which of your opponent’s Pokémon have 4× weaknesses — and having a way to exploit them — is one of the most impactful pieces of tactical knowledge you can bring to a battle.
| Dual-Type Combination | 4× Weakness (Example) | Immunity Gained | Key Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Electric (Gyarados) | Ground | Fire, Water, Fighting, Bug, Steel |
| Fire | Rock (Charizard) | Ground | Bug, Steel, Fairy, Fire, Grass |
| GroundRock | Water, Grass (Rhyhorn) | None | Normal, Poison, Rock, Fire |
| GrassIce | Fire (Abomasnow) | None | Water, Grass, Electric |
| BugRock | Water (Dwebble) | None | Normal, Poison |
| SteelFairy | None (exceptional) | Dragon, Poison | 11 types resist or are immune |
Dual-type interactions can also cancel each other out in useful ways. An immunity on one of the defensive types wipes out the entire matchup multiplier regardless of what the other type’s modifier would be. A Ground Pokémon is immune to Electric despite Ground’s Electric weakness because Flying is immune to Ground — but that means the Electric immunity comes from Flying, and the 2× Electric weakness from Ground is overridden. This nullification behavior makes immunities exceptionally powerful in dual-type combinations because they create a true hard counter to an otherwise threatening attack type.
Once you know the type effectiveness multiplier, use the Pokémon Damage Calculator at WalDev to calculate the exact HP damage of any move — factoring in base power, attack stat, STAB, items, and abilities alongside type effectiveness.
How to Use the Pokémon Type Calculator: Getting the Most Out of Every Look-Up
The WalDev Pokémon Type Calculator is designed to be fast and comprehensive at the same time. You can look up a single type for a quick check, or enter a full dual-type combination to get the complete defensive profile — showing every attacking type and whether it hits for 4×, 2×, 1×, 0.5×, 0.25×, or 0× damage. Understanding how to read and apply those results is what turns a look-up tool into a genuine strategic resource.
Enter the defending Pokémon’s type combination — either a single type or both types for dual-type Pokémon. This is the defensive profile you want to analyze. If you are not sure of a specific Pokémon’s typing, the game’s Pokédex or any standard Pokémon database will list it. The calculator will handle the dual-type multiplication automatically.
The calculator returns a complete list of all attacking types and their effectiveness multipliers against the entered combination. The output is typically organized into categories: 4× weaknesses (if any), 2× weaknesses, 1× neutral types, 0.5× resistances, 0.25× double resistances (if any), and 0× immunities. Focus first on the 4× and 2× sections — these are the attack types that will threaten this Pokémon most severely in battle.
When building a team, check the weaknesses of each member and map them collectively. If three members of your team are all weak to Ground-type moves, your team has a critical vulnerability that a skilled opponent will immediately identify and exploit. The calculator helps you spot these patterns before the battle starts so you can build around them.
The resistance profile is equally important for identifying safe switch-in opportunities. A Pokémon with 0.25× or 0× damage against common move types can switch in freely when the opponent uses those moves, potentially wasting their turn while you position yourself advantageously. Identifying your Pokémon’s safe switch-in types is fundamental to playing defensively well.
The calculator can also be used offensively — checking which types the Pokémon you are trying to defeat is weak to, so you know which of your attacks will be most effective. Enter the defender’s type combination and identify the 2× or 4× attacking types. These are the move types you want to be carrying if you expect to face that Pokémon regularly. Offensive type coverage planning is the other half of the strategic picture the calculator enables.
All 18 Types Explained: Offensive Strengths, Defensive Weaknesses, and What Makes Each One Valuable
Each of the 18 types in the Pokémon franchise has its own distinct strategic identity — a combination of offensive coverage, defensive resilience, immunities, and thematic design purpose. The best players do not just know “Fire beats Grass” — they know the full strategic context of each type: where it excels, where it fails, and how it interacts with the types around it. Here is the complete breakdown of all 18 types in the modern chart.
Normal
Weak to Fighting only. Immune to Ghost. No resistances. Offensively, Normal moves are resisted by Rock, Steel, and Ghost (immune). The Ghost immunity makes Normal an interesting defensive type — it hard counters Ghost sweepers trying to use Shadow Ball for Normal coverage — but the complete lack of resistances means it contributes nothing defensively against most common moves.
Fire
Weak to Water, Ground, Rock. Resists Bug, Steel, Fire, Grass, Ice, Fairy. Super effective against Bug, Steel, Grass, Ice. Fire is a strong offensive type with excellent coverage against Grass, which is ubiquitous, and Steel, which requires Fire or Fighting to break through. Defensively, Fire’s three weaknesses (including the common Water and Rock types) make it a liability without support.
Water
Weak to Grass and Electric only. Resists Steel, Fire, Water, Ice. Super effective against Fire, Ground, Rock. Water has one of the best defensive profiles in the game — only two weaknesses, both of which can be covered by secondary types, and four useful resistances. Offensively, hitting Fire, Ground, and Rock super effectively covers many of the game’s most common defensive threats.
Electric
Weak to Ground only. Resists Flying, Steel, Electric. Super effective against Flying and Water. The single-weakness profile makes Electric exceptional defensively for a non-Steel type. Offensively, Flying and Water are both extremely common types in every generation, making Electric moves consistently valuable. The Ground immunity is the main obstacle to pure Electric coverage.
Grass
Weak to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug — five weaknesses, one of the most vulnerable defensive types. Resists Water, Grass, Electric, Ground. Super effective against Water, Ground, Rock. Despite the difficult defensive profile, Grass fills a specific niche — it is one of very few types that hits Water, Ground, and Rock super effectively, making it irreplaceable as coverage against these common defensive types.
Ice
Weak to Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel — four weaknesses and only one resistance (other Ice moves). Offensively super effective against Flying, Ground, Grass, Dragon. Ice’s defensive profile is notoriously poor — the worst of any type by most analysis — but its offensive profile is exceptional for coverage, particularly against Dragon and Ground, two of the most common offensive types in competitive play.
Fighting
Weak to Flying, Psychic, Fairy. Resists Bug, Rock, Dark. Super effective against Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, Steel — five types, the widest offensive coverage of any single type. Fighting is the premier offensive type for breaking through defensive teams because Normal, Rock, Dark, and Steel are all common defensive investments that only Fighting handles reliably alongside Fire.
Poison
Weak to Ground and Psychic. Resists Fighting, Grass, Fairy, Poison, Bug. Super effective against Grass and Fairy. The Fairy resistance and super effectiveness is Poison’s main modern niche — as Fairy became a dominant competitive type in Gen VI, Poison’s role as the primary Fairy check became more valuable than it had been in earlier generations when Poison was considered one of the weaker types.
Ground
Immune to Electric. Weak to Water, Grass, Ice. Resists Poison, Rock. Super effective against Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel — five types. Ground is one of the best offensive types in the game, covering Electric (which most teams need to address), Poison, and Steel in a single move slot. The Electric immunity is a huge bonus. The three weaknesses are manageable with the right secondary type.
Immune to Ground. Weak to Rock, Electric, Ice. Resists Fighting, Bug, Grass. Super effective against Fighting, Bug, Grass. Flying’s Ground immunity is its primary defensive selling point — it completely counters Ground-type sweepers trying to hit the whole team with Earthquake. Flying’s three weaknesses include the very common Rock and Electric, making standalone Flying types risky without defensive support.
Psychic
Immune to — wait, Psychic has no immunity. Weak to Bug, Ghost, Dark. Resists Fighting, Psychic. Super effective against Fighting and Poison. Psychic was the most dominant offensive type in Generation I but was brought into line in Generation II with the Dark type introduction (immune to Psychic) and the fixing of a Gen I coding bug that made Ghost ineffective against Psychic. In modern play, Psychic-type Pokémon are prized for their high Special Attack stats rather than the type itself.
Bug
Weak to Fire, Flying, Rock. Resists Fighting, Ground, Grass. Super effective against Grass, Psychic, Dark. Bug is considered one of the weaker offensive types in competitive play — its targets (Grass, Psychic, Dark) can usually be hit by other types as well, and Bug moves often have low base power. However, the Grass and Ground resistances make Bug a useful defensive secondary type for Grass-type Pokémon facing Ground threats.
Rock
Weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel — five weaknesses, tied with Grass for the most of any single type. Resists Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying. Super effective against Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug. Rock’s offensive profile is excellent — hitting Flying (very common) and Ice super effectively, plus Fire and Bug as secondary targets. The five weaknesses make pure Rock an extremely difficult defensive type to use without a well-chosen secondary type.
Ghost
Immune to Normal and Fighting. Weak to Ghost and Dark. Resists Poison and Bug. Super effective against Ghost and Psychic. The Fighting and Normal immunities are extremely valuable defensively — they allow Ghost-type Pokémon to switch into Fighting-type moves freely, which is particularly useful against teams relying on Close Combat or High Jump Kick. Ghost offensively covers Psychic well but is limited to two super-effective target types.
Dragon
Weak to Ice, Dragon, Fairy. Resists Fire, Water, Electric, Grass. Super effective against Dragon only. Dragon was near-unresisted until the Fairy type introduction in Generation VI — only Steel resisted Dragon before then. Dragon Pokémon dominated competitive play from Generation I through V largely because of this resistance scarcity and the high base stats typical of Dragon-type lines. Now balanced by Fairy, Dragon remains powerful but requires careful handling around Fairy and Ice coverage.
Dark
Immune to Psychic. Weak to Fighting, Bug, Fairy. Resists Ghost and Dark. Super effective against Ghost and Psychic. Dark’s immunity to Psychic was specifically designed to counter the Gen I Psychic dominance problem. Dark Pokémon can freely switch into and absorb any Psychic-type move, making them natural checks to Psychic-heavy teams. The Fighting weakness is significant — Fighting is one of the most common offensive types in competitive play.
Steel
Immune to Poison. Weak to Fire, Fighting, Ground. Resists 10 types including Fairy, Dragon, Psychic, Ice, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Normal, Flying. Steel is the definitive defensive type in Pokémon — its resistance count is unmatched and the Poison immunity and Dragon resistance make it particularly valuable in the modern metagame. As a secondary type on almost any Pokémon, Steel dramatically improves the defensive profile.
Fairy
Immune to Dragon. Weak to Poison and Steel. Resists Fighting, Bug, Dark. Super effective against Fighting, Dragon, Dark. Fairy was designed as the ultimate Dragon counter and meta-balancing type, introduced in Generation VI. Dragon immunity means Fairy-type Pokémon can freely absorb Draco Meteors and Outrage. Super effectiveness against Dark and Fighting — both common offensive types — makes Fairy an excellent offensive type as well. Steel and Poison are its designated hard counters.
The Bulbapedia type article is the most comprehensive community-maintained reference for the Pokémon type chart, including historical changes between generations, dual-type interaction tables, and the complete 18×18 effectiveness matrix with specific notation for each cell.
Smogon University is the primary competitive Pokémon resource, maintaining tier lists, analysis articles, and strategy guides that contextualize type matchups within the competitive meta — essential reading for anyone transitioning from casual to competitive play.
Offensive Type Coverage Strategy: How to Pick Moves That Hit Everything
When competitive players talk about “coverage moves,” they mean moves chosen not for STAB bonus but for the additional types they can hit super effectively that the Pokémon’s STAB moves cannot. A Water-type Pokémon naturally has STAB Water moves that hit Fire, Ground, and Rock super effectively — but it cannot hit Grass, Dragon, or Fairy effectively with Water alone. Adding an Ice-type move gives it super effectiveness against Grass and Dragon; adding a Poison or Steel move gives it better neutral coverage against types that resist Water. This process of selecting coverage moves to maximize the range of types hit super effectively is one of the core skill sets of team building.
The concept of a “coverage spread” — which combination of two or three move types covers the most defensive targets — is a constant topic in competitive analysis. Ground and Fighting together provide super-effective coverage against a very wide range of types: Ground hits Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel; Fighting hits Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, and Steel. Together, these two types cover almost all of the most common defensive targets, with the main gap being Flying types (immune to Ground, resistant to Fighting). Adding Ghost or Ice to this pair closes most remaining gaps. For players interested in the most mathematically rigorous coverage analysis, combining type knowledge from the type calculator with the actual damage output from our Pokémon Damage Calculator gives the full picture.
| Offensive Type | Super Effective Against | Resisted By | Immune Types | Competitive Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting | Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, Steel (5 types) | Poison, Psychic, Bug, Flying, Fairy | Ghost | Highest — covers 5 types including common defensive picks |
| Ground | Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel (5 types) | Bug, Grass | Flying | Very high — Electric coverage is rare and valuable |
| Water | Fire, Ground, Rock (3 types) | Water, Dragon, Grass | None | High — reliable, widely distributed, few immunities |
| Ice | Flying, Ground, Grass, Dragon (4 types) | Water, Ice, Steel | None | High — Dragon and Flying coverage is extremely valuable |
| Fairy | Fighting, Dragon, Dark (3 types) | Fire, Poison, Steel | None | High — Dragon immunity target is uniquely valuable |
| Electric | Water, Flying (2 types) | Electric, Grass, Dragon | Ground | Moderate-high — two targets but both extremely common |
| Rock | Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug (4 types) | Fighting, Ground, Steel | None | Moderate — good targets but 3 common resists |
| Ghost | Ghost, Psychic (2 types) | Dark | Normal, Steel (from Gen VI: Steel no longer resists) | Moderate — unresisted by most; limited super-effective targets |
The coverage optimization mindset applies across many games. The Classic WoW Talent Calculator helps min-max ability combinations for maximum output — a parallel process to optimizing move coverage in Pokémon. Our FFXI Skillchain Calculator similarly optimizes ability sequencing. The full suite is at the WalDev gaming calculators category.
Defensive Type Profiles: Which Combinations Offer the Best Protection
While offensive coverage is about maximizing damage output against the widest range of targets, defensive type optimization is about minimizing the number and severity of weaknesses while maximizing useful resistances. The ideal defensive type combination has few weaknesses, no 4× vulnerabilities, and resistances that match the most common move types in the current metagame. In practice, achieving all of these simultaneously is difficult — the best defensive types involve tradeoffs — but understanding the rankings helps you make informed decisions when choosing team members.
The single best defensive type in the game by most analysis is Steel. As a secondary type added to almost anything, Steel adds 10 resistances, one immunity (Poison), and introduces only Fire, Fighting, and Ground as additional weaknesses. The SteelFairy combination (seen on Magearna and the Alolan form of Ninetales’ Togekiss, and several other Pokémon) is particularly celebrated — it adds a Dragon immunity on top of Steel’s existing profile and leaves the combination with only Fire, Ground, and Steel (or Poison, mitigated) as real threats. The Pokémon Type Calculator will show you this profile immediately if you enter Steel/Fairy as the defending type combination.
Best defensive single types
Steel — 10 resistances, 1 immunity, 3 weaknesses. The apex defensive type.
Water — 4 resistances, 0 immunities, 2 weaknesses. Excellent balance of coverage and simplicity.
Electric — 3 resistances, 0 immunities, 1 weakness. One of the fewest single weaknesses of any type.
Ghost — 2 resistances, 2 immunities (Normal and Fighting), 2 weaknesses. The immunities are the selling point.
Worst defensive single types
Rock — 4 resistances, 0 immunities, 5 weaknesses. The most vulnerable single defensive type by weakness count.
Ice — 1 resistance, 0 immunities, 4 weaknesses. The second-worst defensive type — only resists itself.
Grass — 5 resistances, 0 immunities, 5 weaknesses. Many resistances but matched by an equal number of weaknesses.
Bug — 3 resistances, 0 immunities, 3 weaknesses. Mediocre defensive profile overall.
Team Building with Type Coverage: Building Six Pokémon That Cover Each Other’s Weaknesses
A team of six Pokémon is not just six individuals — it is a system. The most important concept in Pokémon team building is synergy: the property by which the strengths of each team member compensate for the weaknesses of the others. A team where five members are all weak to Ground-type moves is not a system — it is five targets waiting for the opponent to use Earthquake. A team where each type weakness is covered by at least one other member’s resistance or immunity is a system that can function under adversity.
The practical process of building for type synergy starts with the type calculator. Before finalizing any six-Pokémon roster, run each member’s type combination through the calculator and build a collective weakness map. If you find that three or more members share the same 2× or 4× weakness, you have a team-building problem. The solution is either to replace one of the redundant weak members with something that resists that type, or to ensure that the team member who most naturally handles that type threat is present and has a reliable switch-in path when that type shows up.
No more than two members weak to the same type. This is the foundational team-building rule. Three or more members weak to the same attack type means a skilled opponent with that move will find a free KO opportunity multiple times per match. Ground and Rock are the types most commonly overlooked — many teams accidentally stack Ground weaknesses because Fire and Electric types (both weak to Ground) are so commonly desired for offensive coverage.
Have at least one reliable switch-in for the most common offensive types. The most common threatening move types in standard competitive play tend to include Ground, Water, Fire, Electric, and Dragon. Having at least one team member who resists or is immune to each of these ensures you are never completely without a safe landing spot when any of them appears on the opponent’s team.
Offensive coverage should span at least four different attacking types across the team. A team that only deals super-effective damage against a narrow range of defensive types will struggle against well-constructed defensive rosters. Make sure your team’s collective movepool can hit Fire, Water, Grass, Steel, Dragon, and common defensive types super effectively even if no single team member hits all of them.
Check for double weaknesses before locking in a team member. The 4× weakness is a potential game-ender in competitive play. Before adding any dual-type Pokémon to your team, run its type combination through the calculator and identify its 4× weaknesses. If those attack types are common in your expected meta, you either need solid insurance (a team member that hard counters the attacker with that move) or a different team slot choice entirely.
The same coverage-gap analysis applies in other strategy games. Our 40K Damage Calculator helps Warhammer players optimize army lists against different target categories — a direct parallel to optimizing Pokémon coverage against different type profiles. And for games with inheritance systems similar to breeding optimization, the Palworld Breeding Calculator and Uma Musume Inheritance Calculator apply similar optimization logic.
Competitive Pokémon and Type Knowledge: What Separates Good Players from Great Ones
At the highest levels of Pokémon play — VGC, Smogon formats, the World Championships — type knowledge is assumed. No competitive player reaches a high ranking without having the type chart fully internalized. What separates average competitive players from excellent ones is not the basic chart knowledge but the ability to apply type information dynamically: making real-time decisions about switch-ins, predicting opponent moves based on their type coverage requirements, and identifying the type patterns in a team preview that reveal an opponent’s likely game plan.
Team preview — the screen before battle begins where both players can see each other’s six Pokémon but not their moves or items — is where competitive type analysis begins. An experienced player looks at the opponent’s six Pokémon and immediately maps their collective type profile: what types they are weak to as a team, what types they can resist, whether there are any 4× weaknesses present, and which of the player’s own Pokémon have the best matchup against the opponent’s defensive needs. This entire analysis happens in 90 seconds before turn one, and it is driven almost entirely by type knowledge. The calculator accelerates this process significantly when analyzing unfamiliar dual-type combinations or confirming whether a particular matchup is as clean as it looks.
Type knowledge also informs scouting and mind games. When an opponent has, for example, a Tyranitar on their team, its Rock/Dark typing means it is 4× weak to Fighting, 2× weak to Water, Grass, Ground, Steel, Bug, and Fairy. An experienced player immediately knows which of their own Pokémon can threaten it, which moves to use for the matchup, and what Tyranitar is likely to switch out to when it faces those threats — because they know what those switch-ins are also weak to. The entire chain of predictive analysis is built on internalized type knowledge.
For Pokémon players who also want calculators for other competitive gaming contexts, WalDev’s gaming suite covers a wide range. The Blox Fruits Calculator handles Roblox progression planning, the Blooket Calculator covers pack odds and ROI for educational gaming, and the Diamond Dynasty PXP Calculator tracks MLB The Show progress — all at our gaming calculators hub.
The Pokémon Company’s official VGC resources include tournament rules, format explanations, and results from official Pokémon World and Championship Series events — the authoritative source for current competitive format rules.
Smogon’s Pokédex includes detailed tier placements, individual Pokémon analysis pages covering type-based strategy, optimal movesets, and usage statistics — invaluable for understanding how type profiles translate into competitive viability.
How the Type Chart Evolved: Key Changes Across Pokémon Generations
The Pokémon type chart has never been static — each major generation has made targeted changes designed to address balance issues and introduce new strategic dimensions. Understanding these changes puts the current chart in context and explains why certain types feel like they were designed specifically to counter others (because they were).
Generation I (15 types, 1996)
The original chart had 15 types — missing Steel, Dark, and Fairy. Several now-fixed bugs affected type interactions: Ghost moves had no effect on Psychic (the opposite of intention), Poison was super effective against Bug but Bug was not super effective against Psychic as intended, and Ice was incorrectly implemented in some matchups. The Psychic type was catastrophically overpowered because it was essentially unresisted and the only intended counter (Ghost) was bugged to have no effect. Gen I competitive play is heavily shaped by this legacy.
Generation II (17 types — Steel and Dark added, 2000)
The addition of Dark and Steel was specifically designed to address the Psychic problem. Dark was made immune to Psychic and super effective against it. Steel resisted Psychic (along with 10 other types). Ghost became properly effective against Psychic. Steel was made to resist the enormous number of types it now resists, setting up as the dominant defensive type it remains today. These two types fundamentally restructured the competitive landscape in a way whose effects persist through the current generation.
Generations III-V (no new types)
No new types were introduced in Generations III through V, but several matchup adjustments occurred. Ghost and Dark interaction rules were refined. The introduction of physical/special split in Gen IV (moving from type-based to stat-based split) was the most significant mechanical change of these generations, affecting how every type’s moves played competitively without changing the effectiveness chart itself.
Generation VI (Fairy added, Steel adjusted, 2013)
The 18th type, Fairy, was introduced with three specific purposes: countering Dragon dominance, providing a new check to Fighting and Dark types, and introducing Poison and Steel as the Fairy counters to prevent it from being broken. Simultaneously, Steel was changed to no longer resist Ghost or Dark-type moves — a significant weakening of Steel’s previously near-impenetrable defensive profile. These changes collectively represent the most impactful single type chart revision since Generation II.
Complete Immunity List: Every Type That Cannot Damage Specific Defenders
Immunities are the most powerful single-type interaction in the Pokémon type chart — a 0× multiplier that completely prevents damage regardless of the attacking move’s power, STAB, or any other modifier. Understanding every immunity in the game is not just trivia; it is essential tactical knowledge. Switching a Ghost-type Pokémon into an incoming Normal-type move is free — zero damage, wasted opponent turn. That kind of free momentum is invaluable in competitive play.
| Attacking Type | Immune Defensive Types | Strategic Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Ghost | Ghost-types are immune to all Normal moves — switch-in freely to absorb Hyper Beam, Return, Body Slam, etc. |
| Fighting | Ghost | Ghost-types are immune to Fighting — the most valuable immunity in competitive play given Fighting’s ubiquity |
| Ground | Flying-types (and Levitate ability holders) are immune to Ground — including the dominant Earthquake | |
| Electric | Ground | Ground-types are immune to Electric — switching Hippowdon or Garchomp into Thunderbolt is completely safe |
| Psychic | Dark | Dark-types are immune to Psychic — Tyranitar, Weavile, and others can absorb Psybeam, Psychic, etc. |
| Poison | Steel | Steel-types are immune to Poison — this immunity became more relevant when Poison-type moves began targeting Fairy |
| Ghost | Normal, Dark (was not always) | Normal-types are immune to Ghost; Dark is not immune (resists instead) — a common misconception to clarify |
| Dragon | Fairy | Fairy-types are immune to Dragon — the primary reason Fairy was introduced; Togekiss, Clefable absorb Draco Meteor freely |
Abilities can create additional effective immunities beyond the type chart — Levitate grants immunity to Ground moves regardless of type, Flash Fire absorbs Fire moves and boosts Fire attack power, and Volt Absorb/Lightningrod grant Electric immunity to non-Electric types. These ability-based immunities are not captured in the type calculator (which reflects pure type matchups) but are essential to understand in competitive contexts. Always check a Pokémon’s ability alongside its type when evaluating matchups.
Best and Worst Types: An Honest Ranking of All 18 for Offensive and Defensive Use
Type quality rankings are a constant discussion in the Pokémon community, and the honest answer is that no type is uniformly “the best” across all contexts — a type that is excellent on defense might be poor offensively, and one that excels in one generation’s meta might be less relevant in another. That said, some types have objective advantages in the number of weaknesses they carry, the quality of their super-effective targets, and their resistance counts that make them broadly valuable across contexts.
Offensively, Fighting and Ground consistently rank at the top because of the sheer number of types they hit super effectively (five each) and the quality of those targets — Steel, Dark, Rock, Normal, and Ice are all common and important targets. Fairy and Ice are also highly valued for their Dragon coverage specifically. Defensively, Steel is universally acknowledged as the best single defensive type. Water and Electric follow closely as the next-best defensive single types by weakness count. Rock and Ice are near-universally considered the worst defensive types because of their high weakness counts and low resistance quality.
The Tera type mechanic introduced in Generation IX (Scarlet and Violet) added an entirely new dimension to this discussion — it allows Pokémon to change their effective type mid-battle, transforming their matchup profile on demand. This mechanic makes type fluency even more important than it was in previous generations, because players now need to evaluate not just the Pokémon’s base type but also its potential Tera type and how that transformation changes its defensive and offensive profile. The type calculator remains fully relevant for evaluating any specific Tera type profile by entering the Tera type as a single type combination. For damage calculations with Tera type factored in, pair the type calculator with the Pokémon Damage Calculator for full numerical context.
STAB and Type Effectiveness: How Same-Type Attack Bonus Multiplies the Damage Chart
STAB — Same Type Attack Bonus — is the game’s built-in reward for using moves that match your own Pokémon’s type. When any Pokémon uses a move that matches one of its types, the base power of that move is multiplied by 1.5× before type effectiveness is applied. This means that a Water-type Pokémon using Surf (base power 90) effectively operates at 135 base power against neutral targets, and at 270 effective base power against a target that takes 2× damage from Water.
The interaction between STAB and type effectiveness creates the most important damage tiers in competitive Pokémon. A STAB super-effective hit (1.5 × 2.0 = 3.0×) is the damage threshold at which most Pokémon without significant defensive investment will be KO’d in one hit. A STAB move against a 4× weak target (1.5 × 4.0 = 6.0×) is almost universally a guaranteed one-hit KO regardless of defensive EVs or held items. The Adaptability ability increases STAB from 1.5× to 2.0×, making STAB super-effective hits from Adaptability users reach 4.0× — a devastating multiplier that makes Adaptability users among the most powerful offensive threats in competitive play.
STAB damage multiplier = 1.5× (standard) or 2.0× (Adaptability ability)
STAB + Super Effective = 1.5 × 2.0 = ×3.0 total damage multiplier
STAB + 4× Weakness = 1.5 × 4.0 = ×6.0 total damage multiplier
STAB + Neutral = 1.5 × 1.0 = ×1.5 (still significant advantage over non-STAB neutral)
STAB + Resistance = 1.5 × 0.5 = ×0.75 (slightly below neutral non-STAB damage)
From Pokémon Damage Calculation to Uma Musume Race Outcome Prediction and the Black Ops 6 Terminus Code Solver — find every gaming calculator in one place at our gaming calculators hub on WalDev.
25-Question Pokémon Type Calculator Master FAQ
How does the Pokémon type effectiveness system work?
Every move has a type, and every Pokémon has one or two defensive types. When a move hits a Pokémon, the damage is multiplied by the type effectiveness multiplier: 2× for super effective, 0.5× for not very effective, 0× for immune, 1× for neutral. For dual-type defenders, both type multipliers are multiplied together — producing possible outcomes of 4×, 2×, 1×, 0.5×, 0.25×, or 0×. The WalDev Pokémon Type Calculator handles all of this multiplication automatically for any single or dual-type combination.
What is a 4× weakness in Pokémon?
A 4× weakness occurs when both types of a dual-type Pokémon are individually weak to the same attacking type. Because the multipliers stack multiplicatively (2× × 2× = 4×), the Pokémon takes quadruple damage from that attack type. Classic examples include Water/Flying Gyarados (4× Electric weakness) and Fire/Flying Charizard (4× Rock weakness). In competitive play, 4× weaknesses are critical vulnerabilities that can end a battle in one hit from a STAB user.
Which Pokémon type has the most weaknesses?
Rock-type Pokémon have the most weaknesses of any single type — being weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel (five types). Ice is close behind with four weaknesses (Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel) and only one resistance (Ice itself). These defensive profiles make Rock and Ice the least durable single defensive types in the game. The WalDev type calculator will show the full weakness profile for any type combination instantly.
What is the strongest offensive type in Pokémon?
Fighting-type moves are often considered the strongest single offensive type, being super effective against five types: Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, and Steel. Ground is equally strong offensively, also hitting five types super effectively: Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, and Steel. In competitive play, Fighting and Ground together provide the widest super-effective coverage of any two-move combination and are fundamental to most offensive movesets.
What type combination has no weaknesses?
No standard dual-type combination results in zero weaknesses from pure typing alone. The closest practical example is the Eelektross line (pure Electric with Levitate ability), which has no effective weaknesses because its only type weakness (Ground) is negated by the Levitate ability. Some other Electric types with Levitate similarly achieve this, but it is ability-dependent rather than purely type-based.
How does the Normal type work defensively?
Normal type has one weakness (Fighting), one immunity (Ghost-type moves have no effect on Normal types), and no resistances to any other type. The single weakness profile is actually quite clean defensively, but the complete lack of resistances means Normal contributes no damage reduction against any common offensive type. Normal-type Pokémon often compensate with high HP or Special Defense stats rather than type-based defensive resilience.
What types are immune to each other?
The complete immunity list: Normal and Steel are immune to Ghost; Ground is immune to Electric; Flying is immune to Ground; Dark is immune to Psychic; Steel is immune to Poison; Fairy is immune to Dragon. Ghost types are immune to Normal and Fighting moves. These 0× multipliers completely negate damage and are among the most strategically important interactions in the game to memorize for competitive play.
What is the best defensive type combination in Pokémon?
Steel/Fairy is widely considered the strongest defensive dual-type combination in the modern meta. It combines Steel’s exceptional resistance count with Fairy’s Dragon immunity and resistance to Fighting and Dark, resulting in very few weaknesses and resistance or immunity to most common offensive types. Water/Steel is another excellent combination. Run any combination through the WalDev Pokémon Type Calculator to compare defensive profiles quickly.
Did the type chart change between generations?
Yes. The most significant changes: Generation II added Steel and Dark types, fundamentally addressing Psychic dominance from Gen I. Generation VI added Fairy and removed Steel’s resistance to Ghost and Dark. Various earlier generations had bugs or inconsistencies (the Gen I Ghost/Psychic bug being the most famous) that were corrected. The WalDev calculator uses the modern 18-type Generation VI+ chart, which has been stable since 2013.
How do you calculate dual-type effectiveness?
Multiply the attacking type’s effectiveness against each of the defender’s two types together. A Water move vs. Ground/Rock: Water vs. Ground = ×2, Water vs. Rock = ×2, total = ×4. A Fire move vs. Water/Rock: Fire vs. Water = ×0.5, Fire vs. Rock = ×2, total = ×1 (they cancel). A Ground move vs. Flying/Water: Ground vs. Flying = ×0 (immunity), total = ×0 regardless of Ground vs. Water. The WalDev type calculator does all this multiplication automatically.
What does STAB mean in Pokémon?
STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) is a 1.5× multiplier applied when a Pokémon uses a move matching its own type. A Water-type Pokémon using Surf deals 1.5× more damage than a non-Water type using the same move. STAB stacks with type effectiveness: a STAB super-effective hit multiplies to 3× (1.5 × 2), and a STAB hit against a 4× weak target multiplies to 6× (1.5 × 4). The Adaptability ability increases STAB from 1.5× to 2.0×.
Is Ghost type good offensively?
Ghost hits only Ghost and Psychic super effectively, which is a limited target list. However, Ghost moves are noteworthy for being resisted by very few types — only Dark is immune, and no types resist Ghost in the modern chart (Steel no longer resists Ghost as of Gen VI). This makes Ghost a strong coverage type for hitting many common Pokémon neutrally or better, even when it does not score a super-effective hit.
Why is Dragon type resisted by Fairy?
Fairy was introduced in Generation VI specifically as a counter to Dragon-type dominance. Before Gen VI, Dragon was nearly unresisted (only Steel resisted it) and Dragon-type Pokémon dominated competitive play due to their combination of high base stats and coverage. Fairy was designed as the direct counter — immune to Dragon moves, super effective against Dragon offensively — while Steel and Poison were designed as Fairy’s designated counters to prevent the type from being unbalanced in the other direction.
What is the most common type in Pokémon?
Water is the most common Pokémon type by total species count, reflecting the franchise’s nature-based design philosophy. Normal is the second most common. In competitive play, Water, Steel, Dragon, and Ghost types are among the most frequently used due to their strong defensive or offensive properties. The prevalence of Water-type Pokémon in competitive teams is a direct consequence of Water’s excellent two-weakness defensive profile.
How does the Pokémon type calculator help with team building?
The type calculator helps team builders map collective type weaknesses across the roster, identify coverage gaps, check for dangerous stacking weaknesses (three members weak to the same type), and evaluate switch-in safety by identifying each member’s resistances and immunities. Running all six team members through the calculator and mapping their combined defensive profiles is a standard early step in both casual and competitive team building.
What types counter Dragon?
Dragon-type Pokémon are weak to Ice, Dragon, and Fairy. Ice provides reliable super-effective offense but is a fragile defensive type itself. Dragon vs. Dragon creates dangerous mirror matchups where speed and attack stat often determine who wins. Fairy is the safest Dragon counter — it is immune to Dragon moves while dealing super-effective damage, making Fairy-type Pokémon the cleanest switch-in to Dragon attackers in competitive play.
What is the Electric type good against?
Electric moves are super effective against Water and Flying — two of the most ubiquitous types in every generation of Pokémon, making Electric excellent offensive coverage. Defensively, Electric only has one weakness (Ground) and resists Electric, Flying, and Steel. The single-weakness profile is one of the cleanest in the game. The Ground immunity from Ground-type Pokémon is Electric’s main offensive limitation, requiring coverage moves to address Grounded targets.
How do you use the type calculator for competitive Pokémon?
In competitive play, use the type calculator to check whether a new team member introduces redundant weaknesses with existing slots, verify that your coverage moves hit the right targets super effectively, identify safe switch-in opportunities by finding which attack types your Pokémon resists, and during team preview to analyze opponent type profiles and plan your lead and switch strategy. The WalDev Pokémon Type Calculator provides instant results for any type combination.
What are the rarest dual-type combinations?
Some historically rare dual-type combinations include Fire/Water (Volcanion remains one of very few), Ice/Ground (Mamoswine line), Fighting/Ghost (no standard Pokémon has this combination at time of writing), Fire/Grass (very limited), and various Paradox and regional form combinations introduced in recent generations. As each new generation adds Pokémon, some previously rare combinations become less uncommon — checking Bulbapedia for current type combination lists gives the most up-to-date rarity picture.
Does terrain or weather affect type effectiveness?
Weather and terrain do not change the type effectiveness multipliers themselves — the chart is constant. However, weather modifies move power: Sunny Day boosts Fire moves by 50% and weakens Water by 50%; Rain boosts Water and weakens Fire. Terrain boosts specific type moves for grounded Pokémon (Electric Terrain boosts Electric moves, etc.). These are power multipliers layered on top of type effectiveness, not modifications to the type chart.
What is the Psychic type weak against?
Psychic-type Pokémon are weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. Notably, Psychic is immune to Dark (Dark moves have no effect on Psychic types — a common confusion since Dark is super effective against Psychic offensively, but Psychic’s defensive immunity goes the other way). This immunity was one of the core design features of Dark type in Generation II, specifically to give a hard counter to the then-dominant Psychic types.
Which type has the most resistances?
Steel-type Pokémon have the most resistances of any single type. Following the Generation VI adjustment (Steel no longer resists Ghost and Dark), Steel still resists Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Psychic, Rock, and Steel itself — ten resistances plus Poison immunity. This exceptional defensive profile makes Steel the most valuable secondary defensive type in the game when added to almost any Pokémon.
How does the type system differ in Pokémon GO?
Pokémon GO uses the same 18-type system and the same super-effective/not-very-effective/immune structure, but with different numerical multipliers. In main series games, super effective is ×2.0 and not very effective is ×0.5. In Pokémon GO, these are approximately ×1.6 for super effective and ×0.625 for not very effective, reduced for balance in mobile PvP and PvE contexts. The WalDev type calculator reflects main series game multipliers.
What is the best type for a starter Pokémon?
Water starter Pokémon are often recommended for new players because Water has excellent offensive coverage (super effective against Fire, Ground, Rock) and a clean two-weakness defensive profile. However, the answer depends heavily on the secondary type gained upon final evolution — a Water/Ground or Water/Steel final evolution is dramatically different from a pure Water starter. Checking the final evolution’s dual-type profile through the type calculator is the right way to make an informed starter choice.
How many types are there in Pokémon?
There are 18 types in the current system: Normal, Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel, and Fairy. Generation I had 15 types, Generation II added Steel and Dark to make 17, and Generation VI added Fairy to reach the current 18. This count has been stable since Pokémon X and Y (2013).
Where can I find more gaming calculators?
WalDev offers a comprehensive suite of free gaming calculators including the Pokémon Damage Calculator, 40K Damage Calculator, Blox Fruits Calculator, Blooket Calculator, Classic WoW Talent Calculator, Palworld Breeding Calculator, FFXI Skillchain Calculator, Uma Musume Inheritance Calculator, Uma Musume Race Calculator, Diamond Dynasty PXP Calculator, and the Terminus BO6 Zombies Calculator.
Explore WalDev’s Complete Gaming Calculator Suite
Final Thoughts: Why Type Mastery Is the Most Transferable Pokémon Skill
Every game in the Pokémon franchise — from the original Red and Blue to Scarlet and Violet and every generation between — is built on the same type system. The specific Pokémon change, the move pools evolve, the metagame shifts with each generation, but the type chart is the constant that underlies all of it. Mastering type interactions is the single skill that transfers most completely between every format, every generation, and every level of play — from your first playthrough to the World Championship stage.
The WalDev Pokémon Type Calculator gives you instant access to this foundational knowledge for any type combination you encounter — but the real goal is to internalize the chart deeply enough that you need the calculator only for the dual-type edge cases and unusual combinations that even experienced players occasionally need to double-check. This guide is designed to help you build that foundation: understanding not just what each matchup produces but why, which types are structurally strong or weak and for what reasons, and how to apply that knowledge systematically to build better teams and make better decisions in the moment of battle.
For the full depth of Pokémon damage calculation alongside type effectiveness, pair this tool with the Pokémon Damage Calculator. And for all of your other gaming calculation needs across every title and genre, the complete WalDev gaming calculator suite is always free at WalDev.
