View source for Damage category

{{Move|Move category}}
{{DamageCats}}
The '''category''' (Japanese: '''{{tt|分類|ぶんるい}}''' ''classification'') or '''kind'''<ref>In [[Pokédex 3D]]</ref> of a [[move]] is an element of said move that determines the kind of [[damage]] it deals.

In games prior to Generation IV, the [[type]] of a damaging move determines whether the move is [[Physical moves|physical]] ({{DL|Damage|Damage formula|damage calculation}} is performed using the user's {{stat|Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Defense}}) or [[Special moves|special]] (the user's {{stat|Special Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Special Defense}}).

It was first assigned to individual moves in {{g|XD: Gale of Darkness}} for [[Shadow move]]s, and then applied to all moves starting in [[Generation IV]]. Among fans, this change is often known as the '''Physical/Special split'''.

==Physical/Special split==
The Physical/Special split allows {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} to use moves from a wider variety of types. For example, prior to Generation IV, {{p|Sneasel}}, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, was not effective at using moves with [[Same-type attack bonus|STAB]], due to {{type|Ice}} moves and {{type|Dark}} moves both being special.

Several new moves were introduced to give more balance to formerly all-special and all-physical types, such as the physical {{type|Psychic}} moves {{m|Zen Headbutt}} and {{m|Psycho Cut}}; and the special Fighting-type moves {{m|Focus Blast}}, {{m|Vacuum Wave}}, and {{m|Aura Sphere}}. Other moves, such as {{m|Hyper Beam}} (which was physical prior to Generation IV but is now special), gained physical counterparts with the same characteristics (in this case, {{m|Giga Impact}}).

==Type-based categories==
The move categories used from [[Generation I]] to [[Generation III]] are listed below.
{| class="roundy" style="background: #ccc; border: 2px solid #333; table-layout: fixed;"
|- style="background: #C0C0FF;"
! style="{{roundytl|5px}}" | Category
! colspan="9" style="{{roundytr|5px}}" | [[Type]]
|-
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Physical color}}" | '''[[Physical move|{{color|{{Physical textcolor}}|Physical}}]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Normal color}}" | {{typecolor|Normal}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Fighting color}}" | {{typecolor|Fighting}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Flying color}}" | {{typecolor|Flying}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Poison color}}" | {{typecolor|Poison}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Ground color}}" | {{typecolor|Ground}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Rock color}}" | {{typecolor|Rock}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Bug color}}" | {{typecolor|Bug}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Ghost color}}" | {{typecolor|Ghost}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Steel color}}" | {{typecolor|Steel}}
|-
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Special color}}" | '''[[Special move|{{color|{{Special textcolor}}|Special}}]]'''
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Fire color}}" | {{typecolor|Fire}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Water color}}" | {{typecolor|Water}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Grass color}}" | {{typecolor|Grass}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Electric color}}" | {{typecolor|Electric}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Psychic color}}" | {{typecolor|Psychic}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Ice color}}" | {{typecolor|Ice}}
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Dragon color}}" | {{typecolor|Dragon}}
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #{{Dark color}}" | {{typecolor|Dark}}
|-
| colspan="10" style="{{roundybottom|5px}}; background: #ddd" | <small>The unused {{DL|List of glitch types|Bird}} type from the Generation I games is physical.</small>
|}

==References==
<references />

==In other languages==
{{langtable|color=ddf|bordercolor=ccf
|zh_yue=分類 ''{{tt|Fānleuih|Classification}}''
|zh_cmn=分類 / 分类 ''{{tt|Fēnlèi|Classification}}''
|fr=Catégorie
|de=Kategorie
|it=Categoria
|ko=분류 ''{{tt|Bullyu|Classification}}''
|es=Categoría
}}
{{-}}
{{Project Games notice|game mechanic}}

[[Category:Damage categories|*]]
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Terminology]]

[[de:Schadensklasse]]
[[fr:Catégories d'attaque]]
[[it:Categoria danno]]