Type

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If you were looking for the property of a Pokémon called type in The Official Pokémon Handbook, see Pokémon category.

Types (Japanese: タイプ Type) are properties applied to Pokémon and their moves, which affect the power of moves in battles. As of Generation VI, there are 18 types, as listed to the right.

During Generation I, types were occasionally referred to as elements.

Summary

Most types were introduced during Generation I, but the Dark and Steel types were introduced in Generation II, and the Fairy type was introduced in Generation VI. A unique ??? type also existed from Generations II to IV. The types are largely based on the concept of classical elements in popular culture.

A Pokémon may have either one or two types. For instance, Charmander is a Fire type, while Bulbasaur is both a Grass type and a Poison type. With this system and there currently being 18 types, there is a total of 324 possible ways to assign types to Pokémon, with 171 unique combinations, 162 of which have been used as of Generation IX. Similar to Pokémon, Pokéstar Studios opponents also have types.

All moves have exactly one type each. The type of a damaging move typically determines which types of Pokémon it is super effective against, which types of Pokémon it is not very effective against, and which types of Pokémon it is completely ineffective against (with very few exceptions). If the type of a move matches one of the types of the Pokémon using it, it gains a boost in power.

Most Gym Leaders and members of the Elite Four are designed to have a type-specific theme.

Type effectiveness

Sylveon using a super effective move on Hydreigon
"Super effective" redirects here. For the webcomic, see Super Effective (webcomic).
"It's super effective" redirects here. For the podcast, see It's Super Effective (podcast).
"Weakness" and "Resistance" redirect here. For the TCG mechanics, see Appendix:Glossary (TCG) → Weakness and Appendix:Glossary (TCG) → Resistance.

Damaging moves typically vary in effectiveness (Japanese: 効果 effectiveness) depending on the move's type and the type(s) of its target.

Type effectiveness greatly influences how much damage moves deal:

  • If the type of a move is super effective (Japanese: 効果はバツグン super effective) against a type of its target, the damage is doubled;
  • If the type of a move is not very effective (Japanese: 効果は今一つ not very effective) against a type of its target, the damage is halved;
  • If the type of a move has no effect (Japanese: 効果がない not effective) against a type of its target, the target is completely immune to it, and the move will deal no damage.

For targets that have multiple types, the type effectiveness of a move is the product of its effectiveness against each of the types:

  • If the type of a move is super effective against both of the opponent's types (such as a Ground-type move used against a Steel/Rock Pokémon), then the move does 4 times (250% in Legends: Arceus) the damage.
  • If the type of a move is not very effective against both of the opponent's types (such as a Fighting-type move used against a Psychic/Flying Pokémon), then the move only does ¼ (40% in Legends: Arceus) of the damage.
  • If the type of a move is super effective against one of the opponent's types but not very effective against the other (such as a Grass-type move used against a Water/Flying Pokémon), then the move deals regular damage.
  • If the type of move is completely ineffective against one of the opponent's types, then the move does no damage regardless of how the Pokémon’s other type would be affected (as in an Electric-type move used against a Water/Ground Pokémon).

Pokémon Legends: Arceus uses a different calculation for type effectiveness against multiple types:

  • If the type of a move is super effective against both of the opponent's types, then the move does 2.5 times the damage (instead of 4).
  • If the type of a move is not very effective against both of the opponent's types, then the move does 0.4 times the damage (instead of 0.25).
  • Type effectiveness multipliers remain the same otherwise.

The moves Flying Press, Freeze-Dry, and Thousand Arrows have custom interactions with defending types and do not strictly obey the type chart. Foresight, Odor Sleuth, and Miracle Eye remove certain type immunities from their targets. Fire-type moves double in effectiveness against Pokémon affected by Tar Shot. Moves that deal direct damage (including one-hit knockout moves) do not employ effectiveness, although since Generation II Pokémon are immune to them based on type interactions. Certain Abilities, held items, or types of weather (such as Levitate, the Ring Target, or strong winds, respectively) may modify the effectiveness of specific types of moves.

Status moves typically do not employ type effectiveness; however, Ground-type Pokémon are immune to Thunder Wave based on type interactions, and Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to Glare based on type interactions in Generations II and III only. Furthermore, status moves may be unable to affect Pokémon based on type-related interactions other than effectiveness; for example, Poison-type Pokémon cannot be afflicted with poison and are thus unaffected by Poison Gas.

Different sounds are played depending on the effectiveness of a move, with super effective attacks having a different sound from the normal hit, and not very effective attacks also having a distinct sound. Moves with no effect do not play a sound at all.

Type chart

For type charts from previous generations, see Type/Type chart

A type chart, also known as type matchup chart, shows which modifiers are applied to move types when attacking Pokémon of each type. If the defending Pokémon has two types, the two modifiers will be multiplied together: a Flying-type move would hit for 4× damage on a Bug/Grass Pokémon, while a Ground-type move used against the same would do only a quarter of the regular damage. (A complete ineffectiveness against either type will make the move deal no damage, since 0 multiplied by any number is 0.)

The type chart differs depending on the generation of games it is from. The type chart for Generation VI onward is shown below.

× Defending type
Normal Fighting Flying Poison Ground Rock Bug Ghost Steel Fire Water Grass Electric Psychic Ice Dragon Dark Fairy
Attacking type Normal ½× ½×
Fighting ½× ½× ½× ½× ½×
Flying ½× ½× ½×
Poison ½× ½× ½× ½×
Ground ½× ½×
Rock ½× ½× ½×
Bug ½× ½× ½× ½× ½× ½× ½×
Ghost ½×
Steel ½× ½× ½× ½×
Fire ½× ½× ½× ½×
Water ½× ½× ½×
Grass ½× ½× ½× ½× ½× ½× ½×
Electric ½× ½× ½×
Psychic ½× ½×
Ice ½× ½× ½× ½×
Dragon ½×
Dark ½× ½× ½×
Fairy ½× ½× ½×
These matchups are suitable for Generation VI onward.

In Inverse Battles, a different type chart is used that essentially inverts the regular type chart, turning immunities and resistances into weaknesses, and weaknesses into resistances.

Dual-type damage misinformation glitch

Main article: Dual-type damage misinformation

In Generation I only, if a damaging move is used on a Pokémon with two types such that one of its types is weak to the move and the other type resists the move, it will correctly receive neutral damage, but the incorrect message will be displayed on-screen. This does not occur in Pokémon Stadium.

Type-affected game mechanics

Prior to Generation IV, the category of damaging moves only depends on the move's type (except for Shadow moves); for example, all Normal-type damaging moves are physical moves and all Water-type damaging moves are special moves. From Generation IV onward, each individual move has a damage category that is independent of its type.

When the type of a move matches one of the types of the Pokémon using it, the attack power will be increased by 50%. This is referred to as same-type attack bonus, or STAB for short. As an example, an Aron that knows the Steel-type move Metal Claw will have the move's power increased by 50% because one of Aron's types is Steel; the power of Cut would not be increased as Normal is not one of Aron's types.

Some Pokémon types are immune to certain status moves or effects. For example, Grass-type Pokémon are immune to Leech Seed, and Ice-type Pokémon are not damaged by Hail.

Some moves, field effects, Abilities, and held items affect moves of a certain type. Sunny Day, for example, causes Fire-type moves to increase in power, while Levitate causes Ground-type moves to not work on the Pokémon with this Ability. Likewise, each type has a specific held item that can be given to a Pokémon that will power up one of the specific types by 20% (or 10%, prior to Generation IV), such as the Metal Coat for Steel-type moves.

Some moves and Abilities can temporarily change a Pokémon's type in battle. For example, the move Camouflage changes the user's type to a type corresponding to the battlefield terrain. Some type-changing Abilities include Color Change, Multitype, Protean, RKS System, and Libero.

Additionally, the type of some moves may depend on the circumstances they are used in; for example, Weather Ball may be Fire-, Water-, Ice-, Rock-, or Normal-type depending on the weather it is used in. Additionally, there are Abilities that can modify move types as well as exactly three moves: (Electrify, Ion Deluge, and Plasma Fists).

When a Pokémon has two types, those two types are always listed in an order specific to the Pokémon. This order is mostly aesthetic, but it affects Present in Generation II and Revelation Dance.

??? type

Main article: ??? (type)

The ??? type is the only type to have been removed from the core series games. The ??? type only existed from Generation II to Generation IV and was primarily used in the core series as the type of the move Curse. It was removed in Generation V, and Curse became a Ghost-type move. The ??? type deals and takes regular damage from all other types, though this is never seen in the core series due to no Pokémon nor damaging moves having the type.

Shadow

Shadow moves do not display any type on the summary or battle menus. In Pokémon Colosseum, the only Shadow move deals regular damage against all Pokémon, while in Pokémon XD, they are super effective against non-Shadow Pokémon and not very effective against Shadow Pokémon.

Typeless

Struggle, a Normal-type move, dealing typeless damage to Gastly

There are situations where Pokémon or moves behave as if they were typeless, unable to receive STAB and boosts from type-enhancing items or Abilities. This is most commonly possible through effects that make one lose a type, such as Burn Up, Roost, and Double Shock. Typeless Pokémon take regular damage from all moves, and typeless moves deal regular damage against all Pokémon.

Struggle acts typelessly from Generation II onward. The move Weather Ball acts typelessly under shadowy aura, and the move Revelation Dance acts typelessly if used by a typeless user. Beat Up, Future Sight, and Doom Desire deal typeless damage before Generation V.

Prior to Generation V, typeless damage will ignore Wonder Guard. From Generation V onwards, typeless moves are blocked by Wonder Guard, with the exception of Struggle.

A typeless Pokémon has no types displayed on its battle summary.

Glitch types

Main article: Glitch type

The glitch types are types which only appear through the use of glitches, such as on the types of glitch Pokémon. Most famously this includes the Bird type, which was intentionally programmed into the code of the Generation I and II games but was not given to any real Pokémon. Other glitch types are the result of the game reading other data as if it were types. Like the ??? type, all glitch types, except 'l) m) ZM, have no special effectiveness (they both inflict regular damage against all types and take regular damage from all types).

Icons

Type icons in Diantha's Champion room

In Generations I and II, the core series games just used the type's name, with the only icons being in Pokémon Stadium series games.

In Pokémon GO, icons were introduced to represent each of the types during gameplay. Very similar icons were later adopted into the core series, starting with Pokémon Sun and Moon and then following up with the subsequent core series games and Pokémon HOME.

Some unofficial icons associated with types appeared before. In Pokémon X and Y, a different set of type icons were used as decorations for the floor of Diantha's Champion room. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, each type was given a symbol placed on Z-Crystals.

Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu, Let's Go Eevee, Sword, Shield, and HOME

Normal Fighting Flying Poison Ground Rock
Bug Ghost Steel Fire Water Grass
Electric Psychic Ice Dragon Dark Fairy


Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Legends: Arceus, Scarlet, and Violet

Normal Fighting Flying Poison Ground Rock
Bug Ghost Steel Fire Water Grass
Electric Psychic Ice Dragon Dark Fairy

Tera Type icons

Normal Fighting Flying Poison Ground Rock
Bug Ghost Steel Fire Water Grass
Electric Psychic Ice Dragon Dark Fairy

Name icons

This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Documentation of abreviations in other languages

In Generation IV games, the icons similar to ones in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald are used in the summary and in-battle, while the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum icons are used in the Pokédex.

Stad Stad2 Colo XD PBR RSE FRLG DPPtHGSS BWB2W2 XYORAS SMUSUM PE SwSh BDSP LA SV
None
None
None None None None None None None None None
None None None None None None None None None

Symbol icons

Type Ranger Battrio Tretta GO RRush MasEX Mezas MD:DX NSnap
Normal
Fighting
Flying
Poison
Ground
Rock
Bug
Ghost
Steel
Fire
Water
Grass
Electric
Psychic
Ice
Dragon
Dark
Fairy None None

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Main article: Damage modification (Mystery Dungeon)

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, the matchup multipliers are 0.5×, 0.9×, 1× and 1.5×. In Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, the multipliers have been changed to 0.5×, 0.7×, 1× and 1.4×; if either the attacker or the defender has Erratic Player IQ skill, they are 0.25×, 0.5×, 1× and 1.7×, instead. Immunities provided from Abilities or moves, such as Levitate or Magnet Rise, are still 0×. Type matchups that would usually be immunities are instead announced as “It had little effect…”

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, moves that are ineffective in the core series are now ineffective as well (0× damage).

Pokémon Ranger series

In the Pokémon Ranger series, each Pokémon has a group, equivalent to a type in the core series. The effectiveness of Poké Assists on wild Pokémon is dependent on the Pokémon's group.

Pokémon Rumble series

In the Pokémon Rumble series, the type effectiveness chart differs from the equivalent type chart in contemporaneous core series games. Moves that are ineffective in the core series deal 0.6× damage instead, moves that would be not very effective against one or both of the target's types deal ~0.8× or ~0.7× damage, respectively, and moves that would be super effective against one or both of the target's types deal ~1.2× and ~1.4× damage, respectively.

Pokémon Battrio

Main article: Type (Battrio)

Pokémon in Pokémon Battrio all have one type in line with one of their types in the core games. Battrio also includes two unique types exclusively for Arceus, the Full Plate and Eleven-Plate types.

Pokémon Battrio's type effectiveness chart is also unique, with different possible strengths for weaknesses or resistances. For example, while Grass-type Pokémon are weak to both Ice- and Fire-type moves, they are weaker to Fire-type moves than to Ice-type moves.

Players with a Memory Key can also gain experience towards different types that will level up their Type Levels, granting Pokémon of that type a bonus in Attack or HP.

Pokémon Shuffle

Main article: Pokémon Shuffle → Type

Pokémon in Pokémon Shuffle each only have one type. Pokémon Shuffle's type effectiveness chart is also slightly different than the contemporaneous Generation VI chart, with 0× effectivenesses turned into ½× effectiveness.

Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, type effectiveness multipliers differ from the core series games, but using the same type effectiveness chart.

The multiplier Pokémon GO is 1.6n (1.4 prior to December 12, 2018 and 1.25 prior to June 21, 2017). The exponent n starts at 0, with weakness adding 1, resistance substracting 1, and an immunity being equal to a double resistance, subtracting 2.

As such, the following multipliers are possible:

Type effectiveness Multiplier
Doubly super effective ×2.56
Super effective ×1.6
Neutral ×1
Resisted ×0.625
Doubly resisted ×0.390625
Triply resisted* ×0.244140625

Pokémon UNITE

There are no type advantages in Pokémon UNITE.

In the TCG

Main article: Type (TCG)

There are eleven types in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, significantly fewer than the in other Pokémon media. Because of the smaller number of types, Pokémon often have different types in the TCG to other Pokémon media. Due to the fact that Pokémon in the TCG can usually only have one type, dual-type Pokémon often have different cards which correspond to the Pokémon's two different types, since type is a property of the individual card and not the species. In the TCG, moves do not have their own type. Instead, for Weakness and Resistance, the type of the Pokémon card is used instead.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 屬性 Suhksing
Mandarin 屬性 / 属性 Shǔxìng
Czech Typ
Danish Type
Finnish Tyyppi
French Type
German Typ
Elementklasse*
Hindi प्रकार Prakaar
Hungarian Típus
Indonesian Tipe
Italian Tipo
Korean 타입 Type
Malaysian Type
Jenis
Norwegian Type
Polish Typ
Portuguese Brazil Tipo
Elemento*
Portugal Tipo
Russian Тип Tip
Spanish Tipo
Swedish Typ
Sort*
Elementklass*
Thai ประเภท Praphet
Turkish Tür
Vietnamese Hệ

See also


This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.