Evergreen
Dark Type in Pokémon GO
Dark-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO: what Dark is strong against, weak to and resists, its weather boost, well-known examples and practical tips.
Dark-types are built to counter Psychic and Ghost, two types that otherwise resist a lot of the roster, and Dark itself resists Psychic and Ghost right back along with itself. Fairy, Fighting and Bug-type moves are the main threats to watch for.
Dark type matchups
Dark's lists on the type chart are compact: two super-effective targets, three weaknesses, and three resistances, one of which (Psychic) is at the ~0.39× level.
Dark is strong against
Dark is weak to
Dark resists
- Psychic — damage reduced to ~0.39× (barely effective)
- Ghost — damage reduced to 0.625×
- Dark — damage reduced to 0.625×
Weather boost
Dark shares the Fog boost with Ghost. Fog is uncommon in most places, so Dark-type raiders can't count on a boost; they're used because they're good counters, not because of the weather. The weather boosts page has the full table.
Well-known Dark-type Pokémon
Some well-known Dark-types:
- Umbreon
- Houndoom
- Absol
- Darkrai
- Greninja
Practical GO tips
- Dark-type attackers are the standard counter to Psychic and Ghost-type raid bosses.
- Fairy-type moves are super effective against Dark, so be cautious using a Dark-type attacker against a raid boss or Gym defender with Fairy typing.
- Dark-types resist Ghost as well as hitting it super effectively, so they're the safest answer to a Ghost-type boss; a Ghost attacker hits just as hard but takes 1.6× back.
Two of the best Dark-type attackers in the game, Tyranitar and Weavile, owe some of their weaknesses to a second type (Rock and Ice respectively), so check the pair before assuming Fairy, Fighting and Bug are the only risks.
To beat a Dark-type, Fighting, Bug and Fairy attackers get the 1.6× bonus; Fairy and Fighting also resist Dark's attacks.
FAQ
Is Dark or Ghost better against a Psychic-type boss?
Both hit for 1.6×, but Dark is usually the safer choice because Psychic moves barely damage a Dark-type (~0.39×), whereas a Ghost-type takes neutral damage from Psychic attacks.
Keep exploring
See the types hub for the other types or the type chart for the numbers. Dark-types lead the counter list against many Psychic and Ghost Legendaries, covered on the Legendary and Mythical page. Everything else on the site is reachable from the database hub or the Trainer Hub homepage.