Pokémon GO: Type Strengths and Weaknesses Explained

By Kevin ArrowsUpdated on April 28, 2023

Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

Each Pokémon featured in Pokémon GO falls under one (or, in some cases, two) of a total of 18 categories or, as the game calls them, ‘types’. All of the attacks and moves in Pokémon GO also fall under one ‘type’ each. A Pokémon can have one or two types, and the type a Pokémon belongs to goes on to determine a number of things about that Pokémon, from what types of Pokémon it is strong and weak against and what kinds of moves it has to where the Pokémon can be found in the real world and how effective the Pokémon is in battle.

Each type of Pokémon and attack is strong against some types, weak against some and neutral against others. While a Pokémon’s type has a lot to do with where that specific Pokémon can be found in the real world and what kinds of attacks it is weak against, it is the types of each of the Pokémon’s two attacks (one tap attack and one charge attack) that ultimately determine what types of Pokémon it is strong against and what types of Pokémon it is weak against.

Like the Pokémon anime and games, Pokémon GO features all 18 currently existing types of Pokémon and Pokémon attacks/moves. These types are Fire, Grass, Water, Ice, Rock, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Normal, Poison, Bug, Steel, Ghost, Fighting, Electric, Dark, Dragon and Fairy.

In Pokémon GO, Pokémon types and Pokémon attack types play an extremely large role in gym battling. If one of a Pokémon’s attacks’ types is strong against the opponent Pokémon’s type, that attack is going to be Super Effective and is going to do 20% more damage to the opponent Pokémon. However, if one of a Pokémon’s attacks’ types is weak against the opponent Pokémon’s type, that attack is going to be Not Effective and is going to do 20% less damage.

How Pokémon types and move types work in Pokémon GO is a tad bit different as compared to the mainstream Pokémon games, but the essence is still the same. While battling gyms in Pokémon GO, the best strategy is to use a Pokémon that is of a type or has a move that is strong against the opponent Pokémon’s type in order to increase the damage inflicted on the opponent Pokémon, and to use a Pokémon against which the opponent Pokémon’s type and/or the opponent Pokémon’s attacks’ types are weak.

Listed and described below are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the types of Pokémon and attacks featured in Pokémon GO.

Note: If a specific type of Pokémon or move is neither strong nor weak against a certain type, the damage it does in battle to the opposing type will neither be increased nor decreased.