Dark Type Guide: Strengths & Counters
Explore the Dark type: learn its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and practical tips for VGC and Showdown ladder play.
Start here: Home Quiz · Type Chart · Advanced Matchup Quiz
Offense rank
#11 · Poor
Defense rank
#12 · Poor
Offensive power
103%
Defensive strength
95%
What Is Dark Strong Against? Offensive Matchups
Strong against
Not very effective against
Has no effect
Cunning strikes confound Ghosts and Psychics, but disciplined Fighters, fellow rogues, and radiant Fairies resist the dirty playbook.
Super-Effective
- Ghost
Treachery outwits spirits.
- Psychic
Deception blinds clairvoyance.
Not Very Effective
- Fighting
Honor confronts deceit.
- Dark
Shadows cancel shadows.
- Fairy
Light dispels trickery.
What Is Dark Weak To? Defensive Matchups
Weak to
Resists
Immune to
Honor (Fighting), predators (Bug), and fairy light pierce the dark, while shadows coexist with Ghost and Dark assaults and remain unreadable to Psychics.
Weak To
- Fighting
Discipline beats villainy.
- Bug
Nocturnal hunters prey on evil.
- Fairy
Purity banishes malice.
Resistant To
- Ghost
Dark energy is familiar terrain, so ghostly pressure is muted.
- Dark
Dark understands dark.
Immune To
- Psychic
Chaotic minds can’t be read.
Uneven Matchups
- Dark→Psychic2×←Psychic→0×
- Dark→Bug1×←Bug→2×
Related Type Guides
Full Type Chart
Type Effectiveness Chart
Interactive Battle Type Chart
DEFENSE → across columns • ATTACK ↓ down rows
Click or tap types/cells to pin details • Hover over cells for details on desktop
Matchup Details
Select a chart cell, row, or column to pin details here.
• Click on type names to highlight entire rows (attacking) or columns (defending)
• Hover over cells to see detailed effectiveness information
• Chart based on rules effective since 2013