As a Pokémon veteran since the OG Red, Blue, and Yellow, I still have difficulty memorizing all 18 of the Pokemon types, especially fighting type weakness. And if I’m struggling to remember these combinations, I know one’s level of experience doesn’t matter. Everyone needs a refresher.
Fighting-type Pokémon prioritize melee attacks that mostly inflict physical damage; that much we already know. But we’ve got you covered if you’re looking for a further breakdown of a fighting-type Pokemon’s weaknesses, resistances, and strengths.
Every Fighting-type Weakness in Pokémon
Fighting-type Pokémon are weak against three types of Pokemon:
- Psychic
- Flying
- Fairy
So, if you take a Fighting-type Pokemon into battle against a Fairy, Flying, or Psychic-type Pokemon, then heavy hitters like Cross Chop won’t be very effective. Whether you’re playing Gen I-IX, Legends Arceus, or roaming the streets with Pokémon GO (some caveats aside), these three weaknesses apply to pure Fighting-type Pokemon.
Related: Best Fighting Type Pokemon
What are Fighting-type Pokemon Good Against?
Fighting-type Pokemon are super effective against five types of Pokemon:
- Dark
- Steel
- Ice
- Normal
- Rock
For example, if you’ve sent a Hitmonchan to battle, then it will absolutely dominate Pokemon like Umbreon (Dark), Steelix (Steel), Beartic (Ice), Snorlax (Normal), or Gigalith (Rock). Overall, Fighting-type Pokemon possess more strengths than weaknesses, making them one of the more balanced Pokemon types catering to an offensive strategy.
Best Dual-type Pokémon to Counter Fighting-type Pokémon
Breaking this down further, I recommend adding these Fairy, Flying, and some of the best Psychic-type Pokemon to either balance your team, or when you know you’re up against a difficult Fighting-type Pokemon:
| Psychic | Flying | Fairy |
|---|---|---|
| Hoopa | Noivern | Togetic |
| Gardevoir | Tornadus | Togekiss |
| Lugia | Corviknight | Enamorus |
| Mr. Mime | Charizard | Scream Tail |
| Galarian Rapidash | Salamence | Clefable |
| Galarian Articuno | Vivillon | Florges |
| Tapu Lele | Altaria | Sylveon |
| Swoobat | Vespiquen | Iron Valiant |
My list considers Pokemon that double up on two types of Fighting-type weaknesses, effectively making it more difficult for your opponent to inflict serious damage. Take these two examples:
Damage Absorbed from a Fighting-type Pokemon will only be .25x. If an opposing Hitmonlee (Fighting) used a Fighting move against your Lugia (Psychic/Flying), then your Lugia would only absorb .25x the damage. That’s not much damage taken at all!
Damage Inflicted, however, has the potential to be even greater against specific dual-type Pokemon. For example, Pangoro is Fighting/Dark. Both types are weak to Fairy. Since Fairy attacks deal 2x damage to Fighting and 2x damage to Dark, a Fairy move used by Scream Tail would deal 4x damage to the Pangoro.
Related: Best Flying Type Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet
Choosing pure, single-type Pokemon (Psychic Pokemon like Mewtwo, Deoxys, and Grumpig) is a solid choice, too, since it isolates a Pokemon’s weaknesses. Still, the list above might help diversify your overall team, assuming the NPC or competitive player also employs a dual-type team.
Best Single-type Pokémon to Counter Fighting-type Pokémon
If, however, you want purely single-type Pokémon in your party, there are still plenty of options at your disposal. For pure Psychic, Flying, and Fairy-type Pokemon, check out the list below:
| Psychic | Fairy |
|---|---|
| Mewtwo | Clefable |
| Mew | Granbull |
| Espeon | Florges |
| Grumpig | Aromatisse |
| Deoxys | Sylveon |
| Gothitelle | Xerneas |
| Necrozma | Comfey |
| Hattrem | Dachsbun |
| Cosmoem | Slurpuff |
There are only four pure Flying-type Pokemon — Tornadus (Incarnate Form), Tornadus (Therian Form), Rookidee, and Corvisquire — so you may want to reconsider a single-type approach for this particular type of Pokemon.
Related: Fairy Type Weaknesses and Counters in Pokemon GO
All Fighting-Type Pokémon Resistances
Fighting-type Pokemon are resistant to three types of moves:
- Dark
- Rock
- Bug
Naturally this makes sense, considering Fighting-type Pokemon demolish two out of the three types above. So, don’t use Dark, Rock, or Bug-type moves against a Fighting-type Pokemon unless your goal is to chip away damage slowly.
Is Fighting Weak to Bug Pokémon?
No, Fighting-type Pokemon are not weak to Bug-type Pokemon. In fact, Fighting-type Pokemon are resistant to Bug. The opposite is also true: Bug-type Pokemon are resistant to fighting. Since neither type will inflict high damage against the other, I recommend choosing a dual-type Fighting Pokemon rather than a pure Fighting-type Pokemon. For example, Infernape’s Fire/Fighting combo works great. In this scenario, Infernape would have access to Flamethrower to melt the Bug-type Pokemon.
Is Fighting Immune to Ghost?
No, Fighting-type Pokémon are not immune to Ghost — it’s the opposite. Ghost-type Pokémon are 100% immune to Fighting-type moves, so don’t attempt to bring an Iron Hands or Lucario to that particular fight.
Important to note: Ghost is not immune to Fighting in Pokemon GO. Immunities don’t exist at all in the mobile game.
