Dark type

The Dark type (あくタイプ Aku taipu in Japanese) is one of the eighteen Pokémon elemental types.

The Dark type was added in Generation II to cause a weakness on Psychic types, which had the weaknesses to Bug type (the moves were really weak to cause a major damage) and Ghost type (the only move was Night Shade).

Many Dark type Pokémon tend to be aggresive, mysterious, malicious, cruel and clever, but a Dark-type Pokémon doesn't have to necessarily be evil, like Absol.

It's hard for a Dark-type Pokémon to form bonds of friendship with its Trainer, but when having one, it will never break, being really faithful to its Trainer and protecting it anytime.

The Dark-type Pokémon, along with the Poison types, are mostly used by the criminal organizations.

The known famous Dark-type Trainers are: Karen, the fourth member of the Elite Four of the Johto Pokémon League; Sidney, the first member of the Elite Four of the Hoenn Pokémon League and Grimsley, a member of the Elite Four of the Unova Pokémon League.

Dark-type moves

• There are 31 Dark-type moves.
  • In Generation I, 1 move was introduced.
  • In Generation II, 5 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation III, 7 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation IV, 11 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation V, 5 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation VI, 2 moves were introduced.
• In battles: Physical moves stand out.
  • 14 moves are of the type.
  • 3 moves are of the type.
  • 14 moves are of the type.
• In contests: Clever moves stand out.
  • 16 moves are of the type.
  • 7 moves are of the type.
  • 5 moves are of the type.
  • 3 moves are of the type.
  • 0 moves are of the type.

List of Dark-type moves

Name	Category	Contest	Generation	Power
Assurance			Generation IV	60
Beat Up			Generation II	-
Bite			Generation I	60
Crunch			Generation II	80
Dark Pulse			Generation IV	80
Dark Void			Generation IV	-
Embargo			Generation IV	-
Fake Tears			Generation III	-
Feint Attack			Generation II	-
Flatter			Generation III	-
Fling			Generation IV	-
Foul Play			Generation V	95
Hone Claws			Generation V	-
Knock Off			Generation III	65
Memento			Generation III	-
Nasty Plot			Generation IV	-
Night Daze			Generation V	85
Night Slash			Generation IV	70
Parting Shot			Generation VI	-
Payback			Generation IV	50
Punishment			Generation IV	-
Pursuit			Generation II	40
Quash			Generation V	-
Snarl			Generation V	55
Snatch			Generation III	-
Sucker Punch			Generation IV	80
Switcheroo			Generation IV	-
Taunt			Generation III	-
Thief			Generation II	60
Topsy-Turvy			Generation VI	-
Torment			Generation III	-

Effectiveness of Dark-type moves

×2

Super effective against Pokémon of the types:  and .

½

Not very effective against Pokémon of the types: ,  and .

Weaknesses and resistances of the Dark type

A type chart displaying the weaknesses and resistances of a Pokémon when damaged by a move. Empty fields are moves that do normal damage.

×4 Doubly super effective

×2 Super effective

½ Resistant

¼ Very resistant

×0 Immune

	Type of the move
	×2	½			×2	×2			½						×0
	×2	½	×2	½	×4	×2	½		½	½		×2			×0			½
		¼			×4	×2		×2	½						×0	½
		½				×2	½		½	½	×2	½			×0	×2	½	×2
		½		×2	×2				½	½	×0	×2			×0	×2
					×2	×0							×0	½	×0
	×4	½		½	×2	×2	×2	×2	½	½	½	×2		×2	×0			½
	×2	½		×0	×2	×2			½	×2		×2		½	×0	½		×2
	×2	½			×2	×4	×2		½			½			×0	×2	×2
		½							½	½	×2			½	×0
	×4				×2										×0
	×2	½			×2	×4	½	½	½	×2	×2		½	½	×0		×2	×2
		½	½			×4	×2	½	½	½	×2	½	½	×0	×0	½	½
	×2	½		×2	×2	×2	½		½	×2		½			×0		½	½

Dark-type-Pokémon Trainers

Dark-type-Pokémon Gym Leaders

There are no Gym Leaders that specialize in the Dark type.

Dark-type-Pokémon Elite Four Members

Competence	Category
Karen	Johto Elite Four
Sidney	Hoenn Elite Four
Grimsley	Unova Elite Four

Dark-type Pokémon

44 Pokémon are Dark type. (6.11% of all Pokémon)

Pure Dark-type Pokémon

9 Pokémon are pure Dark type. (20.45% of the Dark-type Pokémon)

Umbreon	Poochyena	Mightyena	Absol	Darkrai	Purrloin
#197	#261	#262	#359	#491	#509
Liepard	Zorua	Zoroark
#510	#570	#571

Primary Dark-type Pokémon

19 Pokémon are primary Dark type. (43.18% of Dark-type Pokémon)

Murkrow	Sneasel	Houndour	Houndoom	Sableye	Honchkrow
#198	#215	#228	#229	#302	#430
Weavile	Scraggy	Scrafty	Pawniard	Bisharp	Vullaby
#461	#559	#560	#624	#625	#629
Mandibuzz	Deino	Zweilous	Hydreigon	Inkay	Malamar
#630	#633	#634	#635	#686	#687
Yveltal
#717

Secondary Dark-type Pokémon

16 Pokémon are secondary Dark type. (36.36% of Dark-type Pokémon)

Tyranitar	Nuzleaf	Shiftry	Carvanha	Sharpedo	Cacturne
#248	#274	#275	#318	#319	#332
Crawdaunt	Stunky	Skuntank	Spiritomb	Drapion	Sandile
#342	#434	#435	#442	#452	#551
Krokorok	Krookodile	Greninja	Pangoro
#552	#553	#658	#675

Pokémon with Dark-type alternate formes

The following alternate formes of some Pokémon are also of the Dark type.

Mega Gyarados	Mega Houndoom	Mega Tyranitar	Mega Sableye	Mega Sharpedo	Mega Absol
#130	#229	#248	#302	#319	#359
Arceus	Hoopa Unbound
#493	Hoopa Unbound #720

Relations with other types

• They're strong against the Psychic type because of the fears, and the fears can affect one's rationality and concentration.
• They're strong against the Ghost type because evil can damage the soul.
• They're weak against the Fighting type because philosophically, a warrior must overcome their fears - represented by Dark. The Fighting type also supposedly represents justice, which opposes evil, also represented by Dark types.
• They're weak against the Bug type because bugs operate well in darkness.
• They're weak against the Fairy type because fairies represent light and the darkness disappears with light. Furthermore, light is a metaphor for goodness, which always triumphs over evil in fiction.

Trivia

• If a Dual-type Pokémon is both Dark and Ghost type, both types cancel out each other's weaknesses with their resistances, leaving Pokémon like Spiritomb and Sableye with no weakness apart from Fairy.
• So far this is the only Pokémon type not to be used in a Pokémon Gym.
• The Dark type has the same efficacies over other types as the Ghost type.