Dark Pokémon Weaknesses and Counters in Pokémon Go

Dark Pokémon are generally used as a sub-type in Pokemon Go because they don't have a lot of strengths on their own. Their attacks are boosted by Fog, so expect to see a lot of other trainers using them if the weather predicts! This guide will help you get through the toughest battles against any type of Dark Pokémon, including some of the strongest combinations!

Dark Pokémon Weaknesses and Counters in Pokémon Go

One of the first things you need to know about choosing the right counters in Pokémon Go is that not all Pokémon are created equal. There is no one-size-fits-all against them. With each sub-type, moveset, and specialty comes the suggestion of a different technique to counter it. That being said, we’re going to cover a couple of things in this guide.

1. Dark-type Weaknesses & Strengths: This will cover the basic resistances, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and strengths that Dark Pokémon have. This will be the go-to list to reference when battling Dark-type Pokémon, but not always.
2. Combination Dark-type Weaknesses & Strengths: This part of the guide will cover the secondary types that Dark Pokémon can have and put particular emphasis on secondary types that might alter their original Weaknesses & Strengths. It is crucial information to know if you’d like to know how to beat some of the strongest Dark Pokémon.
3. Counters: In this last section of the guide, we will cover the counters for Dark Pokémon and their sub-types. It will focus primarily on the Dark Pokémon with sub-types that alter the normal Weaknesses & Strengths. This will be your reference for the best counters against Dark Pokémon, and, if possible, all the subtypes.

Weaknesses & Strengths

The dynamics for Dark Pokémon, unfortunately, don’t have any real-life science to compare. They’re weak against Bug, Fairy, and Fighting, and strong against Psychic, Dark, and Ghost. Still, there are additional stats to know about Dark-type Pokémon and Attacks. The list below provides the basic damage effectiveness against their respective types. If anything is not listed, it can be assumed that it applies standard damage/defense.

• Attacking 
  • Super Effective Against (160% Damage): Psychic, Ghost
  • Not Very Effective Against (62.5% Damage): Fighting, Dark, Fairy
• Defending
  • Weak Against (160% Damage): Fighting, Bug, Fairy
  • Strong Against (62.5% Damage): Ghost, Dark

Related: Best Fairy Type Pokémon in Pokémon Go - Pro Game Guides

Combination Weaknesses & Strengths

Sometimes when Pokémon have secondary types, the Weaknesses & Strengths of that type might negate, amplify, or add to the Weaknesses & Strengths of the Pokémon’s primary type. In this list, we’re going to cover specifically the sub-types that change the original Weaknesses & Strengths.

• Amplifying
  • Amplifies Weakness to Fighting: Normal, Ice, Rock, Steel
  • Amplifies Weakness to Bug: Grass, Psychic
  • Amplifies Weakness to Fairy: Fighting, Dragon
• Negating
  • Negates Weakness to Fighting: Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Fairy
  • Negates Weakness to Bug: Fire, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Ghost, Steel, Fairy
  • Negates Weakness to Fairy: Fire, Poison, Steel
  • Negates Resistance to Ghost: Psychic, Ghost
  • Negates Resistance to Dark: Psychic, Ghost

Counters

The best way to counter any Pokémon is to know its weaknesses and strengths, which are listed in the previous two sections of the guide. However, as mentioned before, some of these weaknesses and resistances can be altered with sub-types. So the question is: What do you do if the Pokémon has multiple types? Well, find another counter, of course!

We’re going to cover a few things with the lists below. First, we’ll explain how to counter against basic Dark Pokémon. Then, we’ll list the best counters for all the sub-types of Dark Pokémon.

Best Dark Counters

For Dark Pokémon with no additional sub-types, you’ll be looking to use Fighting, Bug, and Fairy attacks and avoid Ghost and Dark attacks. Note, these advantages do not mean you should counter or avoid countering with those types of Pokémon, but with those types of attacks specifically.

Fighting and Fairy Pokémon are the best to use against Dark Pokémon. While Bug attacks do decent damage against them, Bug Pokémon aren’t resistant to Dark attacks like Fighting and Fairy Pokémon. This means that if you’re looking for good offense and defense, these two types will be best. If you are interested in finding the best of each of these types, you can follow these links: Best Fighting Pokémon and Best Fairy Pokémon.

Best Sub-type Counters

Since Dark Pokémon have three weaknesses, trainers may use counters that negate them. While this can be an advanced technique to use against other unsuspecting trainers, we must remember that each type has its own weaknesses and strengths. This means that while some sub-types might negate a weakness, it could amplify other weaknesses or add new ones. The list below explains all the best counters for every sub-type of Dark Pokémon.

Related: Best Ice Type Pokémon in Pokémon Go - Pro Game Guides

• Dark + Electric: Electric does not negate any of the Dark-type weaknesses, so you can stick to the standard lineup of Fighting and Fairy against Dark + Electric Pokémon.
• Dark + Dragon: Dragon Pokémon are weak against Fairy Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fairy Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Dragon Pokémon.
• Dark + Grass: Grass Pokémon are weak against Bug Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Bug Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Grass Pokémon.
• Dark + Ice: Ice Pokémon are weak against Fighting Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fighting Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Ice Pokémon.
• Dark + Fighting: Fighting Pokémon are weak against Fairy Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fairy Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Fighting Pokémon.
• Dark + Poison: Poison Pokémon are resistant to Dark Pokémon’s three weaknesses (Fighting, Fairy, and Bug). Instead of using one of them, you should use a Ground Pokémon. They are effective against poison, and neither Dark nor Poison Pokémon are resistant to Ground attacks.
• Dark + Ground: Ground does not negate any of the Dark-type weaknesses, so you can stick to the standard lineup of Fighting and Fairy against Dark + Ground Pokémon. However, due to Ground’s weaknesses, you can now also use other types such as Water or Grass.
• Dark + Normal: Normal Pokémon are weak against Fighting Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fighting Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Normal Pokémon.
• Dark + Fire: Fire Pokémon are resistant to Fairy Attacks, so try to avoid using them. Fighting Pokémon are your best option here since they are effective against Dark defenses and resistant to Dark attacks.
• Dark + Flying: Flying is resistant to Fighting and Bug attacks, so you should stick to Fairy Pokémon against Dark + Flying. Electric and Ice are also good against Flying, but neither are resistant to Dark attacks like Fairy Pokémon.
• Dark + Psychic: Psychic Pokémon are weak against Bug Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Bug Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Psychic Pokémon.
• Dark + Bug: Adding the Bug type cancels out Dark’s weakness to Fighting Pokémon. You can use one of the new weaknesses that Bug adds like Fire or Flying, but Fairy Pokémon are best since they are also resistant to Dark Attacks.
• Dark + Rock: Ice Pokémon are weak against Fighting Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fighting Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Rock Pokémon.
• Dark + Ghost: Ghost-types negate almost all weaknesses that Dark-type Pokémon have. The only Pokémon that is effective against this combination are Fairy Pokémon. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Ghost Pokémon.
• Dark + Water: Water does not negate any of the Dark-type weaknesses, so you can stick to the standard lineup of Fighting and Fairy against Dark + Water Pokémon. However, due to Water’s weaknesses, you can now also use other types such as Electric or Grass.
• Dark + Steel: Steel Pokémon are weak against Fairy Pokémon, so combining these two types makes them especially vulnerable to Fairy Attacks. Use these if you’re fighting a Dark + Steel Pokémon.
• Dark + Fairy: Adding the Fairy cancels out Dark’s weakness against Fighting and Bug, but adds weaknesses against Poison and Steel. Still, we recommend using Fairy Pokémon against Dark + Fairy Pokémon since they’re resistant to Dark attacks.

With this guide, you should be ready to take down any Dark-type focused opponent! In summary, you’ve likely made the realization that the best Pokémon and Attacks to use will probably be Fighting. Fairy Pokémon come in a close second, though! Keep those ready and you should be able to handle your opponent, no problem!

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