From the archive
White Phoenix (Rod Lockwood) worked this out in 2008 for his Trainer’s Assistant project, one of the White Phoenix projects on Pokémon Dungeon Projects. His first-generation figures used the later type chart, so that column has been recalculated with Red, Blue and Yellow’s own chart, and a column for X and Y onwards, after the Fairy type arrived, has been added.
If a Pokémon carries attacks of two different types, which pairs can’t be resisted by anything? White Phoenix set out to rank every attack type and every pair of attack types by how many kinds of Pokémon shrug them off. His rules were simple: the strongest attack types hit all types of Pokémon at normal strength or better, the weakest hit the fewest, and STAB isn’t a factor.
How to read the figures
Each percentage is the share of single types that resist (or are immune to) the attack. For a pair of attacks, a type only counts if it resists both of them, because otherwise you would simply pick the other attack. A score of 0% means at least one of the two attacks hits every type for neutral damage or better.
The first generation had 15 types, Gold and Silver added Dark and Steel to make 17, and X and Y added Fairy to make 18. Red, Blue and Yellow also played by slightly different rules: Ghost moves had no effect on Psychic types (a famous programming slip), Bug and Poison were super effective against each other, and Ice hit Fire for normal damage.
Pairs that nothing resists
Red, Blue & Yellow (69 pairs). Dragon was the only single type that nothing resisted, since the one Dragon move, Dragon Rage, did a fixed 40 damage anyway.
- Normal/Water
- Normal/Electric
- Normal/Grass
- Normal/Ice
- Normal/Ground
- Normal/Psychic
- Normal/Rock
- Normal/Ghost
- Normal/Dragon
- Fire/Fighting
- Fire/Ground
- Fire/Psychic
- Fire/Rock
- Fire/Ghost
- Fire/Dragon
- Water/Fighting
- Water/Poison
- Water/Flying
- Water/Psychic
- Water/Bug
- Water/Rock
- Water/Ghost
- Water/Dragon
- Electric/Ice
- Electric/Fighting
- Electric/Psychic
- Electric/Bug
- Electric/Ghost
- Electric/Dragon
- Grass/Ice
- Grass/Flying
- Grass/Psychic
- Grass/Rock
- Grass/Ghost
- Grass/Dragon
- Ice/Fighting
- Ice/Poison
- Ice/Ground
- Ice/Flying
- Ice/Psychic
- Ice/Bug
- Ice/Rock
- Ice/Ghost
- Ice/Dragon
- Fighting/Flying
- Fighting/Rock
- Fighting/Dragon
- Poison/Ground
- Poison/Psychic
- Poison/Ghost
- Poison/Dragon
- Ground/Flying
- Ground/Psychic
- Ground/Rock
- Ground/Ghost
- Ground/Dragon
- Flying/Psychic
- Flying/Bug
- Flying/Rock
- Flying/Ghost
- Flying/Dragon
- Psychic/Bug
- Psychic/Rock
- Psychic/Dragon
- Bug/Ghost
- Bug/Dragon
- Rock/Ghost
- Rock/Dragon
- Ghost/Dragon
Gold and Silver to Black 2 and White 2 (42 pairs). Steel took away Dragon’s perfect record, so no single type is unresisted from here on. Dark and Steel between them also knocked out about half of the first generation’s pairs.
- Normal/Water
- Normal/Electric
- Normal/Ground
- Fire/Fighting
- Fire/Ground
- Fire/Psychic
- Fire/Rock
- Fire/Ghost
- Fire/Dragon
- Fire/Dark
- Water/Fighting
- Water/Poison
- Water/Flying
- Water/Psychic
- Water/Bug
- Water/Rock
- Water/Ghost
- Water/Dragon
- Water/Dark
- Electric/Ice
- Electric/Fighting
- Electric/Psychic
- Electric/Bug
- Electric/Ghost
- Electric/Dragon
- Electric/Dark
- Ice/Fighting
- Ice/Ground
- Fighting/Flying
- Fighting/Rock
- Fighting/Ghost
- Fighting/Dragon
- Fighting/Dark
- Fighting/Steel
- Poison/Ground
- Ground/Flying
- Ground/Psychic
- Ground/Rock
- Ground/Ghost
- Ground/Dragon
- Ground/Dark
- Ground/Steel
X and Y onwards (60 pairs). Steel lost its resistance to Ghost and Dark, which opened up twenty new Ghost, Dark and Fairy pairs. Only two pairs dropped out: Fighting/Dragon and Fighting/Dark, both of which Fairy resists.
- Normal/Water
- Normal/Electric
- Normal/Ground
- Normal/Ghost
- Normal/Dark
- Fire/Fighting
- Fire/Ground
- Fire/Psychic
- Fire/Rock
- Fire/Ghost
- Fire/Dragon
- Fire/Dark
- Water/Fighting
- Water/Poison
- Water/Flying
- Water/Psychic
- Water/Bug
- Water/Rock
- Water/Ghost
- Water/Dragon
- Water/Dark
- Water/Fairy
- Electric/Ice
- Electric/Fighting
- Electric/Psychic
- Electric/Bug
- Electric/Ghost
- Electric/Dragon
- Electric/Dark
- Electric/Fairy
- Grass/Ghost
- Grass/Dark
- Ice/Fighting
- Ice/Ground
- Ice/Ghost
- Ice/Dark
- Fighting/Flying
- Fighting/Rock
- Fighting/Ghost
- Fighting/Steel
- Poison/Ground
- Poison/Ghost
- Poison/Dark
- Ground/Flying
- Ground/Psychic
- Ground/Rock
- Ground/Ghost
- Ground/Dragon
- Ground/Dark
- Ground/Steel
- Ground/Fairy
- Flying/Ghost
- Flying/Dark
- Bug/Ghost
- Rock/Ghost
- Ghost/Dragon
- Ghost/Steel
- Ghost/Fairy
- Dark/Steel
- Dark/Fairy
The weakest attack types
Grass is the weakest attacking type in every generation: six of the 15 original types resist it, and seven of the later 17. Bug came closest in Gold and Silver, and from X and Y onwards, when Fairy also resists Bug, it ties with Grass at seven of 18.
Single types
The share of types that resist each attacking type. A dash means the type didn’t exist yet.
| Attack type | Red, Blue, Yellow | Gold – Black 2 | X & Y onwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Fire | 27% | 24% | 22% |
| Water | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Electric | 27% | 24% | 22% |
| Grass | 40% | 41% | 39% |
| Ice | 13% | 24% | 22% |
| Fighting | 33% | 29% | 33% |
| Poison | 27% | 29% | 28% |
| Ground | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Flying | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Psychic | 7% | 18% | 17% |
| Bug | 27% | 35% | 39% |
| Rock | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Ghost | 13% | 18% | 11% |
| Dragon | 0% | 6% | 11% |
| Dark | — | 18% | 17% |
| Steel | — | 24% | 22% |
| Fairy | — | — | 17% |
Every pair of attack types
The share of types that resist both attacks in the pair.
| Attack pair | Red, Blue, Yellow | Gold – Black 2 | X & Y onwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal/Fire | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Water | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Normal/Electric | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Normal/Grass | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Ice | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Fighting | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Poison | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Normal/Ground | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Normal/Flying | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Normal/Psychic | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Bug | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Normal/Rock | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Normal/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Dark | — | 6% | 0% |
| Normal/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Normal/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Fire/Water | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Fire/Electric | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Fire/Grass | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Fire/Ice | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Fire/Fighting | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Poison | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Fire/Ground | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Flying | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Fire/Psychic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Bug | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Fire/Rock | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Ghost | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Dragon | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Dark | — | 0% | 0% |
| Fire/Steel | — | 12% | 11% |
| Fire/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Water/Electric | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Water/Grass | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Water/Ice | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Water/Fighting | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Poison | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Ground | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Water/Flying | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Psychic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Bug | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Rock | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Ghost | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Dragon | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Dark | — | 0% | 0% |
| Water/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Water/Fairy | — | — | 0% |
| Electric/Grass | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Electric/Ice | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Fighting | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Poison | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Electric/Ground | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Electric/Flying | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Electric/Psychic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Bug | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Rock | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Electric/Ghost | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Dragon | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Dark | — | 0% | 0% |
| Electric/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Electric/Fairy | — | — | 0% |
| Grass/Ice | 0% | 12% | 11% |
| Grass/Fighting | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Grass/Poison | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Grass/Ground | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Grass/Flying | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Grass/Psychic | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Grass/Bug | 13% | 24% | 22% |
| Grass/Rock | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Grass/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Grass/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Grass/Dark | — | 6% | 0% |
| Grass/Steel | — | 12% | 11% |
| Grass/Fairy | — | — | 17% |
| Ice/Fighting | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ice/Poison | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Ice/Ground | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ice/Flying | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Ice/Psychic | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Ice/Bug | 0% | 12% | 11% |
| Ice/Rock | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Ice/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Ice/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Ice/Dark | — | 6% | 0% |
| Ice/Steel | — | 18% | 17% |
| Ice/Fairy | — | — | 11% |
| Fighting/Poison | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Fighting/Ground | 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Fighting/Flying | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fighting/Psychic | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Fighting/Bug | 13% | 18% | 22% |
| Fighting/Rock | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fighting/Ghost | 7% | 0% | 0% |
| Fighting/Dragon | 0% | 0% | 6% |
| Fighting/Dark | — | 0% | 6% |
| Fighting/Steel | — | 0% | 0% |
| Fighting/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Poison/Ground | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Poison/Flying | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Poison/Psychic | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Poison/Bug | 7% | 18% | 17% |
| Poison/Rock | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Poison/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Poison/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Poison/Dark | — | 6% | 0% |
| Poison/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Poison/Fairy | — | — | 11% |
| Ground/Flying | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Psychic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Bug | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Ground/Rock | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Ghost | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Dragon | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Dark | — | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Steel | — | 0% | 0% |
| Ground/Fairy | — | — | 0% |
| Flying/Psychic | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Flying/Bug | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Flying/Rock | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Flying/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Flying/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Flying/Dark | — | 6% | 0% |
| Flying/Steel | — | 12% | 11% |
| Flying/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Psychic/Bug | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Psychic/Rock | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Psychic/Ghost | 7% | 12% | 6% |
| Psychic/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Psychic/Dark | — | 12% | 6% |
| Psychic/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Psychic/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Bug/Rock | 7% | 12% | 11% |
| Bug/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Bug/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 11% |
| Bug/Dark | — | 12% | 11% |
| Bug/Steel | — | 12% | 11% |
| Bug/Fairy | — | — | 17% |
| Rock/Ghost | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Rock/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 6% |
| Rock/Dark | — | 12% | 6% |
| Rock/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Rock/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Ghost/Dragon | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Ghost/Dark | — | 12% | 6% |
| Ghost/Steel | — | 6% | 0% |
| Ghost/Fairy | — | — | 0% |
| Dragon/Dark | — | 6% | 6% |
| Dragon/Steel | — | 6% | 6% |
| Dragon/Fairy | — | — | 6% |
| Dark/Steel | — | 6% | 0% |
| Dark/Fairy | — | — | 0% |
| Steel/Fairy | — | — | 11% |
Original study by White Phoenix (Rod Lockwood), December 2008. See the type chart for every individual matchup.