So, you’re staring down a Machamp or a Lucario and realizing your team is about to get folded. It happens. Fighting types have been the "bullies" of the Pokémon world since the Red and Blue days, largely because they hit like a freight train and usually carry high physical bulk. But they aren't invincible. Far from it. If you want to know what’s good against fighting types, you have to stop thinking about just "super effective" moves and start thinking about the mechanics of contact, speed tiers, and the weird way the type chart has shifted over the last nine generations.
The game changed forever in Gen 6 when Fairies showed up. Before that, Fighting types were basically the kings of the meta. Now? They have to be a lot more careful. But knowing that a Fairy move hurts isn't enough to win a competitive match or a high-stakes raid. You need to understand the "why" behind the resistance.
The Big Three: Flying, Psychic, and Fairy
When people ask what’s good against fighting, the textbook answer is always the same trio. These are the core counters.
Flying types are the classic answer. Most Fighting moves are grounded—think Low Kick, Close Combat, or High Jump Kick. Birds and levitating creatures simply aren't where the fist is landing. When a Staraptor or a Corviknight enters the field, the Fighting-type user usually has to switch or risk a 4x Brave Bird to the face. It’s a simple matter of physics. You can't punch the sky.
Then you have the Psychic types. This is a bit more thematic. The lore has always suggested that "mind over matter" is the ultimate counter to raw physical prowess. Alakazam or Mewtwo can dismantle a physical attacker before they even get within striking distance. However, there’s a catch. Psychic types are notoriously "glass cannons." If you miss your Zen Headbutt or the opponent survives a Psychic, one Crunch or Knock Off (which many Fighting types carry for coverage) will end your run. It’s a high-risk, high-reward game.
Finally, we have the Fairy type. This was the balancing act Game Freak introduced to stop the reign of terror from types like Fighting and Dragon. Fairies don't just hit Fighting types hard; they resist Fighting moves. This is the crucial part. Taking half-damage while dealing double-damage is the "Golden Ratio" of Pokémon battling.
The Ghost Problem: Can’t Touch This
If you really want to frustrate a Fighting-type specialist, bring a Ghost. It is honestly the funniest interaction in the game. Fighting-type moves have zero effect on Ghost types. None.
Imagine a Terrakion charging up a massive Close Combat, only to phase right through a Gengar. It doesn't just do "not much" damage; it does nothing. This creates a massive opening for a "free turn." In competitive play, a free turn is everything. You can use that moment to set up a Will-O-Wisp to burn the attacker, effectively cutting their physical damage in half for the rest of the fight. Or you can set up a Substitute.
But watch out.
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Modern Fighting types are smart. Many carry "Scrappy" as an ability (like Hisuian Decidueye), which allows them to hit Ghosts anyway. Others carry Dark or Ghost-type coverage moves specifically to lure in a Gengar or a Dragapult and knock them out on the switch.
Defensive Walls and the Rocky Helmet Strategy
Sometimes the best way to fight a fighter isn't to hit back harder, but to let them hurt themselves. Fighting types almost exclusively rely on "contact moves." This means their sprite physically touches your sprite.
This is where items and abilities become what’s good against fighting more than the actual type chart.
- Rocky Helmet: If a Pokémon holding this gets hit by a contact move, the attacker loses 1/6th of their max HP.
- Rough Skin / Iron Barbs: Abilities found on Garchomp or Ferrothorn that do the same thing.
- Static / Flame Body: These can paralyze or burn a Fighting type just for touching you.
Think about a Pokémon like Toxapex. It’s Poison/Water. It resists Fighting moves. It has insane Defense. If it’s holding a Rocky Helmet and uses Baneful Bunker, the Fighting type is going to be poisoned, lose HP from the helmet, and deal almost no damage. It's a slow, agonizing way to lose a match.
The Stealth Killers: Poison and Bug
Wait, Bug? Yes. People forget that Bug resists Fighting. It’s one of the few things the Bug type is actually good for defensively. A Buzzwole or a Volcarona can take a hit surprisingly well.
Poison is another one that gets overlooked. While Poison moves don't deal super-effective damage to Fighting types, Poison types resist Fighting. This makes them excellent "pivots." If you know a Close Combat is coming, switching into a Clodsire or a Venusaur is a pro move. You soak up the hit, take minimal damage, and then force the opponent to react to your status moves or hazards.
Why Speed is Actually Your Best Weapon
Fighting types are usually built in two ways: they are either incredibly fast and frail (like Pheromosa or Mienshao) or they are "bulky attackers" (like Conkeldurr or Iron Valiant).
To beat the fast ones, you need priority moves.
Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch, or Gale Wings-boosted Brave Bird. These moves jump the queue. Since most fast Fighting types have the defensive integrity of a wet paper towel, one strong priority hit can end them.
To beat the bulky ones, you need special attacks.
Fighting types usually invest their "Effort Values" (EVs) into HP and Defense. Their Special Defense is often their Achilles' heel. A powerful Moonblast or Psychic from a special attacker will almost always one-shot a physical tank that hasn't prepared for it.
Terastallization: The Wildcard
In the current generation of Pokémon (Scarlet and Violet), the Tera Shard mechanic has flipped the script. If you’re playing in the Paldea region, you can’t just assume that Gallade is a Psychic/Fighting type. He might Tera-Ghost to dodge your predicted Flying move. Or he might Tera-Steel to resist the Fairy move you thought would win the game.
What’s good against fighting in 2026? Adaptability. You have to scout. Use moves like Protect or Fake Out to see what the opponent is planning. If you see a Fighting type on the team preview, look for the potential Tera-types. Most people will Tera their Fighting types into something that covers their weaknesses, like Steel or Poison.
The Checklist for Your Next Battle
Don't just rely on one "counter." A good team has layers. If you want to be truly prepared, look at your roster and see if you have these three things:
- A "Switch-In": A Pokémon with high physical defense or a resistance (Fairy/Poison/Flying/Bug) that can take a hit when you swap them in.
- A "Hard Counter": Something that can outspeed and OHKO (One-Hit Knock Out) with a super-effective move.
- A "Status Spreader": Something that can burn the attacker. A burned Fighting type is a useless Fighting type.
Actionable Steps for Teambuilding
Stop putting four attacking moves on every Pokémon. It’s a rookie mistake.
If you're struggling against Fighting types in competitive play, give one of your supports a Rocky Helmet. It changes the math of the game. Also, consider the move Will-O-Wisp. It’s the single most effective way to shut down physical attackers.
Check your speed tiers. If your "counter" is slower than a standard Great Tusk, it isn't actually a counter; it’s a victim. Use a Choice Scarf if you have to.
Ultimately, the best way to handle Fighting types is to use their momentum against them. Most of their strongest moves, like Close Combat or Superpower, have massive drawbacks. Close Combat lowers the user's Defense and Special Defense. Superpower lowers Attack and Defense. If you can survive that first hit—even barely—the Fighting type is now much easier to kill. Use that window. Don't panic. Just wait for the stat drop and strike.
Train your Pokémon to have at least one answer to the "Fighting-type sweep." Whether it's a Fairy-type Tera on your lead or a Ghost-type in the back to bait out a wasted move, the tools are there. You just have to use them before the first punch lands.