You're standing there, tapping your screen like a maniac, but your CP 3500 Dragonite just got melted by a tiny Ice-type Pokémon. It’s frustrating. We've all been there. You think you have the strongest team in the neighborhood until a Grunt from Team GO Rocket shows up with a Gardevoir and suddenly your entire lineup is in the hospital. The truth is, level and CP only get you so far. If you don't actually internalize the pokemon go weakness chart, you're basically playing chess without knowing how the knights move.
Type advantages are the "secret sauce" of Pokémon GO. They aren't just suggestions; they are hard mathematical multipliers that determine whether your Fast Attack does chip damage or chunks a health bar. In this game, a "Super Effective" hit deals 1.6x damage. That’s a massive swing. If you’re hit with a move you’re weak to, you take that same 1.6x multiplier. It gets even worse with double weaknesses, where a Pokémon takes 2.56x damage. Think of Charizard vs. a Rock-type move. It's not a fight; it's an execution.
The Logic Behind the Pokemon Go Weakness Chart
Why does Water beat Fire? That’s easy. Why does Bug beat Psychic? That’s a bit weirder.
Game Freak, the original developers, based many of these on common fears. Many people are afraid of bugs, dark places, or ghosts. Thus, the "mental" type (Psychic) is weak to those things. It's kinda poetic when you think about it. But in the heat of a Master League match, you don't care about poetry. You care about the fact that your Metagross is about to get toasted by a Fire Punch.
Honestly, the most confusing part for new players is the difference between "Resistance" and "Immunity." In the main series console games, Ground-type moves do zero damage to Flying-types. In Pokémon GO, "Immunity" doesn't exist. Instead, it’s treated as a "triple resistance," meaning the damage is reduced to 0.39x. It’s still a tiny bit of damage, but for all intents and purposes, it’s a brick wall.
Understanding the Heavy Hitters
Let’s look at the types that dominate the current meta. Steel is arguably the best defensive type in the game. It resists almost everything—ten different types, to be exact. If you see a Registeel or a Bastiodon, you’re in for a long night unless you brought Fighting, Ground, or Fire.
Fire is the classic glass cannon. It burns through Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel. But man, it’s fragile. If a stray pebble (Rock) or a splash of water hits a Charizard, it’s over.
Then there’s the Dragon type. For years, Dragons were the undisputed kings of the pokemon go weakness chart. They resisted the "basic" elements like Fire, Water, and Electric. Then the Fairy type arrived and ruined the party. Fairies are completely "immune" (that 0.39x multiplier) to Dragon-type moves. This is why you see Togekiss everywhere in the Ultra League. It’s the ultimate Dragon-slayer.
The Double Weakness Trap
You’ve got to watch out for dual-typing. This is where the real complexity happens.
A Pokémon like Swampert is a beast because it’s Water and Ground. Water is weak to Electric, but Ground is immune to it. They cancel out! That means Swampert has zero weakness to Electric moves. However, both Water and Ground are weak to Grass. This creates a "double weakness." One Razor Leaf from a Venusaur will delete a Swampert before you can even reach for a shield.
- Dragon/Flying (Rayquaza, Dragonite, Salamence): Double weak to Ice.
- Rock/Ground (Rhydon, Golem): Double weak to Water and Grass.
- Steel/Bug (Scizor, Genesect): Double weak to Fire.
- Water/Ground (Swampert, Quagsire): Double weak to Grass.
If you’re using these Pokémon, you have to be ready to swap the second you see their "kryptonite" appear on the screen. Seriously. Don't try to "power through" a double weakness. You won't.
The Defensive Powerhouses
Some Pokémon have so few weaknesses they feel unfair.
Sableye and Spiritomb (Ghost/Dark) used to have zero weaknesses back in the day. Now, they are only weak to Fairy. That’s it. Just one thing. This is why Sableye is a staple in the Great League. It’s safe. You can swap it in and usually, the opponent won't have a Fairy move ready to go.
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Electric-types are also surprisingly safe. Their only weakness is Ground. If you're running an Eelektross, which has the "Levitate" ability in the main games, it technically has no weaknesses there. In GO, it still has that Ground-type vulnerability, but it's still a very narrow window for your opponent to exploit.
Memorizing the Matchups Without a Cheat Sheet
You don't need to carry a printed pokemon go weakness chart in your wallet. Just remember the clusters.
Think of the "Starter Triangle": Fire beats Grass, Grass beats Water, Water beats Fire.
Think of the "Psychic Triangle": Psychic beats Poison/Fighting, but loses to Dark/Ghost/Bug.
Think of the "Material Triangle": Fire melts Steel/Ice, but Rock breaks Fire/Ice.
Ground is the great equalizer. It hits five different types for Super Effective damage: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel. If you’re ever unsure what to lead with in a blind battle, a strong Ground-type move is rarely a bad bet.
Fighting is another powerhouse. It’s the only thing that really scares Normal-types like Blissey or Snorlax. If you're trying to take down a gym defended by a 3000 CP Blissey, you better have a Machamp or a Lucario. Otherwise, you'll be there all day.
The Nuance of Weather Boosts
To make things even more complicated (or interesting, depending on how much of a nerd you are), weather matters.
If it’s raining, Water, Electric, and Bug moves get a 20% boost. This can actually override a slight type disadvantage in some niche scenarios. If your opponent's Pokémon is neutral to your attacks but it's "Partly Cloudy," your Rock-type Smack Down is going to hit like a truck.
Always look at the top right of your screen before a raid. If you see sun icons, get your Fire-types ready. If you see snow, it’s time for the Mamoswines to shine.
Practical Application: Raids vs. PvP
In Raids, the pokemon go weakness chart is your bible. You know exactly what the boss is. You have time to prepare. If you’re fighting a Mega Rayquaza, everyone in the lobby should be using Ice-types. No excuses. Using a "recommended" Aggron just because it has high defense is a rookie mistake that slows everyone down.
In PvP (Trainer Battles), it’s a game of bluffing. You might have a Pokémon that is weak to Water, but it has an Electric-type "coverage move." This is how people win. They bait you into thinking they’re helpless, then they drop a Thunderbolt on your Azumarill.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Stop relying on the "Recommended" button. The game’s auto-selector loves high-defense Pokémon that survive a long time but deal almost no damage. It’s a trap.
- Check your tags. Go into your Pokémon storage and create tags for "Counter-Fire," "Counter-Dragon," etc. Fill them with Pokémon that have moves specifically targeting those weaknesses.
- Learn the "Top 3." For every major type, know the three best attackers. For example, if you need to beat a Fairy-type, you should immediately think: Metagross (Steel), Nihilego (Poison), or Roserade (Poison).
- Invest in "Generalists." If you're short on Stardust, power up Pokémon with high neutral coverage. Mewtwo with Psystrike hits almost everything hard, even if it’s not super effective.
- Watch the animations. If the text "Not Very Effective" pops up, swap immediately. Every second you stay in a bad matchup, you're giving your opponent free energy for their Charged Attacks.
- Use TMs wisely. A Pokémon’s type doesn't always match its move type. A Gyarados is Water/Flying, but if it has Crunch (Dark) and Outrage (Dragon), it’s not going to help you much against a Fire-type. Use Fast and Charged TMs to ensure your moves match the role you want that Pokémon to play.
Type matchups are the foundation of being a top-tier trainer. Once you stop fighting against the math and start using it to your advantage, the game changes completely. You’ll start winning matches you used to lose, and those 5-star Raids will become a lot less intimidating.
Stay aware of the dual-type overlaps, keep an eye on the weather, and always have a Fighting-type in your back pocket for those pesky Blisseys.
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Key Matchup Summary for Quick Reference
- Weak to Ice: Dragon, Flying, Grass, Ground.
- Weak to Fighting: Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, Steel.
- Weak to Ground: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel.
- Weak to Fairy: Fighting, Dragon, Dark.
- Resists Everything (almost): Steel-types.
- Weak to Everything (almost): Rock and Ice-types (defensively).
Mastering these specific interactions is the difference between a casual player and someone who actually holds down the local gyms. Don't get caught using a Psychic-type against a Tyranitar; it won't just be a loss, it'll be embarrassing. Look at your roster, fix your movesets, and start exploiting those 1.6x multipliers today.