Fairy-type Pokemon: Weaknesses & Strengths explained
THE POKEMON COMPANYFairy-type Pokemon are among the most powerful additions to the famous franchise, with some fantastic resistances to take advantage of. So, here’s everything you need to know before battling one or adding one to your team.
Introduced in Gen 6, Fairy-types have swiftly carved a niche for themselves with their interesting resistances and minimal weaknesses for enemies to exploit.
Despite their cute and fluffy pink looks, these Pokemon can be deadly in the right hands, especially due to their efficiency against Dragon types.
So, if you find yourself facing off against a Fairy-type Pokemon and want a chance at winning, here are their weaknesses and resistances, as well as the best counters available.
Fairy-type Pokemon weaknesses
Fairy-type Pokemon have two primary weaknesses when it comes to moves and opposing Pokemon types:
Poison-type Pokemon are super effective against Fairy-types, making them an ideal choice when battling one of these Pocket Monsters. However, you’ll want to keep an eye out for their secondary types if your team has any, as these could pose an issue.
Similarly, Steel-type Pokemon are also super effective against fairy types, but there aren’t too many pure Steel types, so be sure to keep an eye on its secondary too.
Fairy-type Pokemon strengths & resistances
Along with their weaknesses, Fairy-type Pokemon are resistant to types such as Dark, Bug, and Fighting, and totally immune to Dragon. So using them in battle will result in your immediate defeat.
If you happen to add one of these innocent-looking Fairy creatures to your team, you’d want to put them up against Fighting, Dragon, and Dark-type opponents, as your attacks will be super effective. However, avoid fighting any Fire, Poison, or Steel-type creatures at all costs, as you won’t do much damage at all.
Best counters for Fairy-type Pokemon
The best Pokemon you should use to counter Fairy-type Pokemon are listed below:
- Revavroom (Steel/Poison)
- Melmetal (Steel)
- Metagross (Steel/Psychic)
- Salazzle (Poison/Fire)
- Roserade (Grass/Poison)
As always, it’s vital to consider your Pokemon’s secondary type. While the above counters may be effective against pure Fairy types, they could struggle against some Pokemon with certain secondary types.
Best Tera Types for Fairy-type Pokemon
With the addition of Tera Types in Gen 9’s Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, players should know the best combinations available for Fairy-type Pokemon, as this mechanic bends the battling rules a little bit.
- Fairy: They get an extra boost of power on top of the STAB.
- Fire: Helps them resist Steel-type moves.
- Steel: Helps them resist Steel-type moves.
- Ground: Help them resist Poison-type moves.
Best Fairy moves in Pokemon
There are 34 Fairy-type moves in the Pokemon universe and we’ve picked the most powerful special, physical, and status attacks you can use in battle:
MOVE | CATEGORY | POWER | ACCURACY | PP | EFFECT | GEN |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light of Ruin | Special | 140 | 90% | 5 | User receives recoil damage | Gen VI |
Moonblast | Special | 95 | 100% | 15 | May lower the opponent’s Sp. Attack | Gen VI |
Springtide Storm | Special | 100 | 80% | 5 | May lower the opponent’s Attack | Gen VIII |
Nature’s Madness | Special | X | 90% | 10 | Halves the opponent’s HP | Gen VII |
Magical Torque | Physical | 100 | 100% | 10 | May confuse the opponent | Gen IX |
Play Rough | Physical | 90 | 90% | 10 | May lower the opponent’s Attack | Gen VI |
Spirit Break | Physical | 75 | 100% | 15 | Lowers the opponent’s Sp. Attack | Gen VIII |
Sweet Kiss | Status | X | 75% | 10 | Confuses the opponent | Gen II |
Moonlight | Status | X | X | 5 | User recovers HP depending on the weather | Gen II |
Misty Terrain | Status | X | X | 10 | Protects the field from status conditions for 5 turns | Gen VI |
Best Fairy-type Pokemon of all time
The Pokemon franchise has a total of 77 Fairy-type creatures (up to Gen 9), and here are the 10 best of the ranking:
- Zacian
- Xerneas
- Diancie
- Gardevoir
- Grimmsnarl
- Sylveon
- Mimikyu
- Enamorus
- Flutter Mane
- Tinkaton
If none of the creatures listed above suits you, you can go to our ranking of the Top 15 Fairy-type Pokemon.
That’s everything you need to know about Fairy-type Pokemon and their weaknesses. You can also check out our list of all the Cat or Dog Pokemon in the franchise, and learn more about other types such as Ghost and Psychic.