This list is a comprehensive index of the overall best attackers for each and every type in Pokemon Go at the time of its current edition. If you're looking for a Pokemon to fill a niche within a specific type, then this resource is sure to lead you in the right direction.
How This List is Calculated
The Pokemon on this page are listed by type in descending order of power. The metric used to decide their placement is DPS^3*TDO. This metric puts a heavy emphasis on DPS, but also takes into consideration TDO in order to attempt to discover the strongest overall performance of a given Pokemon when compared to others. Because of the way that this metric works, the Pokemon here are not always ordered according to which has the highest DPS. It's entirely possible that the highest DPS option may show up 2nd or 3rd within a type if its bulk is low enough. It's also possible that Pokemon not listed on this page could potentially find niche utility in future raids, but rest assured that the Pokemon near the top of these lists are exemplary candidates for their given types.
If you'd like to see how these Pokemon rank yourself, we recommend that you take a look at the DPS/TDO Spreadsheet, which is what we've used to make these calculations.
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Bug Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bug Bite or Infestation |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bug Bite or Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
 
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | Bug Buzz |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bug Bite or Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fury Cutter |
| Charged Move | X-Scissor |
| Specialty |
 
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Struggle Bug |
| Charged Move | Megahorn |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| The top Bug moves are lightning fast, but it's one of the weakest types in GO. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Bug isn’t highly demanded. Other stronger types usually do the job better, unless the target is doubly weak to Bug or if it's raining. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Volcarona is the closest competitor with its better stats. Bug also has to worry about the Ultra Beasts known as Pheromosa and Buzzwole farther down the line (Gen 7) | |
Dark Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Snarl |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Sucker Punch |
| Charged Move | Dark Pulse |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bite |
| Charged Move | Dark Pulse |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Snarl |
| Charged Move | Dark Pulse |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| It took a Pokemon with an Attack stat as high as Darkrai to put the top Dark attacker on parity with the top Ghost attackers. Even then, Darkrai does just as well with its Ghost type Charged Move. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Ghost and Dark compete for the same niche. While Ghost tends to sport higher DPS, Dark's generally superior resistances keep it competitive. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The legendary Pokemon Yveltal and Mythical Pokemon Hoopa (Gen 6) are starting to draw near. Urshifu (Gen 8) is a Mythical Pokemon with a potential signature Dark Type move, but it's a ways off. What Dark-types really have to watch out for are Ghosts, which have better moves at present. | |
Dragon Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Breath |
| Charged Move | Dragon Claw |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Draco Meteor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Breath |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Breath |
| Charged Move | Draco Meteor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Breath |
| Charged Move | Draco Meteor |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Dragon Tail |
| Charged Move | Outrage |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Dragon Type is one of the few types in the game that has true "generalist" Pokemon; Pokemon so strong that they can slot into raids that they aren't super effective against and still pull their own weight. That alone should say just how strong they are. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| It's the top counter to myriad Dragon type legendary Pokemon of past, present, and future, and it ranks near the top of all species in neutral DPS. Keep in mind that every generation starting with 3 has had a legendary dragon thus far, and all but Dialga have been weak to Dragon. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Kyurem - Black and, Mega Garchomp, and Mega Rayquaza are imminent threats | |
Electric Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Thunderbolt |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Charge Beam |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Shadow Forme | No |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Spark |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Thunderbolt |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Thunder Shock |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Spark |
| Charged Move | Wild Charge |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| The top echelon of the Electric Types tend to be extremely powerful. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Electric is one of two types that is effective to Water. It's also a great type Vs. many Flying Types | |
| Future-proof | |
| The nearest major threat might be the Ultra Beast Xurkitree (Gen 7), as not even the electric type Mega Evolutions are likely to make a huge difference. | |
Fairy Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Charm |
| Charged Move | Dazzling Gleam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Charm |
| Charged Move | Dazzling Gleam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Charm |
| Charged Move | Dazzling Gleam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Charm |
| Charged Move | Play Rough |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Fairy is generally seen as a poor man's Dragon type, though it also counters Fighting pretty hard as well. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| See above. Fairy does have a couple of niches, which are double resisting Dragon and being boosted in the more common cloudy weather. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Fairy Types don't have much to fear. Xerneas lacks any move in its main series set that is currently a Fairy Type fast move, so the nearest threats are the Tapus from Generation 7. The greatest threat is in Generation 8, where the obscenely powerful Zacian awaits its chance to fight. | |
Fighting Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Dynamic Punch |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Aura Sphere |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Dynamic Punch |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Dynamic Punch |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Dynamic Punch |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Dynamic Punch |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Focus Blast |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Low Kick |
| Charged Move | Close Combat |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Counter |
| Charged Move | Focus Blast |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Fighting is one of the most pervasive types in the entire game, and will always have vast potential application across many important raid bosses. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Fighting's huge type coverage makes it the definite answer to most common gym defenders. It's the only type that's effective vs. Normal, which is one of the most common types in the game. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Though unlikely to be beat in DPS, Lucario has rather ordinary stats and relies on Aura Sphere's incredible move data to excel. Its most likely competition will be Zamazenta (Gen 8), with which it shares its typing. | |
Fire Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Blast Burn |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Blast Burn |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Fang |
| Charged Move | Flamethrower |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Blast Burn |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Fang |
| Charged Move | Flamethrower |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Fire Punch or Fire Blast |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Flamethrower |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Fang |
| Charged Move | Fire Blast |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Fire Spin |
| Charged Move | Blast Burn |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| The top Fire Types all hit very hard, and tend to be competitive with other types when multiple weaknesses are viable. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Though Fire is effective against a respectable 4 types, those types are less represented among Tier 5 raid bosses in particular, hurting their meta relevance. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The closest threat is the Ultra Beast Blacephalon (Generation 7), which has tremendous offensive potential. Volcarona could also be good, but it won't compete for the crown. | |
Flying Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Wing Attack |
| Charged Move | Sky Attack |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Gust |
| Charged Move | Brave Bird |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Wing Attack |
| Charged Move | Sky Attack |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hidden Power - Flying |
| Charged Move | Brave Bird |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Air Slash |
| Charged Move | Aerial Ace |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Extrasensory |
| Charged Move | Aeroblast |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Peck |
| Charged Move | Sky Attack |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Air Slash |
| Charged Move | Brave Bird |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Wing Attack |
| Charged Move | Brave Bird |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Air Slash |
| Charged Move | Sky Attack |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| The top Pokemon in this type have little to fear and can overtake the top contenders of several other types. However, the bar drops pretty quickly as you go down the list. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Flying has even narrower type coverage than Fire, and very few of its main targets are really represented at all in Tier 5 raids. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Flying is one of the most common typings in Pokemon, and as such there are many good future contenders. Up until now, few have been blessed with a competitive moveset. Right now, the biggest threat is that Rayquaza will be given its signature Flying Type move: Dragon Ascent | |
Ghost Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Shadow Claw or Lick |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Shadow Claw |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hex |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Shadow Claw or Lick |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Shadow Claw |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hex |
| Charged Move | Shadow Ball |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Ghost Types run the race all the way from glass cannons to tanks. They tend to have very high DPS, and generally are faster at clearing raids than Dark Types. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Ghost is only effective to itself and Psychic, but the latter is highly represented among legendary Pokemon across the generations. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Hoopa (Gen 6), and Lunala (Gen 7) are notable threats, with the later in particular having its own Ghost Type signature move. Though Giratina - Origin does have one as well.... | |
Grass Types
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Vine Whip |
| Charged Move | Frenzy Plant |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Razor Leaf |
| Charged Move | Frenzy Plant |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Vine Whip |
| Charged Move | Frenzy Plant |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bullet Seed |
| Charged Move | Solar Beam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Razor Leaf |
| Charged Move | Leaf Blade |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Razor Leaf |
| Charged Move | Grass Knot |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Vine Whip |
| Charged Move | Power Whip |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Vine Whip |
| Charged Move | Frenzy Plant |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Razor Leaf |
| Charged Move | Leaf Blade |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Grass-types in GO are by no means weak, but they're frequently out-damaged by top attackers in other types without a clear weather boost. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Grass covers some common types and is boosted in a common weather. A fair number of raid bosses have a double weakness to Grass. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Shaymin (Sky Forme) (Gen 4) is slated to have great offensive stats, but its moves and availability are likely to fall short of expectations. | |
Ground Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Shot |
| Charged Move | Earthquake |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Shot |
| Charged Move | Earthquake |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Slap |
| Charged Move | Earthquake |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Shot |
| Charged Move | Earth Power |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Slap |
| Charged Move | Earthquake or Drill Run |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Shot |
| Charged Move | Earthquake |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Mud Shot |
| Charged Move | Earth Power or Earthquake |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Buffs to Mud-Slap and Earthquake have made Ground a more respectable attacking type, though still slightly behind the others. It usually needs a weather boost to be the clear best. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Ground would be an incredibly relevant type if only it were stronger, as it covers 5 types. What keeps it relevant is its niche as an Electric counter. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Landorus - Therian Forme is imminent | |
Ice Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Powder Snow |
| Charged Move | Avalanche |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Frost Breath |
| Charged Move | Avalanche |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Psycho Cut |
| Charged Move | Ice Beam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Powder Snow |
| Charged Move | Weather Ball - Ice |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Frost Breath |
| Charged Move | Ice Beam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hidden Power Ice |
| Charged Move | Blizzard |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Frost Breath |
| Charged Move | Avalanche |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Ice Types are generally a very safe pick when they're Super Effective, as many at the top tier of the type have a great mix of moveset/stats | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| The Ice-type is classically known for its coverage, although in GO there are plenty of alternative options for each role. Ice is also rarely boosted by the weather. | |
| Future-proof | |
| See Galarian Darmanitan in the list above? It has an alternate forme, Zen Mode (Gen 8). This forme has an absurdly strong attack stat that's going to uproot this entire list, including Shadows. And since we already have its normal forme, Zen Mode could drop at any time. | |
Poison Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Poison Jab |
| Charged Move | Sludge Bomb |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Lick |
| Charged Move | Sludge Bomb |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Acid |
| Charged Move | Sludge Bomb |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Acid |
| Charged Move | Sludge Bomb |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Poison Jab |
| Charged Move | Sludge Bomb |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Poison has never been a good type to attack with. It's outclassed by other types when fighting against either of the types that it's Super Effective against, and 2x weaknesses to it are exceedingly rare. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| There is a niche for Poison countering Grass-types in cloudy weather, or countering Fairies in the absence of Metagross. For now, Poison is minimally useful in the meta. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Investment in the current top Poison Types may not be advisable, but it's fairly safe. Nihilego and Naganadel (Gen 7) are its closest threats, with Eternatus (Gen 8) even farther down the line. | |
Psychic Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Zen Headbutt |
| Charged Move | Psychic |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Zen Headbutt |
| Charged Move | Psychic |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Let's just get this out of the way: Shadow Mewtwo is the strongest thing in the game right now. In a neutral scenario, nothing beats Shadow Mewtwo. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Psychic is useful in the popular Machamp raid, and that's about it. Fighting and Poison aren't well represented among raid bosses in general, both past and future. | |
| Future-proof | |
| Lunala and Solgaleo (Gen 7) are worthy competitors, though both have lower Attack. The big threat is Ultra Necrozma (Gen 7) with its high attack and plethora of signature Psychic Type moves. | |
Rock Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Stone Edge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Rock Wrecker |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Rock Throw |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Stone Edge |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Rock Throw |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Smack Down |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Rock Throw |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Rock Throw |
| Charged Move | Rock Slide |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| The top Rock Types tend to be fairly dominant in any raid that they join, and are featured counters against many Tier 5 raid bosses. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Rock Type is very relevant, and is likely to always be. Most generations have at least one legendary Pokemon weak to rock, and a huge number of general raid bosses are also weak to it as well. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The nearest threat is Nihilego (Gen 7), but even it is unlikely to dethrone the top Rock Types. | |
Steel Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bullet Punch |
| Charged Move | Meteor Mash |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bullet Punch |
| Charged Move | Meteor Mash |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Metal Claw |
| Charged Move | Iron Head |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Metal Claw |
| Charged Move | Magnet Bomb |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Metal Claw |
| Charged Move | Iron Head |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bullet Punch |
| Charged Move | Heavy Slam |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Metal Claw |
| Charged Move | Iron Head |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| When Steel is a weakness, the top Steel Type attackers on this list are probably at the top of the counter list. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Steel's limited effective coverage to Fairy, Ice and Rock-types means that it doesn't get to power through raids as often as some other types. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The next Steel-type Pokemon who can compete is Kartana (Gen 7), an Ultra Beast. After that, Zacian (Gen 8) could be a very real contender for top Steel Type. | |
Water Type
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Water Gun |
| Charged Move | Hydro Cannon |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Water Gun |
| Charged Move | Hydro Cannon |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Waterfall |
| Charged Move | Hydro Pump |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Water Gun |
| Charged Move | Hydro Cannon |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Bubble |
| Charged Move | Crab Hammer |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Water Gun |
| Charged Move | Hydro Cannon |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Waterfall |
| Charged Move | Hydro Cannon |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Waterfall |
| Charged Move | Hydro Pump |
| Specialty |
|
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Waterfall |
| Charged Move | Hydro Pump |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| When it shares the spotlight with other types, Water Types tend to be the dependable, all-around good options. They may not always top the DPS list, but they're usually up there somewhere. | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| Water covers some common types, making it beneficial to have a decent Water Type team ready. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The Water Type meta is pretty stable, though it will have a few Megas and Primal Kyogre appearing in the fairly near future. | |
Normal Type
| Specialty | None |
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hidden Power |
| Charged Move | Giga Impact |
| Specialty | None |
|---|---|
| Fast Move | Hidden Power |
| Charged Move | Tri-Attack |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| These Pokemon could be truly great.... if their typing/movesets were anything but Normal | |
| Meta-relevance | |
| The Normal-type has generally weak candidates and zero meta relevance, being unable to hit for super effective damage. | |
| Future-proof | |
| The biggest threat is probably Arceus (Gen 4) | |
