All Dragon-type Pokémon weaknesses, explained

Knowing the weaknesses can help you in battle.

In the world of Pokémon, each little creature is assigned a specific typing that determines their properties and how they will go to interact with other Pokémon and their moves. There are currently 18 different types that exist in the game, and each has its own unique move pool that include physical and special attacks. Pokémon can also have more than one typing. Dual-type Pokémon are fairly common in the world and can make for some strong offensive and defense threats for trainers to add to their team composition.

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Currently in Pokémon, there are 155 different typings that have been used of the 171 possible. This allows for a diverse pool of critters from which to pick but is also challenging for many to wrap their minds around. Each type interacts with the world differently. This includes resistances, weaknesses, and super effectiveness of moves. One type people are looking to better understand is Dragon typing. Here, we’ll cover everything a trainer will want to know when using or battling against a Dragon-type Pokémon.

Image of Ash, Lance, and Dragonite - pokemon
Image via The Pokémon Company

Dragon-type Pokémon

Dragon-type Pokémon are some of the strongest Pokémon in the game. In generation one, there was only one Dragon-type line: the Dragonite line. Over the years, The Pokémon Company has added to that and there are currently 61 Dragon-type Pokémon in the game. This includes pure and dual-type dragons and leaves the typing representing a tiny 6.68 percent of the entire Pokédex. With this low number and representation, Dragon types are the fourth-rarest Pokémon in the game.

Dragon-type weaknesses

While these incredibly cool, pseudo-legendary beasts are very strong, they come with their own set of weaknesses trainers should be aware of.

Dragon-type Pokémon have three main weaknesses. When another Pokémon uses one of the following move types, the attack will do twice as much damage as it would normally on a different type Pokémon.

Dragons are weak against other Dragon-type moves. Some of the strongest moves in the game are Dragon-type moves as there are only two types of Pokémon that resist, or are unaffected by them. There had to be a weakness for Dragon types in generation one, so The Pokémon Company decided to make Dragon-type moves super effective against Dragons, as well for power balancing.

image of Latios - Pokemon
Image via The Pokémon Company

Ice-type moves are also super effective against Dragon-type Pokémon. The cold chills and beams of ice do massive damage against Dragon-type Pokémon, and even more against Pokémon like Dragonite and Salamence that sport the dual-typing of Dragon and Flying.

Fairy typing was introduced in generation six, and has proven to be another check to Dragon-type Pokémon, and their moves are also super effective against Dragon-type Pokémon.

Trainers should use caution when up against opposing Dragon, Ice, or Fairy-type Pokémon, as their Dragons could be in imminent danger.

Dragon-type immunities

While this is not a positive for Dragons, in generation six, Fairy typing was introduced. It was added to be another check to the strong Dragon typing. The Pokémon Company went as far as to make Dragon-type moves completely ineffective against Fairy-type Pokémon.

image of Hydreigon - pokemon
Image via The Pokémon Company

Trainers should make sure not to use a Dragon-type move against a Fairy-type Pokémon as fairies are immune to Dragon-type damage.

Defensively, Dragons resist Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric-type moves. When a Pokémon resists a move, it will cut the incoming damage from that attack in half. Players can be confident their Dragon can stand up against any of these move types.

image of Garchomp
Image via The Pokémon Company

Dragon-type moves

Similar to normal types moves, Dragon-type ones are effective against almost all different types of Pokémon. Outside of Steel and Fairy-type Pokémon, no other typing resists them. The only type of Pokémon species weak to, and will take twice as much damage from, Dragon-type moves are other dragons.

Overall, trainers would do very well to add any Dragon-type Pokémon to their team composition. Dragons are some of the strongest Pokémon in the game and sport the highest average HP and base-stat total across all other types. Come check out our list for the best Dragon-type Pokémon of all time, ranked to see which Dragon types would do very well.


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