Dark Type Editorial Analysis
Coverage Score
-1
TypeMatchup score: super-effective targets minus resisted and immune targets.
Defensive Burden
2
noticeable defensive burden based on weaknesses, resistances, and immunities.
Role Fit
Dark is the direct answer to Psychic and Ghost pressure, with a Psychic immunity and super-effective hits into both Psychic and Ghost.
Original TypeMatchup judgment
Use Dark when the team needs to stop Psychic moves, pressure Ghosts, or punish utility Pokémon. It must account for Fighting, Bug, and Fairy weaknesses.
Team partners and coverage
Poison and Steel partners handle Fairy, Flying or Psychic partners help against Fighting, and Fire or Rock coverage can discourage Bug answers.
Data check: Dark attacks are resisted or blocked by Fighting, Dark, Fairy. Candidate partner attack types that pressure at least one of those answers include Fighting, Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Steel.
Best use case
Dark fits revenge killers, pivots, trappers, and bulky utility roles that need to deny Psychic or Ghost progress.
On defense, Dark is threatened by Fighting, Bug, Fairy. Teammate types that can resist or blank at least one of those threats include Fire, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug.
Important exception
Fairy is the cleanest punishment route into Dark. If your Dark slot cannot threaten Fairy on the switch, pair it with a teammate that makes Fairy entry costly.