Water

Water Type

Water-type moves excel against Fire, Ground, and Rock types, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Water type changes, generation by generation

Water has kept its familiar chart role, but the generation around that role changed what a Water move or Water Pokémon meant.

Generation I: Water attacks were part of the original chart, and Water had no ability-based exceptions.
Generation II: Dark and Steel entered the chart, while the special category still controlled Water attacks such as Surf and Hydro Pump.
Generation III: Abilities introduced matchup exceptions such as Water Absorb, so a Water immunity could belong to an ability rather than a type.
Generation IV: The physical/special split made moves such as Waterfall physical while Surf remained special, without changing Water's type effectiveness row.
Generation VI onward: Fairy joined the chart as a neutral Water target, while abilities and regional forms continued to change practical answers.

Reading a Water matchup therefore requires both the generation and the move category, not only the Water label.

Offensive Matchups

When using Water-type moves:

Super Effective Against (2×):

Fire Ground Rock

Not Very Effective Against (0.5×):

Water Grass Dragon

Defensive Matchups

When defending as a Water-type:

Weak To (2× damage):

Electric Grass

Resists (0.5× damage):

Fire Water Ice Steel

Strategy Tips

Offensive Strategy

Use Water-type moves against Fire, Ground, Rock types for maximum damage.

Defensive Strategy

Be cautious of Electric, Grass type moves. Switch in against Fire, Water, Ice type moves to take reduced damage.

Water Type Editorial Analysis

Offensive chart index

A site-created comparison index: super-effective targets − resisted targets − 2 × immune targets. It is not an in-game stat or an official ranking.

Defensive chart index

A site-created comparison index: 2 × weaknesses − resistances − 2 × immunities. balanced defensive burden describes this formula only; it is not an in-game stat or an official ranking.

Role Fit

Water is one of the most stable defensive types because it has only Electric and Grass weaknesses while resisting Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel.

Original TypeMatchup judgment

Use Water as a glue type when a team needs fewer emergency weaknesses. Its offensive coverage against Fire, Ground, and Rock also punishes many Pokémon that try to pressure Steel or Fire partners.

Team partners and coverage

Ground partners block Electric attacks, Grass-resistant partners cover Grass pressure, and Steel or Fire teammates can absorb the Ice and Fairy attacks often aimed elsewhere.

Data check: Water attacks are resisted or blocked by Water, Grass, Dragon. Candidate partner attack types that pressure at least one of those answers include Fire, Electric, Grass, Ice, Poison, Flying.

Best use case

Water is especially valuable on balanced teams, raid planning, and bulky pivots where repeated neutral or resisted entries matter more than a single knockout.

On defense, Water is threatened by Electric, Grass. Teammate types that can resist or blank at least one of those threats include Fire, Electric, Grass, Poison, Ground, Flying.

Important exception

Do not assume every Water Pokémon is defensively safe; secondary typings can add 4× Grass or Electric weaknesses, and freeze-dry-style effects can change expected answers in specific games.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Water type strong against?

Water type moves are super effective (2× damage) against Fire, Ground, Rock types.

What is Water type weak against?

Water type is weak to (takes 2× damage from) Electric, Grass type moves.

What types resist Water?

Water, Grass, Dragon types resist Water type moves (take 0.5× damage).

What does Water type resist?

Water type resists (takes 0.5× damage from) Fire, Water, Ice, Steel type moves.