Ah, the Dark-type. The edgiest type of Pokemon. It’s not really an element like Fire or Water; it’s just dark energy. In fact, in Japan, the Dark-type’s literal translation would be "evil." But we love and support our Dark Pokemon in this house, and while they have enough edginess to rival Shadow the Hedgehog, there’s so much more to them than that.
They’re powerful fighters with awesome attacking moves and tons of unique tricks up their sleeves. While some are straight-up evil, more are mischievous or misunderstood. Regardless, who doesn’t enjoy that deliciously villainous vibe? Here are the best of the best of Dark-type Pokemon.
Updated by Kyle Chamaillard on May 13th, 2023: Despite being added in Generation Two, the Dark-type has become a core part of the Pokemon series, with many iconic members, including Absol, Weavile, and more. Thus, new Dark-type Pokemon are always a treat to try out and get to know with each new generation. There have been a lot of new Dark-types added to the collection over the years, and they are among the best. With so many of the best Dark-type Pokemon to choose from, we've decided to update this list to include more of the strongest Dark-type creatures.
25 Morpeko
No Pokemon region is complete without a Pikachu clone, and Morpeko fills that role in Generation Eight. However, like Mimikyu, there's more than meets the eye with this bean-shaped ball of malice. Morpeko has two forms, as indicated by its split color scheme, and is the primary Pokemon of your rival in Sword and Shield, Marnie.
It also has the signature move Aura Wheel, which changes types according to the form Morpeko is in. Its stats may not be its stand-out trait, but its moveset can make up for it with versatility. Still, Morpeko is more of a novelty than a powerhouse.
24 Overqwil
There are plenty of fish in the sea, but Overqwil is one you do not want to mess with. Introduced as an evolution to Hisuian Qwifish in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, this Dark and Poison-type is known for being incredibly aggressive, which can cause problems for anyone exploring the ocean. As deadly as Overqwil can be as an opponent, it's worth having one on your team for the next expedition.
Like most Hisuian Pokemon, Hisuian Qwilfish evolves into Overqwil after using a certain move in a specific style. In this case, you'll need to use Barb Barrage in the strong style at least 20 times. Overqwil can take down enemies with a variety of moves, and one of its abilities - Poison Point - has a 30 percent chance of poisoning your enemy after they use a physical attack.
23 Absol
Absol is a big fan favorite, despite its name as a Disaster Pokemon. It’s pretty kind-hearted, actually, able to sense oncoming natural disasters and warn people with its horn. However, some Pokedex entries describe it a little more negatively, saying it brought disaster, and people began to associate it as such. Maybe that’s the reason it rarely even leaves the mountains.
Despite the negative opinion surrounding it, Absol is not a bad Pokemon to include in your team. Absol has a high Attack stat and can pack a punch in a fight, especially after using Swords Dance. Unfortunately, Absol really appreciated its mega form, as it happens to be a bit lackluster in its base form.
22 Weavile
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Weavile, an iconic Pokemon from the Sinnoh region, is an interesting mix of Ice and Dark-types, two of the lesser-represented types in the series. They’re both pretty underrated, too. According to the Pokedex, Weavile hunt in groups like funky two-legged wolves, and they leave scratch marks in trees and boulders to communicate with each other.
Weavile’s best stat is its Speed, so it can almost always get in the first hit, giving you the advantage. It also has a strong Attack stat, which, combined with its speed, makes it a swift and powerful fighter. Be wary, though, as Weavile has paper-thin defenses.
21 Mabosstiff
Introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Mabosstiff stars alongside Arven in the Path of Legends storyline that requires you to face intimidating Titan Pokemon to collect Herba Mystica. This old dog might not be the best for competitive battling, but the relationship between Arven and his Mabosstiff results in one of the most emotional narratives in the series.
If you're feeling jealous of the bond between the researcher and his hound, you can obtain your own Mabosstiff by raising a Maschiff to level 30 or catching one in the wild by Casseroya Lake or Socarrat Trail. Its unique ability - Guard Dog - makes it impossible for other Pokemon to scare it away from a battle with moves like Roar or Whirlwind, which can be incredibly handy when trying to catch evasive Pokemon.
20 Obstagoon
Generation 3's Zigzagoon and Linoone got a much-needed new regional form in Sword and Shield, but the addition to the evolutionary line, Obstagoon, takes it a step further. Galarian Zigzagoon is obtainable as early as the first few routes in Sword and Shield, and Obstagoon can carry your team through your entire adventure.
Its stats are fairly well-balanced, with a slightly more defensive focus. But, its abilities can boost its Attack stat through various means, creating a deadly offensive Pokemon with some solid defenses to boot. It's even got some utility moves if that's what you need.
19 Zoroark
For starters, a werewolf-looking creature with a red punk ponytail looks pretty cool. Zoroark is the Illusion Fox Pokemon, reminiscent of the Kitsune in Japanese folklore. It’s got great Speed, Attack, and Special Attack, so it’s a good fighter in theory.
A purely Dark-type Pokemon, Zoroark has a ton of Dark moves that it can learn as well, such as Dark Pulse and Foul Play. It can use illusions to its advantage by tricking opponents and makes a good addition to your team. Unfortunately, if you're playing competitively, team previews make Zoroark predictable, which is a shame since that's its whole gimmick.
18 Houndoom
Generation Two introduced us to this devilish-looking Pokemon. Houndoom has good Speed and Special Attack stats, and its dual typing means diversity in its moveset. Fans love the design of Houndoom since it’s essentially a huge dog that looks like it attends metal concerts between battles. Who knows what it would do to the mail carriers?
Houndoom is also a Fire-type, so it’s got some useful attacks. Oh, and according to its Pokedex, if you’re burned by its flames, the pain will last forever. That certainly is dark. While Houndoom is a serviceable Special Attacker, it, unfortunately, fails to reach high enough damage outputs, showcasing how much it needed its mega form.
17 Grimmsnarl
An evil fairy goblin is certainly one of the more unique additions to the Sword and Shield Pokedex, and it's also one of the strongest Pokemon in the game. After finding its evolution line in areas like the Glimwood Tangle, evolving them into Grimmsnarl is certainly not a waste of time.
For starters, Prankster is one of the strongest abilities in the entire series and can create some extremely favorable situations. With its great Attack stat, coupled with great moves like Darkest Lariat and Brick Break, Grimmsnarl can give an entire Pokemon team a run for its money.
16 Yveltal
Legendary Pokemon tend to be generally stronger than normal ones, and Yveltal specifically has some seriously powerful things going for it. First, its stats are nothing short of monstrous, with every single one of them being above average, and its Special Attack is off the charts.
The ability Dark Aura boosts all Dark-type attacks used by 33 percent, which makes moves like Foul Play and Sucker Punch hit like a truck. It can be debated which legendary from X and Y is more deadly, but there's no denying the terrifying power of Yveltal, aptly known as the Destruction Pokemon.
15 Sharpedo
Sharpedo was introduced in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire as a Water and Dark-type that evolves from Carvanha at level 30. Most of its Pokedex entries identify it as the "Bully of the Sea" because it chases down its prey at 75 mph and attacks ships that enter its territory. If you're going for a swim and see Sharpedo's fin, it's time to hop out of the water or pray for a miracle.
Having a Sharpedo on your team is always worth it, especially with its high Attack, Speed, and Special Attack stats. If you don't want to waste too much time in battles, this shark can tear apart your competition in a matter of seconds with moves like Crunch, Ice Fang, and Liquidation.
14 Umbreon
Umbreon is not only a popular Dark-type but one of the most popular Pokemon in general due to being an Eeveelution. The kinds of places that sell awesome Pokemon merch will often have Umbreon plushies and onesies up there with the greats like Charizard and Pikachu.
This Eeveelution has great HP, Defense, and Special Defense, and can learn a variety of different utility moves. With access to Foul Play, Wish, Heal Bell, and more, Umbreon makes for a perfect wall and healer, sure to annoy your opponents due to just how tanky it can be.
13 Hydreigon
You can’t deny a dark dragon is a pretty cool idea, and Hydreigon doesn’t disappoint. All its stats are in the green, especially Special Attack. Save for a few weaknesses, the combination of Dark and Dragon-types means that a lot of opposing attacks will not be very effective on Hydreigon. That will make preserving this beast a lot easier in most matches.
Hydreigon is not a wall by any means, though. It can be taught Draco Meter, a devastating fan-favorite move that lowers the user's Special Attack while dealing serious damage. It also learns a lot of coverage moves like Flamethrower, Dark Pulse, and Flash Cannon.
12 Darkrai
It seems our favorite Dark-types have some pretty nasty powers; Darkrai can cause those around it to have deep, terrible nightmares. Truly a Dark Pokemon, it’s known in the Pokedex as the Pitch-Black Pokemon. You can’t get much darker than that.
Being a legendary Pokemon boosts Darkrai up the ranks, making it much sought-after, and for a good reason. It can use Dark Void, a move that puts opponents to sleep and can affect multiple Pokemon in the case of double battles. That, combined with Darkrai's great stats and its ability Bad Dreams - which damages opposing Pokemon while they sleep - makes it an absolute menace during battles.
11 Iron Jugulis
Iron Jugulis is a Paradox Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. This future variant of Hydreigon dismisses its previous Dragon-type and becomes Dark and Flying-type instead. While there's an argument to be made that the original form is better, Iron Jugulis is still pretty great at what it does.
If a regular Hydreigon was a Swiss army knife, then Iron Jugulis is more of a power drill. With a perfect stat distribution for a fast, special sweeper, it can let go of recovery and utility to become a full-on attacker. Especially when combined with an item like Choice Specs and its ability Quark Drive to boost its already great stats, Iron Jugulis can easily clean up battles.
10 Kingambit
Kingambit is the evolution for the fan-favorite Unova Pokemon Bisharp. It pretty much does all Bisharp used to do, but better. Its stats are incredible, barring its low Speed, but that was never Bisharp's primary stat anyway.
On top of its raw power, Kingambit has some great moves and the incredible ability Supreme Overload. The ability boosts Kingambit's Attack and Special Attack by 10 percent per fainted teammate. This makes Kingambit an amazing late-game sweeper, especially with the great priority move Sucker Punch.
9 Galarian Moltres
One of Pokemon Sword and Shield's expansions - The Crown Tundra - introduced variations of Kanto's legendary birds with new types and designs. Galarian Moltres is a Dark and Flying-type, and while it's lost the ability to use Fire-type attacks, it can still wipe out your opponent's team with a plethora of killer attacks and incredible stats.
Aside from knowing powerful moves like Hurricane and Sky Attack, Galarian Moltres has the Berserk ability that can turn the tides of battle to your favor when you're against the ropes. Once Galarain Moltres' HP drops below half, its special attack increases, which makes taking down even the toughest Pokemon feel like a breeze.
8 Meowscarada
Meowscarada continues the trend of Dark-type starters being extremely strong, following the iconic Greninja and Incineroar. This Grass and Dark-type is fast, strong, and has access to some powerful tools. To begin with, Meowscarada has the Hidden Ability Protean, allowing it to change its type on a whim.
It has an amazing move pool as well, including U-turn, Taunt, Spikes, and Knock Off, as well as its signature move Flower Trick. Meowscarada is a bit of a one-trick cat, serving as a fast attacker and support, but it's so good at it that the lack of versatility is not even an issue most of the time.
7 Greninja
The final evolution of the starter Froakie, Greninja, is a combination of Dark and Water-type. Its Hidden Ability, Protean, allows it to change to the type of move it's currently using. So if you use a Ghost-type move like Shadow Sneak, Greninja will become a Ghost-type Pokemon until its next move of a different kind.
This allows for some really tactical moves, considering which types will make you vulnerable to different attacks. It also grants Greninja the same-type attack bonus when you use an offensive move. Besides its abilities, Greninja is, well, a frog ninja. What’s not to love?
6 Krookodile
Krookodile is a Ground and Dark-type introduced in Pokemon Black and White. While Sharpedo is commonly known as the "Bully of the Sea," Krookodile shares a similar nickname in the Pokedex as the "Bully of the Sands." It can swim through sand like water, and when it finally catches its target, Krookodile can use its teeth to rip them in half.
You might not be able to find Krookodile's original form - Sandile - during the opening hours of your journey, but it's worth catching one as soon as you can. Krookodile is a powerhouse that's known as the Intimidation Pokemon for a reason. Its high Attack stat makes moves like Earthquake, Thrash, and Outrage incredibly devastating.