The Pokemon Trading Card Game has been around since the late '90s and as such the game has a ton of history to it. The Trading Card Game (TCG) is based on the Pokemon video games, so Types are just as important here as they are in the video game. While there are 18 Types in Pokemon, the TCG mashes some Types together for a total of 11.

Each Type requires a specific Energy Card(s) in order to use the Pokemon's moves. All of the Types have a kind of playstyle that has formed around them, and some have proven to be more powerful than others.

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Updated October 21, 2021, by Johnny Garcia: The Pokemon TCG remains one of the most popular collectable card games out there. It continues to flourish, with collectors and players alike all racing to pick up the latest sets. The most recent set, Celebrations, was released to commemorate 25 years of the Pokemon TCG, featuring reprints of iconic cards over the years from the earliest days of the game to the modern era. This will be followed by Fusion Strike, which looks to introduce the new Fusion Strike style to the cards, as well as Gigantamax for all the Sword & Shield starter Pokemon. There are plenty of cards to collect, with there being no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

11 Colorless

The Colorless Type in the TCG is the equivalent to the Normal Type in the video games. Its biggest TCG strength is that any Energy Type can be used as a Colorless Energy requirement to use any moves. Colorless even have their own unique Energy Card called Double Colorless which provides two Colorless Energy into the pool for the Pokemon it's attached to.

Double Colorless is so good it's played in almost all the decks in the game. The reason the Colorless Energy Type is so low on this list however is the Pokemon themselves. Due to how easy it is to gather Energy, Colorless Pokemon are generally the weakest in the entire game, and it's bad enough to make them the worst Energy Type.

Some of the best Colorless Energy Type cards include Mega Lopunny and Jigglypuff GX for dealing out massive damage by punishing the opponent's use of their own GX as well as Double Colorless Energy to get your moves online quicker.

10 Dragon

Dragon Types are one of the latest new additions to the Pokemon Energy Type Pool, and also one of the worst. Unlike every other Energy Type in the game, Dragon does not possess any Energy Cards for its Type. Rather, every Dragon Type Pokemon needs to utilize two entirely different Energy Types to be able to attack.

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Due to this, Dragon Types need a lot of setup, which can be done better and easier with dedicated Types. The biggest struggle for Dragon Pokmon is inconsistency, and in a game that has some luck factor in it, consistency is key to winning. As such, Dragon ranks among the lowest for Energy Types.

The Dragon Energy Type returned in Evolving Skies, where star cards for the Type include Duraludon VMAX and Arceus & Dialga & Palkia Tag Team acting as the best choices if you choose Dragon.

9 Metal

Metal in the TCG is the Type given to Steel Types from the video game. While the Pokemon equivalent has tons of resistances, the TCG counterpart lacks this. In the TCG, Pokemon only resist one Type, so their greatest strength in the video game does not carry over.

Metal Type Pokemon also bare a weakness to some of the most popular Types in the game, which only hurts its ability to be successful. Mix that in with a rather weak Pokemon pool overall and lack of many good Type support cards, Metal is one of the weakest Energy Types in the TCG.

However, cards like Zacian V and Jirachi offer a beacon of hope for the Steel Energy Type in the Pokemon TCG. These are staples in many decks, including ones that only play Metal Energy.

8 Lightning

Pokemon TCG Mega Manectric

Lightning Types (Electric in the video games) possess some solid support cards but also have some glaring weaknesses that prevent it from becoming a top tier threat. Lightning decks generally don't have to worry too much about collecting basic Energy Cards for their Type thanks to their support cards.

However, the fact that Lightning Pokemon are all weak to Fighting, one of the most popular Types, leave it struggling a lot of the time. Not only that, Fighting Pokemon are usually resistant to Lightning as well, leaving those Pokemon to fight an uphill battle most other Types don't have to worry about.

Cards like Pikachu & Zekrom Tag Team, Dedenne GX, and Boltund V are all mascots for the Lighting Pokemon Energy Type and should be an automatic inclusion in any deck planning to take advantage of the Type.

7 Darkness

Darkness Pokemon (the TCG counterpart to Dark Pokemon) is where this list starts to take a turn towards the better Energy Types in the game. Darkness Pokemon often have some powerful abilities that can interact with Pokemon on the bench as well as active Pokemon.

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Some don't even need to use Darkness Energy for their best moves and can use Colorless instead. The biggest weakness to Darkness is their weakness to Fighting, but its powerful Pokemon are enough to make it a real threat. Darkness' ability to interact with all sorts of Pokemon on the field heightens it up to be a real metagame contender.

In the modern era, Darkness has plenty of powerful cards in its arsenal such as Crobat V, Galarian Zigzagoon, and Eternatus (both V and VMAX). These all bolster the Darkness Pokemon Energy Types to new heights, and it has the potential to eventually become the best.

6 Fairy

While the Sword and Shield expansion discontinued the Fairy Type, its lasting metagame impact is still felt to this day. Many of the best Fairy Type Pokemon were able to play off of your opponent, making them very good for counterplay.

One of the most popular Fairy Types, Sylveon GX could even search and add any three cards from your deck to your hand with only one Fairy Energy attached to it. It also had an extra utility to send two benched Pokemon to the hand and "reset" them. This is but one example of the utility Fairy Types have and is what they're most known for.

While you can't use Fairy Pokemon in Standard anymore, cards like Gardevoir GX and Sylveon GX are staples in Expanded formats without Set Rotation. The Fairy Pokemon TCG Energy Type is the one with the most utility, something non-rotating formats appreciate greatly.

5 Grass

At the surface level, Grass Type moves aren't the most powerful thing out there. However, the strength of Grass comes from the extra effects that their moves can do. Grass Type Pokemon can spread status to other Pokemon quite easily.

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This can potentially freeze up your opponent's turn as they try to find ways to heal their Pokemon of the status. They also hit popular Types, Water and Fighting, if they are weak to Grass, and due to how frequently played the two Types are, it's not uncommon to be able to hit those Types where it hurts.

One of the best Grass Pokemon ever printed is Rowlet & Exeggutor Tag Team, allowing for direct Evolution from your deck to the max level without ever committing an Energy Card to it.

4 Fighting

The Fighting Type encapsulates Fighting, Rock, and Ground Type Pokemon. Weaknesses in the TCG are based on what Pokemon are weak to in the video game. As such, Fighting decks in the TCG can play around weaknesses since the three Pokemon Types are weak to different Energy Types, making Fighting decks a lot harder to counter.

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While Fighting Pokemon can take a bit to set up, they hit hard as soon as they do. The damage output Fighting Type Pokemon can do is among the highest Pokemon can naturally do without having to rely on outside factors. With solid support to boot, Fighting is a giant threat, with the only thing holding it back is the set-up itself.

There are plenty of fantastic Fighting Type Pokemon in the TCG, with Rapid Strike Urshifu leading the charge. Rapid Strike Energy brings it together, allowing itself to be used as two Fighting Energy instead of just one (or Fighting and Water).

3 Fire

Fire Types possess some of the most devastating moves in the Pokemon TCG. One of the main gimmicks of Fire Types is having to detach Energy Cards in order to use the attacks of the Pokemon. However, there are a ton of Fire support cards that can counteract this downside and in some cases even recycle the Energy detached to not lose any advantage.

While the Water weakness isn't one a Pokemon likes to have, the sheer power of Fire Pokemon moves is enough to fight back against them. Nearly no Type except for Water and certain Fighting ones have a resistance to them, making Fire Types able to hit the majority of Pokemon with everything it has.

Some fantastic Fire Pokemon Energy Types include Victini V and Centiskorch V to constantly recycle Fire Energy. If you're playing in an Expanded format, Welder is one of the best cards ever printed and is a must-include in any Fire-based strategy.

2 Psychic

Psychic Types are very similar to Fairy in the fact that they can utilize their abilities to affect all of the Pokemon on the field. Psychic Types also generally can use Colorless Energy for a lot of their moves allowing for Psychic Pokmon to use their moves right away.

Tapu Lele G" is a perfect example of this, so much so that it was played in almost every deck due to how powerful it was - as an added bonus it had a great ability. Tapu Lele GX aside, many other Psychic Pokemon have proved to be just as useful, with abilities that are very easily accessible and not many other Types are resistant to them.

The Psychic Energy Type continues to see powerful cards, with recent examples including Mewtwo & Mew Tag Team and Polteageist. Most Psychic Pokemon are splashable, so cards like these can be put into any deck.

1 Water

The most powerful Pokemon Energy Type in the TCG, Water has proven itself time and time again just how powerful it is. Being powerful against Fire and certain Fighting cards is a giant advantage. Even the Ice Types from the Water category can still fight back against Fire despite their weakness, and they can still deal weakness damage right back.

Water Type Pokemon also have some very powerful support cards to help compliment the playstyle. An added plus for Water Pokemon is that they don't require much Energy to use their moves. Even if they aren't the most damaging, their abilities, support, and ease of access to the moves make them the best Energy time in the TCG.

Some of the best Pokemon printed into Standard are all Water Pokemon, including Inteleon VMAX and Frosmoth. They also have access to Wash Energy, which protects Water Pokemon from being affected by the effects of attacks.

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