Most of the Dark-type Pokemon have great design, maybe because of their dark color palette? Well, in the fashion industry, black is an eternal color, it will never go out of style. Dark-types are the same for being the choice type in most late-game scenarios.
Dark-type does not necessarily mean they are evil. But most of the Dark-types do have that kind of unpleasant temperament. These are the top 20 Dark-type Pokemon across all games.
1. Hydreigon
Hydreigon is a dragon-like Pokémon with three heads and six slender, black wings that finish with two points on its back. It has a dark blue body with black fur covering its neck and shoulders.
Hydreigon is a Dragon/Dark-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO who is a decent attacker in both PvE and PvP. It’s not the best Pokémon in the game, but it’s towards the top of the list of Dark-type attackers, thanks to its Community Day exclusive move.
In Pokémon Black, Hydreigon, at least in terms of moves and coverage, is perhaps the best offensive type in the game. It is the only kind that can attack Electric for weakness and one of the few that can also attack Steel for weakness. Electric, Steel, Fire, Rock, and Poison all wither against Hydreigon.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Hydreigon is one of the game’s rarest Pokémon. It does not freely roam the Galar region’s wild, and players who bought Pokémon Shield are unable to obtain this Pokémon unless they online trade. Hydreigon is available to players that have Pokémon Sword when Zweilous evolves at or after level 64. However, for this particular game, Dragapult is a much better choice for the Dragon-type, but if you are specifically looking for the Dark-type, Hydreigon is the top choice.
2. Yveltal
Yveltal is a dual-type Legendary Pokémon with Dark and Flying as its typings. It is introduced in Generation VI. Yveltal is a huge Pokémon with avian and dragon-like characteristics. The back of its body is black, with white dots on the wings and back; the front, head, and neck are brilliant red, with branching, black lines running through them.
In Pokémon GO, because of its versatility, Yveltal can function as a wallbreaker, a wall itself, or a revenge killer (with Choice Scarf). While 99 Speed stat is sufficient for wallbreaking, Yveltal is more likely to rely on its reasonable bulk, hit-and-run strategies, Sucker Punch, or a Choice Scarf set to avoid being revenge killed or dealt with by faster Pokémon, as many teams have a faster attacker than Yveltal that can get the better of it.
Its Attack stat is extremely high, surpassing that of Groudon and Kyogre.
Its DEF is outstanding, and its HP is out of this world. From the looks of Yveltal’s stats, its Attack is slightly lower than and its bulk totally crushes that of Darkrai and Rayquaza, the premier Dark and Flying types in the meta respectively.
3. Guzzlord
Guzzlord is a dual-type Ultra Beast Dark Pokémon with Dragon as its other type. It was introduced in Generation VII.
In Pokémon GO, Guzzlord has extremely high HP, but very low defense, speed, and attack. Overall, it’s not a choice for Pokémon in raids, but it could be serviceable in PVP depending on the moveset. However, in Ultra League, it could be an intriguing option. Consider it a cross between Blissey and Wailord, but with the typing and offensive prowess of Hydreigon.
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon, while indeed Guzzlord is an incredibly slow Pokémon with 43 base Speed, it is very tanky. Guzzlord is also a good combination of typing in Dark and Dragon, it is one of the finest wallbreakers in lower tier forms, only being resisted by Fairy-type and particular mixed kinds such as Steel/Fighting. Guzzlord has the coverage to hit those aforementioned for Super Effective damage.
Dragon typing is also rarer among lower-tier threats, making it a desirable typing for balanced and robust offensive teams looking for a pivot that can withstand Normal-type Pokémon. All of this, combined with Guzzlord’s massive 223 basic HP, makes it extremely difficult to take down.
4. Zarude
Zarude is dual-type Mythical Pokémon with Dark and Grass as its types. It is one of the newly released Pokémon released in the year 2020. Zarude is a simian Pokémon that looks like a baboon or a mandrill. Its body is mostly covered in coarse black hair, with shorter gray fur patterning on its breast and belly.
In Pokémon GO, Zarude has a unique matchup spread in the Master League due to his Dark/Grass typing, very good all-around stats, and solid moveset. Zarude, the Master League’s first potential Grass-type Pokémon, is one of the few Pokémon capable of capturing both Kyogre and Groudon at the same time.
Zarude’s signature and, for this moment, exclusive move, Jungle Heals, restores its own and its allies’ HP while also healing them of any status afflictions. This move is available to all Zarude at Level 90. Although Jungle Healing is only available to Zarude in Pokémon Sword and Shield, the official website mentions that other Pokémon may learn this move in future generations.
In Singles in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Zarude serves as a quick sweeper and pivot. Its good bulk, combined with its high HP and Defense, allows it to effortlessly swap into weaker attacks and use its powerful STAB moves. Meanwhile, in Doubles, Zarude’s move Jungle Healing allows it to fulfill the role of an offensive cleric, despite being primarily an attacker and a support Pokémon.
5. Darkrai
Darkrai is a pure Dark-type Mythical Pokémon. It is introduced in Generation IV. Darkrai is a shadowy, dark Pokémon. It has a little head with a white fog-like ghostly plume rising from it, hiding one of its bright blue eyes, and hair on its face.
Darkrai, an incredibly powerful Pokémon in combat, is frequently banned in many formats except Uber leagues, where the power level of Pokémon is outrageously high. Dark Void, its trademark move, has one of the highest accuracies for putting other Pokémon to sleep.
When combined with its talent, and unpleasant nightmares, it was a formidable opponent in competitive confrontations.
Many formats that include Darkrai require specially adapted teams to defeat Dark Void due to its great Speed, powerful Special Attack, and ability to fully negate practically any Pokémon’s moves. Interestingly, in Generation VIII, Dark Void’s accuracy was reduced to that of Hypnosis.
6. Tyranitar
Tyranitar is a pseudo-legendary dual-type Rock / Dark Pokémon. Tyranitar is a gigantic, amphibious dinosaurian Pokémon with a green, armor-like hide.
It has two pairs of sharp teeth, one in each jaw: one in the upper and one in the lower.
Several little spikes sprout from the back of its head, neck, and shoulders.
In Pokémon GO, Tyranitar is a premierPokémon that prevents hazard removal.
Its most popular set, Choice Band, may remove or severely harm the majority of the popular hazard removers, including Latios, Latias, Zapdos, Pelipper, Tornadus, and Mantine.
7. Weavile
Weavile is a Pokémon with a pale gray body that looks like a cross between a cat and a weasel. It has a brilliant red crown and collar with large feathers, as well as a single, thinner feather on each ear. It is introduced in Generation IV.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Weavile is one of the speediest Pokémon, making it an excellent choice for those looking for fast-hitting lineups. Weavile can outspeed the vast majority of Pokémon in this game. Weavile’s typing is also excellent which should give relevance to the late game.
8. Incineroar
Incineroar is a Fire / Dark dual-type Pokémon introduced in Generation VII. Incineroar is a muscular-looking anthropomorphic feline Pokémon. It features a small red nose, a short snout, vivid green eyes with yellow sclerae, and tiny, pointed ears. Large tufts of red fur extend from its cheeks, and much of its face is also red.
In Pokémon Go, standard Incineroar sets are more defensive. The standard Incineroar is somewhat like guerilla warfare, hit and run and use Intimidate or Parting Shot. Flare Blitz and Darkest Lariat will deal some damage too.
When Incineroar appears, its Hidden Ability, Intimidate, reduces the attack of the opponent’s Pokémon. Combine it with a Careful Nature, which increases the Pokémon’s Special Defense at the expense of its Special Attack, and you’ve got yourself a genuinely bulky Pokémon. When Incineroar needs to deliver damage, Flare Blitz is a solid move, and disrupting moves like Knockoff and Taunt can disrupt any strategy your opponent has planned for their Pokémon.
9. Bisharp
Bisharp is dual-type Pokémon, pairing Dark with Steel. It is introduced in Generation V. Bisharp is a humanoid Pokémon that walks on two legs. It has a spherical, red, and black skull that resembles a war helmet and is capped with a golden, double-headed axe blade with white edges.
In Pokémon GO, Bisharp’s Dark/Steel type comes in handy in Ultra League, where Psychic and Ghost Pokémon abound. Its problems in Great League haven’t changed in Ultra League, where it continues to struggle with Fairy and Fighting-types.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Bisharp’s greatest advantage is its STAB, high-power Sucker Punch, which can be supplemented with Swords Dance. Bisharp is especially effective against devoted attackers because Sucker Punch takes precedence if the opponent uses an attacking move.
10. Obstagoon
Obstagoon is a dual-type Generation VIII Pokémon. Its typings are Dark and Normal. Obstagoon is a bipedal Pokémon that is black and white. It has a pointed nose like a badger, with a long tongue that frequently hangs out of its mouth, and its head sits ahead of its body on a long, thick neck.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Obstagoon also has a lot of power and size, and it can outrun Pokémon like Excadrill and Mamoswine. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have an Obstagoon with the Guts ability will undoubtedly benefit from the attack boost that comes with being affected with status effects.
In Pokémon Go, Counter as a Fast Move with Obstruct and Night Slash as Charged Moves is one of the finest movesets for Obstagoon in Pokémon Go.
11. Houndoom
Houndoom is a dual-type Dark-Fire Pokémon. It is a Generation II Pokémon. Houndoom is a quadrupedal, canine Pokémon with a black body, a long orange snout, and an orange underbelly. It has crimson eyes that are small and a black nose.
In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Houndoom has a high Attack and Special Attack stat, and thanks to its Dual-typing of Dark and Fire, it is immune to Psychic-type techniques, which comes in handy in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Houndoom is a solid bet for gamers searching for a powerful Fire-type attacker who can be used all the way up to the Elite Four.
Houndoom evolves from Houndour, however, an evolved Houndoom may be caught using the Poké Radar on Routes 214 and 215, as well as in the Grand Underground.
12. Zoroark
It is really rare to find some good purely Dark-type Pokémon these days. Good thing, Zoroark is here to fill up that spot. Zoroark is a Generation V Pokémon. It is a fox-like Pokémon with crimson and black highlights. It has a pointed snout and red-colored ears. It also has red rims around its eyes and mouth.
In the Pokémon XY series, Zoroark has a high-Speed tier, allowing it to outspeed and defeat Pokémon like Chandelure.
Zoroark, on the other hand, is relatively fragile, which means it can be quickly revenge killed, and it is also more or less walled and beaten by common Fighting- and Fairy-types.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Hisuian Zoroark is one of the most powerful pokémon in the Hisui region, not because of any specific move, but due to its typing. Ghost and Normal is one of the best type pairings in the game, if not the best.
13. Morpeko (Hangry Mode)
Morepeko is a Pikachu-like rodent Pokémon that has Electric and Dark typing. However, this Generation VIII Pokémon has unique mechanics in its typing. It is only Dark-type when it is in its Hangry Mode. Otherwise, it is an Electric-type in Full Belly Mode. So take note of these mechanics before taking this with you in your battles.
In Pokémon GO, Surprisingly vast and versatile movepool with a wide range of attacking choices. Base stats are 95 Attack and 97 Speed. Seed Bomb, Fire Fang, and Psychic Fangs provide solid coverage to tackle three of its weaknesses.
14. Greninja
This Pokémon also appeared in our best Water-type Pokémon. Greninja is dual-type Dark and Water. Greninja, with its combination of speed and strength, proved to be Ash’s strongest Pokémon in the anime. While channeling its Ash-Greninja form, it is on a completely different level than any other Pokémon Ash has trained thus far.
Unfortunately, in games where Greninja appears, it is a niche pick because of its fragility. In Pokémon GO, Greninja, as a Water and Dark-type Pokémon, is vulnerable to Fighting, Bug, Grass, Electric, and Fairy-type attacks. Greninja will take 160% damage from these types of attacks. As a result, any Pokémon with attacks that match Greninja’s elemental weaknesses will have an advantage over other Pokémon.
This Pokémon is on this list mainly because lore-wise, it is one of the best Pokémon, especially for a starter one.
15. Grimmsnarl
Grimmsnarl is a Dark-type Pokémon that is dual-typing with Fairy. Grimmsnarl is a green-skinned humanoid Pokémon with dark purple hair covering most of its body save for its face, abdomen, feet, and a small red patch on its breast. It is introduced in Generation VIII.
In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Grimmsnarl will usually get its Bulk Up off at the start of the turn, improving its attack and defense. Given its high 120 basic Attack stat. Grimmsnarl can be a strong Pokémon with just one stack of Bulk Up. It also has fewer 4x flaws, which is a bonus.
16. Mightyena
Mightyena, another pure Dark-type Pokémon, is introduced in Generation III. Mightyena is a quadrupedal Pokémon inspired by hyenas. Its fur is usually short and gray, but it has shaggy black fur on its lower legs, tail, and in two thick strips spanning the length of its body.
In older games like Pokémon Ruby, The Poochyena line (which Mightyena is part of) is obviously an early-game mon that won’t be very useful later on, especially because Dark is a Special Type in Generation III, thus it doesn’t even get a STAB to go with its higher Offense stat.
Having said that, in-game, almost everything is useful, and it does have to Intimidate to dampen hits and perhaps help, but it is not that strong still.
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, It’s an excellent filler, but by the time you get the Box legendary, Mightyena can be replaced. It’s not bad in the early game because it evolves quickly and its numbers are rather high by then, and it learns Crunch and Sucker Punch through leveling up.
17. Thievul
Thievul is a recent Pokémon released in Generation VIII. It is purely a Dark-type and evolves from Nickit at level 18. Thievul is a vulpine Pokémon with an orange-maroon body, slender limbs, and a long tail. It has white chest hair that expands out from its body and resembles a cravat in appearance. Thievul’s head has two long black ears and black hair around its eyes that resemble a domino mask.
Thievul is configured as a specialized sweeper, with a base Speed of 90 and a Special Attack of 87. It has a high Special Defense and HP pool. That being said, if it is not used as such, it is ineffective. Obstagoon would be a good physical substitute because its numbers are far superior.
Grimmsnarl has a high attack stat but a low speed and defense, and Morpeko, has a greater Speed and Physical Attack stat than Thievul but is a more vulnerable sweeper.
In the end, it comes down to what you’re seeking in a replacement for Thievul and what function you need it to serve in your team.
18. Crawdaunt
Crawdaunt is a Water / Dark type Pokémon introduced in Generation III. Crawdaunt is a crab Pokémon that is mostly red with a tan bottom. It features huge, star-shaped growths on its forehead and circular eyes placed in deep sockets.
In Pokémon GO, it performs well against largely Psychic and Ghost-types, but it isn’t worth picking over its much better competition. Crabhammer’s arrival is welcome, while Snarl’s energy gain enhancement allows Crawdaunt to threaten its opponents more frequently.
19. Shiftry
Shiftry is Pokémon with a Grass / Dark typing. It is introduced in Generation III. Shiftry is a lumbering bipedal Pokémon who appears to be composed of wood. The majority of its face is covered by a shaggy white mane that trails down its back. Long, pointed ears protrude from the top of its mane, and it has a long, pointed snout and a wide mouth with bared teeth. It has golden eyes with black sclerae. The feet of this Pokémon are similar to those of a Japanese tengu-geta.
In Pokémon GO, Shiftry can attack from either the Grass or Dark end, however, it is outclassed in both and significantly superior at Grass-type offense. It can complete several tier 3 solo raids, which is more than most Pokémon can.
20. Skuntank
Skuntank is a dual-type Poison /Dark Pokémon introduced in Generation IV. Skuntank is a medium-sized mammalian Pokémon that looks like a skunk but has a cat’s face. It has spiky purple fur with tan stripes.
Skuntank is a Poison and Dark-type Pokémon with excellent defensive and attacking abilities. It is immune to Grass, Dark, Psychic, Ghost, and Poison attacks and is only vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. Skuntank’s stamina is its most outstanding stat.
Skuntank is very good in Pokémon XY series. Skuntank, may not look pleasant, but Dark / Poison is a great typing. It only has one weakness, it can’t be poisoned, and it’s immune to Psychic-types. It can also use Flamethrower.
