The Most Powerful Pokemon Move Of Every Type Ranked

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The Most Powerful Pokemon Move Of Every Type Ranked

There are all sorts of powerful type-based Pokemon moves, but these are our picks for the cream of the proverbial crop. In theory, all 18 types are equal within the world of . They are designed to symbolize extensive balance. There are strong Pokemon of each type, as well as weak ones, cute ones, you name it. But the types themselves are built around the premise of shared power. This holds true - to a point. Some types have too many weaknesses while their greatest aspects are highly situational, putting them at an arguable disadvantage. In the right set of circumstances, they can be an unexpected champion; but overall, they're just not quite as common in the competitive field. (In the single-player campaigns, you can usually make just about anything work.) Another avenue through which types can be discernibly ranked involves their most powerful moves. Again, there is just cause to use each of these in specific scenarios. But - again - there exists a common hierarchy for a reason. Let's sort this hierarchy in style. Updated February 12th, 2022 by Quinton O'Connor: Pokemon Sword & Shield continues to be the dominant force in online play over three years into its lifespan, while Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl has added a few new wrinkles into the mix. How does everything stack up? Read on to find out. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Fairy Light of Ruin 140

There are a number of powerful Fairy-type attacks, but Light of Ruin is not only strong - it's also one of the strangest moves in the franchise. Light of Ruin, you see, is exclusive to Floette. Not just any Floette, even, but an event-specific Floette that was... well, there's no easy way to put this. It was never distributed. Curiously, it still exists within Pokemon Home's exhaustive moves database. Will it one day make its long-awaited entrance? Probably not, but we're happy to be proven wrong. Regardless, it can't exactly sweep the type rankings when it's legally unavailable.

Ice Ice Burn and Freeze Shock 140

Ice-type moves don't often get more powerful than Blizzard, but Reshiram managed to add two moves with no downsides that knocks normal Ice-type Pokemon far away. These would be Ice Burn and Freeze Shock, which only Reshiram learns after having combined with Reshiram or Zekrom, respectively. These moves can even cause paralysis or burn depending on the Pokemon you have attached to Kyurem, making them unstoppably powerful regardless of your selection. So long as you can get your Kyruem to level 80 to learn them they're absolutely higher than anything else you can get among Ice-types.

Electric Bolt Strike 130

While you might expect this move to belong to the bolt-loving mascot Pikachu, Bolt Strike is the pure purview of the powerful Unova legendary, Zekrom. Many Electric-type moves have high reliability and the handy paralyzation percentage, so few reach power levels this high. Funnily enough, Pikachu actually comes quite close with Volt Tackle, a signature attack with 120 base power. But mighty Zekrom has no time for trivial tackles.

Dark Wicked Blow

Dark-type Pokemon lacked very strong moves for far too many years. In fact, they lacked many moves at all when the typing was first revealed in the Johto games. The ceiling for Dark-type moves has gotten much higher since then, with Urshifu from Pokemon Sword & Shield's Isle of Armor having the most powerful yet in the form of Wicked Blow. While it says there's only 80 damage in the move description, an important note is that it's always a critical hit, meaning it will almost always hit for 120 instead. While other moves will generally have as much power as their numbers, Wicked Blow is worth a special mention over its practical power.

Ground Precipice Blades 120

While Groudon really didn't have a signature move when it debuted, the Ruby & Sapphire remakes made sure to give the title Pokemon its own attack, and it turned out to be the current strongest Ground-type move that's out there. Enter Precipice Blades, a to all opponents that even manages to exceed the mighty Earthquake in raw damage. It's certainly not the strongest member of this list, but it's still notable for its lack of risk. Previously, Groudon was mainly stuck using Fire-type moves despite its Ground-type body, so it's a well-needed move that does a better job showcasing Groudon's might.

Ghost Astral Barrage 120

Astral Barrage is still one of the most recent Ghost-type attacks in the series. It's a powerful move for Calyrex (and Calyrex alone) while in its Shadow Rider form on Spectrier. Sometimes, zero drawbacks is all a move needs to come out on top. A 120/100 spread between damage and accuracy is the sort of thing clearly reserved for legendaries like Calyrex; its exclusivity puts it behind several other attacks on this list, but its power is outstanding.

Poison Gunk Shot 120

You don't want to miss when attacking the opposing Pokemon. That's one of the most basic rules of the series, and indeed, gaming in general. That's what holds back Gunk Shot, the strongest Poison-type move, from soaring ever higher. But the 120/80 split is better than it first appears. The 30 percent chance to poison one's target can't be dismissed. Put to use against something that's weak to Poison, Gunk Shot will do the deed in no time. Even against more conventional foes, however, the chance for a status infliction can make a tremendous difference in the final telling.

Steel Steel Beam 140

Fairly new to the series is the move Steel Beam, a powerful special attack that reduces the user's health by half its original total. This is quite similar to the signature Fire-type move of Blacephalon, Mind Blown, but Steel Beam has an advantage by being teachable to any Steel-type Pokemon. This makes it extremely risky to use, since losing half your health can be quite significant, but the carnage Steel Beam provides (especially among Steel-type users) is nigh-unparalleled. The right move for the right situation, as they say.

Dragon Eternabeam 160

Dragons have often been seen as overpowered in many circles of Pokemon, but Pokemon Sword & Shield put that into overdrive with Eternatus' signature move. This move is a Dragon-type Hyper Beam, blasting a foe with energy before needing to rest on the next turn. It's incredibly simple, but many powerful moves don't need anything complex to be strong. This move is a must-run on Eternatus for its sheer power, with the only move coming close being Regidrago's new Dragon Energy at a base 150 power. It's a shame that only Eternatus can learn it, but perhaps the Pokemon world is better off that way...

Bug Megahorn 120

Megahorn has decent power when compared to most on the list, but it is the special move of certain Pokemon and not available to most, whether they're Bug-type or not. Megahorn lacks ideal accuracy (85 isn't terrible though), but in return it has a massive amount of power compared to nearly any other Bug-type move. Hook Heracross up with Megahorn for an iconic combo, or consider surprising players with a slot for it on Drednaw or even Mew.

Psychic Prismatic Laser 160

Necrozma wins against all the other Psychic-type legendaries in terms of moves, as Prismatic Laser ends up topping every Psychic-type move by a fairly sizable margin. This attack is identical to Hyper Beam (and several other entries here) by needing a brief turn to rest after use, but in return does even more damage than the move it's based on. That said, there's technically one other move that beast Prismatic Laser, and that would be the signature move of this Pokemon's elusive Ultra Necrozma form from Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Its animation is flashy, and it deals down heavy in Psychic damage, making Ultra Necrozma an especially strong fighter, but outside this fight it has never been made usable.

Flying Sky Attack 140

Sky Attack has had an odd history in the Pokemon series. It was originally treated as a signature move for the Legendary Birds of Kanto, but in time could learn it. Even stranger, the move is buffed to a jaw-dropping 200 power exclusively in the Let's Go games, whose developers clearly think highly of the sky. (We're here all week.) However, at 140 points in the other games it's still an absolute menace, even with the turn it takes to charge up. Hitting a foe with this can even cause opponents to flinch, essentially buying back that lost turn.

Fighting Meteor Assault and Focus Punch 150

Sirfetch'd's signature move, and yes it feels weird typing a word with two apostrophe marks, replaces the famous Focus Punch of the series past. Meteor Assault requires a turn of rest after its usage, à la Hyper Beam and Solar Beam, but it's generally considered superior to its veteran equivalent because Focus Punch is too frequently incapable of avoiding interruption, costing its user their turn in the process.

Water Water Spout and Hydro Cannon 150

While this award can be given to two moves, Water Spout is definitely the more interesting and often more powerful among Water-types of the series. Hydro Cannon acts as another elemental Hyper Beam for starters, making it fairly sluggish and awkward for most Pokemon to attack with. Water Spout, meanwhile, will only have its base power of 150 when attacking at full health. This means it's easy to shrink it, but attacking quickly means you'll be able to hit opponents with the strongest Water-type move in the series with no consequences. can also easily use it in the rain, giving it fifty percent more strength to top it off.

Grass Frenzy Plant 150

The winner of the strongest Grass-type move in the series is somewhat complicated thanks to the Pokemon Let's Go games. Much like Sky Attack, Solar Beam was given a huge buff in power to hit 200 points, but other games have kept Solar Beam below many other Grass-type moves including Solar Blade, and the proper winner of Frenzy Plant. This is an elemental Hyper Beam move, which is to say it requires the user to rest after attacking. It's a signature move tutor attack for any Grass-type starter, and while it's not necessarily the ideal move for every situation, it's still a massive powerhouse if you just need a quick blast of power.

Rock Head Smash 150

150 base power is eye-opening enough to make up for an 80 percent accuracy rating, putting Head Smash in the upper echelon of type-based moves. There's a catch: the attacker is hit with recoil equal to 50 percent of the damage dealt. That 150, coupled with Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB), is going to hurt. That's the idea, of course... until it isn't, which is when your poor Pokemon drops due to its own hard-headedness. On the other hand, in a category that's all but bursting with legendary-only moves, Head Smash bucks the trend. Over two dozen Pokemon can learn it, and the hardier ones will more comfortably survive it.

Fire V-Create 180

Kicking off the final two strongest moves in the game is Victini, who has a signature move that kicks 30 or more points past nearly every Fire-type move.The only main cost is the user's stats, as Victini loses a stack of Defense, Special Defense, and Speed after impact. This legendary signature move might not be one you are familiar with because of the rarity of Victini, but it's another refreshing surprise move that's neat to not have gone to a fan-favorite Pokemon like Charizard. Nonetheless, its power fits with this mythical Pokemon, especially with its strong offensive type combination of Fire and Psychic.

Normal Explosion 250

The last and strongest move in the game is, thankfully, not within the domain of any legendary Pokemon. Instead, it's Pokemon's oldest and most memorable lesson in the potential cost of wielding too much power. Explosion quite literally causes your Pokemon to explode. Don't worry, it's perfectly fine afterward, because Arceus works in mysterious ways. Well, they'll be fine after the battle has ended. The Pokemon is out for the count for the remainder of the match but with 250 damage on the line, Explosion can be a strategic masterstroke. If you can fire it off when your Pokemon is already at low health, you might well take a nemesis along with you.