Normal types are linked with the color gray, but they are far from boring!
You may have found them as some of the first types that you come across in the wild. They were easy to beat, just like the early route trainers who had them.
However, they can also pack a punch. For example, many trainers might remember the hard time they had beating Whitney and her Miltank in Generation II, or Lenora and her Watchog in Generation V!
The Normal-type is unlike any other in the game, as it has no types it is super effective against!
On the other hand, it has the fewest weaknesses of any type, too.
Normal-type Pokémon are a true lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Read on to find out how not to let them catch you by surprise!
Normal Type Pokémon Weaknesses & Strengths Chart
| Weakness | Strong Against |
|---|---|
| Fighting | None |
Normal-Type Pokémon Weaknesses
Normal-type Pokémon are only weak to the Fighting-type! They take double damage from Fighting-type moves.
Normal-type moves have no effect on Ghost-type Pokémon, but Ghost types can’t hit them either.
A few types take half damage from Normal moves. These are the Rock and Steel types.
Normal-Type Pokémon Strengths and Resistances
Normal-type Pokémon are not able to inflict super-effective damage on any other type!
This makes them unique when it comes to all of the other types out there.
However, they take no damage from Ghost attacks, so can be used to nullify those.
Pokémon Good Against Normal Types
There are plenty of Pokémon that can be good against Normal-type Pokemon that either can exploit their weaknesses or resist their moves.
5 of the best Normal-type counters are:
1. Lucario
Lucario is a Steel/Fighting type, which gives it a great advantage against Normal-type Pokémon!
Its Steel typing means that it only takes half the damage from Normal-type moves. Its Fighting typing then means it can also hit back for super-effective damage!
Lucario has great all-around stats. This, paired with its movepool, means you can build it to suit you very easily!
For example, you could run a physical moveset with things like Close Combat and Meteor Mash.
Or if physically defensive Pokémon are an obstacle, a special moveset including Aura Pulse and Flash Cannon.
You could even merge together a mix of physical and special moves to get the best of both worlds!
2. Aggron
Aggron is a Rock/Steel type. While it doesn’t have a super-effective typing against Normal Pokémon, it is still a great choice.
This is because both of its types resist the Normal-type. This means that if it is hit with a Normal-type move, it will take just a quarter of the damage!
Aggron also has great Defense as well, which further helps it when tanking hits.
With its Attack stat and its weight, moves like Heavy Slam can do some serious damage.
Normal types can be on the light side of the weight scale, while Aggron is a heavy Pokémon!
When you factor in that the damage for Heavy Slam works with the difference in weight, it’s an attack you shouldn’t take lightly!
3. Bewear
Bewear is a Normal-type itself, but it is also of the Fighting-type. This allows it to be able to hit for super effective damage against Normal types.
Bewear might be a slow Pokémon, but its Attack is mighty. It also has a great HP stat for extra bulk, allowing it to take extra hits.
Also of note for Bewear is its ability Fluffy. Any move that would make contact with Bewear, such as Bite or Scratch, will have its damage halved. This further increases the durability of this cute, pink bear!
With access to moves like Drain Punch, Bewear can also restore its health while dealing damage.
4. Kommo-o
Kommo-o is a Dragon/Fighting-type, and the only fully evolved Pokémon to have this typing! This works well for it in two different ways.
The Fighting-type allows it to deal super-effective damage to Normal types. Its Dragon typing is a great compliment to this, as it allows it to be able to resist a lot of other types such as Grass and Fire.
This is useful as often Normal types will use other attacks from other types in order to get super-effective damage.
Kommo-o also has the ability to run either a physical or special moveset. This allows you to be flexible in how you wish to use it!
5. Mienshao
Mienshao is a pure Fighting-type. As we’ve mentioned before, this is the only type to be super-effective against Normal-type Pokémon.
Mienshao has a few great things going for it. For example, it can use the move Fake Out.
Although this is actually a Normal-type move, it guarantees a flinch meaning the foe cannot act. It’s a great way to start wearing them down!
Its ability Regenerator lets it recover 30% of its HP whenever Mienshao switches out. By using U-turn, you can take advantage of this while also causing damage to the opponent!
Switching out will also refresh the Fake Out move, as this only works on the first turn that the Pokémon comes into play.
Of course, to deal the main damage, Mienshao can use moves like High Jump Kick and Drain Punch to take out its foes.
| Pokémon | Type | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Lucario | Fighting/Steel | Swords Dance Meteor Mash Close Combat Extreme Speed |
| Aggron | Rock/Steel | Stealth Rock Rock Polish Heavy Slam Stone Edge |
| Bewear | Normal/Fighting | Drain Punch Darkest Lariat Double Edge Bulk Up |
| Kommo-o | Dragon/Fighting | Clanging Scales Clangorous Soul Focus Blast Boomburst |
| Mienshao | Fighting | Fake Out U-turn High Jump Kick Knock Off |
| Machamp | Fighting | Dynamic Punch Bulk Up Ice Punch Bullet Punch |
| Aegislash | Ghost/Steel | Sacred Sword Swords Dance Shadow Sneak Iron Head |
| Tyranitar | Rock/Dark | Crunch Stone Edge Rock Polish Superpower |
| Skarmory | Steel/Flying | Body Press Roost Brave Bird Iron Defense |
| Copperajah | Steel | Heavy Slam Superpower Power Whip Earthquake |
| Hitmonlee | Fighting | Curse Close Combat Poison Jab Stone Edge |
| Rhyperior | Rock/Ground | Earthquake Stone Edge Swords Dance Hammer Arm |
| Heracross | Bug/Fighting | Megahorn Facade Close Combat Knock Off |
| Gallade | Psychic/Fighting | Close Combat Zen Headbutt Thunder Wave Bulk Up |
| Sirfetch’d | Fighting | First Impression Brave Bird Close Combat Knock Off |
Attacks Super Effective Against Normal-Type Pokémon
Fighting-type attacks will be your moves of choice to defeat Normal-type Pokémon quickly and easily.
It’s always key to remember that you don’t need a Pokémon that has Fighting typing to use a super effective move. Lots of different Pokémon can learn them and help you out in a pinch.
Here is a list of some of the top 10 moves to look out for.
- Close Combat (Fighting)
- High Jump Kick (Fighting)
- Focus Blast (Fighting)
- Body Press (Fighting)
- Mach Punch (Fighting)
- Aura Sphere (Fighting)
- Superpower (Fighting)
- Power-Up Punch (Fighting)
- Drain Punch (Fighting)
- Low Sweep (Fighting)
Tips on Defeating Normal-Type Pokémon
There aren’t very many special tips when it comes to beating Normal-type Pokémon. This is because they don’t really have many main strengths or weaknesses!
Fighting-type moves will always be your top choice due to them being the only ones that are super-effective.
However, remember that any other move type will do good damage too! That is, of course, every type except Ghost, which Normal-types are immune to!
Another good strategy is to use a Pokémon that resists Normal-type moves. For example, Rock and Steel types take half damage from Normal attacks.
This allows you to soak up the opponent’s damage while either boosting your own stats or getting some attacks in.
You should be aware that a lot of Normal-type Pokémon will use a variety of moves. They may even carry ones you are not expecting!
For example, members of the Porygon family have many different powerful moves. These include things like Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Psychic!
This can easily catch you by surprise. They might even carry an attack to help them to deal with common threats!
Thanks to the large number of Normal types, there is no one area of expertise. For example, Fighting types are well known for having good Attack stats, and Rock types good Defense.
As a result, every single Normal-type is different in terms of what its strongest stat might be. If you are unsure, try using a variety of physical and special moves to find out which works best!
Hopefully, now you feel better about battling Normal types. One thing is for sure, they are not as simple as you might think!
Are there any other types you are worried about facing? Let us and your fellow trainers know in the comments.