Are Dragon-type Pokemon crushing your Pokemon on the battlefield? Then learn their weaknesses and resistances so you can pick the best counters to take to battle.
Dragon-type Pokemon are some of the most iconic and difficult creatures you can battle in Pokemon games, that’s why many of them are Legendaries.
As with any type in the Pokemon games, Dragons can be countered and have their own set of weaknesses to exploit, so here’s what you need to know to survive an encounter with one of them.
Dragon-type Pokemon weaknesses
Dragon-type Pokemon have three primary weaknesses when it comes to moves and opposing Pokemon types:
Therefore, when looking to take down a Dragon-type Pokemon, bring along a team that includes those types and make sure they have matching movesets.
Keep in mind that being weak to their own typing doesn’t cancel out the weakness. So be careful when taking your Dragons out for a battle.
Dragon-type Pokemon strengths & resistances
As well as having weaknesses, Dragon-type Pokemon are also resistant to certain other types and moves such as Grass, Water, Fire, and Electric.
If you add a Dragon-type to your team, make sure you put it up against other Dragons, as their moves will be super effective. However, it will also be weak against it, unless you pick one with a secondary Fairy typing to give you the advantage and don’t ever make them face a Steel-type opponent.
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Best counters for Dragon-type Pokemon
The best Pokemon you should use to counter Dragon-type Pokemon are listed below:
- Alolan Ninetales (Ice/Fairy)
- Xerneas (Fairy)
- Glaceon (Ice)
- Zacian (Fairy/Steel)
- Mega Altaria (Dragon/Fairy)
The ultimate way to take down Dragon types is by using a Pokemon that wields both Ice and Fairy or by pairing one of those with Steel, as Dragon moves don’t deal much damage to them.
Always bear in mind a Pokemon’s secondary type when selecting your counter Pokemon and moves. While the above examples are effective, the opposing Pokemon may have resistances based on their primary/secondary type.
Best Tera Types for Dragon-type Pokemon
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet‘s addition of Tera Types changed the battle rules, so here are the ones you should consider to make your Dragons stronger:
- Fairy: Eliminates Dragon-type weakness to Fairy moves
- Steel: Helps resist Fairy-type moves, which are super effective against Dragons
Best Dragon moves in Pokemon
There are 30 Dragon-type moves and we’ve picked the most powerful special, physical, and status attacks you can use in battle:
| MOVE | CATEGORY | POWER | ACCURACY | PP | EFFECT | GEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Energy | Special | 150 | 100% | 5 | The higher the user’s HP, the higher it hits | Gen VIII |
| Roar of Time | Special | 150 | 90% | 5 | User must recharge the next turn | Gen IV |
| Draco Meteor | Special | 130 | 90% | 5 | Sharply lowers the user’s Sp. Attack | Gen IV |
| Spacial Rend | Special | 100 | 95% | 5 | High critical hit ratio | Gen IV |
| Fickle Beam | Special | 80 | 100% | 5 | May deal double damage | Gen IX |
| Outrage | Physical | 120 | 100% | 10 | User attacks for 2-3 turns but becomes confused | Gen II |
| Dragon Rush | Physical | 100 | 75% | 10 | May cause flinching | Gen IV |
| Dragon Hammer | Physical | 90 | 100% | 15 | – | Gen VII |
| Dragon Claw | Physical | 80 | 100% | 15 | – | Gen III |
| Dragon Dance | Status | X | X | 20 | Raises user’s Attack and Speed | Gen III |
Best Dragon-type Pokemon of all time
The Pokemon franchise has a total of 90 Dragon-type creatures (up to Gen 9), and here are the 10 best of the ranking:
- Mega Rayquaza
- Zygarde (Complete Forme)
- Palkia
- Dialga
- Giratina
- Kyurem
- Garchomp
- Roaring Moon
- Dragonite
- Dragapult
Those are the weaknesses, strengths, and resistances you need to consider when facing a Dragon-type Pokemon. You can also check out our list of all the Cat or Dog Pokemon in the franchise, and learn more about other types such as Electric, Ground, and Psychic.
