Dark type Dark Type Top 30 Updated

Best Dark Attackers — Pokemon GO

Top 30 Dark-type raid attackers ranked by DPS with best movesets and tier rankings.

Super effective vs: Ghost type Ghost Psychic type Psychic

The Dark-type attacker tier list ranks the top 30 Pokemon by raid DPS in 2026. Use Dark-type attackers against Ghost, Psychic-type raid bosses. Shadow Pokemon deal 20% more damage, while Mega evolutions boost the entire raid team.

Rankings are calculated by simulating every possible fast and charged move combination for each Pokemon at level 40 against a generic Tier 5 raid boss. We measure DPS (Damage Per Second), TDO (Total Damage Output before fainting), and eDPS (a composite metric that balances raw damage with survivability). The final ranking weighs type-specific DPS at 70% and overall DPS at 30%, so Pokemon with strong same-type moves are prioritized while off-type coverage is still rewarded.

How We Calculate Raid DPS Rankings

Our raid attacker rankings simulate actual battle performance using Pokemon GO's damage formula. Here's how each metric is computed:

DPS — Damage Per Second

Calculated using the Pokemon GO damage formula: floor(0.5 × Power × Atk/Def × STAB) + 1. We simulate a full attack cycle (enough fast moves to charge one charged move) and divide total damage by cycle time. Higher DPS means faster raid clears.

TDO — Total Damage Output

Total damage dealt before fainting, calculated as DPS × Time Alive. Survival time is based on the Pokemon's effective HP and the boss's estimated damage output. TDO rewards bulky Pokemon that stay in the fight longer and need fewer revives.

eDPS — Effective DPS

A composite metric: (DPS³ × TDO)0.25. This balances raw speed with durability — a glass cannon with sky-high DPS but terrible TDO gets penalized, while a tanky attacker that's too slow also won't rank well. eDPS identifies the best all-round raiders.

STAB & Move Selection

Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) adds a 1.2× multiplier when a move's type matches the Pokemon's type. At least one move must be Dark-type to qualify. We test every fast + charged combination and select the one with the highest ranking score.

Shadow & Mega Variants

Shadow Pokemon receive a 20% Attack boost with a ~17% Defense penalty, making them high-DPS glass cannons. Mega Pokemon are evaluated with their boosted base stats. Both variants are ranked alongside regular forms so you can compare them directly.

Tier Assignment

Pokemon are placed into tiers based on how their DPS compares to the #1 attacker:

S-Tier: Top 5% or Top 3 A-Tier: Top 15% or Top 8 B-Tier: Top 25% or Top 15 C-Tier: Top 35% or Top 22 D-Tier: Remaining

All simulations use level 40 stats (CPM 0.7903) against a generic Tier 5 raid boss with 160 effective Defense. Rankings are recalculated daily to reflect the latest move updates and balance changes.

S

S-Tier — Best in Class

3 Pokemon

1 Shadow Thundurus (Therian)
Shadow Thundurus (Therian) Shadow
20.533 DPS 405.19 TDO
F Bite C Wildbolt Storm
2 Mega Absol
Mega Absol Mega
18.800 DPS 320.85 TDO
F Snarl C Brutal Swing
3 Shadow Darkrai
Shadow Darkrai Shadow
18.571 DPS 334.29 TDO
F Snarl C Dark Pulse
A

A-Tier — Top Picks

5 Pokemon

4 Deoxys (Attack)
Deoxys (Attack)
18.444 DPS 265.60 TDO
F Zen Headbutt C Dark Pulse
5 Mega Tyranitar
Mega Tyranitar Mega
17.538 DPS 413.91 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
6 Shadow Hydreigon
Shadow Hydreigon Shadow
17.538 DPS 388.18 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
7 Shadow Absol
Shadow Absol Shadow
17.400 DPS 296.96 TDO
F Snarl C Brutal Swing
8 Shadow Tyranitar
Shadow Tyranitar Shadow
17.385 DPS 410.28 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
B

B-Tier — Solid Options

7 Pokemon

9 Thundurus (Therian)
Thundurus (Therian)
17.133 DPS 338.10 TDO
F Bite C Wildbolt Storm
10 Shadow Weavile
Shadow Weavile Shadow
16.833 DPS 303.00 TDO
F Snarl C Foul Play
11 Mega Houndoom
Mega Houndoom Mega
16.667 DPS 317.78 TDO
F Snarl C Foul Play
12 Shadow Conkeldurr
Shadow Conkeldurr Shadow
15.833 DPS 388.44 TDO
F Counter C Brutal Swing
13 Shadow Honchkrow
Shadow Honchkrow Shadow
15.714 DPS 370.86 TDO
F Snarl C Dark Pulse
14 Darkrai
Darkrai
15.429 DPS 277.71 TDO
F Snarl C Dark Pulse
15 Shadow Houndoom
Shadow Houndoom Shadow
15.333 DPS 292.36 TDO
F Snarl C Foul Play
C

C-Tier — Usable

15 Pokemon

16 Shadow Salamence
Shadow Salamence Shadow
15.231 DPS 345.23 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
17 Mega Gengar
Mega Gengar Mega
15.200 DPS 247.25 TDO
F Sucker Punch C Dark Pulse
18 Absol
Absol
15.000 DPS 256.00 TDO
F Snarl C Brutal Swing
19 Shadow Archeops
Shadow Archeops Shadow
15.000 DPS 286.00 TDO
F Wing Attack C Crunch
20 Mega Gyarados
Mega Gyarados Mega
14.800 DPS 335.47 TDO
F Bite C Crunch
21 Shadow Sharpedo
Shadow Sharpedo Shadow
14.800 DPS 266.40 TDO
F Bite C Crunch
22 Mega Sharpedo
Mega Sharpedo Mega
14.667 DPS 264.00 TDO
F Bite C Crunch
23 Zoroark
Zoroark
14.667 DPS 238.58 TDO
F Snarl C Foul Play
24 Mega Salamence
Mega Salamence Mega
14.615 DPS 331.28 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
25 Hydreigon
Hydreigon
14.615 DPS 323.49 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
26 Mega Blastoise
Mega Blastoise Mega
14.471 DPS 285.55 TDO
F Bite C Hydro Cannon
27 Tyranitar
Tyranitar
14.462 DPS 341.29 TDO
F Bite C Brutal Swing
28 Mega Ampharos
Mega Ampharos Mega
14.400 DPS 312.96 TDO
F Volt Switch C Brutal Swing
29 Mega Manectric
Mega Manectric Mega
14.190 DPS 255.43 TDO
F Snarl C Thunder
30 Mega Aerodactyl
Mega Aerodactyl Mega
14.182 DPS 283.64 TDO
F Bite C Hyper Beam

Dark Type in Pokemon GO — Overview

Dark-type Pokemon GO is one of the most flexible attacking types in the game. Dark moves are super-effective against Psychic and Ghost — the same coverage as Bug, but with higher overall DPS thanks to attackers like Mega Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Yveltal, and Shadow Weavile. Dark types also resist Psychic and Ghost moves themselves, making Dark attackers the safest pick for Mewtwo and Origin Giratina raids. Signature Dark moves include Foul Play, Brutal Swing, Dark Pulse, Crunch, Bite, and Sucker Punch. Dark types are weak to Bug, Fairy, and Fighting, with Fairy and Fighting being especially common attacking types in PvP and raids.

Top Dark Attackers Explained

The top Dark attackers are Mega Tyranitar, Mega Houndoom, Yveltal, Hydreigon, and Shadow Tyranitar. Mega Tyranitar (Rock/Dark) with Bite and Brutal Swing has the highest Dark DPS in the game and doubles as a top Rock attacker. Mega Houndoom (Dark/Fire) with Snarl and Crunch flexes between Dark and Fire roles. Yveltal (Dark/Flying) with Snarl and Dark Pulse is the best non-Mega Dark attacker. Hydreigon with Bite and Brutal Swing is a strong budget Dark option. Shadow Tyranitar, Shadow Weavile (Dark/Ice), and Shadow Hydreigon round out the Shadow tier.

Dark Attackers in PvP & GO Battle League

Dark types are PvP heavyweights. Sableye (Ghost/Dark) is one of the top three Great League Pokemon ever. Skuntank (Poison/Dark) and Mandibuzz (Dark/Flying) anchor open Great and Ultra League cores. Drapion (Poison/Dark), Pangoro (Dark/Fighting), and Krookodile (Dark/Ground) flex into specialty cups. In Master League, Yveltal, Hydreigon, and Mega Tyranitar lead the Dark charge. Galarian Moltres (Dark/Flying) is a Daily Adventure Incense rarity that surprises with Brave Bird and Sky Attack. Hoopa Unbound (Psychic/Dark) brings unique typing to limited formats. Houndoom and Mightyena offer budget Great League play.

Matchups, Weaknesses & When to Field Dark Attackers

Dark attackers shine against Psychic (Mewtwo, Lugia, Latios, Cresselia) and Ghost (Origin Giratina, Mega Gengar, Trevenant). They are 1.6× weak to Bug, Fairy, and Fighting — and Dark/Flying duals like Yveltal take 4× damage from Electric and Ice. Foggy weather boosts Dark by 1.2× alongside Ghost. Avoid Dark attackers against Crowned Zacian, Xerneas, Togekiss, Mega Lucario, Conkeldurr, and Genesect. Dark is the safest type to use against Mewtwo since most Dark attackers (Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Yveltal) resist Psychic and hit super-effectively at the same time. Dark/Steel duals are non-existent in Pokemon GO (regrettably).

Community Day Picks & Notable Dark Investments

Dark Community Days have included Larvitar → Tyranitar with Smack Down (Rock/Dark dual typing makes it a Dark CD too), Sneasel → Weavile with Avalanche, Houndour → Houndoom, Poochyena → Mightyena with Play Rough, Purrloin → Liepard, Deino → Hydreigon with Brutal Swing, Pawniard → Bisharp, and Inkay → Malamar. Mega Tyranitar debuted in 2022 and is still considered the best Mega Dark attacker. Mega Houndoom and Mega Absol appear in Mega Raid rotations. Yveltal arrived in 2024 with Brave Bird-tier raid attacks. Hoopa Unbound was the first Elite Raid in 2022. Shadow Tyranitar is one of the most-farmed Pokemon during Take Over events.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the #1 ranked Dark-type attacker right now?

Based on our DPS simulations, Shadow Thundurus (Therian) currently ranks first among Dark-type attackers in Pokemon GO, followed by Shadow Thundurus (Therian), Mega Absol, Shadow Darkrai. The full tier list above shows every viable Dark attacker with its optimal moveset, DPS, TDO, and eDPS values.

Which raid bosses should I use Dark attackers against?

Dark-type attacks deal super-effective damage to Ghost, Psychic-type Pokemon, so use Dark attackers when those types appear in 5-Star, Mega, Elite, or Primal raids. Always weather-check the boss before launching the raid to maximize damage with the appropriate weather boost.

What is the best Dark-type attacker in Pokemon GO?

Mega Tyranitar is the strongest Dark attacker in the game thanks to its Rock/Dark dual typing and Bite/Brutal Swing moveset. Yveltal is the best non-Mega Dark attacker. Shadow Tyranitar is the top Shadow option for trainers who farmed during Team Rocket events.

Why is Dark good against Psychic and Ghost?

Dark-type moves deal 1.6× damage to both Psychic and Ghost types, and Dark types resist Psychic and Ghost moves themselves. This makes Dark attackers the safest and highest-DPS counter to Mewtwo, Lugia, Latios, Origin Giratina, and Mega Gengar raids — they hit hard and survive multiple charged moves.

What are Dark types weak to?

Dark types take 1.6× damage from Bug, Fairy, and Fighting moves. Yveltal (Dark/Flying) takes 4× from Electric and Ice. Mega Tyranitar (Rock/Dark) takes 4× from Fighting. Common counters include Mega Heracross, Genesect, Crowned Zacian, Xerneas, Mega Lucario, and Conkeldurr.

Is Yveltal worth powering up?

Yes. Yveltal with Snarl and Dark Pulse (or legacy Hurricane) is the best non-Mega Dark attacker in the game and a top-tier Master League PvP pick. Its Dark/Flying typing resists Bug, Ghost, Dark, Psychic, and Grass, making it one of the most defensively flexible legendaries in raids and PvP.

What weather boosts Dark-type moves?

Fog weather boosts Dark-type moves by 1.2× alongside Ghost moves. Fog is the rarest weather condition in the game, making Foggy windows extremely valuable for grinding Larvitar, Houndour, Deino, and Pawniard Community Days, and for running Mega Tyranitar in raids.

Related

Dark Type Pokedex

All Dark-type Pokemon with stats and moves.

Raid Counters

Best counters for every current raid boss.

PvP Tier Lists

Great, Ultra, and Master League rankings.