Pokemon: The Most Defensive Type Combinations

All dedicated Pokemon fans know how important it is to understand each type's advantages. Every type has its own weaknesses and resistances — and sometimes, when two types are paired up, its defenses amplify each other and turn the Pokemon into an almost unbeatable foe. These dual typings are examples of fantastically sturdy Pokemon.

It's worth noting up front that most combinations on this list involve the Steel typing, as this type alone has a whopping ten resistances and one immunity. However, Steel isn't the be-all and end-all of defensive Pokemon. The other typings in these matchups are important to their tanking abilities as well.

Updated March 8, 2024, by Demaris Oxman: As the Pokemon franchise continues to grow, more and more Pokemon are added to the Pokedex. With the recent announcement of the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it's clear that the franchise isn't close to slowing down. There's no doubt that more Pokemon will be introduced in the future, further filling out unused type combinations and adding to the rosters of existing ones. In every generation, there's at least one new introduction that players use as a defensive wall. This is the Pokemon they send in to stall while they heal up their team, or withstand attacks while they chip away at their foe's Pokemon. When it comes to defensive choices, it's hard to go wrong with these type combinations.

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10 Poison/Dark

Two Types Cancel Out Each Other's Weaknesses

Weaknesses: Ground
Resistances: Poison, Ghost, Grass, Dark
Immunities: Psychic

Though four resistances aren't much compared to later entries on this list, Skuntank and others with its typing earn their place here because they have a single weakness, as well as a type immunity. Psychic-type moves have no effect on these Pokemon, and the only type that presents a threat to them is Ground.

Poison/Dark is a great example of defensive typing, because the two types negate most of each other's weaknesses. Dark's innate immunity protects these Pokemon from Poison-type's fatal enemy, Psychic attacks. Meanwhile, Poison resists Dark's weaknesses to Fighting, Fairy, and Bug. The result is a single gap in its defenses, making it hard to take down easily.

Pokemon With This Typing

There are a handful of Poison/Dark Pokemon across the generations of the games. A few are regional variants of pre-existing 'mons introduced in later generations:

Stunky; Skuntank - Gen 4
Drapion - Gen 4
Grimer; Muk (Alolan form) - Gen 7
Qwilfish (Hisuian form) - Gen 8

9 Dark/Ghost

A Single Weakness, and Three Immunities

Weaknesses: Fairy
Resistances: Poison
Immunities: Normal, Fighting, Psychic

Pokemon with this typing have only one weakness: Fairy-type moves. They have a single resistance as well, with only Poison-types doing reduced damage, but their three immunities make them worth mentioning when it comes to defensive Pokemon.

Since Fairy-types are the third rarest among all Pokemon, those with this typing aren't likely to run into foes that can take them down easily. Immune to Normal, Fighting, and Psychic, they're a fantastic choice to use against the latter. Powerful moves will bounce right off Pokemon like Sableye, and its attacks will take down a Psychic-type in a flash.

Pokemon With This Typing

Generations 3 and 4 each introduced a Dark/Ghost type: Sableye and Spiritomb, respectively. Because Fairy-type was not introduced until Gen 6, these Pokemon had no weaknesses at the time. As such, these Pokemon were, and still are, incredibly defensive.

8 Normal/Ghost

A Long-Awaited, Elusive Combination

Weaknesses: Dark
Resistances: Poison, Bug
Immunities: Normal, Fighting, Ghost

Pokemon fans finally got to witness a Normal/Ghost type when Legends: Arceus introduced Hisuian forms of Zorua and Zoroark. This type combination does perhaps the best job of covering its own weak points. Ghost-types have only two weaknesses, Ghost and Dark; meanwhile, Normal-types are weak only to Fighting-type moves. Normal-type Pokemon, however, cannot be touched by Ghost-type moves, and the same goes for Ghost with Fighting-type attacks. The result is that the Pokemon is immune to any potential weaknesses except for Dark-type attacks.

Like Dark/Ghost, Normal/Ghost Pokemon have three immunities: Normal, Fighting, and Ghost. They also have a single weakness, Dark-type. However, they rank one spot higher on the list because they have one more resistance. Both Poison and Bug-type moves deal reduced damage to Normal/Ghost types.

Pokemon With This Typing

As of Gen 9, Normal/Ghost is a unique typing in the world of Pokemon. Only one evolutionary line sports this combination: Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark, introduced in Generation 8.

7 Steel/Psychic

Steel-Type's Defenses Can't Be Beat

Weaknesses: Ground, Ghost, Fire, Dark
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Steel, Ice, Grass, Dragon, Fairy,
Double Resistances: Psychic
Immunities: Poison

With a huge number of resistances, these Pokemon make great tanks. Nine types do reduced damage against Steel/Psychic, and Poison-type attacks don't affect them at all. What's more, they have a double resistance to Psychic-type moves. In other words, since both Steel and Psychic resist attacks of this type, moves like Extrasensory do one-quarter damage instead of half.

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Metagross and its ilk do have four weaknesses to watch out for, the most common of which is Fire-type attacks. Still, with the resistances above, this typing's defensive capabilities are among the highest tier.

Pokemon With This Typing

A fair number of Pokemon boast the Steel/Psychic combination; however, many are mythical or legendary and thus difficult to catch. Beldum and Bronzong's evolutionary lines are the most reliable for players who want to use this typing in battle.

Beldum; Metang; Metagross - Gen 3
Jirachi - Gen 3
Bronzor; Bronzong - Gen 4
Solgaleo - Gen 7
Necromza (Dusk Mane form) - Gen 7
Iron Crown - Gen 9

6 Steel/Ground

Stands Strong Against Most Attacks

Weaknesses: Fire, Water, Fighting, Ground
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Steel, Dragon, Fairy
Double Resistances: Rock
Immunities: Poison, Electric

Steelix and other Pokemon with this typing boast not one, but two type immunities: Poison and Electric. It has eight resistances as well, including a double resistance to Rock-type moves; that is, Rock-type moves deal one-fourth damage.

This typing does have four weaknesses, including the very common Water-type. Still, with the incredibly high defensive stats that Steel-types tend to have, Steel/Ground is hard to one-shot, even with super effective moves. When going up against the vast majority of types, it's at a defensive advantage.

Pokemon With This Typing

In the Pokemon world, the Steel/Ground typing is one of the more common of the ones on this list. What's more, most Steel/Ground types are fairly easy to obtain in their respective games (with the exception of the Paradox Pokemon, Iron Treads).

Steelix - Gen 2
Excadrill - Gen 5
Diglett; Dugtrio (Alolan form) - Gen 7
Stunfisk (Galarian form) - Gen 8
Iron Treads - Gen 9

5 Steel/Flying

Immune to one of Steel-Type's Biggest Weaknesses

Weaknesses: Fire, Electric
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Psychic, Grass, Steel, Dragon, Fairy
Double Resistances: Bug
Immunities: Poison, Ground

It's hard to find moves that deal significant damage to Pokemon like Skarmory and Corviknight. Steel-types are usually weak to Fighting and Ground-type moves, but adding the Flying-type negates both these vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, the Steel typing cancels out all of Flying's weaknesses except for Electric, leaving Steel/Flying with only two gaps in its defenses.

With eight resistances, including a double resistance to Bug-type moves, Pokemon with this combination can easily stand up to some of the most common types in the games. It might not have quite as many resistances as other Steel-type combinations do, but its lack of weaknesses and extra immunity land it a place in the ranking.

Pokemon With This Typing

Steel/Flying is a rare combination. Only three Pokemon boast this typing, one of which is a rare Ultra Beast:

Skarmory - Gen 2
Celesteela - Gen 7
Corviknight - Gen 8

4 Water/Steel

A Uniquely Defensive Beast

Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Electric
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Psychic, Water, Dragon, Fairy
Double Resistances: Steel, Ice
Immunities: Poison

Empoleon is currently the only Pokemon that boasts this typing, and many Gen 4 players chose Piplup because of this. With ten resistances and Steel's immunity to Poison, it's very difficult to do much damage to a Water/Steel type.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of a Water/Steel Pokemon is that the two types cancel out each other's most common weaknesses — Grass and Fire, respectively. Empoleon does still have to watch out for Electric, Ground, and Fighting moves, but its huge number of resistances make it worthwhile as a defender in most situations.

Pokemon With This Type

Some Pokemon fans are surprised to realize that Water/Steel is a unique typing. As of Scarlet & Violet, Empoleon, the final evolution of Gen 4's Water-type starter Piplup, is the only one with this combination.

3 Steel/Fairy

Cute and Tough, All In One

Weaknesses: Ground, Fire
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Ice, Grass, Psychic, Dark, Fairy
Double Resistances: Bug
Immunities: Poison, Dragon

Another type with two immunities, Mawile and others of its type are completely unaffected by Poison and Dragon-type moves. Considering Fairy-types are weak to Poison, this is a huge boon. It leaves Steel/Fairy types with only two weaknesses, making it much harder to take down.

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To top it off, this type combination boasts nine different resistances, including the common types Grass, Flying, and Psychic. It even has a double resistance to Bug-types, meaning that these moves do 25% of their usual damage against Steel/Fairy types.

Pokemon With This Type

The Fairy/Steel roster was recently expanded with Scarlet and Violet. Tinkatink and its evolutions are fairly common in the game, and incredibly tough to boot. They join a short but powerful list of defensive Pokemon with this type combo:

Mawile - Gen 3
Klefki - Gen 6
Magearna - Gen 7
Zacian (Crowned Sword form) - Gen 8
Tinkatink; Tinkaton; Tinkatuff - Gen 9

2 Steel/Electric

Tied For the Most Resistances

Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire
Double Weaknesses: Ground
Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Ice, Psychic, Electric, Steel, Grass, Fairy, Dragon
Immunities: Poison

Only four total Pokemon bear this typing. Its rarity may be in part because it is so difficult to damage. With eleven resistances and immunity to Poison-type attacks, Steel/Electric currently boasts the highest number of resistances in the games. Among these resistances are some of the most common types in the games, including Grass, Normal, and Psychic. This also includes double resistances to Bug and Flying.

The main downside to this typing is its Ground-type double weakness, meaning these attacks do four times the usual damage. In most cases, a double weakness might disqualify a type combination from a list of tanky Pokemon; however, all Steel/Electric types currently in existence are capable of learning Magnet Rise, which makes them immune to Ground-type moves for five turns. If players take advantage of this move, their opponents will have an incredibly difficult time taking them down.

Pokemon With This Type

Electric/Steel was a unique typing until Gen 7. For the first six games, only the Gen 1 Pokemon Magnemite and Magneton (and Gen 4's addition to their line, Magnezone) were Electric/Steel. Sun and Moon changed that with Gen 7's Pikachu clone, Togedemaru.

1 Steel/Ghost

Resistances and Immunities Make It Hard To Hit

aegislash in its Blade Forme in the anime

Weaknesses: Fire, Dark, Ghost, Ground
Resistances: Flying, Rock, Psychic, Steel, Grass, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
Double Resistances: Bug
Immunities: Normal, Fighting, Poison

Until Gen 9, only one evolutionary family boasted this type combination — likely because it is so powerful in battle. Aegislash and those who share its typing have nine resistances, including a double resistance to Bug. Not only that, but they are immune to three different types of attacks.

Like some others on this list, Steel/Ghost has four weaknesses; however, unlike Steel/Electric, none of them are double. Fire-type is its most common weakness, but with this family's high Defense and Sp. Defense, they can still take these attacks in stride. Since Steel/Ghost either resists or is unaffected by two-thirds of all Pokemon types, they'll stand strong by a trainer's side for a long time.

Pokemon With This Type

First seen in Gen 6, Steel/Ghost was unique to Honedge and its evolutions, Doublade and Aegislash, until Gen 9. Scarlet and Violet, though, introduced a new member of this typing with Gholdengo, the hard-to-obtain evolution of Gimmighoul.