10 Strongest Fighting-Type Pokémon, Ranked

Generation I of Pokémon featured two prominent Fighting-type trainers: Black Belt Koichi and Elite Four member Bruno (although Bruno also uses two Rock-type Onix). With such an important role in the original games, Fighting is a staple of the series. The typing boasts many powerful Pokémon, some of which have only the Fighting-type.

These creatures can be helpful in the main series games because of their stats, abilities, moves, etc. Serebii.net has this information, and trainers can access it to find the best Pokémon to use on their teams. While not every pure Fighting-type is strong, some of them are more than capable of providing extra power to a playthrough team.

10 Grapploct

Available in several of the best places to explore for Water-types in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Grapploct is fairly accessible in these Generation VIII games. Its mighty appearance suggests that it is one of the best creatures from this region, but that is not entirely true. Its Speed is abysmal, which causes it to move later than most opponents, but its HP and defensive stats let it take decent damage. While its Attack stat is quite high, it is not high enough to effectively capitalize on the opportunities it has. Grapploct is not bad by any means, but there are better options, especially approaching the late-game plot.

9 Hariyama

Hariyama’s stat spread is uneven, but the Pokémon benefits from this for the most part. Although it has low defensive stats, its HP is massive, which provides it with the bulk to deal with its terrible Speed stat. When it has the opportunity to strike, it can deal great damage. Because of its bulk, it can often strike for several consecutive rounds before going down. The Guts ability, which raises its Attack when it has a status condition, can be useful, although situational. If Hariyama faces opponents with high Defense, it can be ineffective, but it is viable for a large portion of a playthrough.

8 Sawk

Introduced in Unova, one of the coolest Pokémon regions in the series, Sawk may not be the strongest Fighting-type Pocket Monster, but it is capable enough in battle. It has a decent Speed stat and a high Attack stat. This is at the expense of its Defense, Special Defense, and HP, which are still decent despite this sacrifice. Along with this, Sawk has access to a few good Abilities. One of these is Sturdy, which prevents the Pokémon from being knocked out in one hit. This ability allows it to survive and retaliate with a strong attack, regardless of the matchup.

7 Passimian

With high HP and Attack, Passimian can take decent damage and deal it effectively as well. While its bulk is not extremely high, it is enough to survive several strikes from many opponents. Its above-average Speed also lets it move relatively quickly. However, one of Passimian’s greatest assets is its Hidden Ability, Defiant, which raises its Attack significantly when an enemy lowers its stats.

With the number of status moves and the abundance of Pokémon with the Intimidate ability on NPC teams, Defiant can be a very useful tool. This turns Passimian from a capable attacker into a destructive force.

6 Falinks

Generation VIII’s Falinks quickly became a fan favorite, partially due to its great design. Its stats can feel limiting, with no exceptionally high value placed in any one category. Certain factors, though, make Falinks much better than its stat spread may suggest. Like Passimian, Falinks can have the Hidden Ability Defiant. Also, it has the signature move No Retreat, a Status move that raises all of its stats. This, however, means it cannot switch out or escape from the battle. This boost gives Falinks much more power, making it a dangerous opponent.

5 Sirfetch’d

For seven generations, Farfetch’d was underwhelming. While Kantonian Farfetch’d remains as it has been, the addition of Galarian Farfetch’d gave the bird a much-needed upgrade. Using an interesting and unique Pokémon evolution method, players can acquire Sirfetch’d. While its Speed is not as high as that of many Fighting-types, it has good defensive stats. With its very high Attack stat, it can sweep through many teams. As a downside, Sirfetch’d only has access to a few powerful Physical Fighting moves through leveling up, leaving trainers to rely on TMs or TRs to obtain some of its better attacks. If players are committed to using these resources on Sirfetch’d, though, it can be a worthy investment.

4 Mienshao

Mienshao is a capable glass cannon among its fellow Fighting-types. It has great Speed, and with its offensive capabilities, it can destroy enemy teams. Even if it cannot move faster than opponents, it can use the move Fake Out, which goes first and makes the target flinch.

This move is not incredibly powerful, but it does some damage and breaks Sturdy. In the instances when it is unable to defeat foes in one hit, it can struggle due to its low defensive and HP stats, but its viability outweighs its drawbacks.

3 Machamp

One of the strongest Pokémon from the Kanto region, Machamp is perhaps the most well-known Fighting-type in the series. It has a very high Attack stat and uses almost exclusively Physical attacks, many of which are incredible. It is fairly slow, though, which can be its biggest drawback. It often moves after opponents, but its HP and defensive stats often let it withstand these strikes. Its Speed stat is unfortunate, nonetheless. With Abilities like Guts and No Guard, Machamp is an offensive powerhouse that deserves its reputation.

2 Conkeldurr

Conkeldurr has a great Attack stat that is slightly higher than even Machamp’s. Also, its Speed stat is similarly low. Defensively, its stats are not as evenly distributed as Machamp’s, leaving it slightly more vulnerable to Special attacks. However, its HP is high enough to help compensate for this. Like many other Fighting-types, Conkeldurr can have the Guts ability. It can also be fantastic with the Hidden Ability Iron Fist, which increases the power of punching moves. Conkeldurr can access many powerful moves of this variety, although some of these are only available through TM. If foes do not resist Fighting and do not have a high Defense stat, they are in danger against Conkeldurr.

1 Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles)

The box art Legendary for Pokémon Shield, Zamazenta has two forms: Hero of Many Battles and Crowned Shield, the former of which has only one type. As a Legendary, it is one of the strongest Pokémon in the games, and it stands tall as the best pure Fighting-type currently in the series. It has fantastic Speed and a very high Attack stat. It is also very bulky, and Zamazenta’s Dauntless Shield ability boosts its Defense even further. Its more powerful form is a Fighting/Steel-type, but even in its base form, Zamazenta is exceptional in battle.