Flying-type Pokémon: Weaknesses, resistances, and counters

Flying is one of the eighteen types in Pokémon, and it shows up on roughly 11 percent of all species, making it the fourth most common type in the game. Most Flying-types carry a second type alongside it, but the core matchups below apply to the Flying portion of any Pokémon. Knowing them lets you pick the right attacker and avoid sending a bird into a losing trade.

Flying-type weaknesses, resistances, and immunity

On defense, the Flying type has three weaknesses, three resistances, and a single hard immunity. The immunity to Ground is the most important detail in the whole chart, because it means Ground attacks deal zero damage to a Flying-type Pokémon.

That Ground immunity also ties into a wider rule. From Generation II onward, Flying-types are not treated as grounded, so they ignore entry hazards (with the exception of Stealth Rock), the Arena Trap Ability, and the move Rototiller. The trade-off is that they don't gain the effects of terrains. If a Flying-type loses its ungrounded status — for example, by holding an Iron Ball or being hit by Smack Down, Thousand Arrows, Gravity, or Ingrain — it also loses its Ground immunity.

What Flying-type moves are strong against

On offense, Flying-type attacks hit three types for double damage and are blocked or reduced by three others. There is no type that is fully immune to Flying moves, so a Flying attack always lands for at least some damage.

Note that the offensive strengths mirror the defensive resistances. A Flying-type both resists and beats Fighting, Bug, and Grass, which makes it a reliable answer to those three types in almost any situation.

How dual typing changes the matchups

Very few Pokémon are pure Flying-type. The short list includes Tornadus, Silvally in its Flying form, Rookidee, Corvisquire, and Arceus when holding the matching plate. Everyone else pairs Flying with a second type, and that second type can erase a weakness, add a new one, or stack a double weakness.

A Flying/Ground Pokémon is the clearest example. Its Flying half is normally immune to Ground, and the Ground half keeps that immunity to Electric. But the Ground half removes the Grass resistance and opens a brutal ×4 weakness to Ice, since both halves are weak to it. Always check the full type pairing before locking in a counter, because the second type decides whether your "super effective" move actually works.

Best counters against Flying-type Pokémon

The strongest counters combine a Flying weakness with bulk or high attack. Electric and Rock attackers double as solid defensive picks, while Ice attackers hit the hardest against the many Flying-types that share a Grass, Ground, or Dragon secondary type.

Match the move to the matchup. Stone Edge and Rock Slide cover Rock, Thunderbolt and Thunder cover Electric, and Ice Beam, Avalanche, or Icicle Crash cover Ice. If you suspect a Flying/Steel target such as Corviknight, drop the Electric and Rock attacks and lead with a strong special hit instead, since Steel resists both.

Tera Type and defensive tweaks in Scarlet & Violet

In Scarlet & Violet, terastallizing into Ground removes the Electric weakness entirely while keeping the Flying half's natural Ground immunity intact through the typing. Terastallizing into Steel is another option for a Flying-type, since Steel resists both Rock and Ice, two of its three weaknesses. These changes only apply to your own Pokémon, so they matter most when you are the one piloting a Flying-type rather than fighting one.

The bottom line stays the same in every game. Hit Flying-types with Electric, Ice, or Rock, never waste a Ground move on them, and confirm the second type before you commit. Get those three rules right and most winged Pokémon fall in a turn or two.