15 best Fighting-type Pokemon ranked: Zamazenta, Mewtwo X, Koraidon, & more

With 19 official types in the franchise, the Fighting-type Pokemon are some of the most sought-after due to their strong punches and lethal kicks. So, here are the 15 best Fighting-type creatures in every entry.

Fighting-type Pokemon in the different games bring a great amount of power to any team thanks to their high offensive stats and lightning-fast jabs.

From Pokemon capable of tearing mountains in half to Legendary Dogs that once saved humanity, there are plenty of choices when it comes to picking the perfect fighter, so we’ve gathered the best of the bunch based on everything from stat distribution, potential move pools, abilities, and how they actually play in battle.

Every Pokemon in the list appears in its standard form, except for those that change to receive a secondary typing that allows them to be a part of the ranking.

Contents

• What is the best and strongest Fighting-type Pokemon?
• 15 best Fighting-type Pokemon of all time
  • Lucario
  • Annihilape
  • Blaziken
  • Buzzwole
  • Infernape
  • Keldeo
  • Iron Hands
  • Virizion
  • Iron Valiant
  • Galarian Zapdos
  • Kommo-o
  • Marshadow
  • Koraidon
  • Mega Mewtwo X
  • Zamazenta (Crowned Shield)

• What are the worst Fighting-type Pokemon?

What is the best and strongest Fighting-type Pokemon?

As of today, the most solid Fighting-type Pokemon is Zamazenta in its Crowned Shield form. Even though Mega Mewtwo X has better stats, the type combination Zamazenta Crowned Shield has, gives it plenty of resistances, putting it one step in front of Mewtwo’s killer X form.

However, there’s a whole list of other strong Fighters with different abilities and strengths to suit any roster.

15 best Fighting-type Pokemon of all time

15. Lucario

• Debut: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
• Type: Fighting/Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting / Ground / Fire

No Fighting-type list would be complete without featuring Lucario. The dual Fighting/Steel-type has been a fan favorite ever since it first appeared in Diamond and Pearl. While it may not be the most reliable Fighting Pokemon on our list, it does have some decent stats. 

Lucario’s high Attack (110) and Special Attack (115) enable it to sweep squishy damage threats, especially when you manage to utilize Sword Dance. Its Speed stat is also fairly high (90), but even when you find yourself in a situation where Lucario isn’t the fastest ‘mon on the field, you can simply use priority moves like Bullet Punch.

Inner Focus also gives Lucario complete immunity to any moves that would otherwise cause flinch or intimidate. While it may no longer be at the top of the list as it once was, Lucario can still prove useful.

Lucario base stats:

14. Annihilape

• Debut: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
• Type: Fighting/Ghost
• Weaknesses: Flying / Ghost / Psychic / Fairy

Annihilape hasn’t been out for too long, as it was recently introduced to the franchise with Gen 9. However, players quickly fell in love with it not just because of its crazy and creepy look, but for its strong Attack stat, decent bulk, and mostly its weird type combination.

Before this Mankey evolution came out, the only Pokemon with the Fighting/Ghost type combo in the whole franchise was Marshadow, and it was already a huge success. So Annihilape’s popularity wasn’t a surprise.

Annihilape base stats:

13. Blaziken

• Debut: Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
• Type: Fire/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Ground / Water / Psychic

Blaziken is no stranger to the meta spotlight – in fact, the third-gen Pokemon has continued to be a staple meta pick since its release. The dual Fire/Fighting type has proved so potent over the years that Smogon added it to its UUBL alongside Aegislash and Gengar. While the nightmarish days of Mega Blaziken may be over, the standard version is still incredibly potent. 

Blaziken features a very high Attack and a decent Special Attack, while its HP and Speed both share the same points. It might not be the fastest Pokemon on the list, but Blaziken can enhance this stat thanks to its Speed Boost ability. Each full turn in battle will increase Blaziken’s Speed by one stage, making it pretty agile in combat. 

Pair this with moves like Sword Dance, Flare Blitz, Thunder Punch, and Close Combat and you have a recipe for success.

Blaziken base stats:

12. Buzzwole

• Debut: Pokemon Sun & Moon
• Type: Bug/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Fire / Psychic / Fairy

Buzzwole can tank many a hit thanks to its great physical Defence, while its moves physical move pool is boosted by its high Attack stat. Hammer Arm will KO most squishy sweepers, while Toxic can remove bulkier threats from play.

Despite its tanky appearance, Buzzwole does have fairly decent Speed, but this can quickly become very sluggish when Hammer Arm is heavily used. 

Fortunately, Buzzwole’s dual Bug/Fighting typing does give it decent resistance to the likes of Grass, Dark, Ground, Fighting, and Bug types. If you’re after a decent physical tank that can also dish out a lot of damage, then Buzzwole is a decent pick.

Buzzwole base stats:

11. Infernape

• Debut: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
• Type: Fire/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Ground / Water / Psychic

Infernape has long been a popular pick among Pokemon trainers who like Fire/Fighting types. This mischievous monkey has a great mix of offensive stats, which enable it to punish squishy ‘mons and break through more stalwart opponents.

Its Speed stat can be raised further with Nasty Plot, which can prove useful when your opponent has particularly speedy creatures on their team. Focus Blast also has a 10% chance to lower the enemy’s defense, making it particularly potent against defensive walls.

Infernape base stats:

10. Keldeo

• Debut: Pokemon Black & White
• Type: Water/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Grass / Electric / Psychic / Fairy

Keldeo is an excellent Special Attacker that can make short work of its opponent, especially against Dark-type Pokemon. Its Justified ability raises its Attack by one stage when damaged by any Dark moves, while Moves like Focus Blast and Calm Mind give it opportunities to cut through bulky tanks. 

Taunt can also keep any status elements at bay and makes Keldeo rather difficult to deal with, particularly given its high defensive stats. Its affinity for the water element also enables players to get rid of meta Fire-type Pokemon with ease.

Keldeo base stats:

9. Iron Hands

• Debut: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
• Type: Fighting/Electric
• Weaknesses: Ground / Psychic / Fairy

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s story introduced both ancient and future forms of a selected group of creatures we already knew. One of those Paradox Pokemon is Iron Hands, which is the future form of Hariyama.

This new creature became a huge success in the game’s competitive meta thanks to its outstanding HP and Defense stats, which give it great bulkiness, as well as its physical strength.

Its move pool is very versatile. It can use Drain Punch to deal damage and regain a good amount of health, which will allow it to use Wild Charge, an incredible move that has recoil. More so, it has a special move called Volt Switch that can be used to switch Iron Hands out of combat if needed, and it even has access to Earthquake, one of the best Ground moves available.

Plus, its resistance to Steel-type Pokemon, which are some of the all-time favorites in the game, is very useful in most scenarios.

Iron Hands base stats:

8. Virizion

• Debut: Pokemon Black & White
• Type: Grass/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Poison / Fire / Psychic / Ice / Fairy

Virizion unique Grass-Fighting typing makes it a great choice for those looking to mix up their move coverage. While it may not be the best physical attacker on our list, its incredibly high Special Defense keeps it out of harm’s way.

Being able to sponge a lethal attack and then follow up with your own deadly counter is always going to be useful. It’s this overall bulk that enables Virizion to utilize moves like Sword Dance, which raises its Attack by two. If left unchecked, Virizion can be a nightmare to deal with.

Leaf Blade’s high critical hit ratio also makes using this Legendary very satisfying, especially when you OHKO your foe’s prize Pokemon.

Virizion base stats:

7. Iron Valiant

• Debut: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
• Type: Fairy & Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Poison / Steel / Psychic / Fairy

Another Paradox Pokemon introduced in Scarlet & Violet is Iron Valiant. This future version relative of Gardevoir and Gallade is an extraordinary Pokemon with one of the best type combos: Fairy and Fighting.

This creature has everything in its favor, as it is both a great physical and special attacker. More so, its move pool range is insane, covering from the regular Fairy and Fighting moves to Ghost, Bug, Psychic, Dark, and even Water and Grass.

Iron Valiant base stats:

6. Galarian Zapdos

• Debut: Pokemon Sword & Shield DLC The Crown Tundra
• Type: Fighting/Flying
• Weaknesses: Flying / Electric / Psychic / Ice / Fairy

Unlike regular Zapdos, Galarian Zapdos is a Fighting/Flying-type. Not only does this Legendary bird have incredible Speed, but it is also capable of sweeping squishy damage dealers with its high Attack stat.

Additionally, offensive moves like Close Combat can cut through even the tankiest opponents, while U-turn enables Galarian Zapdos to safely switch out when needed.

Items like the ever-popular Choice Band also increase Zapdos’ Attack by 1.5x, which makes it capable of KOing Pokemon before they can begin dealing any real damage to your team.

Galarian Zapdos base stats:

5. Kommo-o

• Debut: Pokemon Sun & Moon
• Type: Dragon/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Fairy / Flying / Psychic / Ice / Dragon

It may come as no surprise that this pseudo-legendary has made it onto our list. Kommo-o is a dual Dragon/Fighting-type Pokemon that has great offensive capabilities thanks to its high Attack and Special Attack. This means moves like Boomburst hit incredibly hard, especially when set up with the lowered defense from Clanging Scales.

Kommo-o also has great bulk thanks to its high Defense and Special Defense, which means it can take a number of hits before being KOed. This is particularly important given its low Speed stat.

Kommo-o base stats:

4. Marshadow

• Debut: Pokemon Sun & Moon
• Type: Fighting/Ghost
• Weaknesses: Flying / Ghost / Psychic / Fairy

Marshadow used to be the only Fighting/Ghost-type Pokemon until Annihilape came out, and it’s this unique typing that makes it such a fantastic pick.

This Mythical Pokemon may look small and not at all intimidating, but it packs a mighty punch that can send teams flying. Psychic-type Pokemon can often prove tricky to deal with, but Marshadow’s dual Ghost typing enables it to deal with any pesky threats with ease. 

Marshadow’s insanely high Speed and Attack stats enable you to invariably land the first punch, provided your opponent doesn’t have any priority-based attacks. The Fighting/Ghost-type can also use Spectral Thief to swing tricky fights in your favor as it enables Marshadow to steal the target’s stat boosts.

A movepool consisting of Ghost and Fighting-type moves like Close Combat, Shadow Sneak, and Bulk Up also gives Marshadow plenty of opportunities to flex its might. It’s certainly not hard to see why Marshadow remains firmly in Smogon’s Uber tier.

Marshadow base stats:

3. Koraidon

• Debut: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
• Type: Fighting/Dragon
• Weaknesses: Flying / Psychic / Ice / Dragon / Fairy

Gen 9 introduced two Legendary beasts, one for each game, with Koraidon -a dual Fighting/Dragon creature- being the one designated for Scarlet players.

This Pokemon has great versatility in its move pool, which allows a wide coverage range. For example, being weak to Fairy-type creatures, Koraidon can learn Fire-type moves like Flare Blitz and the iconic Flamethrower to counter them. It also has amazing Attack and Speed stats, which allows it to hit first.

Koraidon base stats:

2. Mega Mewtwo X

• Debut: Pokemon X & Y
• Type: Psychic/Fighting
• Weaknesses: Flying / Ghost / Fairy

The almighty Mewtwo got two Mega evolutions in X & Y, one per game. However, only the one from X got a second typing, which is Fighting.

This new form gives Mewtwo an incredibly high Attack stat, making it one of the strongest physical attackers in the meta, and as if its already high speed wasn’t enough, its special ability Steadfast allows it to increase it even more, so it can easily outrun any opponent.

Its pool move is very versatile, as it can use attacks such as Drain Punch to gain HP, Will-O-Wisp to avoid status effects, and Earthquake or Low Kick (with STAB) to deal a lot of damage.

Mega Mewtwo X base stats:

1. Zamazenta Crowned Shield

• Debut: Pokemon Sword & Shield
• Type: Fighting/Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting / Ground / Fire

Pokemon Sword & Shield’s very own Legendary flagship finds itself at the top of our Fighting-type list. This loyal canine has 720 base stat total, which puts it just below the nightmarish Mega Mewtwo X, however, its plenty resistances make up for it.

Not only does Zamazenta have a whopping Attack, but it also has decent defensive stats and speed, and if that wasn’t enough, the Legendary Dog can chew through even the tankiest Pokemon, thanks to moves like Close Combat and Psychic Fangs.

Meanwhile, Zamazenta’s Dauntless Shield ability raises the Pokemon’s Defense even further when it is switched into battle, so it’s certainly not hard to see why this Fighting-type beast takes the first-place prize.

Zamazenta Crowned Shield base stats:

What are the worst Fighting-type Pokemon?

With 82 Fighting-type Pokemon to pick from, it’s only natural that some of them end up being terrible fighters. Some of them are just plain bad, and others get good by evolving, but they take too long.

With a very low defense and a poor pool move, Croagunk is a Fighting-type Pokemon you should stay away from. It does improve once it evolves into Toxicroak, but overall, it’s not really worth the effort, as there are way better picks available.

Since dual typing was introduced into the franchise, the Pokemon with a single type are often overlooked. That’s what happens with Mienfoo, another terrible option from the bunch. This Pokemon is not only a single Fighting-type creature but doesn’t even evolve until level 50, which is way too long.

Finally, serious players looking for glory should stay away from Thro. Despite this single Fighting-type red fella having decent HP and Defense, its Attack and Speed are way too low for it to be useful. More so, its move pool is very type-limited, which makes Thro predictable and easy to counter.

That’s all you need to know about the best Fighting-type Pokemon of all time. For more Pokemon content, check our guides below:

Fairy-type | Water-type | Grass-type | Fighting-type | Psychic-type | Electric-type | Legendary Pokemon | All cat Pokemon | All dog Pokemon | Creepiest ‘mon | Cutest Pokemon | The rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards | 10 best ROM hacks and fan-made games