Pokémon TCG: 10 Best Dark-Type Pokémon, Ranked

Some of the types in the Pokémon Trading Card Game are not the same as those in the games, which can make it difficult for players to understand how weaknesses work in the card game. One of these types is the Darkness-type, which has a significant overlap with the Poison-type in the card game, as all the cards that are Poison-type in the video game series are now Darkness-type cards in the card game. The Darkness-type is full of many meta staples, and some of them are at the core of powerful decks.

The Darkness-type is focused primarily on utility and the ability to quickly accelerate energy to their Pokémon with powerful supporter cards and items. Cards like Roaring Moon ex are immensely powerful because they can knock out any Pokémon without caring about its HP, while cards like Pecharunt ex are amazing for closing out matches where the opponent has taken a significant amount of prize cards throughout the game. Overall, Darkness-type decks are not as strong as they were before the April 11 rotation, but they are still an intriguing option for competitive play.

10 Morpeko Provides Amazing Retreat Utility

A Phenomenal Workaround For Specific Decks

Very few Pokémon have the ability to retreat for free, and this powerful ability is usually reserved for Pokémon that need to be evolved into. Being able to retreat for free allows decks to conserve energy and not need to use cards like Night Stretcher and Superior Energy Retrieval to get them back. One of the strongest Dark-type Pokémon in the format currently does not have to discard energy for retreat, as its ability allows it to retreat for free.

Morpeko’s «In a Hungry Hurry» ability allows it to retreat for free as long as no energy is attached to it, meaning that it can easily be the active Pokémon that players set up when one of their Pokémon is knocked out. In conjunction with Pecharunt ex, players can work around the restrictions of Palafin ex and Munkidori ex and attack with them every turn, making it one of the strongest Darkness-type cards in the format.

9 Munkidori ex Has a Unique Prize Trade Gimmick

Synergy With the Loyal Three

Unfortunately, the Loyal Three were never able to take off as a deck because they struggled with Raging Bolt ex, and the Poison damage they were forced to take made them easier to deal with for Dragapult ex. However, the cards in the archetype are all individually good, and the most unique of these cards is Munkidori ex because of its decent damage and the ability to throw off the prize trade.

While Munkidori ex is on the board at the same time as Fezandipiti ex, opponents take one less prize card when Munkidori ex is knocked out, making it incredibly frustrating for the opponent to take prize cards throughout a match. Furthermore, it has enough damage to knock out low HP ex Pokémon, making Munkidori an intriguing option for Darkness-type strategies.

8 Farigiraf ex is a Powerful Wall

A Bothersome Evolution

Wall decks are a powerful anti-meta option because of their ability to have Pokémon in the Active Spot that cannot be damaged by specific types of the opponent’s Pokémon from doing damage to them. These decks are situational, and players need a firm grasp of the meta to play them effectively because they need to know which wall to use against each deck. One of the strongest wall cards is also a Darkness-type Pokémon, and Farigiraf ex is quite useful against one of the best decks in the format.

Farigiraf ex has the Armor Tail ability, which prevents the opponent’s Basic ex Pokémon from doing damage to it, which is incredibly difficult to deal with for decks like Raging Bolt ex and Chienpao ex. Furthermore, its attack, while not doing significant damage to the Pokémon in the Active Spot, is incredibly effective at damaging the bench, as it hits any benched Pokémon for 30 HP. Overall, Farigiraf ex is an amazing wall and the core of an amazing control strategy.

7 Hydreigon ex is incredibly Disruptive for the Opponent's Deck

Sending Cards to the Discard Pile Efficiently

Sending cards from the opponent’s deck to the discard pile can throw off their game plan by getting rid of crucial resources that they might need later in the game. However, these decks are often difficult to set up because they usually need an immense amount of energy to set up these disruptive plays. However, Hydreigon ex is a phenomenal card that disrupts the opponent’s deck easily, and it also has another intriguing attack.

Hydreigon ex’s first attack, Crashing Headbutt, costs two Darkness-type energy and discards the top three cards of the opponent’s deck. This is frustrating to deal with for decks that draw a lot of cards, and it directly interferes with Fezandipiti ex’s ability. Its second attack, Obsidian, is incredibly useful against other Stage 2 decks, as it can knock them out before they get set up, making it an incredibly strong option in the current format.

6 Okidogi ex is an Intriguing Turbo Attacker

Versatile Energy Acceleration Without Wasting a Supporter Card

Energy acceleration is a core part of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and only being able to attach one energy to a Pokémon in a turn can be detrimental to decks that can easily be disrupted by cards like Boss’s Orders and Prime Catcher. However, some Pokémon have the ability to accelerate energy with their attacks, and Okidogi ex is the best Darkness-type Pokémon in this regard.

Okidogi ex’s first attack allows it to attach up to two Darkness-energy to it from the deck while also applying Poison damage to it. This is incredibly useful for its second attack, Chain-Crazed, which does more damage if Okidogi is Poisoned. Overall, there are more efficient turbo cards in the format, but Okidogi ex is still incredibly strong against Stage 2 Pokémon.

5 Charizard ex Makes Comebacks Easy

A Late Game Attacker Turns the Tide

The current format allows players to come back in a match regardless of how far behind they are in the game. Powerful cards like Fezandipiti ex allow players to recover from early knockouts, while cards like Wo-Chien ex punish the opponent for taking too many prize cards. The most popular Darkness-type attacker in the format, Charizard ex, is also amazing at making comebacks because of its amazing ability and versatile attack.

Charizard ex’s «Infernal Reign» ability allows players to attach up to three Fire energy from their deck to any Pokémon they control, which is incredibly useful if players are unable to set up energy earlier in the game. By the time Charizard ex is set up, the opponent will likely have taken multiple prize cards, which directly buffs the damage of Charizard ex. Overall, Charizard ex has fallen out of favor because of cards like Budew, but it is still an incredibly popular deck that features one of the format’s best Dark-type cards.

4 Roaring Moon ex Can Knock Out Even the Strongest Pokémon

Instant Knock Outs Are Appealing To Set Up

Darkness-type decks have struggled to break into the meta after losing Dark Patch in the April 11 rotation, which deprived the decks of a way to reliably accelerate energy to their Pokémon. This has made these decks more reliant on a strong, but slow, early game setup. However, Roaring Moon ex can work around this because it is an Ancient Pokémon, which means it synergizes with one of the game’s strongest supporter cards, Professor Sada’s Vitality.

Because of its «Frienzied Gouging» attack, Roaring Moon ex can knock out any Pokémon on the board at the cost of dealing 200 damage to itself. While this is a steep cost, it allows the deck to deal with high HP Pokémon without requiring damage buffs from cards like Defiance Band and Maximum Belt. Overall, Roaring Moon ex is not as popular as it once was, but the deck is still incredibly versatile against a wide variety of matchups.

3 N's Zoroark ex is a Powerful Draw Engine With a Unique Attack

Making Use of a Varied Bench

Unfortunately, many of the new decks from «Journey Together» have struggled to leave a mark on the meta, as they are seen as too inefficient to contend with the other dominant meta threats. Fortunately, there is one incredibly intriguing option for players that came from the set, and N’s Zoroark is a deck that immensely rewards proper planning and player skill.

The most commonly used part of N’s Zoroark ex is its «Trade» ability, which allows players to discard one card to draw two cards. This makes players able to set up their discard pile significantly easier, which is why the card is often seen in Gardevoir ex decks. However, when it is used as its own deck, N’s Zoroark ex can copy the abilities of other N’s Pokémon on the bench, giving it access to powerful bench damage and the ability to punish the opponent for not knocking out N’s Zoroark ex with one attack. Overall, N’s Zoroark ex is an incredible card that rewards experienced players for understanding how it interacts with other cards throughout a match.

2 Pecharunt ex Works Around Retreat Locks

A Powerful Attacker With Intriguing Utility

Being locked into one particular Pokémon in the Active Spot can make it difficult to set up the board, and this has allowed cards like Maractus and Wellspring Mask Ogerpon to have a frustrating presence in the meta. While players can play cards like Switch and Prime Catcher to work around the retreat lock, being forced to use these cards early in a match can be incredibly detrimental, as those cards are often needed late in the game to conserve other resources. Luckily, Darkness-type decks do not have to worry about this because of Pecharunt ex’s powerful ability.

Pecharunt ex’s «Subjugating Chains» ability allows players to make any Darkness-type Pokémon move to the Active Spot from the bench, which easily breaks the retreat lock. Along with this powerful ability, Pecharunt ex has an attack that deals 60 damage for each prize card the opponent has taken, making it a great way to close games in which the opponent has been able to keep up in the prize trade.

1 Fezandipiti ex is the Best Darkness-Type Card

An Amazing Recovery Draw Engine

Having an efficient draw engine is a key part of a functional deck in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Some decks (i.e. Dragapult ex and N’s Zoroark ex) have built-in draw engines in their evolution lines, so they don’t need to look elsewhere for draw power. Unfortunately, many decks need to play a supplementary engine to access reliable consistency, and the most powerful draw card in the current format is Fezandipiti ex.

Fezandipiti ex has the «Flip the Script» ability, which allows players to draw three cards on the turn after their Pokémon is knocked out. This is incredibly useful when players need to draw specific cards late in matches so that they can close out the game. Overall, Fezandipiti ex is not just the best Darkness-type Pokémon in the format currently, it is also among the most powerful Basic Pokémon in the game.

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