Grass type Pokémon are weak to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying and Bug moves, and their own Grass attacks are super effective against Water, Ground and Rock Pokémon. They resist Water, Electric, Grass and Ground attacks, which makes them excellent at walling bulky Water and Ground types, but their five weaknesses mean you need to plan your team around them.
This guide gives you the full Grass type matchup chart, explains how dual types change everything, lists every Grass starter, and highlights the Grass Pokémon players rely on most.
Grass Type Weaknesses and Resistances (Defending)
| Takes 2x damage from | Takes 0.5x damage from |
|---|---|
| Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground |
Grass types also have two useful hidden perks in modern games (Generation 6 onward): they are immune to powder and spore moves such as Sleep Powder, Spore and Stun Spore, and they cannot be affected by Leech Seed.
Grass Type Strengths (Attacking)
| Super effective (2x) against | Not very effective (0.5x) against |
|---|---|
| Water, Ground, Rock | Fire, Grass, Poison, Flying, Bug, Dragon, Steel |
That long “not very effective” list is the honest downside of Grass offensively. It is a defensive type first, and a good Grass Pokémon usually carries a coverage move from another type. Bulbapedia’s Grass type page has the complete history of these matchups across generations.
How Dual Types Change Grass Weaknesses
Most Grass Pokémon have a second type, and that can cancel or double weaknesses:
- Grass/Poison (Venusaur, Amoonguss): Poison cancels the Poison weakness and halves Bug, but adds a Psychic weakness. Final weaknesses: Fire, Ice, Flying, Psychic.
- Grass/Steel (Ferrothorn): only weak to Fire (4x) and Fighting (2x), with a huge list of resistances.
- Grass/Ground (Torterra): Electric immunity, but a painful 4x weakness to Ice.
- Grass/Bug (Leavanny, Parasect): 4x weak to both Fire and Flying.
- Grass/Fairy (Tapu Bulu, Whimsicott): is immune to Dragon moves and resists Dark and Fighting on top of the usual Grass resistances, but takes 4x damage from Poison and picks up a Steel weakness.
All Grass Type Starter Pokémon
| Generation | Starter | Final evolution |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 (Kanto) | Bulbasaur | Venusaur (Grass/Poison) |
| Gen 2 (Johto) | Chikorita | Meganium (Grass) |
| Gen 3 (Hoenn) | Treecko | Sceptile (Grass) |
| Gen 4 (Sinnoh) | Turtwig | Torterra (Grass/Ground) |
| Gen 5 (Unova) | Snivy | Serperior (Grass) |
| Gen 6 (Kalos) | Chespin | Chesnaught (Grass/Fighting) |
| Gen 7 (Alola) | Rowlet | Decidueye (Grass/Ghost) |
| Gen 8 (Galar) | Grookey | Rillaboom (Grass) |
| Gen 9 (Paldea) | Sprigatito | Meowscarada (Grass/Dark) |
The Grass starter is famously the “hard mode” pick in several games, because the first gyms often favour other types. Kanto’s Brock (Rock) is the classic exception, where Bulbasaur has an easy start.
Best Grass Type Pokémon to Use
For in-game playthroughs
- Venusaur: bulky, easy to use, and its Poison typing removes the Poison and Bug headaches.
- Rillaboom: hard-hitting physical attacker with excellent bulk.
- Meowscarada: very fast, with strong Dark coverage alongside its Grass attacks.
- Torterra: tanky and strong, though that 4x Ice weakness needs covering.
Known for competitive play
- Ferrothorn: a defensive wall thanks to the Grass/Steel typing.
- Amoonguss: a doubles favourite for redirecting attacks with Rage Powder and putting foes to sleep.
- Rillaboom: its Grassy Surge ability sets Grassy Terrain, boosting Grass moves and healing allies.
Legendary and mythical Grass Pokémon
Celebi (Psychic/Grass), Shaymin, Virizion (Grass/Fighting), Tapu Bulu (Grass/Fairy), Zarude (Dark/Grass), Calyrex (Psychic/Grass) and Ogerpon are among the rare Grass legends and mythicals.
How to Beat Grass Type Pokémon
- Use Fire, Flying or Ice attacks for reliable super-effective damage.
- Check the second type first. A Fire move against Ferrothorn does 4x damage; an Ice move against Torterra does 4x too.
- Avoid Water, Ground and Rock attackers in the lead slot.
- Do not rely on sleep powders. Grass types ignore powder and spore moves.
Building a team of Fire answers? See our guide to Fire type Pokémon. Can not decide which Pokémon to add next? Spin a random pick with a wheel; our guide on how to use Wheel of Names shows how to set one up for team challenges.
Grass Type Pokémon FAQ
What is Grass weak to in Pokémon?
Grass is weak to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying and Bug type attacks.
What is Grass strong against?
Grass attacks are super effective against Water, Ground and Rock type Pokémon.
What does Grass resist?
Grass types take half damage from Water, Electric, Grass and Ground moves.
Is Grass a good type in Pokémon?
Defensively it is useful against Water and Ground teams, but offensively it is one of the most resisted types, so strong Grass Pokémon usually need coverage moves.
Which Grass starter is the best?
It depends on the game. Venusaur, Rillaboom and Meowscarada are popular because they are strong and easy to use through a full playthrough.