Fire type Pokémon are weak to Water, Ground and Rock attacks, while their Fire moves are super effective against Grass, Ice, Bug and Steel Pokémon. They resist six types (Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel and Fairy) and can never be burned, which makes Fire one of the most dependable attacking types in the series.
Below you will find quick-reference matchup tables, how second types change a Fire Pokémon’s weaknesses, every Fire starter from Kanto to Paldea, and the Fire Pokémon that consistently pull their weight.
Fire Type Matchups at a Glance
| Situation | Types |
|---|---|
| Fire attacks are super effective (2x) against | Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel |
| Fire attacks are not very effective (0.5x) against | Fire, Water, Rock, Dragon |
| Fire Pokémon are weak (2x) to | Water, Ground, Rock |
| Fire Pokémon resist (0.5x) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy |
The Fairy resistance was added in Generation 6, when the Fairy type was introduced. Bulbapedia’s Fire type page documents all of these matchups and the changes between generations.
Built-In Advantages of Fire Types
- Burn immunity: Fire Pokémon cannot be burned, so moves like Will-O-Wisp and Scald’s burn chance do nothing to them.
- Sun synergy: under harsh sunlight, Fire moves get a 50% power boost, and Water moves are weakened.
- Steel answer: Fire is one of only a few types that hits Steel super effectively, so a Fire attacker is often how teams break through bulky Steel walls.
How Second Types Change Fire Weaknesses
- Fire/Flying (Charizard, Talonflame): immune to Ground, but 4x weak to Rock, plus Water and Electric weaknesses. Stealth Rock hurts badly.
- Fire/Fighting (Blaziken, Infernape, Emboar): weak to Water, Ground, Flying and Psychic, but the Rock weakness disappears, Dark is resisted and Bug moves do only quarter damage.
- Fire/Steel (Heatran): a 4x Ground weakness, plus Water and Fighting, with a long list of resistances.
- Fire/Ghost (Skeledirge): immune to Normal and Fighting, but weak to Water, Ground, Rock, Ghost and Dark.
- Bug/Fire (Volcarona): 4x weak to Rock, plus Water and Flying; Fire cancels Bug’s Fire weakness.
- Fire/Water (Volcanion): a rare combination with only Ground, Rock and Electric weaknesses.
Every Fire Type Starter
| Region | Starter | Final form |
|---|---|---|
| Kanto | Charmander | Charizard (Fire/Flying) |
| Johto | Cyndaquil | Typhlosion (Fire; Fire/Ghost in Hisui) |
| Hoenn | Torchic | Blaziken (Fire/Fighting) |
| Sinnoh | Chimchar | Infernape (Fire/Fighting) |
| Unova | Tepig | Emboar (Fire/Fighting) |
| Kalos | Fennekin | Delphox (Fire/Psychic) |
| Alola | Litten | Incineroar (Fire/Dark) |
| Galar | Scorbunny | Cinderace (Fire) |
| Paldea | Fuecoco | Skeledirge (Fire/Ghost) |
Three generations in a row (Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova) gave the Fire starter a Fighting second type, which is why “Fire/Fighting again?” became a long-running fan joke.
Strongest Fire Type Pokémon to Use
Great for story playthroughs
- Arcanine: fast, strong and easy to find early in several games.
- Charizard: a classic with great special attack, but watch out for Rock moves.
- Infernape: speedy mixed attacker with Fighting coverage for Normal and Rock types.
- Skeledirge: very bulky, and its Ghost typing shrugs off Normal and Fighting attacks.
Competitive favourites
- Incineroar: a doubles staple thanks to Intimidate and Fake Out support.
- Volcarona: sets up with Quiver Dance and can sweep unprepared teams.
- Heatran: a bulky Fire/Steel legendary that walls Fairy, Steel and Dragon attackers.
- Cinderace: fast physical attacker; its Libero ability changes its type to match the move it uses.
Fire legendaries and mythicals
Moltres, Entei, Ho-Oh, Heatran, Victini, Reshiram and Volcanion are among the best-known Fire legendary and mythical Pokémon.
How to Beat Fire Type Pokémon
- Lead with Water. Water attackers also resist Fire moves, so they win most one-on-one fights.
- Use Ground or Rock moves for super-effective damage, especially Rock against Fire/Flying and Bug/Fire types (4x).
- Set up rain to weaken Fire moves by 50% and power up your Water moves.
- Do not send Grass, Bug, Ice or Steel Pokémon in against a Fire attacker.
Pairing Fire with Grass and Water gives you the classic “starter triangle” core that covers each other’s weaknesses. See our Grass type Pokémon guide for that side of the triangle, or our Fighting type guide if you picked a Fire/Fighting starter. For nostalgia fans, our Pokémon FireRed vs LeafGreen comparison covers the Kanto remakes.
Fire Type Pokémon FAQ
What is Fire weak to in Pokémon?
Fire is weak to Water, Ground and Rock type attacks.
What is Fire strong against?
Fire moves are super effective against Grass, Ice, Bug and Steel Pokémon.
Can Fire Pokémon be burned?
No. Fire type Pokémon are immune to the burn status condition.
Is Fire good against Fairy?
Fire resists Fairy attacks, but Fire moves do normal damage to Fairy Pokémon, not super-effective damage.
What is the best Fire starter?
Popular choices include Infernape and Blaziken for speed and power, Incineroar for competitive doubles, and Skeledirge for bulk.