The top 10 best Fairy-type Pokémon of all time, ranked

First introduced in Gen 6, Fairy-type Pokémon are completely immune to Dragon-type moves, and were introduced to counter the Dragon saturated meta. They are weak to Poison and Steel-type attacks, and deal 2x damage to Dragon, Dark and Fighting types. With the arrival of this new typing, several new Fairy-type Pokémon were introduced to the game, and a few older ones were either made Fairy types or given Fairy as their secondary type. Here are our all time top 10 Fairy-type Pokémon in the game’s meta.

Related: The top 10 best Steel-type Pokémon of all time, ranked

10. Alolan Ninetales

With its unique combination of its Snow Warning ability and its Aurora Veil move, Alolan Ninetales has its own special niche in setting up 5 turns of reduced damage for its team. It shines in Monotype or Hail teams, but can also be used in general content given just how significant those 5 turns of damage reduction is, potentially halting opposing sweepers and allowing them to be revenge killed. With the Light Clay Held Item, this can be further increased to 8 turns. Being both and Ice and Fairy, it holds out well against Dragon-type Pokémon, especially given its low physical bulk. Offense wise, Alolan Ninetales can run Moonblast or Dazzling Gleam, depending on whether you are planning to use it in single or double battles, and Freeze-Dry to check opposing Water-types.

9. Primarina

Do not let its delicate appearance fool you, Primarina is a top tier wallbreaker with a whopping 126 Sp. Attack, complemented by its excellent defensive typing. Its natural bulk and access to Rest and Sleep Talk also make it an excellent defensive option, giving it a lot of flexibility depending on the team’s needs. Moonblast and Hydro Pump will be an offensive set’s bread and butter, though some players might consider swapping the latter out for Primarina’s signature move, Sparkling Aria, for consistency. Due to its versatility in terms of offensive and defensive sets, Primarina will slot nicely into just about any team.

8. Ribombee

A popular Sticky Web user, Ribombee is capable of setting the stage for its teammates as well as dishing out decent damage due to its good Sp. Attack and high Speed. Unlike the other Sticky Web setters, Ribombee’s Fairy typing and access to Moonblast ensures that it will be able to threaten opponents as well as support its team. Other great move options include Quiver Dance to dissuade the opponent from stalling, and Stun Spore to further lower the Speed of opponents and potentially disable them, and of course U-turn to tag out with a teammate. It is a great option for teams focused around taking advantage of Sticky Web.

7. Clefable

It is only apt that the Clefairy line gets the Fairy typing, being known as the Fairy Pokémon since Gen 1. With its new typing, average bulk and the Magic Guard Hidden Ability, Clefable is an excellent choice to switch into entry hazards and set up its own Stealth Rock. With Softboiled and Wish to keep it healthy, Calm Mind to raise its Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense, and even Knock Off to deal with Held Item reliant opponents, Clefable is able to offer a wide range of utility to its team, while also firing off Same Type Attack Bonus boosted Moonblasts whenever it is able to.

6. Togekiss

Togekiss has been staple in the game’s meta ever since it debuted in Gen 4, and the addition of its Fairy typing to replace its Normal typing in Gen 6 has only made it better. With its excellent recovery and the ability to abuse its Serene Grace ability to cause flinches with Air Slash, it is an excellent wallbreaker with utility options for its team. It can check annoying Steel types with Flamethrower or Aura Sphere, and can sustain itself via Roost, or provide additional utility via Wish. Any teams trying to stall out Togekiss will be met with a Nasty Plot boosted Air Slash, and its Aura Sphere has the added bonus of being able to deal supereffective damage against common walls such as Chansey and Umbreon. It is a great teammate for bulky, offensive teams due to its anti-stall capabilities.

5. Diancie

Despite it’s low base HP and Speed, Diancie’s other stats are very well balanced, giving it excellent Physical and Special bulk, as well as giving it the option of picking both Physical and Special moves for offense. Its Mega Evolution fixes its terrible Speed, pushing it up to an impressive 110, which is a huge boost from its initial 50 Speed. Feared as an incredibly potent wallbreaker, Mega Diancie is capable of dishing out powerful Same Type Attack Bonus boosted Moonblasts, as well as checking any Steel-type opponents with Earth Power. It also offers utility in the form of setting up Stealth Rock for the rest of its team, and fits well into offensive teams, or teams that require a powerful wallbreaker.

4. Whimsicott

With its defensive typing, defensive bulk and access to Infiltrator as a Hidden Ability, Whimsicott is a great wallbreaker with a versatile movepool that can be tailored to suit a team’s needs. Thanks to Infiltrator, it can ignore an opponent’s dual screens and even a Substitute, allowing it to strike hard and fast with a Moonblast, Energy Ball or Psychic, or even tag out with a teammate via U-turn. It also has excellent utility options in the form of Switcheroo, Knock Off, Encore and Defog, among many others. Its wide range of viable sets allows it to slot in nicely into many teams depending on what they require, making it extremely unpredictable and hard to play against.

3. Sylveon

The most recent Eevolution to be introduced to the game thus far, Sylveon is a Specially bulky Fairy type with access to support moves such as Wish and Heal Bell. It can also learn Mystical Fire, which allows it to deal with Steel types easily with its 110 base Special Attack, or Psyshock to counter sneaky Poison-types hoping to capitalise on its type disadvantage. The ability Pixilate turns its Normal-type moves into Fairy-type ones and boosts their power, meaning that Sylveon can run Hyper Voice instead of the usual Moonblast that most Specially offensive Fairy-types run. It is a great defensive pick overall, and can function as a healer if needed.

2. Gardevoir

Gardevoir has been a solid Specially offensive Pokémon since Gen 3, where it debuted as a pure Psychic-type. The introduction of its secondary Fairy typing has only widened its coverage and of course, granted it the Dragon-type immunity that Fairy-types enjoy. It has access to two useful regular abilities, Synchronize and Trace. The former allows it to pass on certain status effects, dissuading opponents from attempting to apply them, while the latter copies the opponent’s ability such as Intimidate and Levitate. Its Hidden Ability, Telepathy, shines in double battles as it ensures that Gardevoir takes no damage from its partner’s attacks, allowing the usage of moves such as Discharge and Earthquake with no drawbacks. Not only did it gain a new typing, it also has a Mega Evolution, which cemented itself as a formidable Special sweeper in the Gen 6 and Gen 7 meta. Overall, it is a solid teammate with the ability to dish out damage while also supporting its team with moves such as Wish and Healing Wish.

1. Xerneas

A dangerously potent Special sweeper, Xerneas’ Fairy Aura ability is practically made for it, providing a damage boost to all Fairy-type moves while Xerneas is active. Its signature move, Geomancy, is a 2-turn move that gives it a huge boost to its Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense and Speed on the second turn. Combined with a Power Herb as its Held Item, it will give it a massive buff on the turn the move is used, turning Xerneas into an unstoppable force of nature. A Geomancy and Fairy Aura boosted Moonblast is capable of chunking a great deal of health from even the most Specially defensive of walls. It is also capable of running a defensive set with the infamous Rest and Sleep Talk combination, given its own decent bulk, though it would be sacrificing its offensive potential for utility moves by doing so.