The Dragon type (Japanese: ドラゴンタイプ Dragon type) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers who specialize in Dragon-type Pokémon are Lance, the current Champion of the Indigo Plateau, Clair of Blackthorn City, Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four, Drayden of Opelucid City, Iris, the current Champion of the Unova Pokémon League, and Drasna of the Kalos Elite Four. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all damaging Dragon-type moves were special, but they may now also be physical depending on the attack.

Statistical averages

Overall

Stat
HP: 82.90
Attack: 105.76
Defense: 86.62
Sp.Atk: 97.44
Sp.Def: 86.90
Speed: 82.14
Total: 541.76


Fully evolved

Stat
HP: 94.57
Attack: 118.34
Defense: 98.60
Sp.Atk: 117.26
Sp.Def: 100.34
Speed: 93.43
Total: 622.54


Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive   Defensive
Power Types   Power Types
  ½×  
 
 
 
½× None  
 
None None


Generations II to V

Offensive   Defensive
Power Types   Power Types
  ½×  
 
 
 
½×    
 
None None


Generation VI onwards

Offensive   Defensive
Power Types   Power Types
  ½×  
 
 
 
½×    
 
 
  None


Characteristics

Defense

Defensively, Dragon types have resistances to Electric, Grass, Water and Fire; the types of the traditional starter Pokémon including Pikachu. However, they are weak to Ice-type, and indeed many fully-evolved Dragon-type Pokémon have secondary types of either Flying or Ground, resulting in a double weakness to it, and combined with the high Special Attack averages for Ice types this means they are generally taken down in one hit (this can be mitigated by use of a Yache Berry). They are also weak to themselves, although their high stat totals mean they can generally sustain more than one Dragon-type move before fainting. Their weakness to Fairy is checked by the scarcity of powerful Fairy-type moves, and as with Dragon they are generally able to take even a STAB Fairy-type hit without fainting.

Offense

The Dragon type is statistically the best type overall, as many of them are pseudo-legendary or Legendary Pokémon with above-600 base stat totals. Dragon-type Pokémon frequently have have high Attack and Special Attack, as well as good Speed. Although Dragon-type moves are only super effective against Dragon-type Pokémon, the only two types that resist Dragon are Steel and Fairy (Fairy types being completely immune to Dragon attacks) meaning Dragon types typically make use of strong neutral damage with same-type attack bonus. Dragon-type Pokémon also have famously wide movepools, which combined with their high offensive stats does give them some options against Fairy types, Steel types, and Ice types.

Despite Dragon's numerous offensive advantages, however, Dragon-type moves are generally not well utilized by Pokémon that do not possess Dragon typing themselves. As addressed, Dragon-types rely on STAB neutral damage combined with their good offensive stats, but in the hands of a non-Dragon-type the moves lose STAB, and very often also the offensive stats of a Dragon-type too. This, combined with the fact that Dragon-type moves do neutral damage to nearly all types, means that the power of the moves is usually underwhelming - "coverage" moves that don't get STAB usually rely on being super-effective to do serious damage. However, because the type provides good neutral coverage, and because not every Dragon is weak to Ice and/or Fairy, non-STAB Dragon-type moves can be viable options in certain situations and roles.

Dragon-type Pokémon, on average, have the highest base stat total, HP, Attack, and Special Attack of all Pokémon and of fully evolved Pokémon. They also have the highest average Special Defense of all Pokémon.

Contest properties

In Contests, Dragon-type moves are typically Cool moves, but some may be Beautiful or Tough. None of them are Cute or Clever moves.

Pokémon

As of Generation VI, there are 41 Dragon-type Pokémon or 5.7% of all Pokémon (counting those that are Dragon-type in at least one of their forms, including Mega Evolutions), making it the 4th rarest type.

Pure Dragon-type Pokémon

# Pokémon
147   Dratini
148   Dragonair
371   Bagon
372   Shelgon
610   Axew
611   Fraxure
612   Haxorus
621   Druddigon
704   Goomy
705   Sliggoo
706   Goodra
???   Jangmo-o

Half Dragon-type Pokémon

Primary Dragon-type Pokémon

# Pokémon Type 1 Type 2
149   Dragonite Dragon Flying
334   Altaria Dragon Flying
  Mega Altaria Dragon Fairy
373   Salamence Dragon Flying
  Mega Salamence Dragon Flying
380   Latias Dragon Psychic
  Mega Latias Dragon Psychic
381   Latios Dragon Psychic
  Mega Latios Dragon Psychic
384   Rayquaza Dragon Flying
  Mega Rayquaza Dragon Flying
443   Gible Dragon Ground
444   Gabite Dragon Ground
445   Garchomp Dragon Ground
  Mega Garchomp Dragon Ground
643   Reshiram Dragon Fire
644   Zekrom Dragon Electric
646   Kyurem Dragon Ice
  White Kyurem Dragon Ice
  Black Kyurem Dragon Ice
718   Zygarde Dragon Ground
???   Hakamo-o Dragon Fighting
???   Kommo-o Dragon Fighting

Secondary Dragon-type Pokémon

# Pokémon Type 1 Type 2
006   Mega Charizard X Fire Dragon
103   Exeggutor
Alola Form
Grass Dragon
181   Mega Ampharos Electric Dragon
230   Kingdra Water Dragon
254   Mega Sceptile Grass Dragon
329   Vibrava Ground Dragon
330   Flygon Ground Dragon
483   Dialga Steel Dragon
484   Palkia Water Dragon
487   Giratina Ghost Dragon
  Ghost Dragon
633   Deino Dark Dragon
634   Zweilous Dark Dragon
635   Hydreigon Dark Dragon
691   Dragalge Poison Dragon
696   Tyrunt Rock Dragon
697   Tyrantrum Rock Dragon
714   Noibat Flying Dragon
715   Noivern Flying Dragon
???   Drampa Normal Dragon
???   Turtonator Fire Dragon

Moves

Gen Move Category Contest Power Accuracy PP Target Description
IV Draco Meteor Special Beautiful 130 90% 5 (max 8)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
Comets are summoned down from the sky onto the target. The attack's recoil harshly reduces the user's Sp. Atk stat.
II Dragon Breath Special Cool 60 100% 20 (max 32)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user exhales a mighty gust that inflicts damage. It may also leave the target with paralysis.
III Dragon Claw Physical Cool 80 100% 15 (max 24)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user slashes the target with huge, sharp claws.
III Dragon Dance Status Cool % 20 (max 32)
     
     
Self
The user vigorously performs a mystic, powerful dance that boosts its Attack and Speed stats.
IV Dragon Pulse Special Beautiful 85 100% 10 (max 16)
     
     
Anyone
The target is attacked with a shock wave generated by the user's gaping mouth.
I Dragon Rage Special Cool 100% 10 (max 16)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
This attack hits the target with a shock wave of pure rage. This attack always inflicts 40 HP damage.
IV Dragon Rush Physical Cool 100 75% 10 (max 16)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user tackles the target while exhibiting overwhelming menace. It may also make the target flinch.
V Dragon Tail Physical Tough 60 90% 10 (max 16)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user knocks away the target and drags out another Pokémon in its party. In the wild, the battle ends.
V Dual Chop Physical Tough 40 90% 15 (max 24)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user attacks its target by hitting it with brutal strikes. The target is hit twice in a row.
II Outrage Physical Cool 120 100% 10 (max 16)
     
     
Self
The user rampages and attacks for two to three turns. It then becomes confused, however.
IV Roar of Time Special Cool 150 90% 5 (max 8)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user blasts the target with power that distorts even time. The user must rest on the next turn.
IV Spacial Rend Special Tough 100 95% 5 (max 8)
     
     
Any adjacent Pokémon
The user tears the target along with the space around it. Critical hits land more easily.
II Twister Special Cool 40 100% 20 (max 32)
     
     
All adjacent foes
The user whips up a vicious tornado to tear at the opposing team. It may also make targets flinch.
All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.

Abilities

Interacting with the Dragon type

A Pokémon with Color Change, Protean, Imposter, or Multitype will become a Dragon-type Pokémon if (respectively) it is hit with a Dragon-type move, uses a Dragon-type move, is sent out against a Dragon-type opponent, or is holding a Draco Plate.

Exclusive Abilities

Currently, no Abilities are exclusive to Dragon types. This does not include signature Abilities.

Trivia

  • Generation V introduced the most Dragon-type Pokémon of any generation, with 10, and Generation II introduced the fewest Dragon-type Pokémon, with only one.
  • Generation IV introduced the most Dragon-type moves of any generation, with five, while Generation VI introduced the fewest, with zero.
  • In Generation I, there was no way to do super-effective Dragon-type damage, since the then-only Dragon-type attack, Dragon Rage, always deals 40 HP of damage.
    • Also, for the same reasons, there was no way to get STAB from a Dragon-type move in Generation I.
  • Sinnoh is the only region without a notable Dragon-type specialist.
  • There are only thirteen Dragon-type moves, the fewest of any type.
    • The Dragon type also has the fewest number of non-damaging moves out of all of the types, with only one.
  • In Generation I, no type resisted the Dragon type. However, there were no Dragon-type moves that utilized the standard damage formula in Generation I, making this a moot point.
  • In Generation III, all Dragon-type moves were Cool moves.
  • Dragon is the most common type to serve as version mascot, with seven Dragon-type Pokemon having served as mascots for eight games of the core series.
  • Dragon-type moves are tied with the Water type for having the most held items that boost their power: Draco Plate, Dragon Fang, Dragon Gem, and all three timespace orbs.
  • The Dragon type resists all three of the traditional primary types of core series starter Pokémon: Grass, Fire, and Water. In addition, it resists Electric, which was the type of the player's starter in Pokémon Yellow.
  • Currently, there are no Dragon-type Pokémon that evolve by a method other than leveling up.
  • More Pokemon gain the Dragon type through Mega Evolution than any other type, with three.

In other languages

Language Title
  Japanese ドラゴン Dragon
Chinese Cantonese Lùhng
Mandarin 龍 / 龙 Lóng
  Czech Dračí
  Danish Drage
  Dutch Draak
  Finnish Lohikäärme
  French Dragon
  German Drache
  Greek Δράκου Drákou
  Hebrew דרקון Dracon
  Hungarian Sárkány
  Indonesian Naga
Dragon
  Italian Drago
  Korean 드래곤 Dragon
  Norwegian Drage
  Polish Smok
Smoczy
  Portuguese Dragão
  Romanian Dragon
  Russian Дракон Drakon
  Spanish Dragón
  Swedish Drake
  Thai มังกร Mạngkr
  Vietnamese Rồng