Damage category: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:08, 10 April 2024

It has been suggested that this article be moved to Move category.
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Damage categories

	Physical
	Special
	Status

The category (Japanese: 分類 classification) or kind^[1] of a move is an element of said move that determines the kind of damage it deals.

In games prior to Generation IV, the type of a damaging move determines whether the move is physical (damage calculation is performed using the user's Attack and the target's Defense) or special (the user's Special Attack and the target's Special Defense).

It was first assigned to individual moves in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness for Shadow moves, and then applied to all moves starting in Generation IV. Among fans, this change is often known as the Physical/Special split.

Physical/Special split

The Physical/Special split allows Pokémon to use moves from a wider variety of types. For example, prior to Generation IV, Sneasel, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, was not effective at using moves with STAB, due to Ice-type moves and Dark-type moves both being special.

Several new moves were introduced to give more balance to formerly all-special and all-physical types, such as the physical Psychic-type moves Zen Headbutt and Psycho Cut; and the special Fighting-type moves Focus Blast, Vacuum Wave, and Aura Sphere. Other moves, such as Hyper Beam (which was physical prior to Generation IV but is now special), gained physical counterparts with the same characteristics (in this case, Giga Impact).

Type-based categories

The move categories used from Generations I to III are listed below.

The unused Bird type only exists in the first two generations and was defined as a physical type.

Category	Types
Physical	Normal	Fighting	Flying	Poison	Ground	Rock	Bug	Ghost	Steel
Special	Fire	Water	Grass	Electric	Psychic	Ice	Dragon	Dark

Status moves

Main article: Status move

Status moves act differently from both the other move categories, as they don't do direct damage. They also typically ignore type immunities, but Thunder Wave and Glare (in Generations II and III) are notable exceptions.

Icons

Trivia

Bite and Water Shuriken are the only moves to have changed damage categories outside of Generation IV and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Bite was changed from physical to special in Generation II when it was changed to a Dark-type move, and Water Shuriken was changed from physical to special in Generation VII.
- Bite is also the only move to have changed damage categories twice: once in Generation II when it turned from a Normal-type and thus physical move to a Dark-type and thus special move, and again in Generation IV when it was changed back to a physical move in the physical/special split.

References

↑ In Pokédex 3D

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	分類 Fānleuih
Chinese	Mandarin	分類 / 分类 Fēnlèi
French		Catégorie
German		Kategorie
Italian		Categoria
Korean		분류 Bullyu
Spanish		Categoría

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.

[1] In Pokédex 3D

[1]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 The '''category''' (Japanese: '''{{tt|分類|ぶんるい}}''' ''classification'') or '''kind'''<ref>In [[Pokédex 3D]]</ref> of a [[move]] is an element of said move that determines the kind of [[damage]] it deals.
-In games prior to Generation IV, the [[type]] of a damaging move determines whether the move is [[Physical moves|physical]] ({{DL|Damage|damage calculation}} is performed using the user's {{stat|Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Defense}}) or [[Special moves|special]] (the user's {{stat|Special Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Special Defense}}).
+In games prior to Generation IV, the [[type]] of a damaging move determines whether the move is [[Physical move|physical]] ({{DL|Damage|damage calculation}} is performed using the user's {{stat|Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Defense}}) or [[Special move|special]] (the user's {{stat|Special Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Special Defense}}).
 It was first assigned to individual moves in {{g|XD: Gale of Darkness}} for [[Shadow move]]s, and then applied to all moves starting in [[Generation IV]]. Among fans, this change is often known as the '''Physical/Special split'''.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==Type-based categories==
-The move categories used from [[Generation I]] to [[Generation III]] are listed below.
+The move categories used from [[Generation I|Generations I]] to {{gen|III}} are listed below.
+The unused {{t|Bird}} type only exists in the first two generations and was defined as a physical type.
 {| class="roundy" style="text-align: center; background: #ccc; border: 2px solid #888" cellpadding="3px"
 |- style="background: #C0C0FF;"
@@ Line 41: / Line 43: @@
 |}
-The unused {{DL|List of glitch types (Generation I)|Bird}} type from the Generation I games is physical.
+==Status moves==
+{{main|Status move}}
+Status moves act differently from both the other move categories, as they don't do direct damage. They also typically ignore type immunities, but Thunder Wave and Glare (in Generations [[Generation II|II]] and [[Generation III|III]]) are notable exceptions.
+==Icons==
+{| style="margin:auto; text-align:center; {{roundy|20px}} border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#{{Black color}}; font-size:80%"
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc; {{roundytl|20px}}" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions|Pokémon Diamond, Pearl}}, and {{color2|000|Pokémon Platinum Version|Platinum}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC IV.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC IV.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC IV.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions|Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC HGSS.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC HGSS.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC HGSS.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Generation V}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC BW.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC BW.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC BW.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Generation VI}} and {{color2|000|Generation VII|VII}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC LGPE.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC LGPE.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC LGPE.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Sword and Shield}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC SwSh.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC SwSh.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC SwSh.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC BDSP.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC BDSP.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC BDSP.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Legends: Arceus}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC LA.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC LA.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC LA.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Scarlet and Violet}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC SV.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC SV.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC SV.png]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon Masters EX}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC Masters.png|100px]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC Masters.png|100px]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC Masters.png|100px]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc" | {{color2|000|Pokémon HOME}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:PhysicalIC HOME.png|100px]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:SpecialIC HOME.png|100px]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:StatusIC HOME.png|100px]]
+|-
+| style="background-color: #fcfcfc; {{roundybl|20px}}" | {{color2|000|Pokémon HOME}}
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:Physical icon HOME.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:Special icon HOME.png]]
+|style="border:2px solid #{{Black color dark}}; background:#eee; width:100px; height:80px; {{roundy|20px}}" | [[File:Status icon HOME.png]]
+|}
 ==Trivia==
-* {{m|Bite}} and {{m|Water Shuriken}} are the only moves to have changed damage categories outside of Generation IV. Bite was changed from physical to special in [[Generation II]] when it was changed to a Dark-type move, and Water Shuriken was changed from physical to special in [[Generation VII]].
+* {{m|Bite}} and {{m|Water Shuriken}} are the only moves to have changed damage categories outside of Generation IV and [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]]. Bite was changed from physical to special in [[Generation II]] when it was changed to a Dark-type move, and Water Shuriken was changed from physical to special in [[Generation VII]].
 ** {{m|Bite}} is also the only move to have changed damage categories twice: once in Generation II when it turned from a Normal-type and thus physical move to a Dark-type and thus special move, and again in Generation IV when it was changed back to a physical move in the physical/special split.

Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Generation V
Generation VI and VII
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Pokémon Masters EX
Pokémon HOME
Pokémon HOME