Damage category: Difference between revisions

{{Move|Move category}}

The '''category''' (Japanese: '''{{tt|分類|ぶんるい}}''' ''classification'') or '''kind'''<ref group=note>Name used in the English version of [[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 formula|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}}).

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'''.

The Physical/Special split allows {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} to use moves from a wider variety of types. For example, prior to Generation IV, {{p|Sneasel}}, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, was not effective at using moves with [[Same-type attack bonus|STAB]], due to {{type|Ice}} moves and {{type|Dark}} 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 {{type|Psychic}} moves {{m|Zen Headbutt}} and {{m|Psycho Cut}}; and the special Fighting-type moves {{m|Focus Blast}}, {{m|Vacuum Wave}}, and {{m|Aura Sphere}}. Other moves, such as {{m|Hyper Beam}} (which was physical prior to Generation IV but is now special), gained physical counterparts with the same characteristics (in this case, {{m|Giga Impact}}).

The move categories used from [[Generation I]] to [[Generation III]] are listed below.

'''[[Physical move]]s:''' {{typecolor|Normal}}{{typecolor|Fighting}}{{typecolor|Flying}}{{typecolor|Ground}}{{typecolor|Rock}}{{typecolor|Bug}}{{typecolor|Ghost}}{{typecolor|Poison}}{{typecolor|Steel}}

'''[[Special move]]s:''' {{typecolor|Water}}{{typecolor|Grass}}{{typecolor|Fire}}{{typecolor|Ice}}{{typecolor|Electric}}{{typecolor|Psychic}}{{typecolor|Dragon}}{{typecolor|Dark}}

The unused {{DL|List of glitch types|Bird}} type from the Generation I games is physical.

==Notes==

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