The 10 best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can have some incredible attack power. Of course, what they have in attack power, they lack in defense, and they have a handful of weaknesses that players can quickly use to their advantage. Nevertheless, they’re still worthwhile to add to your team, and some choices are better than others. Here’s what you need to know about the 10 best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

The best Fighting-type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Annihilape

A new Pokémon to the series, Annihilape is the third evolution for Mankey, giving it a unique Ghost and Fighting-type twist. It’s an exceptionally strong Pokémon and an even more robust Fighting-type Pokémon that we highly recommend. You’ll want to add it to your team if you’re looking to use a Pokémon with high Attack and Health points, but it lacks in the Special Attack department. With higher-than-average Speed and Special Defense, Annihilape has earned a superb reputation.

Related: The 10 best Normal type Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Crabominable

Crabominable is an Ice and Fighting-type Pokémon. Although it might not have the best standard Defense, Special Defense, or Special Defense, it does make up for it with a huge amount of Attack power. You’ll want to stick to more physical attacks when using Crabominable, but it can be a useful Pokémon if you’re looking to take down any Dragon, Flying, Grass, or Ground-type Pokémon, just keep Crabominable’s lower defenses in mind.

Great Tusk

The Great Tusk is a Paradox Pokémon in the Scarlet and Violet series. It’s the past version of Donphan, and it becomes a Ground and Fighting-type Pokémon. Great Tusk’s Attack and Defense are extremely high, and it has a good amount of Health to back it up, but it does have extremely low Special Attack and Special Defense, meaning it won’t do too well against any unique attacks an opponent dishes out. Therefore, you’ll want to consider your matchups, which can limit Great Tusk’s usefulness on a team.

Iron Hands

Iron Hands is another Paradox Pokémon in the Scarlet and Violet games. It’s a future version of Hariyama and becomes an Electric and Fighting-type Pokémon. Like Great Tusk, Iron Hands’ Health and Attack power skyrockets in this form, making it a Pokémon that can take several hits before it goes down, and it has a relatively high Defense stat. However, similar to Great Tusk, Iron Hands also has a low Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, meaning it will likely go second in a battle. It might be in trouble if paired with an opponent that excels with Special Attacks.

Iron Valiant

Iron Valiant is another Paradox Pokémon, a future version of Gallade. It’s a mixture between Gallade and Gardevoir, and it’s a bit different than the previous Fighting-type Paradox Pokémon we’ve talked about, where it has high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed but lower Special Defense and Health. It won’t be able to take too many hits from an opponent, but you can mix up its movesets far more than other Pokémon. However, it still favors using physical attacks as any Fighting-type Pokémon typically does.

Lucario

Next, we have Lucario, a Steel and Fighting-type Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet. It’s a returning favorite in the series that has been around for several generations. What makes Lucario special is that it has a decent amount of defense, but it has a slightly higher Special Attack stat than it does Attack, making it a standout to other Fighting types, giving you a bit more flexibility about what moves you can teach it. You’ll still want to be careful because despite Lucario being a Steel-type, it doesn’t have a high defense, but it is resilient to multiple Pokémon attack types.

Passimian

Passimian is another Pokémon you can find that we highly recommend as a decent Fighting-type. It has high Attack, Health, and Defense stats but an extremely low Special Attack, so you only want to use physical attacks with this Pokémon. Any other attack type would be pointless, and you’re better off focusing on making it a powerhouse for your team.

Pawmot

Pawmot is a Pokémon introduced in Scarlet and Violet games, an Electric and Fighting-type Pokémon. This unique combination gives Pawmot a high Attack and Speed stat, but it does lack in nearly every other department. You might be better off using this Pokémon at the beginning of your journey and swapping it out for another choice as you progress further in your game, but it’s still a decent Fighting-type to have on your team.

Quaquaval

Quaquaval is the final evolution of one of the starter Pokémon, Quaxly, evolving into a Fighting and Water-type Pokémon. Quaquaval is a generalist Pokémon in that none of its stats are extraordinary, but it does have a higher-than-average Attack stat, and you can boost this Pokémon’s speed by using its unique attack, Aqua Step, throughout an encounter. It’s not a standout Pokémon, but its above-average stats on everything makes it a flexible choice for any team.

Slither Wings

The final Pokémon on this list is Slither Wings, another Paradox Pokémon. It’s the past version of Volcarona, turning it into a Bug and Fighting-type. Similar to Quaquaval, a majority of its stats are above-average, but it has a high Attack and Special Defense, meaning it can withstand more special attacks from other Pokémon, far better than most Fighting-types could. It is a flexible Pokémon to add to your team, depending on the other Pokémon you have on your roster to help support it.