Since its debut back in Generation VI, the Fairy-type has become a real threat in the Pokémon games. Introduced as a way to combat the once overpowered Dragon-type, Fairy creatures are immune to the giant lizards’ attacks. They resist Bug, Dark, and Fighting, but are vulnerable to Poison and Steel. Lastly, the Fire-type is resistant to Fairy.
An overall strong and consistent type, Fairy has a total of thirty-five moves, including Max, G-Max, and Z-Moves. More than half are non-damaging status moves, and only two of its damaging moves are Physical. This makes Fairy a Special type, which does not bode well for Physical attackers like Granbull or Mawile.
Updated on January 5, 2022, by Jake Koran: Fairy-type moves can be incredibly dominant, mainly because of their relation to Dragon, Dark, and Fighting, three types that can cause a lot of problems. With some actions that pack a punch and others that significantly boost the stats of their users, some of the best Fairy-type moves should be a staple of any player’s roster.
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Fairy Wind
Though it is not the strongest among the Fairy-type attacks, Fairy Wind is a consistent option that should not be ignored, especially at lower levels. Some of the strongest fully evolved pure Fairy-type Pokémon learn it early on, giving them a reliable attack to use in battle.
Fairy Wind has a base power of 40 and a base accuracy 0f 100%. It gets outclassed at higher levels, but it is a powerful enough attack to get trainers through some of the more challenging early-game battles.
Disarming Voice
Like Fairy Wind, Disarming Voice is not the best Fairy-type move out there. It has a base power of 40, keeping it from being one of the stronger options as players progress through a game. However, what makes it better than Fairy Wind is its accuracy. While Fairy Wind has an accuracy of 100%, the Pokémon can still miss as a result of the user having its accuracy lowered or the target increasing its evasiveness.
Disarming Voice bypasses the accuracy check, though, giving it an essentially guaranteed hit, barring specific circumstances like confusion, the target entering a semi-invulnerable turn, etc. Disarming Voice also affects all adjacent opponents, giving it more viability in double battles.
Draining Kiss
Introduced in Generation VI, Draining Kiss is the only Fairy-type HP-draining move. It does damage and also restores the user’s HP by 75% of the damage that was dealt. It can further be enhanced by the use of a Big Root, which increases the draining power by 30%, making it a worthwhile combination.
Draining Kiss is affected by Protect, Mirror Move, and Heal Block. Twenty-one Pokémon learn this move by leveling up. It is TM87 in Generation VIII and can be taught to a total of sixty-seven Pokémon.
Nature’s Madness
Nature’s Madness is a move used by the four guardian deities: Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini. The move has a base accuracy of 90%, so it is not guaranteed to hit, but it does more often than not. While it does not have a specific base power, Nature’s Madness has the effect of cutting the target’s current HP in half.
It loses some of its viability against many other opponents that would be more easily defeated with a standard attack, but it is incredibly useful against foes that have a massive HP stat.
Spirit Break
One of the signature moves of Generation VIII’s Dark/Fairy Pokémon Grimmsnarl, one of Galar’s most ferocious-looking creatures, Spirit Break is a damage-dealing move with 75 Power and 100% accuracy. It is said that the user attacks with such force that it could break the target’s spirit.
Spirit Break also lowers the target’s Special Attack by one stage and it can be considered as the Fairy counterpart of the move Mystical Fire. Grimmsnarl learns this attack upon first evolving. It is one of the two Physical Fairy moves. As of Generation VIII, it is not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.
Geomancy
Xerneas, perhaps the strongest among the Kalos Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, has a signature move in Geomancy, which can help it in battle dramatically. It is a two-turn move, and the first turn consists of the Pokémon charging. On the second, Xerneas gains a significant boost to its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, with each raising by two stages.
The fact that Geomancy takes two turns to use can make it appear less viable, but as long as Xerneas does not faint on its first turn, which it likely will not, the move can allow it to sweep.
Dazzling Gleam
One of the original Fairy-type moves introduced in Generation VI, Dazzling Gleam has 80 power and 100% accuracy. It damages all adjacent Pokémon, but not allies, making it an incredibly reliable attack that can get trainers through some tough double battles. It does not make contact in the games, although the opposite happens in the anime.
Dazzling Gleam was TM99 in Generation VI, Pokémon Sun &Moon, and Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, TM32 in Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee, and TR92 in Sword & Shield.
Strange Steam
One of the most inspired regional variants so far, Galarian Weezing seems to be based on Victorian-era gentlemen’s top hats. Its design also draws inspiration from perfume bottles and chimneys. A Pokémon with a unique typing, this Poison/Fairy creature has a signature move, Strange Steam.
A 90 power and 95% accurate move, Strange Steam also has a 20% chance of confusing the target. Because of its status as a signature move, it is not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move. It is one of several moves that Galarian Weezing learns at level 1.
Sparkly Swirl
The Let’s Go games introduced several signature moves for the partner Pokémon, Pikachu and Eevee. These greatly benefit them and make them far more viable in battle. Throughout a trainer’s journey with their partner Eevee, the Pokémon can learn one attack from each of the types that it can usually evolve into.
Sparkly Swirl is the Fairy-type move. With 100% accuracy and 90 base power, the move also cures the user, its allies, and all Pokémon in the trainer’s party of all non-volatile status conditions: sleep, poison, paralysis, freeze, and burn. In addition to being one of the cutest Normal-type Pokémon, Eevee becomes much more capable in battle with help from this stellar move.
Play Rough
Play Rough is a damage-dealing move introduced in Generation VI. It has a base power 0f 90 but is only 95% accurate. It is the second and last of the Physical Fairy-type moves and has a 10% chance of lowering the target’s Attack stat by one stage.
Several non-Fairy Pokémon can learn Play Rough by leveling up, including Growlithe and Arcanine, Miltank, Yamper and Boltund, and Cufant and Copperajah. It was TM44 in Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee and TR90 in Sword & Shield.
Guardian Of Alola
Guardian of Alola is a Z-Move of the guardian deities and is a more powerful version of their signature Nature’s Madness. Unlike its standard version, Guardian of Alola bypasses the accuracy check, and instead of cutting half of the target’s current HP, the move cuts 75%.
As a Z-Move, it can usually only be used once per battle, and like with Nature’s Madness, it is sometimes better to use a standard attack. However, there are many situations in which using Guardian of Alola gives trainers a significant advantage in a matchup.
Moonblast
Another of the many Fairy-type moves initially introduced in Generation VI, Moonblast is both Special and damage-dealing. With a base power of 90 and 100% accuracy, it is one of the most powerful Fairy moves in the game. It also has a 30% chance of lowering the target’s Special Attack by one stage.
Moonblast is not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move. Thirty-nine Pokémon can learn it by leveling up and two, Alolan Vulpix and Cutiefly, can learn it by Breeding. Furthermore, two event-exclusive Pokémon — Kimia’s Shiny Gardevoir and Tanabata Jirachi — came with the move.
Misty Explosion
Introduced in Generation VIII, Misty Explosion is a 100 base power, 100% accurate damage-dealing move. After dealing said damage, the user faints immediately. If Misty Terrain is in effect, the move’s power increases by 1.5, taking it all the way to 150.
It is a Move Tutor move, available only in the 2020 DLC, Isle of Armor. It can be learned by 22 Pokémon and affects all Pokémon adjacent to the user, including allies.
Fleur Cannon
The signature move of the Mythical Magearna, one of the best dual-type Fairy Pokémon, Fleur Cannon deals 130 damage but also lowers the user’s Special Attack by two whole stages. It also has 90% accuracy, making it even more problematic. Because of its status as a signature move, it is not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.
Fleur Cannon can be seen as the Fairy equivalent of moves like Overheat, Draco Meteor, and Leaf Storm. They all have 130 base power and harshly lower the user’s Special Attack afterward.
Let’s Snuggle Forever
The Z-version move of Play Rough, Let’s Snuggle Forever is also Mimikyu’s exclusive Z-Move. As such, in order to be used, Mimikyu must know Play Rough, and the trainer must have a Mimikium Z-Crystal. It has an absurdly high 190 base power, and it bypasses the accuracy check.
Let’s Snuggle Forever affects both the targets and the user’s ally Pokémon. This can be concerning, but given the massive damage it inflicts on opponents, it is often worth it. The attack was introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.