What Are the Energy Types in Pokémon TCG?

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Plus, learn about each type’s strengths & weaknesses

Co-authored by Devin McSween

Last Updated: December 12, 2025 Fact Checked

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Energy Types

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Determining Energy Type

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What are Energy cards?

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How many Energy cards do I need?

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Video

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Tips

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), every Pokémon and its associated attack moves have an Energy type, which helps determine how much damage a Pokémon gives and takes. If you’re new to the TCG or just need a refresher on all the Pokémon card energy types, we’re here to help! We’ll go over all of the Energy types (including their strengths and weaknesses), explain what Energy cards are, and give you tips on adding Energy cards to your deck. Keep reading to learn more!

Pokémon Energy Types in the TCG

An image listing the Energy types in Pokémon TCG and their corresponding symbols.

There are 10 playable Energy types in Pokémon TCG: Colorless, Darkness, Dragon, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Lightning, Metal, Psychic, and Water. Fairy was previously a type, but it’s no longer legally playable. To use a Pokémon’s attack, add the specific type(s) of Energy card to the Pokémon in the required number.

Section 1 of 4:

Energy Types in Pokémon TCG

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1
Colorless The Colorless Energy type is designated by a white circle with a star in the center. There are Colorless-type Pokémon (which include Normal and Flying-type Pokémon from the video games), like Eevee and Noctowl, and Colorless-type attacks. Colorless-types are versatile attackers and easy to power up, especially with Special Energy cards (like Double Colorless Energy).^{[1]
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- Colorless Pokémon have a weakness to: Lightning, Fighting, and Colorless Pokémon.
- Colorless Pokémon have a resistance to: Psychic, Fighting, Fire, Grass, and Water Pokémon.
- Colorless Pokémon are strong against: Colorless Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Colorless Energy Card? No, there is no Basic Colorless Energy card. Instead, Colorless-type Pokémon fuel their attacks with any Basic Energy card (like Darkness, Grass, Lightning, etc.). However, there are Special Energy cards, like Double Colorless Energy, that specifically give Colorless-type Pokémon energy.^{[2]
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Darkness Darkness Energy is designated by a teal circle with a crescent shape in the middle. The energy type includes Darkness Pokémon (which consist of Dark and Poison-type Pokémon from the video games) like Umbreon and Grimer, and powers Darkness-type attacks. Darkness-types are based on sneaky attacks, like forcing the opponent to retreat, removing the opponent’s Energy card, and poisoning the opponent.^{[3]
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- Darkness Pokémon have a weakness to: Fighting and Grass Pokémon.
- Darkness Pokémon have a resistance to: Psychic Pokémon.
- Darkness Pokémon are strong against: Psychic Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Darkness Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Darkness Energy card powers Darkness-type moves. It’s a black card with the Darkness logo in the center.
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Dragon The Dragon Energy type is marked by a gold circle with a dragon face in the center. Dragon-type Pokémon include Dragon-type Pokémon from the video game series, like Salamence and Rayquaza. However, unlike the video games, there are no Dragon-type attacks in Pokémon TCG. Instead, Dragon-type Pokémon have Colorless moves or attacks of other types (Fire, Water, etc.). Dragon-types are typically very powerful and have high HP, plus many are Legendary Pokémon.^{[4]
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- Dragon Pokémon have a weakness to: Dragon Pokémon.
- Dragon Pokémon have a resistance to: None.
- Dragon Pokémon are strong against: Dragon Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Dragon Energy Card? No, there is no Basic Dragon Energy card. Dragon-type Pokémon typically have moves that require Colorless Energy or an energy of a different type. However, there is a special Energy card, Double Dragon Energy, that only Dragon-type Pokémon can use.^{[5]
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Fighting The Fighting Energy type is defined by a brown circle with a fist in the center. There are Fighting-type Pokémon (which include Fighting, Rock, and Ground-type Pokémon from the video games), like Machamp and Onix, and Fighting-type attacks. The Fighting-type is physically powerful and typically deals a lot of damage. Plus, they’re great for combo hits.^{[6]
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- Fighting Pokémon have a weakness to: Psychic, Grass, and Water Pokémon.
- Fighting Pokémon have a resistance to: Lightning Pokémon.
- Fighting Pokémon are strong against: Darkness, Colorless, and Lightning Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Fighting Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Fighting Energy card powers Fighting-type attacks. It’s a brown card with the Fighting symbol in the center.
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Fire The Fire Energy type is marked by a red circle with a flame in the center. This energy type includes Fire-type Pokémon (which consist of all Fire-type Pokémon from the video games) like Charizard and Pyroar, and Fire-type attacks. The Fire Energy type inflicts a lot of damage and often results in the opponent getting Burned. Because the attacks are so powerful, though, they usually require you to discard the Energy card.^{[7]
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- Fire Pokémon have a weakness to: Water Pokémon.
- Fire Pokémon have a resistance to: None.
- Fire Pokémon are strong against: Grass and Metal Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Fire Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Fire Energy card fuels Fire-type attacks. It’s a red card with the Fire symbol in the center.
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Grass The Grass Energy type is designated by a green circle with a leaf in the center. This Energy type includes Grass-type Pokémon (which consist of Grass and Bug-type Pokémon from the video games) like Meowscarada and Scyther, as well as Grass-type attacks. Grass types have the unique ability to heal, making them great for defensive play, and inflict several types of status conditions (like Sleep, Paralysis, Confusion, and Poison).^{[8]
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- Grass Pokémon have a weakness to: Fire and Psychic Pokémon.
- Grass Pokémon have a resistance to: Fighting and Water Pokémon.
- Grass Pokémon are strong against: Fighting, Water, and Darkness Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Grass Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Grass Energy card powers Grass-type attacks. It’s a green card with the Grass symbol in the middle.
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Lightning The Lightning Energy type is depicted with a yellow circle with a lightning bolt in the center. There are Lightning-type Pokémon (which includes Electric-type Pokémon from the video games) like Ampharos and Pawmot and Lightning-type moves. Lightning attacks often inflict Paralysis on the opponent and allow you to move discarded Energy cards back into your hand.^{[9]
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- Lightning Pokémon have a weakness to: Fighting and Lightning Pokémon.
- Lightning Pokémon have a resistance to: Metal and Fighting Pokémon.
- Lightning Pokémon are strong against: Water Pokémon (plus, any Flying-type Pokémon in the video games).
- Is there a Basic Lightning Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Lightning Energy card powers Lightning-type attacks. It’s a yellow card with the Lightning symbol in the center.
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Metal The Metal Energy type is marked by a silver circle with a gear-like symbol in the center. This type includes Metal-type Pokémon (which are made up of Steel-type Pokémon from the video games) like Bisharp and Magnemite, and Metal-type moves. Metal types can take a lot of damage and deal it right back, often causing opponents to take damage when they hit them.^{[10]
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- Metal Pokémon have a weakness to: Fire Pokémon.
- Metal Pokémon have a resistance to: Grass and Psychic Pokémon.
- Metal Pokémon are strong against: Water and Psychic Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Metal Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Metal Energy card charges up Metal-type moves. It’s a silver card with the Metal symbol in the center.
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Psychic The Psychic Energy type is designated by a purple circle with an open eye in the center. There are Psychic-type Pokémon (which consist of Psychic, Ghost, and Fairy-type Pokémon from the video games) like Alakazam and Mimikyu, and Psychic-type moves. Psychic-type attacks can prevent an opponent’s ability from working and inflict status effects (like Confusion and Sleep), and help you draw additional cards.^{[11]
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- Psychic Pokémon have a weakness to: Darkness, Psychic, and Metal Pokémon.
- Psychic Pokémon have a resistance to: Fighting and Colorless Pokémon.
- Psychic Pokémon are strong against: Grass, Fighting, and Psychic Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Psychic Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Psychic Energy card powers up Psychic-type moves. It’s a purple card with the Psychic symbol in the center.
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Water The Water Energy type is marked with a blue circle with a water droplet in the center. The type includes Water-type Pokémon (which are made up of Water and Ice-type Pokémon from the video games) like Blastoise and Baxcalibur, and Water-type moves. Water types are easy to power up, making them great for attacking, and typically have high HPs, making them great for defense, too.^{[12]
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- Fighting Pokémon have a weakness to: Lightning, Grass, and Metal Pokémon.
- Fighting Pokémon have a resistance to: None.
- Fighting Pokémon are strong against: Fire and Fighting Pokémon.
- Is there a Basic Water Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Water Energy card powers Water-type moves. It’s a blue card with the Water symbol in the center.
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Fairy The Fairy type was previously a part of Pokémon TCG, but it was discontinued in 2020 with the introduction of the Sword & Shield expansion pack. The Fairy Energy type included Fairy-type Pokémon (which were made up of Fairy-type Pokémon from the video games) like Clefairy and Togekiss, as well as Fairy-type moves. This energy type was marked by a pink circle with a pair of wings and a star shape in the center.^{[13]
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- All Pokémon that were classified as Fairy-types are now classified as Psychic-types.
- Since Fairy Energy cards are officially retired in the TCG, they’re no longer legally playable in standard tournament play.
- Is there a Basic Fairy Energy Card? Yes. The Basic Fairy Energy card was used to power Fairy-type moves. It’s a pink card with the Fairy symbol in the center.

Section 2 of 4:

How to Determine a Card’s Energy Type

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Look for the Energy symbol in the top-right corner of the card. All Pokémon, Basic Energy, and Special Energy cards display the Energy type in the right-hand corner of the card. Simply look for the symbol to determine what the Energy type is (e.g., blue water droplet for Water, yellow lightning bolt for Lightning).
- Basic Energy cards are titled with the Energy type (e.g., Basic Water Energy), making it easy to tell which Energy type it is.
- Basic Energy and Special Energy cards also display the Energy symbol in the middle of the card.

Section 3 of 4:

What are Energy cards?

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Energy cards power a Pokémon’s moves and attacks. Each Pokémon has at least 1 attack move, which you can only use once you attach the required Energy cards to the Pokémon. The specific type of Energy you need, as well as the number of Energy cards, is listed above the move. However, you can only place 1 Energy card on the Pokémon per turn.
- The Energy cards you attach to the Pokémon must match the Energy type required for the move. For instance, if the move requires 2 Water Energy, you can only use it if you attach 2 Basic Water Energy cards. If you attach a Water and a Metal Energy card, you can’t use the move.
- In addition to Basic Energy cards, there are Special Energy cards. These cards sometimes boost Energy by providing 2 or 3 Energy at a time, or provide other benefits like healing damage or allowing you to draw an extra card.

Section 4 of 4:

How many Energy cards should I include in my deck?

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Include 10-20 Energy cards in your deck, depending on your strategy. When playing Pokémon TCG, your deck must consist of 60 cards, including all Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards.^{[14]
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Research source} In general, including 10 to 20 Energy cards in your deck is considered the sweet spot. However, the specific number you need really just depends on your strategy.
- For instance, if you only play with 1 to 2 types of Pokémon, you may only need 5 to 8 Energy cards.
- But, if you play with a lot of different Pokémon types, or your Pokémon’s moves require a lot of Energy, you may want 15 or more Energy cards in your deck.
- Looking for more tips on how to build your deck? Check out our article on Building a Powerful Pokémon Deck.

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In Pokémon TCG Pocket, there are only 8 Energy types: Darkness, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Lightning, Metal, Psychic, and Water.^{[15]
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