Steel type

The Steel type (はがねタイプ Hagane taipu in Japanese) is one of the eighteen Pokémon elemental types.

It was introduced in Generation II along with the Dark type to balance the Psychic type and Normal type, as both types were great offensively, but the Steel type was made for Pokémon defensively. It was also made for its many resistances as pure Steel types had 10 resistances and Electric/Steel types had 11 resistances along with a Poison-type immunity for both matchups.

Steel-type Pokémon stand out for having great defense against both physical and special attacks, and a large number of resistances. However, some Steel types are capable of going on the offensive on either the physical or special spectrum. Nonetheless, Steel type Pokémon are heavy and thus have low Speed.

While most Steel types resembles everyday objects made out of metal (such as the Magnemite, Beldum, and Honedge evolutionary line, as well as Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, and Klefki), there are a few Steel types that are biological organisms outfitted with metallic armor (such as Bisharp, Lucario, and Steelix).

Steel-type Pokémon draw their powers from light based attacks (mostly Special attacks) due to the glistening properties of metal.

Along with the Rock and Ground types, Steel represents part of the Earth's minerals as types.

Famous Steel-type Pokémon Trainers include Jasmine, the sixth Johto Gym Leader; Steven Stone, the Hoenn Champion; Byron, the sixth Gym Leader of Sinnoh; and Wikstrom, a member of the Kalos Pokémon League. Also, Colress, who is part of the new Team Plasma, and Molayne, a former Trial Captain of Alola's Ula'ula Island, use Pokémon of this type as well.

Steel-type moves

• There are 26 Steel-type moves.
  • In Generation II, 3 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation III, 4 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation IV, 7 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation V, 4 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation VI, 1 move has been introduced.
  • In Generation VII, 4 moves were introduced.
  • In Generation VIII, 3 moves were introduced.
  • No moves were introduced in Generation I.
• In battles: Physical moves stand out.
  • 17 moves are of the type.
  • 4 moves are of the type.
  • 5 moves are of the type.
• In contests: Cool moves stand out.
  • 9 moves are of the type.
  • 5 moves are of the type.
  • 6 moves are of the type.
  • 3 moves are of the type.
  • There are no moves of the type.
  • 3 moves have no typing in contest.

List of Steel-type moves

Name	Category	Contest	Generation	Power
Anchor Shot			Generation VII	85
Autotomize			Generation V	-
Behemoth Bash		-	Generation VIII	100
Behemoth Blade		-	Generation VIII	100
Bullet Punch			Generation IV	40
Double Iron Bash			Generation VII	60
Doom Desire			Generation III	140
Flash Cannon			Generation IV	80
Gear Grind			Generation V	50 (x2)
Gyro Ball			Generation IV	1-150
Heavy Slam			Generation V	40-120
Iron Defense			Generation III	-
Iron Head			Generation IV	80
Iron Tail			Generation II	100
King's Shield			Generation VI	-
Magnet Bomb			Generation IV	60
Metal Burst			Generation IV	-
Metal Claw			Generation II	50
Metal Sound			Generation III	-
Meteor Mash			Generation III	90
Mirror Shot			Generation IV	65
Shift Gear			Generation V	-
Smart Strike			Generation VII	-
Steel Beam			Generation VIII	140
Steel Wing			Generation II	70
Sunsteel Strike		-	Generation VII	100

Effectiveness of Steel-type moves

×2

Super effective against Pokémon of the types: , and .

½

Not very effective against Pokémon of the types: , , and .

Weaknesses and resistances of the Steel type

A type chart displaying the weaknesses and resistances of a Pokémon when damaged by a move. Empty fields are moves that do normal damage.

×4 Doubly super effective

×2 Super effective

½ Resistant

¼ Very resistant

×0 Immune

	Type of the move
	½		½		½	×2	×2	½		½	×2	½	½	×0	½	½	½
	½		½		½		×4			¼		½	½	×0	½		½
		½	½			×4	×2	½	½	½	×2	½	½	×0	×0	½	½
	½			½		×2		½		¼	×2		½	×0	½	½	½	½
	½		½	½	½	×2	×2	¼		½	×4	½	½	×0	½	½	¼
	¼	½	×0		½		×2	½		½	×2	½	½	×0	½	½
	¼	½	½			×2	×2			½	×2	½	½	×0		¼	½
	¼		½		¼	×2		½		¼	×4	¼	½	×0	½		¼	×2
	¼		½	×2	½		×2	½		¼	×0		½	×0	½		½
	¼	×2	½		½	×0	×2	½	×2	½	×2	½	×0	×0	½	½	½
			½	½	½	×2	×4			¼			½	×0	½	½	½	½
	½		½	×0	½	×2	×2	½			×2		½	×0	½	¼	½	×2
	½		½		½	×4	×4	½		½	×2	¼	½	×0	½
		×2	½		½		×2	½	×2	½	×2	½	½	×0	¼	½	½
	½		½		½	×4		¼			×4	½	¼	×0	½	½		×2
	½		½	×2	½	×2		½			×2	¼	½	×0	½	½	¼	½

Steel-type-Pokémon Trainers

Steel-type-Pokémon Gym Leaders

Leader	Location	Badge
Jasmine	Olivine City, Johto	Mineral Badge
Byron	Canalave City, Sinnoh	Mine Badge

Steel-type-Pokémon Elite Four members

Competence	Category
Steven Stone	Hoenn Champion
Wikstrom	Kalos Elite Four
Molayne	Alola Elite Four

Steel type records

• Mega Steelix is the tallest Steel type.
• Klefki, Alolan Diglett, and Meltan all tie for the smallest Steel type.
• Celesteela is the heaviest Steel type.
• Kartana is the lightest Steel type.
• Beldum evolves at the lowest level (20)
• Pawniard evolves at the highest level (52)
• Solgaleo has the most HP of all Steel-types (137)
• Kartana has the most Attack of all Steel-types (181)
• Mega Aggron and Mega Steelix have the most Defense of all Steel-types (230)
• Dialga has the most Sp. Atk of all Steel-types (150)
• Registeel and Probopass both have the most Sp. Def of all Steel-types (150)
• Zacian (Crowned Sword) has the most Speed of all Steel-types (148)
• Zacian (Crowned Sword) and Zamazenta (Crowned Shield) have the highest base stat totals of all Steel-types (720)

Steel-type Pokémon

53 Pokémon are Steel type. (6.36% of all Pokémon)

Pure Steel-type Pokémon

8 Pokémon are pure Steel type. (7.84% of the Steel-type Pokémon)

Meowth	Registeel	Klink	Klang	Klinklang	Meltan
#052 ----	#379 ----	#599 ----	#600 ----	#601 ----	Meltan #808 ----
Melmetal	Perrserker	Cufant	Copperajah
Melmetal #809 ----	#878 ----	#878 ----	#879 ----

Primary Steel-type Pokémon

20 Pokémon are primary Steel type. (39.22% of the Steel-type Pokémon)

Steelix	Skarmory	Mawile	Aron	Lairon	Aggron
#208 ----	#227 ----	#303 ----	#304 ----	#305 ----	#306 ----
Beldum	Metang	Metagross	Jirachi	Bronzor	Bronzong
#374 ----	#375 ----	#376 ----	#385 ----	#436 ----	#437 ----
Dialga	Cobalion	Honedge	Doublade	Aegislash	Klefki
#483 ----	#638 ----	#679 ----	#680 ----	#681 ----	#707 ----
Celesteela	Magearna	Duraludon
#797 ----	#801 ----	#884 ----

Secondary Steel-type Pokémon

28 Pokémon are secondary Steel type. (52.94% of the Steel-type Pokémon)

Alolan Sandshrew	Alolan Sandslash	Alolan Diglett	Alolan Dugtrio	Magnemite	Magneton
#027 ----	#028 ----	#050 ----	#051 ----	#081 ----	#082 ----
Forretress	Scizor	Empoleon	Shieldon	Bastiodon	Wormadam
#205 ----	#212 ----	#395 ----	#410 ----	#411 ----	Wormadam #413 ----
Lucario	Magnezone	Probopass	Heatran	Excadrill	Escavalier
#448 ----	#462 ----	#476 ----	#485 ----	#530 ----	#589 ----
Ferroseed	Ferrothorn	Pawniard	Bisharp	Durant	Genesect
#597 ----	#598 ----	#624 ----	#625 ----	#632 ----	#649 ----
Togedemaru	Solgaleo	Kartana	Stakataka	Corviknight	Zacian (Crown Sword)
#777 ----	#791 ----	#798 ----	#805 ----	#823 ----	#888 ----
Zamazenta (Crown Shield)
#889 ----

Pokémon with Steel-type alternate forms

The following alternate forms of some Pokémon are also of the Steel type.

Mega Steelix	Mega Scizor	Mega Mawile	Mega Aggron	Mega Metagross	Mega Lucario
#208 ----	#212 ----	#303 ----	#306 ----	#376 ----	#448 ----
Arceus	Aegislash Blade Mode	Silvally	Dusk Mane Necrozma	Gigantamax Melmetal	Gigantamax Corviknight
#493 ----	Aegislash #681 ----	#773 ----	Dusk Mane Necrozma #800 ----	#809 ----	#823 ----
Gigantamax Copperajah	Gigantamax Duraludon	Crown Sword Zacian	Crown Shield Zamazenta
#879 ----	#884 ----	#888 ----	#889 ----

Relations with other types

• They're strong against the Fairy type because, in European mythology, fairies lose their power with metals, also, they are burnt when touching them. Alternatively, it could be due to Clarke's Law, "any sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
• They're strong against the Ice and Rock types because metal tools are often used to break ice and rocks.
• They're weak against the Fighting type because if given hard blows, the steel can bend or break due to its low elasticity hence the phrase "man over machine".
• They're weak against the Fire type because steel is a conductor of heat and it can be melted with high temperatures.
• They're weak against the Ground type because machines don't work properly when filled with sand, dirt, or mud, and earthquakes destroy metal buildings.
• They resist the Bug type because bugs and insects don't have enough force to make any physical change to metals.
• They resist the Dragon type because, in medieval legends, knights used steel armors to take on dragons to resist their attacks and be able to kill them. Curiously, the Dragon type isn't weak to them.
• They resist the Normal type because most Normal-type moves are Physical, and not so powerful as those of the Fighting type, and steel is hard enough to resist those kinds of attacks.
• They resist the Grass type because plants can't degrade metals.
• They resist the Flying type because birds can't cause any damage to steel, hence why bird cages are made of metal.
• They resist the Psychic type because, since steel lacks life and it's an inorganic material, mind-controlled powers can't hurt them much. Something curious is that Kadabra and Alakazam bend metal spoons with their minds.
• Until Generation V, they resisted the Dark and Ghost types because machines don't feel fear since they don't have emotions or feelings, but, from Generation VI onward, they don't resist these types anymore, probably because not all Steel-type Pokémon are machines, also, all of them have feelings, they could have fear at one point. However, they still resist Psychic type.
• They're immune to the Poison type because poison doesn't affect things that are not organic.
• The Electric type resists them because it is an electrical conductor and their magnetism can repel their attacks. Curiously, they're not weak to the Electric type.
• The Water type resists them because water oxidizes most metals. Interestingly, they're not weak to the Water type.
• They resist themselves because when you hit something made of metal with another piece of metal, the attacking metal may dent.