The newest type to be added to thePokemonseries is the Fairy type, which debuted in Gen 6, but has remained popular well into Gen 9’sPokemon Scarlet and Violet. While this type may conjure imagery of cute, dainty fairies, the creatures that make up this classification are actually very diverse. They range from the typical petite sprites to noble beasts and menacing monsters.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetdoubled down on the Fairy type and introduced some of the coolest critters of the type to date.
Fairy was added to the type chart as a means to round out the total number of types to 18 and provide a counter toPokemon’s Dragon type, which had been quite overpowered since Gen 1. to help balance out the roster of Fairy types, several mons from generations prior to Gen 6 were given the typing, leading to many creatures who were previously underutilized becoming quite strong thanks to the newfound power of the Fairy type within the meta. For the purpose of this ranking, the final stage mon will represent the entire evolutionary line as one entry including any Megas or regional variants.
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S-Tier
These mons are the best the Fairy type has to offer, including some popular iconic mons and some that have been competitive powerhouses in their respective generations.Pokemon Sword and Shield’s ZacianandPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Flutter Mane have dominated thePokemonVGC meta for Gen 8 and Gen 9, respectively, and the Tapus have each played key roles in Gen 7’s meta. Aside from battle prowess, mons like Gardevoir, Mimikyu, and Tinkaton have become fan favorites for their designs and lore within thePokemonworld, earning them spots atop a list of Fairy type icons.
A-Tier
The Fairy types represented here are strong competitors for the best in the category, but ultimately don’t stack up to the best of the best for one reason or another. Mons like Whimsicott, Klefki, and Grimmsnarl are popular among competitive players, but are not meta-defining like other Fairy types. Same goes forPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Scream Tailand Iron Valiant, who have their competitive niches but are not in the same class as Zacian or Flutter Mane. Mawile is notable for its Mega Evolution, which gave an underappreciated mon new life, but with Mega Evolution absent from Gen 8 onward, Mawile has fallen out of favor once again.
B-Tier
Most of these Fairy types are not the most useful from a battle standpoint, but have other likable qualities that make them popular among a subsection ofPokemonfans. Cute critters like Dedenne, Ribombee, Alcremie, and Dachsbun are endearing for their designs, but their stats are ultimately underwhelming. For beingPokemon Mega Evolutions, Mega Altaria and Mega Audino are somewhat forgettable among the swath of much more powerful Megas the series has to offer.
C-Tier
While these mons still have their fans, they are likely the least popular among Fairy types due to either being forgettable, underpowered, or outright unappealing in design. DespitePokemon X and Ydebuting the Fairy type, Aromatisse and Slurpuff are some of the most forgettable additions of Gen 6 due to being version exclusives and requiring a trade to evolve, making them difficult to obtain in their home games. Granbull was not the most memorable Gen 2 mon to begin with and was an odd choice to retroactively receive the Fairy type, and Enamorus' introduction inPokemon Legends: Arceuswas undercut by its controversial design.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available now for Nintendo Switch.
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