The Fighting type is one of the strongest offense-oriented Pokémon types in the game. Fighting attacks are super-effective against a wide spread of other types, including Normal, Ice, Rock, Steel, and Dark. Fighting Pokémon typically have immense attack to deal huge damage to their opponents, but they typically have low defenses so super-effective hits are even more of a problem.
Learn about the best Fighting Pokémon available in Heart Gold and Soul Silver, in this non-competitive Pokémon type guide. And, for some basic information on the Fighting type, be sure to check out the Bulbapedia, the Pokémon Wiki.
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Bad Fighting Pokémon Heart Gold, Soul Silver
Before learning about the best, it’s good to take note of the worst. The following Fighting type Pokémon should be avoided: Hitmontop.
As a disclaimer, Hitmontop is really not that bad, but considering the small amount of Fighting Pokémon available before the Elite Four (and just in general), Hitmontop’s faults just happen to stand out more.
Hitmontop actually offers two great abilities to choose from. Intimidate cuts the foe’s attack by one level when Hitmontop switches in, and Technician boosts moves with attack power of 60 or below by +50%. Hitmontop’s greatest downfall comes from an odd stat distribution, which leans heavily towards defenses, with low speed and HP, and slightly above average attack. A technician-boosted Quick Attack or Aerial Ace is nice, but overall, Hitmontop feels like the worst of the three Hitmons. It’s also the hardest to evolve, since it requires equal attack and defense stats when leveled up.
Good Fighting Type Pokémon Soul Silver, Heart Gold
The following Fighting type Pokémon are good but not particularly stellar: Primeape, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan.
Primeape offers high speed and high attack, along with a unique ability (Anger Point) which raises its attack stat if hit with a critical. It learns powerful fighting moves like Cross Chop and Close Combat naturally, but really requires the use of TMs like TM 26 (Earthquake) to get the most out of him. Primeape does not naturally learn any stat-boosting moves, which is a bit of a downer, but its high speed and high attack can make him an asset on almost any time. Primeape is only available in HeartGold.
Hitmonlee’s Reckless ability might be both hilarious and fun, as it increases the attack power of any move with recoil damage, but is ultimately a horrible choice for any serious players. Instead, Limber’s paralysis immunity can be a surprising boon on a fighting type. Regardless, Hitmonlee’s massive attack really knocks opponents out. Learning Blaze Kick naturally helps to defeat the Grass/Poison and Bug Pokémon that resist Fighting attacks. Hitmonlee can also naturally raise its Attack through Meditate, and can further enhance his spread by TMs like Earthquake and Rock Tomb.
Hitmonchan is not quite as powerful as Hitmonlee, but learns a huge variety of attacks, such as the elemental punches (Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch), allowing for a large super-effective spread. Also, his Iron Fist ability increases the power of punch attacks, which helps close the gap between Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee’s power. Considering his wide move variety, Hitmonchan is the only fighting Pokémon that does not require any TMs for maximum effectiveness.
The Best Fighting Pokémon Heart Gold, Soul Silver
Heart Gold and Soul Silver only has a handful of Fighting Pokémon so only two managed to take the top spot: Heracross, Machamp.
As a Bug / Fighting, Heracross offers STAB (same type attack bonus) to two incredibly powerful moves: Close Combat and Megahorn. It can learn a powerful dark attack, Night Slash, with a heart scale, which leaves one more move slot for a TM of the player’s choosing. Heracross’s only true failing is a x4 weakness to Flying. But other than that, Heracross is a beast.
Machamp is the easiest Fighting Pokémon to catch, and certainly one of the best, but it requires a trade evolution so anyone without access to a local Pokémon friend or the Nintendo Wifi won’t get the most out of this fighter. In its final form, Machamp has absurd attack – one of the highest in the game – and its No Guard ability makes lower accuracy moves like Dynamic Punch 100% accurate.
Dynamic Punch alone makes Machamp a force to be reckoned with, but adding moves like Earthquake or Rock Tomb through TMs helps increase his spread. Even though Machamp’s speed is awful, his average to above-average HP / defenses helps it survive even against powerful foes.
Best Fighting Pokémon Conclusion
The Fighting type is one of the strongest Pokémon types in the game. While HeartGold / SoulSilver doesn’t offer a large amount of Fighting Pokémon, there is still a fair amount of variety within the small amount of fighters available. Primeape offers speed, Hitmonchan offers move variety, and Machamp offers brute force. Heracross offers a unique type, Hitmonlee offers brute force without sacrificing speed, and Hitmontop is just a quirky alternative.
Knowing which Fighting Pokémon is the best is only the first step towards using them effectively. Players who want more information and strategies on the Fighting type should check out the Fighting Pokémon Type Guide.
