Pokemon’s typing system, for the most part, is foolproof. Simply come up with a concept for a Pokemon and attach one or two types to it. Each type has certain strengths and weaknesses and they’re quite easy to take into account when using in a battle. However, for a while, people have discussed the idea of giving Pokemon three types.

It makes no sense from a game balance standpoint as certain Pokemon would have octupled-weaknesses and become way too frail defensively. However, some Pokemon designs and concepts are inherently associated with more than two types, so it can be fun to look at the potential candidates for gaining a third type.

Updated September 30, 2021 by Kyle Laurel: Discussions like this never cease so long as newer, more conceptually mishmashed Pokemon are released. With Pokemon’s newer releases potentially changing the game, getting three-typed Pokemon becomes a bit more of a possibility, no matter how outlandish it actually is. Here’s some more Pokemon that could warrant a third typing.

15 Beedrill - Bug/Poison/Flying

Beedrill acts like a stand-in of sort to all the Bug/Poison-types that should also have the Flying-type. Venomoth and Dustox fall under the same camp, and you could perhaps say the same thing for the Bug/Ice-type Frosmoth and the Bug/Psychic-type Orbeetle. It’s quite simple: they have wings, or at least the ability to fly. The Flying-type has been wrongfully omitted from other Pokemon before, but having an entire group of Pokemon not have it is startling.

Not having the actual Flying-type attached is particularly agregious when you consider the fact that they’re still susceptible to Ground-type attacks. None of them have Levitate, either, so they’re actually getting hit by moves like Earthquake when they shouldn’t be.

14 Yanmega - Bug/Flying/Dragon

This acts somewhat inversely to the previous entry, as Yanmega is already a Bug/Flying-type. Its big schtick conceptually, however, is that it’s based on a dragonfly. That has engrossed a lot of fans into advocating for it to be a Dragon-type.

While the etymology of the word “dragonfly” is kind of iffy and doesn’t necessarily refer to the animal’s draconic qualities, there’s been precedent for a loose association of Pokemon types before. Yanmega has also been the main reason why fans have wanted to see a Bug/Dragon-type Pokemon. This hasn’t been done before and would be interesting to see. All things considered, Yanmega would be a prime candidate for being a Bug/Flying/Dragon-type.

13 Drapion - Poison/Dark/Bug

Drapion is a weird case when looking at how bug-like Pokemon get their typing, because it loses the Bug-type when it evolves from the Poison/Bug-type Skorupi, swapping it out for Dark. It’s a rare case of Game Freak going for a more conceptual typing than a biologically construed one.

While it’s certainly interesting to see them go that route and Poison/Dark is a great typing for battling, it makes things a bit awkward when Aaron, Sinnoh’s Bug-type Elite Four member, makes the non-Bug-type Drapion his ace. That isn’t a cardinal sin or anything, but just for the sake of Aaron having a full Bug-type team, Drapion would be a pretty good candidate to get that third type.

12 Celesteela - Steel/Flying/Grass

A few of the Ultra Beasts are a bit more conceptually ambiguous, so their typings aren’t always going to be spot-on at first glance. UB-04 Blaster probably causes the most confusion, being a Steel/Flying-type while having most fans vying for it to be a Grass-type in some capacity.

Giving Celesteela a type was always going to be complicated when it was based on a spacecraft (Steel) and a rocket (Flying), but was also made of a bamboo-like substance (Grass). That said, it could very well not be bamboo thanks to it being from another dimension, so Game Freak probably went with the most plausible typing. For what it’s worth, Steel/Flying is certainly the best for battling.

11 Cradily - Rock/Grass/Water

Prior to Generation 8, all fossil Pokemon were given the Rock-type. This sort of makes sense, considering that fossils are covered in rock or rock-like substances. However, this sacrifices a type slot for Pokemon that were potentially dual-types prior to fossilization. While no other fossil Pokemon has really suffered from this limitation, the same cannot be said for Cradily.

This Pokemon is likely based on a sea anemone - an aquatic plant-like creature. It would make the most sense for this to be a Grass/Water-type, but because of the mandatory Rock-typing, it loses out on one of its potential types, Water. If third types were being given out, it would make a lot of sense to give Cradily the Water-type.

10 Charizard - Fire/Flying/Dragon

For generations, many had wondered why the ever-so-popular Fire starter wasn’t a Dragon-type, even though its Fire/Flying-typing made sense. After all, it’s shaped like a dragon with its body shape and wings and it breathes fire as stereotypical dragons do. Now, thanks to Mega Evolution, fans can now call Charizard a Fire/Dragon-type, at least in its Mega Charizard X form.

However, while Fire/Dragon is arguably a better typing competitively speaking, it does lose its Flying-typing. This doesn’t make a lot of sense since it still has its wings and can clearly still fly. It doesn’t gain Levitate either, so it’s susceptible to a move like Earthquake even though it shouldn’t be. Conceptually, making Mega Charizard X a Fire/Dragon/Flying-type makes total sense.

9 Rotom - Electric/Ghost/???

Certain Pokemon have gimmicks that modify the types they carry and chief among them is Rotom. The little appliance specter starts off as an Electric/Ghost-type before replacing Ghost with a different type depending on the appliance it possesses. The choices available are Water, Fire, Grass, Ice, or Flying.

One could argue that Rotom is still a ghost even as it’s controlling an appliance and thus, should still be a Ghost-type. It still learns a lot of Ghost-type moves regardless, but if triple types were to become a feature in the Pokemon games, it would make a lot of sense to have Rotom keep its Ghost-typing all the way through.

8 Celebi - Grass/Psychic/Fairy

Celebi is literally the embodiment of a forest fairy in Pokemon form. It should have been a Grass/Fairy-type from the start. Of course, that was impossible since the Fairy-type was not around during Celebi’s debut. It had to settle for a Psychic-typing which could make sense depending on who you ask. The only problem is that Celebi’s time-traveling capabilities are more analogous with fairy magic than telekinesis.

Still, why it wasn’t changed to a Fairy-type later down the line is baffling. A Grass/Fairy-typing and a 4x weakness to Poison matches Celebi so well since it’s particularly protective of the forest it inhabits. If Game Freak insists on keeping the Psychic-typing, Celebi may only become a Fairy-type by way of gaining it as a third type.

7 Kyurem - Dragon/Ice/Electric Or Fire

The Dragon/Ice-type Kyurem has three formes: its base forme, Kyurem Black after a fusion with the Dragon/Electric-type Zekrom, and Kyurem White after a fusion with the Dragon/Fire-type Reshiram. It’s a shame that Kyurem remains a Dragon/Ice-type through all those formes. If anything, Kyurem in its two stronger formes makes the most sense to receive a third typing from a battling perspective.

It’s an artificially powered Legendary Pokemon, so receiving STAB for three types isn’t too farfetched. Moreover, neither the Dragon/Ice/Electric nor Dragon/Ice/Fire type combinations have any ungodly weaknesses. If giving it a third type is still too radical, it could’ve worked similarly to a Dhelmise with Steelworker, where it could gain a de facto Electric- or Fire-type via ability.

6 Lugia - Psychic/Flying/Water

Lugia’s current Psychic/Flying-typing makes sense on paper. It’s been said that it’s much more intelligent than other Pokemon. It also, of course, has wings (that strangely look like hands) and is even the master of the legendary birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.

Still, it’s baffling that the so-called “guardian of the seas” is not a Water-type. One could be forgiven for assuming it was, from the blue around its body and its appearance in the second Pokemon movie where it was mostly seen around water. Frankly, it makes more sense as a Psychic/Water-type and Game Freak could easily give it Levitate if they’re insistent on its ability to fly. Regardless, a Psychic/Flying/Water-type would be a perfect description of Lugia.

5 Gyarados - Water/Flying/Dark/Dragon

Another Pokemon with a Mega Evolution, Gyarados turns from a Wate/Flying-type into a Water/Dark-type upon Mega Evolving. However, Gyarados could arguably have four types, ignoring how complicated that would be for everyone involved.

Gyarados was one of the infamous non-Dragon types that Dragon Master Lance used while the National Pokedex didn’t have enough Dragon-types. It isn’t too much of a stretch, though, as folk stories of Gyarados destroying cities make it out to be very dragon-like. It certainly looks quite a bit like one, too, considering its design was inspired by dragons of Chinese mythology. That makes Dark and Dragon two potential types to add onto Gyarados next to Water and Flying.

4 Gliscor - Ground/Flying/Bug/Poison

Gligar and Gliscor are both categorized as scorpions, being the Fly Scorpion and Fang Scorpion Pokemon respectively. That would make them prime candidates to become either Bug- or Poison-types to go along with Flying, but the fact that it lives in caves and mountainous areas complicates things.

Game Freak opted to give it the Ground-type thanks to the nature of its habitat, making it a Ground/Flying-type. Battling viability aside, it wouldn’t have been too much of a crime to make Gliscor either a Bug- or Poison-type. It’s already compatible with a lot of Bug- and Poison-type moves, and it even acts somewhat like a Poison-type when it has its Poison Heal ability. Should Game Freak jump to three types, Gliscor getting Bug or Poison would be a no-brainer.

3 Necrozma - Psychic/Dragon/Steel Or Ghost

Generation VII’s Necrozma managed to one-up Kyurem by having four separate formes: the pure Psychic-type base forme, the Psychic/Steel-type Dusk Mane forme, the Psychic/Ghost-type Dawn Wings forme, and the Psychic/Dragon-type Ultra forme. It’s a bit confusing where Ultra Necrozma got the Dragon-type when it’s not really a Dragon, but it is what it is.

Were there potential for three types on one Pokemon, could it have made sense as a Psychic/Steel/Ghost-type? Should it have been a Psychic/Dragon-type from the start and added on the Steel or Ghost depending on which forme it takes on? Were there four-typed Pokemon, should it have been a Psychic/Dragon/Steel/Ghost-type abomination? Those are questions that will remain unanswered, and honestly don’t need any answering.

2 Dhelmise - Ghost/Grass/Steel/Water

Dhelmise kind of already has a third type – at least offensively. While it doesn’t carry the Steel-type or its resistances and weaknesses, it has the ability Steelworker that gives it an added STAB boost to Steel-type attacks along with its Ghost- and Grass-type attacks. It’s a ghost anchor covered in leaves, so there’s no argument for that typing.

In fact, like Gyarados, it could even gain a fourth type should Game Freak decide to jump the shark and make that decision. Considering the anchor’s role in maritime travel, it would be a no-brainer to give Dhelmise the Water-type. Either it would simply gain the Water-type and keep Steelworker, or carry an insane quadruple typing of Ghost/Grass/Steel/Water.

1 Flygon - Ground/Dragon/Bug/Flying

Arguably the poster child of possible three-typed Pokemon, Flygon is another potential candidate for having three or even four types. It’s similar to Yanmega in that it has a lot of dragonfly-like qualities: it’s draconic, has bug-like eyes and wings, and is able to fly. However, it has an added wrinkle of canonically being a Ground-type due to its biology as a desert wanderer.

Fans have also wanted to see Flygon, among other popular Pokemon, get a Mega Evolution. That, or a regional variant or alternate forme, could be an avenue of giving Flygon either the Bug- or Flying-type. Either way, being either a Ground/Dragon/Bug or Ground/Dragon/Flying type makes total sense conceptually, despite the latter giving it an 8x weakness to Ice-type moves.

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