It’s time to charge up your Pokemon – so go grab your preferred cards, as we get all Pokemon Energy types explained!
If you’re coming into the Pokemon Trading Card Game (or TCG) from the Pokemon video games, it may surprise you that Pokemon types and their attacks don’t quite match up with those featured in the digital titles.
In the TCG, there are ten different types of Basic Energy cards – and an awful lot of Special Energy cards too.
In fact, there have been more than 80 Special Energy cards overall – most of which have long rotated out of legality for Tournaments, so you’re very unlikely to see them.
Most sets will feature a Special Energy type or two, however – so we’ll cover Special Energy in its own category below.
So without further ado: let’s carry on with getting all Pokemon Energy types explained!
1. Darkness Energy
Interestingly, Darkness Energy was originally a Special Energy type when it was first introduced, way back in the Neo Genesis set – which was released in the year 2000.
Darkness Energy became a Basic Energy card in 2006; its Pokemon are plucked from the Dark and Poison types of Pokemon in the video game.
It’s also – in our opinion – one of the very best types in the TCG.
Darkness type Pokemon often have powerful abilities and can have some devastatingly high attack damage too.
They are, however, weak to Fighting type Pokemon – though, in my experience of both casual and tournament play, Fighting types are fielded more rarely than other Pokemon (admittedly, that doesn’t seem to be the case in general, however!).
Which makes Darkness an obvious choice; unless you know of a local player in your Pokemon TCG community who favours Fighting Pokemon, you’re often going to have a great chance of playing competitively with Darkness Energy powering your Pokemon!
2. Fairy Energy
As covered briefly above, Fairy Energy was introduced in 2013 – alongside the Fairy type that was brought into the video game the same year, via Pokemon X and Y – yet was rotated out of play in 2020.
Despite this, there’s nothing stopping you from using your Fairy type Pokemon and Energy cards in casual play of course!
Even when Fairy Energy and types were legal in the TCG, they often felt pretty uncommon to see; Pokemon that used to be assigned to the Fairy type are now most commonly either Colorless or Psychic type in new sets.
3. Fighting Energy
One of the original Energy types that were introduced in the very first Pokemon sets, Fighting Energy covers the Fighting, Ground and Rock type Pokemon from the video games.
Though – at least in my experience – Fighting types don’t seem to get much play outside of sealed/draft events, there’s (fittingly!) a lot of heavy hitters with this type.
It is one of the most popular types in the game, however – despite the fact that I rarely encounter decks built around the Fighting type personally!
That’s likely because Fighting type Pokemon are among the strongest in the game, in terms of straightforward damage dealt.
There’s often a little time investment needed to get your Fighting type Pokemon up and running – but if you can weather the early game, you’ll likely be rewarded with some dominant and hard hitting Pokemon if you’re using Fighting types!
4. Fire Energy
Yes, we know we just said that Fighting types were very hard hitting.
Yet Fire Energy type Pokemon are also known for having some of the most powerful attacks in the game – though this can sometimes come at a price, with Energy cards often lost when using the more devastating attacks that Fire type Pokemon have.
Weakness to Water can also prove problematic, especially given how widely used Water type Pokemon can be.
Just think about the iconic creatures that Fire has though – Charizard being chief among them.
It’s no wonder that Fire type Pokemon remain some of the most popular and widely used to this day!
5. Grass Energy
Another staple of the Pokemon franchise, when Grass Energy types come to mind, it’s hard not to immediately think of Pokemon such as Bulbasaur and its evolutions – among many, many other classic pocket monsters.
Covering the Grass, Bug and Poison type Pokemon from the video game, the TCG’s Grass type Pokemon tend to be great at hitting opponents with special conditions, rather than outright massive damage.
They’re also typically strong against Water and Fighting type Pokemon – so with the former being a very popular type to use in the TCG, Grass can also find itself being pretty useful in most situations!
6. Lightning Energy
It’s slightly odd that the TCG has a Lightning Energy type, when it’s simply analogous to the video game’s Electric Energy type; why isn’t it just called Electric?
Unlike Grass and Fighting, for example, it doesn’t even cover multiple types of video game Pokemon!
Still, that aside: Lightning Energy tends to power some excellent Pokemon, but they do have Weakness to Fighting type Pokemon – which can make them struggle if your local community utilises Fighting types in their decks.
7. Metal Energy
Just like Darkness Energy, Metal Energy was originally a Special Energy type, but became a Basic Energy as far back as 2006.
Just like Lightning Energy, it’s a little odd that Metal Energy is so-called, as it only covers one type from the video games: Steel type Pokemon.
Metal tends to be one of the weakest types overall in the TCG, thanks to Weaknesses to more popular Energy types and a selection of Pokemon that’s variable in quality at best.
Yet it’s persisted and survived, unlike the Fairy Pokemon – which has to count for something, right?
Plus, in more recent sets, Metal has seen a few decent Pokemon – so maybe soon it’ll be Metal’s time to, um, shine?
8. Psychic Energy
My personal favourite – especially as I’ve used and fine tuned a not-at-all tournament legal Deoxys deck with Nidoking and Nidoqueen support, which is on its latest iteration after having first been built close to twenty years ago – of all the basic Energy types is Psychic Energy.
Psychic Energy encompasses several types from the video games: Psychic, Ghost, Poison and – now that the specific type has been unceremoniously removed – Fairy too.
The Psychic type is known for having some of the most powerful Pokemon in the game, with iconic creatures such as Mew and Mewtwo immediately coming to mind.
It’s also rarely weak to other types, but if you come up against another Psychic Pokemon you can sometimes be in trouble, as I’ve found with my Nidoran family.
Psychic Energy type Pokemon are known for being able to spread damage beyond the current opposing Active Pokemon – making them incredibly effective if your opponent is relying on one big hitter with several weaker Pokemon on their bench!
9. Water Energy
The last (at least alphabetically – it’s last but definitely not least!) Basic Energy type in the Pokemon TCG is Water Energy.
Undoubtedly one of the strongest and most well represented Energy types in the Pokemon TCG, Water Energy.
Representing Water and Ice Pokemon from the video game, the TCG’s Water Energy type is a serious powerhouse that most players agree is the best type in the card game.
A weakness against Fire is a major drawback, but in all other areas Water truly excels.
Support cards, low Energy cost for attacks, great abilities – Water seems to have it all!
What Are All of the Basic Energy Types?
All Pokemon have a type shown in the top right of their card.
Their attacks will be powered by either one or more Basic Energy types or Colorless Energy; if it’s Colorless, it means that you can use any type of Energy to pay.
Some Pokemon have the Colorless type, though their attacks aren’t always entirely Colorless themselves.
There’s also Dragon type Pokemon; this isn’t a Basic Energy – instead, Dragon Pokemon attacks are powered by at least two different types of Energy (Water and Fighting, for example).
The Basic Energy types – in alphabetical order – are: Darkness, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Grass, Lightning, Metal, Psychic and Water Energy.
Fairy was introduced as an Energy type in 2013 and is the only one that’s ever been removed from the game – Fairy Energy and associated Pokemon were discontinued in 2020!
What Are All Of The Basic Pokemon Energy Types?
So – with all of the basics (pun not intended!) covered, let’s take a look at each of the types in more detail, in alphabetical order. Note that, although Colorless is a Pokemon type, we’ve actually covered it a little more in our Special Energy section, as Colorless Energy has never been a Basic Energy card.
What Special Energy Cards Are There In The Pokemon TCG?
There are now close to 90 different Special Energy cards – a phenomenal number, but hardly unsurprising given that new Special Energy cards appear in many sets; as the Pokemon Trading Card game is now 25 years old, you can see how this number has risen so dramatically!
Though Colorless could technically be seen to be a Basic Energy – and it is, after all, a Pokemon type in and of itself (representing the video game’s Normal, Flying and Dragon type Pokemon) – there are only Special Colorless Energy cards, not Basic.
Note that there’s such a huge variety of Special Energy cards here for a reason: not only do they provide the Energy type (or types!) stated, but they usually also have some kind of unique and useful ability too.
For example: Treasure Energy, which can be immediately attached to a Pokemon to provide one Colorless Energy if it’s a Prize Card that you’ve just taken.
Or what about Horror Energy – which provides Psychic Energy but also damages an attacking Pokemon too!
As well as providing one Colorless Energy, V Guard Energy even enables Pokemon to reduce incoming damage from V Pokemon – which are hugely prevalent and popular to use in the TCG these days.
Naturally, there are far too many of these varied and often interesting abilities to cover here – but there’s likely an Energy card for just about any situation you may need it for!
if you like Pokemon cards, check our Pokemon Card Back Designs article to see all of the diffferences!
Full List of Special Energy Cards (In Alphabetical Order)
| Card Name | Energy Provided | First Set Appearance |
| Aqua Energy | Two Water, One Darkness or One Water, One Darkness Energy | EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua |
| Aromatic Energy | One Grass Energy | Vivid Voltage |
| Aurora Energy | One of Any Basic Energy | Sword & Shield |
| Beast Energy | One Colorless or One of Any Basic Energy | Forbidden Light |
| Blend Energy | One Colorless, One Grass, One Fire, One Psychic or One Darkness Energy | Dragons Exalted |
| Blend Energy | One Colorless, One Water, One Lightning, One Fighting or One Metal Energy | Dragons Exalted |
| Boost Energy | Three Colorless Energy | Aquapolis |
| Bounce Energy | Two Colorless Energy | Skyridge |
| Burning Energy | One Fire Energy | BREAKthrough |
| Call Energy | One Colorless Energy | Majestic Dawn |
| Capture Energy | One Colorless Energy | Rebel Clash |
| Coating Energy | One Metal Energy | Vivid Voltage |
| Counter Energy | One Colorless or Two of Any Basic Energy | Crimson Invasion |
| Crystal Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | Aquapolis |
| Cyclone Energy | One Colorless Energy | Skyridge |
| Dangerous Energy | One Darkness Energy | Ancient Origins |
| Dark Metal Energy | One Darkness or One Metal Energy | EX Team Rocket Returns |
| Darkness Energy | One Darkness Energy | Neo Genesis |
| Double Aqua Energy | Two Water Energy | Double Crisis |
| Double Colorless Energy | Two Colorless Energy | Base Set |
| Double Dragon Energy | Two of Any Basic Energy | Roaring Skies |
| Double Magma Energy | Two Fighting Energy | Double Crisis |
| Double Rainbow Energy | Two of Any Basic Energy | EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua |
| Double Turbo Energy | Two Colorless Energy | Brilliant Stars |
| Draw Energy | One Colorless Energy | Cosmic Eclipse |
| Flash Energy | One Lightning Energy | Ancient Origins |
| Full Heal Energy | One Colorless Energy | Team Rocket |
| Fusion Strike Energy | One of Any Basic Energy | Fusion Strike |
| Gift Energy | One Colorless Energy | Lost Origin |
| Heal Energy | One Colorless Energy | EX Deoxys |
| Health Energy | One Colorless Energy | Majestic Dawn |
| Heat Energy | One Fire Energy | Darkness Ablaze |
| Herbal Energy | One Grass Energy | Furious Fists |
| Hiding Energy | One Darkness Energy | Darkness Ablaze |
| Holon Energy FF | One Colorless Energy | EX Delta Species |
| Holon Energy GL | One Colorless Energy | EX Delta Species |
| Holon Energy WP | One Colorless Energy | EX Delta Species |
| Horror Energy | One Psychic Energy | Rebel Clash |
| Impact Energy | One of Any Basic Energy | Chilling Reign |
| Jet Energy | One Colorless Energy | Paldea Evolved |
| Lucky Energy | One Colorless Energy | Chilling Reign |
| Luminous Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | Paldea Evolved |
| Magma Energy | Two Fighting, Two Darkness or One Fighting, One Darkness Energy | EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua |
| Memory Energy | One Colorless Energy | Lost Thunder |
| Metal Energy | One Metal Energy | Neo Genesis |
| Miracle Energy | Two of Any Basic Energy | Neo Destiny |
| Multi Energy | One Colorless Energy | EX Sandstorm |
| Mystery Energy | One Psychic Energy | Phantom Forces |
| Plasma Energy | One Colorless Energy | Plasma Storm |
| Potion Energy | One Colorless Energy | Team Rocket |
| Powerful Energy | One Colorless Energy | Darkness Ablaze |
| Prism Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | Next Destinies |
| R Energy | Two Darkness Energy | EX Team Rocket Returns |
| Rainbow Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | Team Rocket |
| Rapid Strike Energy | Two Water, Two Fighting or One Water and One Fighting Energy | Battle Styles |
| React Energy | One Colorless Energy | EX Legend Maker |
| Recover Energy | One Colorless Energy | Majestic Dawn |
| Recycle Energy | One Colorless Energy | Neo Genesis |
| Regenerative Energy | One Colorless Energy | Silver Tempest |
| Rescue Energy | One Colorless Energy | Triumphant |
| Retro Energy | One Colorless Energy | Skyridge |
| Reversal Energy | One Colorless or Three of Any Basic Energy | Paldea Evolved |
| Scramble Energy | One Colorless or Three of Any Basic Energy | EX Deoxys |
| Shield Energy | One Metal Energy | Primal Clash |
| Single Strike Energy | One Fighting or One Darkness Energy | Battle Styles |
| SP Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | Rising Rivals |
| Speed Energy | One Lightning Energy | Rebel Clash |
| Spiral Energy | One of Any Basic Energy | Chilling Reign |
| Splash Energy | One Water Energy | BREAKpoint |
| Stone Energy | One Fighting Energy | Vivid Voltage |
| Strong Energy | One Fighting Energy | Furious Fists |
| Super Boost Energy | One Colorless, One of Any Basic or Four of Any Basic Energy | Ultra Prism |
| Therapeutic Energy | One Colorless Energy | Paldea Evolved |
| Treasure Energy | One Colorless Energy | Evolving Skies |
| Triple Acceleration Energy | Three Colorless Energy | Unbroken Bonds |
| Twin Energy | One or Two Colorless Energy | Rebel Clash |
| Unit Energy | One Colorless, Grass, Fire or Water Energy | Ultra Prism |
| Unit Energy | One Colorless, Lightning, Psychic or Metal Energy | Ultra Prism |
| Unit Energy | One Colorless, Fighting, Darkness or Fairy Energy | Forbidden Light |
| Upper Energy | One or Two Colorless Energy | Rising Rivals |
| V Guard Energy | One Colorless Energy | Silver Tempest |
| Warp Energy | One Colorless Energy | Aquapolis |
| Wash Energy | One Water Energy | Vivid Voltage |
| Weakness Guard Energy | One Colorless Energy | Unified Minds |
| Wonder Energy | One Fairy Energy | Primal Clash |
| δ Rainbow Energy | One Colorless or Any One Basic Energy | EX Holon Phantoms |
