Looking for some of the edgiest, coolest looking Pokémon to add to your team? We’ve got you covered! Let’s take a look at some devilish Dark type Pokémon that will satisfy the villain in you and make your opponents be afraid of the dark.

First introduced in Generation II, Dark type Pokémon find themselves consistently being used in competitive battles. Most of these Pokémon have excellent Attack stats and have a variety of moves that make them great at being Sweepers. They also have a lot of utility in their movesets that make them very versatile and can fill different roles on your lineup. Despite the meta being overrun with Fairy types, these Dark Pokémon are worth a spot on your team.

Bisharp

Type: Dark/Steel

Locations: (Sword/Shield) Lake of Outrage, Giant’s Seat, Motostoke Riverbank (Wanderer), West Lake Axewell, Giant’s Seat, Stony Wilderness, Giant’s Mirror, Dusty Bowl, Hammerlocke Hills (Max Raid Battle); (Expansion Pass) Challenge Road, Training Lowlands (Wanderer), Max Lair (Dynamax Adventure)

Weakness: Fighting 4x, Ground 2x, Fire 2x

We’ll start off this list with one of the coolest looking Pokémon ever, Bisharp. I mean seriously look at it. It has crescent blades in its abdomen and sharp blades at the edge of its arms. These blades aren’t just for show though, as evidenced by its extremely high Attack stat. Bisharp is a great Physical Sweeper that can take advantage of powerful moves like Night Slash and Sucker Punch. It’s unique typing also gives it a distinct advantage over Psychic and Poison, being virtually immune to these types. Since it’s also a Steel type, it has a pretty high Defense stat as well. This Pokémon can both take and deal a lot of damage. 

Obstagoon

Type: Dark/Normal

Locations: (Sword/Shield) Lake of Outrage, Route 2 (only one), Bridge Field (Wanderer), Bridge Field, Dusty Bowl, Giant’s Mirror, Stony Wilderness, West Lake Axewell (Max Raid Battle); (Expansion Pass) Giant’s Bed, Ballimere Lake (Wanderer), Max Lair (Dynamax Adventure)

Weakness: Fighting 4x, Bug 2x, Fairy 2x

Pokémon Sword and Shield introduced regional variants of different Pokémon that have appeared in previous games. One of the best Galarian variants has to be Galarian Zigzagoon. Despite having a pretty deep movepool, Zigzagoon and its evolution, Linoone, have been relegated to being HM slaves with most trainers using them solely for convenience. It’s Galarian variant, however, is an entirely different story. Galarian Zigzagoon can now evolve into a final form called Obstagoon and this Pokémon is incredible. It has great, well rounded stats across the board and can fill nearly any role on your team. Obstagoon shines best when used defensively because of its signature move, Obstruct, which prevents any attacks targeted at the user from striking, for the duration of the turn. If a contact move is targeted at the user on that turn, the attacker’s Defense is lowered by two stages. Plus, Obstagoon looks like it’s the fifth member of the popular punk rock band, KISS. 

Umbreon

Type: Dark

Locations: (Sword/Shield) Lake of Outrage (Wanderer), Giant’s Mirror (Max Raid Battle); (Expansion Pass) Giant’s Bed (Wanderer)

Weakness: Fighting 2x, Bug 2x, Fairy 2x

Also known as the Moonlight Pokémon, Umbreon is easily the most popular out of all the eeveelutions. It’s also one of the most underrated Pokémon of all time. Judging by it’s adorable frame, you won’t be able to tell that Umbreon is actually a powerful tank that works best as either a Physical or Special Wall. It has pretty well rounded stats but it’s HP, Defense, and Special Defense stand out by a huge margin. It can learn great moves like Moonlight and Copycat which allows it to stall for days on end. It also has the ability Synchronize which will inflict the same status conditions on the enemy they inflict unto you. Needless to say, Umbreon is a Pokémon that ranks among the best the Dark type has to offer.

Absol

Type: Dark

Locations: (Sword/Shield) Trade; (Expansion Pass) Giant’s Bed, Old Cemetery, Snowslide Slope, Path to the Peak, Giant’s Foot, Frigid Sea, Three-Point Pass, Frostpoint Field (Wanderer), Max Lair (Dynamax Adventure)

Weakness: Fighting 2x, Bug 2x, Fairy 2x

As often is the case with most Dark types, Absol is a fan favorite Pokémon that can be very powerful when used competitively. It has a very high Attack stat but is relatively mediocre in all other stats making it more of a Glass Cannon. Despite this, Absol packs a punch with powerful moves like Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and Swords Dance. A popular set run with Absol is utilizing its hidden ability, Justified, with Beat Up. Since Justified raises the ability bearer’s Attack stat when hit by a Dark type move or when Beat Up is used, it can easily swing matches in Absol’s favor by simply spamming Beat Up.

Zoroark

Type: Dark

Locations: (Sword/Shield) Trade; (Expansion Pass) Loop Lagoon, Insular Sea (Wanderer)

Weakness: Fighting 2x, Bug 2x, Fairy 2x

What’s better than a werewolf looking Pokémon, right? Zoroark definitely ranks up there with some of the best designed Pokémon in the entire franchise. This Pokémon doesn’t just look strong, it is strong. It has very high Attack, Special Attack, and Speed making it a very potent Sweeper under the right circumstances. It has a wide move pool that can range from special and physical moves to utility and coverage moves. If you only have one slot left in your team and you would like a Dark type Pokémon, you can’t go wrong with choosing Zoroark.

So there you have it! These are the best Dark type Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and Shield. There are lots of Dark Pokémon that could’ve made this list but we find that these five Pokémon are stronger than the rest and can easily be successful in most scenarios. 

We hope this guide helps and make sure to check back with us again for more awesome guides on your favorite games! Have fun!