The "Dark" type

[Kthleen]

It's been countlessly debated, because Dark/Wicked types are so nebulous in their nature. It's obvious that an Electric-Type is going to shoot bolts of lightning. But Dark-Types don't spray out beams of evil or mists. -- NeoKuwa (now known as Zeta [right?]), from Bulbagarden Forums

This type has always bugged me. What is it that makes a Pokémon or attack of the Dark type? Some speculate that it has to do with being sneaky. But why should cunning get its own type? And for that matter, why is Dark a special type and Ghost a physical? Why are Bite and Crunch Dark attacks, and would they be in real life? Is there some evil or other special energy pervading the use of these and other Dark attacks?

There are 16 Dark Pokémon, and the reasons they are viewed as "Dark" vary (feel free to correct these):

Umbreon - scariness
Murkrow - thievery, sneakiness, thought to bring misfortune
Sneasel - sneakiness, aggression, thievery
Houndour - aggression, scariness
Houndoom - scariness, crazy burns
Tyranitar - aggression
Poochyena - aggression
Mightyena - aggression
Nuzleaf - scariness
Shiftry - scariness
Sableye - scariness, thought to steal souls
Carvanha - aggression
Sharpedo - aggression
Cacturne - scariness
Crawdaunt - aggression
Absol - thought to bring disaster

However, there are other Pokémon who share these characteristics, namely:
Gastly - sneakiness, scariness
Haunter - sneakiness, scariness
Gengar - sneakiness, scariness
Gyarados - aggression
Misdreavus - sneakiness, scariness
Ursaring - aggression (or maybe that was just during breeding season....)
Duskull - sneakiness, it's told to children that they will be taken by Duskull if they're bad
Dusclops - sneakiness, said to have a black hole inside
Glalie - scariness (or something; I just remember that I kept reading that some people thought it should be part Dark, thereby giving Ash a Dark-type)

In reality, would these Pokémon be considered part Dark, too? Should scary, aggressive, sneaky Pokémon be lumped into a "type"? Or is it more than that? Perhaps it's that though the ones described as "Dark" share aggression, scariness, and sneakiness, this is some sort of coincidence and the "Dark" type actually has something to do with their physical makeup (thus explaining how they are immune to Psychic powers and why, though other Pokémon may be aggressive, scary, or sneaky, only these ones are considered "Dark").

I personally think that it is something involved in their makeup, though why they decided to call them (in Japanese) the "Evil" type is beyond me (unless that aforementioned coincidence idea is true). And unless there is a "dark" energy involved in them, I don't quite understand Dark-type attacks.

 

[Barb]

Our word 'dark' comes from the Old English word deorc meaning gloomy or cheerless. It can also mean hidden or secret; obscure; not easily understood. I think your theory is correct with respect to the Pokémon's physical and mental makeup. However, if memory serves me right, in the 4th movie Dark Balls were used to create the evil Celebi creature. So their genetic makeup can, in some cases, be altered. With respect to attacks, I'd hazard a guess that dark-type attacks are by nature sneaky and tend to catch the opponent unaware.

 

[Zhen Lin]

The corresponding Japanese term is 悪, which simply means evil, wickedness, wrong, vice.

 

[Kthleen]

Our word 'dark' comes from the Old English word deorc meaning gloomy or cheerless. It can also mean hidden or secret; obscure; not easily understood. I think your theory is correct with respect to the Pokémon's physical and mental makeup. However, if memory serves me right, in the 4th movie Dark Balls were used to create the evil Celebi creature. So their genetic makeup can, in some cases, be altered. With respect to attacks, I'd hazard a guess that dark-type attacks are by nature sneaky and tend to catch the opponent unaware.

Yay for etymology! That could be the case if they were called the same in Japanese, but Dark was originally called the Evil type. Perhaps there's a connection in that some people label that which they do not understand "evil".
I'm not sure about mental makeup: Gyarados and Ursaring can be just as aggressive as any Crawdaunt; Carvanha turn shy once cut off from their schools; the Gastly line can be more sneaky than any Murkrow. Absol's just misunderstood; when fleeing the impending disaster that it can sense but humans can't, people catch a glimpse of it running, the disaster follows, and people think Absol brought it. The Dark balls were mind control devices. Though I wonder if the Pokémon were later caught, would they (only those caught) be considered part Dark?
It makes some sense that some of the attacks are sneaky, but what about Bite and Crunch? And why would these attacks be super effective against Psychics? Why is Dark considered a special type, but Ghost is physical? (Wow, Pokémon types can get crazy....)

The corresponding Japanese term is 悪, which simply means evil, wickedness, wrong, vice.

Which is what has me lost. What makes the Pokémon wicked? Is there something "creepy" in their genetic makeup? ("OMG! We mapped it out, and it looks like a demon!") Or is it that there is an oddness that happens to coincide with them being scary/aggressive/sneaky (which could explain why the other scary/aggressive/sneaky Pokémon aren't "Dark")?

 

[Misty]

There are no evil Pokemon, only evil trainers.

Of course, I don't know how that line worked in the original... (Since I know I butchered it, it's from Ekans in Island of the Giant Pokemon)

 

[Fig]

Dark type is, in one word, the things society disaproves of or do not understand, and fear. The attacks illustrate it : faint (sneak) attack, bite, crunch, thievery - it's surprising they don't have a dark-type OHKO. These are all actions that would, in battle today, be considered "vile" and "dishonorable". Not EVIL per se, but not "legitimate" attacks. Sneaky tricks, much like a kick to the nuts. (Which should be the dark type OHKO *lookout*).

The pokémon themselves, on the other hand, are less the things mankind DISAPROVES of, and more the things mankidn does not UNDERSTAND. They're creatures that, even in this world, mankind have always feared or shunned (crows? wolves? hyenas?), at least in their myths (tengu, etc, represented by shiftry et al).

Essentialy, evil/wicked is just a label applied to them reflecting social prejudice.

 

[Zeta]

Dark type is, in one word, the things society disaproves of or do not understand, and fear. The attacks illustrate it : faint (sneak) attack, bite, crunch, thievery - it's surprising they don't have a dark-type OHKO. These are all actions that would, in battle today, be considered "vile" and "dishonorable". Not EVIL per se, but not "legitimate" attacks. Sneaky tricks, much like a kick to the nuts. (Which should be the dark type OHKO *lookout*).

The pokémon themselves, on the other hand, are less the things mankind DISAPROVES of, and more the things mankidn does not UNDERSTAND. They're creatures that, even in this world, mankind have always feared or shunned (crows? wolves? hyenas?), at least in their myths (tengu, etc, represented by shiftry et al).

Essentialy, evil/wicked is just a label applied to them reflecting social prejudice.

But that's all behavior, and doesn't explain why they have a unique genetic makeup. Why are they grouped together/ It's like they're a group of anti-social Pokemon, but you're making it sound like they're only grouped together because humans anthropomorphize them and look down on their actions. But they clearly have basic physical differences from Pokemon of other types, we just don't know what. The only concrete evidence to seperate them from Ghost types et all is their ractions in battle. So what makes them worthy of their own physical type when the differences are behavioral?

 

[Fig]

That's the thing with types. Not all "types" appear to reflect the same thing.

For example, fire, water, etc seems to represent elemental abilities. Ground too, for that matter.

Other types seems to represent physical characteristics : steel and flying, for example. Flying is not really an element the pokémon has mastered; it's simply that it can fly. Same goes with steel, except it means steel-covered body.

Yet other types seems to relate to actual species identifiers : dragon, bugs are example of "species" type. Ghosts is arguably one as well.

And finally you have the "behavioral" types ; the two most clear example of such being fighting and (as stated above), dark.

Weakness and resistance seems to derive from more than simple genetic makeup ; the simple representation in teh game is just that : a simple representation for the benefits of viewers.

 

[Kioku]

But that's all behavior, and doesn't explain why they have a unique genetic makeup. Why are they grouped together/ It's like they're a group of anti-social Pokemon, but you're making it sound like they're only grouped together because humans anthropomorphize them and look down on their actions. But they clearly have basic physical differences from Pokemon of other types, we just don't know what. The only concrete evidence to seperate them from Ghost types et all is their ractions in battle. So what makes them worthy of their own physical type when the differences are behavioral?

Judging by the immunity to most mental(psychic) attacks, it'd be a different mindset.

 

[evkl]

I think it's mainly a soul-based difference. They're not fazed by the good (Psychic) at all, they can just absorb it and move along.

 

[Kthleen]

Judging by the immunity to most mental(psychic) attacks, it'd be a different mindset.

However, not all Psychic-type attacks mentally effect their target. For example, Confusion (in Japanese "Nenriki"/"Will Power") picks up the target and throws them around.

 

[Kioku]

In the show. Elsewise to confuse the target, it has to be a mental attack. Either controlling to move, etc., perhaps.

 

[evkl]

Yes, but it's done through power of mind--perhaps the Dark-type simply absorbs any conscious, good thoughts?

 

[Kthleen]

In the show. Elsewise to confuse the target, it has to be a mental attack. Either controlling to move, etc., perhaps.

I think the key is its Japanese name. The user uses its willpower to pick the other up the opponent. The opponent can still control it's body and flail around, but the effect of the attack is something like being in a moving car, but without the gravity. (Though in the game all we see is flashing....)

I think it's mainly a soul-based difference. They're not fazed by the good (Psychic) at all, they can just absorb it and move along.


Yes, but it's done through power of mind--perhaps the Dark-type simply absorbs any conscious, good thoughts?

I don't think that Dark Pokémon are "evil", nor do I think that Psychic attacks used for assaulting someone else are any more morally excellent or benevolent than claws or boiling chemical mixtures (though that may depend on one's definition of "good"; "advantageous" could work in this situation, but that would stop all attacks. Also, evil can mean "bad or blameworthy by report [infamous]", so that might work here, too, but that doesn't explain how infamy, even deserved, would cancel out someone picking them up with their minds). I can see the absorption of something, but I'm not so sure that that something is "conscious, good thoughts". Or maybe I'm thinking about it weird, seeing how Psychic and Ghost are the only types to directly affect other entities with the mind (though I'm not quite sure what "Ghost" is; do they affect others with their minds, spirits, or with their bodies on another plain of existence? All three?). I think the "Dark" type is an amalgam of some terribly odd and as-of-yet inexplicable physical make-up, coincidence, and human misunderstanding. Without the first, it wouldn't be a "Dark" Pokémon and without the second and third (one leads to the other), the type wouldn't have the name "Dark". If Pokémon were real and we had a different and hopefully more accurate typing method, would Gyarados be part Dark? (It can't fly, so it wouldn't be part Flying. Then again, neither would Doduo....)

 

[Jukain]

Well, that's the thing, really. Ghosts as they are portrayed in Pokemon are not really malicious, but they are more like pranksters. Dark pokemon, I will agree have a feral nature that could be placed on other pokemon as well. There are a lot of instances where a pokemon "could" have another type, like Charizard. It really is Fire/Flying, but has the appearance of a Dragon pokemon. And Gyarados, too. It was based on that legend of a carp transforming into a dragon. I don't think it's a question that can be answered by any of us. If Nintendo itself has an answer, I would like to hear it. The only thing I can think of is that all 3 of these types have a small number of pokemon devoted to them, and I think that is the way they wanted to have it. I'm not sure if there really is a system they really use to determine the type of a pokemon, unless they create a pokemon with the intent of making it a certain type or types. I can't see any real difference between Sableye and the other Ghost pokemon that makes it more "dark" than any of them, other than it's just plain creepy with those crystal eyes and everything.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

There are no evil Pokemon, only evil trainers.

Of course, I don't know how that line worked in the original... (Since I know I butchered it, it's from Ekans in Island of the Giant Pokemon)

It was pretty much the same, but what everyone forgets about that is that Meowth immediately refuted it.

 

[Roses Ablaze]

That wasn't the only time it was said that there are no evil pokemon, you know.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Where are the others? I seem to recall a Teddiursa who stole stuff just for the hell of it.

 

[The Big Al]

True, I think they even called it evil. *Loves the look on face at the end of the episode as an Ursaring.*

But appearances aside, are Dark types evil? Or are people simply afraid of them and pegged them with the classification? It's people that named their type.

 

[Roses Ablaze]

Ash has said that pokemon can't be evil and Gary was also shocked by Mewtwo's activities. I'm pretty sure Tajiri-sama also said that there are no evil pokemon in an interview.