Summary
- Fire moves with high damage & secondary effects like burning are popular and effective in battles.
- Specific fire moves have unique effects such as recoil damage, trapping opponents, and stat boosts.
- Key moves like Overheat, Blast Burn, and Blue Flare offer big damage at the cost of drawbacks.
Fire-type moves, along with Fire-type Pokemon, have been one of the most favored types among Pokemon players since generation 1. The reason for this is quite simple: Fire is one of the best types when it comes to delivering a devastating amount of damage to an opposing Pokemon.
In addition to generally high damage output, many fire-based attacks also carry the chance of burning the opponent. Burned Pokemon take damage each round (similar to being poisoned) and do only half the damage when using physical attacks. The main complaints about fire attacks are the lower-than-average accuracy and the low PP counts.
Updated January 6th, 2025, by Ben Painter: Fire-type moves are one of the more powerful move types in Pokemon. On average, this move type does more damage than most other Pokemon types. There are so many great Fire-type moves that deciding the best can be difficult. This list helps gamers to not only identify the best Fire moves but also why they are the best. This list has been updated to add seven new fiery moves to the roster that gamers should look at using when playing a Pokemon game.
39 Mind Blown
Deals Incredibly High Damage, But The User Takes Damage As Well
- Power: 150
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 5
- Category: Special
Mind Blown is a move that's best used when a knock-out blow is needed to quickly end a fight. This move is incredibly powerful; the trade-off for this power is that the user takes recoil damage with each use. The recoil damage is equal to half the maximum hit points of the user. This means the user can only use this move twice before fainting.
Mind Blown is best used on Pokemon with a lot of hit points, to make using this attack worth taking the recoil damage. This move should never be used on a Pokemon that's lost more than half its hit points. It's also wise to teach a Pokemon with Mind Blown in its moveset a move that restores hit points, assuming players want to keep the Pokemon in the battle.
38 Shell Trap
Retaliates When Hit By A Physical Attack
- Power: 150
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 5
- Category: Special
Shell Trap is a bit of a gamble when it's used, but if the gamble pays off, it's bad news for the opposing Pokemon. Shell Trap sets a trap at the start of the turn. If, during the turn, the user is hit with a Physical attack, the Shell Trap retaliates against the opponent. This retaliatory attack deals incredibly high damage.
The gamble with this move is that if the opponent uses any move other than a Physical attack, the Shell Trap is wasted. Because of this, this move is best reserved for Pokemon that don't typically use Special Attacks, like Fighting-type Pokemon.
37 Blazing Torque
A No-Frills Damaging Move
- Power: 80
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 10
- Category: Physical
This move doesn't burn the target, make them flinch, or lower defenses. This move only deals damage to the target — and nothing else. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly isn't good either. On the bright side, this move doesn't damage the user, or lower the user's stats.
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Blazing Torque has a respectable 80 power rating, an accuracy of 100, and a PP count of 10. This puts it somewhere in the middle in terms of damage for Fire-type moves. That's why it's ranked so low. It's a good attack move, but nobody will ever call it great.
36 Fiery Dance
Does Damage; Possibly Gives A Stat Boost
- Power: 80
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 10
- Category: Special
Despite being ranked so low, Fiery Dance is a powerful move that can improve future damage. The power rating of this move is 80, which is okay. At least Fiery Dance's accuracy is 100, and it has a PP count of 10. There are many Fire-type moves with similar stats, but this move can provide a useful stat boost.
With each use of this move, there is a 50% chance the user's Special Attack is raised by one stage. This makes Fiery Dance a great starter move. If the user gets the stat boost, switch to a stronger attack move for the next attack; just make sure it uses Special Attack and not Attack for damage.
35 Fire Spin
Traps The Opponent While Dealing Damage
- Power: 35
- Accuracy: 85
- PP: 15
- Category: Special
This move's power rating of 35 is rather low, but Fire Spin makes up for it in other ways. Targets are trapped for four to five turns. This prevents the target from being switched for another Pokemon, and the target takes damage every turn that they're trapped. Fire Spin's accuracy is 85, and it has a PP count of 15.
When used by Pokemon that are weak against Fire-type moves, Fire Spin can be devastatingly effective. The low power rating gets boosted, and the target can't run from battle. Pokemon with high HP and few weaknesses are good candidates to learn this move. Fire Spin can take a few turns to defeat the opponent, and the user will need to be able to survive for four to five turns.
34 Flame Burst
A Solid Move That Works Well In Double Battles
- Power: 70
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 15
- Category: Special
Like with most Fire-type moves there is an additional effect other than dealing damage, and Flame Burst thrives when there is more than one enemy Pokemon to hit. To the target, it will deal 70 Power's worth of Special damage, but then it hits up to two Pokemon adjacent to the target equal to 1/16 of their respective maximum HP.
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Double Battles, Triple Battles, and Totem Fights will be the best way to use this move, as it can chip away at those pesky little support 'mons. This move is mainly reserved for Fire types, but via breeding, Electrike and Stunky can learn this move for some great coverage.
33 Will-O-Wisp
Automatically Burns The Target
- Power: N/A
- Accuracy: 85
- PP: 15
- Category: Status
This move has a 100% chance of burning the target. Unfortunately, its accuracy rating is 85 so there will be occasional misses. Burning the opponent gives it a debilitating condition that gives the player's Pokemon the advantage. Burned Pokemon suffer a loss of one-eighth of their maximum hit points in damage every turn, as well as a drop to their Attack.
This is a smart move to try when the opposing trainer might switch out a critically hurt Pokemon. Either it will burn the target before it can be switched, or it will hit the new Pokemon and lowers its Attack before it gets to use a move.
32 Inferno
Automatically Burns, But Only If It Hits
- Power: 100
- Accuracy: 50
- PP: 5
- Category: Special
Inferno is a hit-or-miss move — literally. After trying this move in battle a few times, reality sets in. Inferno has an accuracy of 50, so it misses a lot. This situation isn't made any better by the fact its PP count is only 5. At least it has a high power rating of 100.
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It misses a lot, yes, but there is a reason Inferno just made this list. Inferno burns the target automatically if it hits. Most Fire-type attacks that cause burning only give a 10%-30% chance (depending on the move) of inflicting the burning ailment on the target. With Inferno, this occurs 100% of the time — provided the attack hits.
31 Burning Jealousy
Increased Effectiveness Against Opponents With A Stat Boost
- Power: 70
- Accuracy: 100
- PP: 5
- Category: Special
Burning Jealousy is a Special attack obtained only through Isle of Armor Move Tutors. In terms of raw stats, the move has an admittedly underwhelming 70-base power and a low PP count. However, this move is greater than the raw damage it deals with, as its secondary effect is potentially game-changing.
If used, any opponent that used a stat-boosting move will receive a guaranteed burn and take serious damage. In terms of stopping a sweep right in its tracks, bulkier Fire-types and some other odd Pokemon can absolutely make use of it to ruin a physical sweeper's Sunny Day. It also still deals damage even if the enemy doesn't have a stat boost, meaning there isn't much risk to using it. This attack provides a utility that's lacking in most Fire-type attacks.
30 Overheat
Deals Incredible Damage...At A Cost
- Power: 130
- Accuracy: 90
- PP: 5
- Category: Special
Overheat is a great finishing move, though it's not one players will want to use early in a fight. The reason is the penalty that comes with using the move: a two-stage drop in Special Attack. Overheat is a Special attack move. So, its penalty will weaken every subsequent use.
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The 130 power makes it great for use as a finisher. This will allow players to save moves like Fire Blast and Flamethrower for future fights. The 90 accuracy is good enough to use with confidence, and the 5-PP count lasts longer than one would think due to the move being used, at most, once or twice per fight.