5 Reasons The Pokémon Type Chart Is Too Complex—And The Fan-Made 'Too Many Types' Pokédex That Broke The Internet

The debate over "Pokédex bloat" and an overly complex type chart has never been hotter than it is in late 2025. With the National Pokédex count soaring well over 1,000 unique species as of Generation IX, the sheer volume of creatures to collect and memorize is only half the battle. The other half lies in the intricate, 18-by-18 matrix of strengths and weaknesses that governs every battle, a system many long-time fans and competitive players now argue has become unnecessarily cluttered and difficult to master.

The sentiment that Pokémon has "too many types" is no longer just a casual complaint; it's a driving force behind fan creativity, culminating in the viral Pokémon: Too Many Types ROM hack, which ironically added even *more* types just to satirize the concept. This article breaks down the five core reasons the current type system is facing scrutiny and explores the fan-led movement that’s attempting to fix—or hilariously break—the core mechanics of the franchise.

The State of the Official 18-Type System in Generation IX

Since the introduction of the Fairy Type in Generation VI, the official number of Pokémon Types has settled at 18. This system is the bedrock of the franchise’s strategic depth, yet its current state is widely criticized for imbalance, with several types being objectively better or worse than others in terms of defensive and offensive utility. The complexity of this system is often cited as a major barrier to entry for new players trying to grasp the competitive viability scene.

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The core issue isn't just the number of types, but the exponential complexity of the interactions. An 18x18 chart means 324 possible type matchups, not including the double-typing of most Pokémon, which multiplies the combinations significantly. Memorizing this labyrinthine chart has become a prerequisite for serious play, leading many to feel the game has lost some of its accessible charm.

1. The Competitive Imbalance: The Dominant and the Doomed

A major point of contention among players on platforms like Smogon Forums is the significant disparity in power between the best and worst defensive types.

• Steel Type Dominance: The Steel Type remains one of the most defensively powerful types in the game, resisting a staggering 10 types and being immune to Poison. When paired with the Fairy Type (e.g., in Pokémon like Zacian or Magearna), it forms a nigh-impenetrable defensive core that warps the competitive meta-game.
• The Ice Type Crisis: Conversely, the Ice Type is notorious for being one of the worst defensive types. Despite its offensive utility, Ice resists only itself and is weak to four common offensive types (Fighting, Rock, Steel, and Fire). Fan suggestions for fixing this often include giving Ice a resistance to Water, Electric, Ground, or Flying, arguing that ice should not conduct electricity or that frozen ground shouldn't be easily manipulated.
• The Poison Type Resurgence: The introduction of Fairy Type gave the Poison Type a massive defensive buff, as it is one of the few types to resist Fairy. This has shifted the competitive scene, making previously middling Poison-types much more valuable.

2. The 'Dexit' Paradox: Too Many Pokémon, Too Few in Game

While the type system is complex, the Pokédex size itself adds to the feeling of bloat. The total count of Pokémon species is now well over 1,000, creating an overwhelming number of entities to track.

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The "Dexit" controversy, which began with Pokémon Sword and Shield, saw Game Freak confirm that future games would feature a reduced or limited regional Pokédex, meaning not all existing Pokémon would be transferable or catchable in every new title. This move, meant to streamline development and focus on new creatures, ironically highlights the problem: the total National Pokédex is too large to manage, yet the type system must still accommodate all 1,000+ interactions, even if only 400 or 500 are present in a given game.

3. The Hypothetical 19th Type: A Balancing Nightmare

The debate over whether to introduce a 19th type—such as the long-rumored Light Type, Sound Type, or Cosmic Type—is fraught with peril. While the Fairy Type successfully balanced the once-overpowered Dragon Type, adding another element now could destabilize the entire 18x18 matrix.

Developers are hesitant because a new type would require re-evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of all 18 existing types against the new one (36 new interactions), and then re-evaluating all existing Pokémon to see if they should gain the new typing. This exponential increase in complexity and the risk of creating a new "dominant" or "doomed" type is a powerful argument against further expansion of the type chart.

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The Satirical Response: The 'Pokémon: Too Many Types' ROM Hack

The keyword "pokemon too many types pokedex" often leads directly to a specific, viral fan project that perfectly encapsulates the community's frustration: the Pokémon: Too Many Types ROM hack. Commissioned by YouTuber Alpharad and developed by a team including Kobazco, Cannons, and MarinePez, this hack of Pokémon Emerald takes the concept of type bloat to its logical, hilarious extreme.

The developers deliberately added a plethora of new, often nonsensical, types to the game, giving multiple new typings to existing Pokémon, thus creating a truly overwhelming Pokédex experience.

A Look at the Fan-Made 'Too Many Types' Entities

To showcase the absurdity of an ever-expanding type chart, the ROM hack introduced several unique, non-traditional types, pushing the boundaries of what a Pokémon type could be. This is the ultimate expression of the "too many types" sentiment, proving that while fans love new content, the core system is already saturated.

• Bean Type: A type specifically created to be silly and arbitrary.
• Fluffy Type: A type often assigned to soft, Normal-type Pokémon.
• Prime Type: A more serious, powerful concept, often linked to legendary or mythical Pokémon.
• Wind Type: A common fan suggestion, which highlights the redundancy of the existing Flying Type.
• Sound Type: Another popular fan concept, often assigned to Pokémon like Exploud or Noivern.
• Cosmic Type: An elemental type often associated with space and the celestial, like Deoxys or Clefable.

The hack’s popularity proves that while the official 18-type system is complex, the community is deeply engaged with the concept of type balance and is actively exploring what a truly "bloated" Pokédex and type chart would look like in practice.

Conclusion: Managing Complexity in a Growing World

The question of whether Pokémon has "too many types" is less about the number 18 and more about the management of the 324 interactions and the competitive viability of each element. The National Pokédex will continue to grow, and the type chart will remain the central pillar of the franchise's strategy. For now, Game Freak appears content to maintain the 18-type standard established with the Fairy Type, relying on new mechanics like Terastallization in Generation IX to introduce temporary complexity rather than permanent new types.

Ultimately, the discussion around "pokemon too many types pokedex" is a call for balance. Fans want the weaker types, like the Ice Type, to be defensively viable, and they want the overall system to remain strategically deep without requiring a degree in matrix algebra to master. The viral success of the Pokémon: Too Many Types ROM hack serves as a constant, humorous reminder of the fine line between strategic depth and overwhelming complexity.