Snorlax is a pure Normal-type, so the simple answer is: Fighting-type Pokémon and Fighting-type moves are the best at beating Snorlax in most games and in Pokémon GO.

Why Snorlax Is Hard To Beat

Snorlax is famous for:

  • Very high HP and special bulk, so it soaks up lots of hits.
  • Pure Normal typing, which gives it only one weakness (Fighting) and an immunity to Ghost.
  • Strong moves like Body Slam, Hyper Beam, Earthquake, and coverage options that punish many would‑be counters.

That combination means you usually need either:

  • Heavy Fighting damage, or
  • Very strong physical walls that resist Normal.

Best Counters In Pokémon GO

Because Normal is weak to Fighting, you want strong Fighting attackers.

Top examples:

  • Machamp with Counter + Dynamic Punch or Close Combat.
  • Lucario with Counter + Aura Sphere.
  • Conkeldurr with Counter + Dynamic Punch.
  • Other solid Fighters like Hariyama, Blaziken, or Sirfetch’d with good Fighting charge moves.

Practical tips:

  • Use fast moves like Counter to shred Snorlax’s HP quickly.
  • Time your shields for heavy charged moves like Hyper Beam or Superpower.
  • If you lack Fighters, high‑DPS attackers that hit neutral (like strong Dragon, Fairy, or Steel legendaries) can still win with enough CP advantage.

Main Counters In Traditional Games (Smogon / Cartridge)

In classic competitive formats, Snorlax often acts as a central defensive or offensive pivot, so people build specific answers to it.

Common answers:

  • Fighting-types (e.g., Machamp with Cross Chop) to exploit its sole weakness.
  • Ghost-types versus “mono‑Lax” sets that rely mainly on Normal moves, since Ghost is immune to Normal.
  • Rock- and Steel-types that resist Normal and can wear it down:
    • Skarmory is a very popular Gen 2 Snorlax check, resisting Normal and being immune to Earthquake, though it must fear Fire Blast or Thunder variants.
* Steelix can tank a lot while threatening back, even though it is weak to Snorlax’s common coverage moves.

Example thought process in team-building:

“If I’m weak to Snorlax, I add something like Skarmory or a strong Fighting- type so I’m not steamrolled mid-game.”

Quick Reference Table

Here’s a compact view of what beats Snorlax in different contexts:

[8][7] [5][7] [8] [4][8] [2][9] [2][9]
Context Main Weakness Used Good Pokémon / Types Key Idea
Pokémon GO Raids / Gyms Fighting Machamp, Lucario, Conkeldurr, other Fighters with Counter + Fighting charge movesExploit Normal’s Fighting weakness and burst through its HP.
Pokémon GO PvP Fighting / high DPS neutral Same Fighters as above; strong neutral legendaries if you lack Fighters.Use shield baiting and smart timing to avoid big charged moves.
Mainline competitive (Gen 2 style) Fighting, Ghost immunity, Normal resistance Machamp, Skarmory, Steelix, Ghost-types vs mono- Normal sets.Either hit it super‑effectively or wall its Normal STAB and chip it down.

Mini “Story” Example

Imagine queueing into a Great League battle and seeing Snorlax lead. You swap into your Machamp , start spamming Counter, and watch that huge HP bar drain surprisingly fast. Snorlax finally throws a Body Slam, you shield once, then land a Dynamic Punch that sends the sleepy giant crashing, exactly how Normal’s lone Fighting weakness is meant to be exploited.

TL;DR: When you wonder “what beats Snorlax,” the answer in almost every format is: strong Fighting-types (Machamp, Lucario, Conkeldurr, etc.), plus a few bulky Steel, Rock, or Ghost options in older competitive metas.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.