First introduced in Generation II, Dark-type Pokemon are the cool choice for Pokemon trainers. Literally referred to as the "evil" type in Japan, these Pokemon are up there with Poison-Types in their popularity among the bad guys. Almost every evil team leader has one or more Dark-types on their team, and they're popular among the "gruffer" trainer classes.
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Their muted color palettes and sharper, less friendly designs often mean they rank among the coolest Pokemon in the franchise. They're also interesting from a lore perspective. It is well known that the Pokedex has a dark side, and Pokemon like these allow it to flourish.
8 Generation I - Galarian Moltres
As Dark-type Pokemon weren't added until Generation II, there are actually none among Generation I's regular roster. Thankfully, some Generation I Pokemon later became Dark-Types thanks to Mega-Evolutions and regional forms.
Moltres is one such regional form. Moltres' regular design was never particularly interesting. It was a big bird that was on fire, not much to it. The Galarian Form variant mixes it up to be much cooler. Its fire now blazes a fierce red, and its facial features were sharpened to make a much more threatening Pokemon.
7 Generation II - Tyranitar
As Generation II introduced the Dark-type, there is a lot of competition for the spot of "best". Umbreon & Sneasel are both fan favorites, but Tyranitar wins out by being the strongest. It's Johto's Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, and it lives up to the name.
It's one of the coolest looking Psuedo-Legendaries, with spikes galore and a muted green coloring that would look ugly if it wasn't thematically appropriate. According to the Pokedex, its footsteps can cause mountains to crumble and it has instincts only for destruction.
6 Generation III - Absol
Generation III is another with a wide selection of Dark-types. Shiftry is a powerful early-game Pokemon, and Sharpedo is a strong fan-favorite from that generation. However, what sets Absol apart from those is the brilliant lore behind it.
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Absol is the only Dark-type Pokemon that isn't portrayed as being overtly mischievous. It is known as the Disaster Pokemon because it can sense when natural disasters are coming and appears before people to warn them. Unfortunately, as it always appears before a disaster, it has caused people to believe it is a herald of doom, hence the Dark-typing. On top of that, it is visually wonderful. The white & black contrast in a way that both looks cool, and makes thematic sense. Its horn adds just enough flavor to make it beautiful in its subtlety.
5 Generation IV - Darkrai
The only Legendary Pokemon to be pure Dark-type, Darkrai is a strong representation of the type in a Generation with a few strong candidates. Weavile is a very cool design, and Spiritomb is an oddity that draws people in.
Darkrai has a lot going for it. It has a cool & detailed design, as much Mythical Pokemon do, and Generation IV is the era where Mythical Pokemon events were enjoyable in-game mini-adventures. What tops it off, though, is that one of the best Pokemon movies centers around Darkrai, which makes it all the more notable.
4 Generation V - Zoroark
Another Pokemon that got the movie treatment, Zoroark is one of Generation V's most recognizable Pokemon. While Generation V is often lambasted for having many sub-par Pokemon designs, the Dark-types are almost entirely great. Bisharp, Scrafty, Krookodile & Hydreigon are all fantastic Pokemon among their ranks.
Zoroark has a unique ability where it will disguise itself as a different Pokemon when switched into battle. It takes some strategizing to make this work, but it can be a lot of fun to hoodwink an opponent into playing a bad move on a disguised Zoroark.
3 Generation VI - Greninja
Generation VI added the smallest pool of new Pokemon to date (not including alternate forms), so it's no surprise that Dark-types are hard to come by. In fact, other than Greninja, Yveltal & Malamar are the only Dark-types in the entire generation.
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Greninja is a big fan-favorite Pokemon. Any Pokemon popular enough to be added into Smash Bros is worth shouting about. The "ninja" elements of the design have meshed really well with the typical design tropes of a water Starter Pokemon, so it's no surprise that fans gravitated towards it.
2 Generation VII - Incineroar
Astoundingly, despite adding more new Pokemon than Generation VI, Generation VII added fewer Dark-types into the franchise. Not counting Alolan forms, there are only TWO. Incineroar is one, Guzzlord is the other, and it doesn't take a genius to tell which one is more popular amongst the fans.
Incineroar is another Pokemon that has been honored with a spot on the Smash Bros roster, and it makes sense as its design is based on that of pro-wrestling. Incineroar is a "heel" wrestler, also known as a villain wrestler. It uses that to avoid the boring Fire/Fighting combo and roll with Fire/Dark to become an unexpected force in the competitive scene, especially with Intimidate and its hidden ability.
1 Generation VIII - Nickit
After a few Generations of relative drought, Generation VII added a much wider selection of Dark-type Pokemon. Grimmsnarl, Obstagoon & Zarude are all exceptionally cool Dark-types with many of the best qualities of the type. However, Nickit stands out amongst them because, unlike almost every Pokemon of the type, it is insanely cute.
Dark-types are usually beloved for their cool factor, but Nickit shows that even "evil" can have a cute side. That said, it's still an urban fox, so it raids Pokemon's food stores to feed itself. However, the overall design is very soft, and the burgundy coloring makes it feel like the kind of Pokemon that would be great for a cuddle.