The physical/special split in Generation IV was one of the most important changes in the history of Pokémon. Moves were updated to be either physical, going off a Pokémon's Attack stat, or special, going off the Special Attack stat. In terms of strategy, the split made the games a lot more interesting.

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Prior to Generation IV, Pokémon with higher Attack than Special Attack using special moves couldn't benefit from same-type attack bonus, otherwise known as as STAB. For the Pokémon who gained STAB options, the split changed everything, making them much stronger in terms of attack power.

10 Feraligatr Gained Physical STAB Moves

Pokemon Feraligatr leaping out of water

With the physical/special split, Feraligatr gained physical STAB moves like Aqua Tail and Waterfall. The Big Jaw Pokémon also gained a number of new moves, the majority of which were put into the physical category and allowed it to benefit from its superior base physical Attack of 105 compared to its Special Attack of 79. While its Special Attack stat meant Feraligatr's moves in Generation III were nothing to shout about, the split made them a lot more powerful.

9 Crawdaunt Gained Powerful Physical Attacks

Crawdaunt Corphish Crabhammer Pokemon

Crawdaunt got a big bonus after the split when the moves Crunch, Night Slash, and Crabhammer become physical, therefore benefiting from Crawdaunt's base Attack, which is 30 points higher than its Special Attack. The first two moves are Dark-type and Crabhammer is Water-type, granting Crawdaunt STAB when using them. The Rogue Pokémon was only introduced in Generation III, so it didn't have to wait too long for the benefits of the split.

8 The Split Turned Tyranitar Into An Offensive Beast

tyranitar sparkling in the forest from Pokémon

Introduced in Generation II, Tyranitar got a big helping hand from the split. It had a number of punishing moves added to its learnset, the majority of which were physical, meaning they went off the Armor Pokémon's superior physical Attack stat (134) rather than its Special Attack (95). Fire Fang, Ice Fang, and Thunder Fang were all added to its move pool at level 1, while Crunch and Stone Edge gave it powerful STAB moves.

7 The Updated Categorization Of Salamence's Moves Fell In Its Favor

Salamence in the Pokemon anime

Salamence benefited most by having its Dragon Claw move become physical, giving the attack STAB. Considering its base physical Attack of 135, this change gave it a big boost. It was also given Fire Fang and Thunder Fang from level 1, both of which were physical moves.

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In fact, of the 19 moves Salamence could learn by leveling up in Generation IV, 12 were physical and only 2, Ember and Dragon Breath, were made to be special, with the other 5 being Status moves. Its learnset has since changed, with the Fang moves teachable via TM only.

6 Medicham Now Had Physical Psychic Moves Available

Medicham ready to battle in the Pokemon anime

Dual-type Fighting/Psychic Pokémon Medicham's base Attack and Special Attack are both 60, but it benefited from the physical/special split when already-powerful moves became STAB moves.

Medicham had access to the Fighting-type moves Hi Jump Kick and Drain Punch, as well as the Psychic moves Psycho Cut, learned by breeding, and Zen Headbutt, learned by tutoring until Generation VI, when it was added to Medicham's learnset at level 1. Medicham also gained physical elemental punches Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Thunder Punch.

5 Hitmonchan Could Now Punch Things Physically

hitmonchan in pokemon

Hitmonchan's base physical Attack is 105, while its Special Attack is a mere 35. With such a large disparity between these stats, the split greatly benefited the Punching Pokémon in that it gained a number of physical STAB moves. Its elemental punches — Thunder, Ice, and Fire — becoming physical meant that these moves were more than worth using, as opposed to previous generations when they weren't at all owing to Hitmonchan's low Special Attack.

4 Sharpedo's All-Physical Learnset Gave It A Big Advantage

Sharpedo leaps out of the water

The Generation IV split saw Sharpedo gain the physical Ice, Dark, and Water moves Ice Fang, Crunch, and Aqua Jet. Considering its base physical Attack of 120, this improved its effectiveness in battle immensely. Not a single one of the Brutal Pokémon's moves in Generation IV was special, with 11 being physical and 8 being status-affecting. It could also learn Night Slash, a Dark-type move, and Waterfall, a Water-type move, granting Sharpedo additional STAB options alongside the previously mentioned moves.

3 Gengar's Special Shadow Ball Became Frighteningly Powerful

Gengar grins

With Gengar's Special Attack being much greater than its physical — 130 compared to 65 — the fact that its arguably most-punishing move, Shadow Ball, was made to be special gave it a huge bonus. This Ghost-type move hits for 80 damage with 100% accuracy and has a 20% chance of lowering the target's Special Defense.

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Taking into account Gengar's Special Attack and the STAB it gets from using the move, Shadow Ball can do massive damage. The same applies to Sludge Bomb, a Poison-type damage-dealing move that has a 30% chance of poisoning the target.

2 Sneasel Took Full Advantage Of Its Typing And Got An Evolution

Sneasel ready to battle on ice in the Pokemon anime

The split was a big positive for Sneasel as it meant the Sharp Claw Pokémon could take advantage of its Ice/Dark dual-typing with the physical STAB moves that went off its base physical Attack of 95, much better than its Special Attack of merely 35. Moves like Faint Attack and Ice Shard were made to be much more effective, and on top of this, in Generation IV Sneasel got an evolution, Weavile.

1 Gyarados's Moves Were Brought More In-Line With Its Intimidating Look

James' Gyarados sizes up a target in Pokemon anime

As impressive as Gyarados looks, before Generation IV it was a bit of a disappointment in battle. The Water/Flying Pokémon was a big fan of the physical/special split, benefiting from gaining powerful STAB moves like Waterfall and Ice Fang, the latter of which was added to its learnset in Generation IV. Its base Attack of 125 being double its Special Attack of 60 meant these moves were much more powerful than they would have been otherwise.

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