A critical hit is a special damaging hit that deals more damage than usual. In many games, it also ignores certain negative stat changes on the attacker and positive defensive stat changes on the target, although the exact rule set varies by generation. Some moves and effects have a higher critical-hit ratio, and some Abilities or items improve critical-hit chances. Critical hits are useful but should not be the main plan for a consistent strategy because they are not guaranteed without dedicated setup. For reliable damage, focus first on type advantage, strong stats, STAB, and accurate moves.
