Ghost-Types are some of the best Pokémon in the franchise, with diverse moves and awesome designs. It combines well with other types, too, and is versatile in what it can bring to a team. Whether you’re looking for an all-out attacker, or a status inflicter, you can find a Ghost-Type to fill in the gaps.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet included many classics as well as recent favorites and introduced some interesting new faces. While wandering around Paldea at night, or exploring mysterious ruins, you are bound to come across these stand-out spooks.
10/10 Banette
A mono Ghost-Type, Banette was introduced in Generation III in the Hoenn region. In the lore, it is a doll or puppet that was filled with so much negativity that it turned into a Pokémon, but in actuality it simply evolves from Shuppet at level 37.
It has a base Attack of 115, and its base Special Attack is 83, but all its other stats sit in the early 60s, so like many other Ghost-Types it can’t take a hit. It has good type coverage through the TMs it can learn, and it has some great moves for Double Battles.
9/10 Polteageist
A more recent addition to the franchise is the adorable Polteageist. It has two forms, though the only difference is whether its teapot is a reproduction or a true antique. It has a base Special Attack of 134, and a base of 114 for Special Defense. Its Speed is okay, with a base of 70, but with its ability Weak Armor it’ll raise every time Polteageist gets hit with any type of attack.
Unfortunately, its Defense and HP stats have a base of 65 which can be a problem for taking advantage of that ability if you’re up against a physical attacker. However, its hidden ability is Cursed Body which can stop an opponent from using a move after it hits your Pokémon with it. However, it doesn’t always activate.
8/10 Mimikyu
A fan favorite from Gen VII is Mimikyu, a Ghost/Fairy-Type that disguises itself as a Pikachu as best it can. Its Special Defense is its highest stat, but its Speed and Defense aren’t bad either. Of its offensive stats, its base Attack stat is 90 so you’ll want to focus on Physical Attacks when picking its move set.
Thankfully, its natural move pool focuses on Physical Attacks and Status moves so you’ll have lots of choices. Ghost and Fairy are a good combo, as there are very few types that are resistant or immune to both.
7/10 Brambleghast
Scarlet & Violet introduced several new Ghost-Types, including the Grass/Ghost-Type Brambleghast which evolves from Bramblin after walking 1000 steps with its trainer in the new “Let’s Go” mode. It’s got a good base Attack of 115, and a base Speed of 90, which makes sense as it has a thorny tumbleweed design.
Unfortunately, It has quite a few weaknesses but none more than x2. The only real problem with the Brambleghast line is that its natural and TM Grass-Type moves are mostly Special Attacks which can make it hard to utilize that part of its typing to its fullest potential.
6/10 Palossand
At level 42 Sandygast evolves into the Ghost/Ground-Type Palossand. It has a base stat of 110 in Defense that gets higher when it gets hit with a Water-Type attack, which is great for its Ground typing. Its Special Attack is best for offensive moves, with a base 0f 100.
Its most powerful natural moves support its stat strengths, with Shadow Ball and Earth Power both being Special Attacks that are handy to get STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) for. It also has some good type coverage through TMs, with Water and Psychic moves making appearances in both offensive and support moves.
5/10 Gholdengo
A common sight around the Paldea region are the Roaming Form Gimmighoul. Its Chest Form, found in ruins and watchtowers, evolves into the Steel/Ghost-Type Gholdengo when leveled up when the player has 999 Gimmighoul coins (those will disappear after it evolves).
It has a great base Special Attack of 133, but its defensive stats are both in the 90s, which is good for a Ghost-Type but low for a Steel-Type. Its move set has a lot of options for Status moves, but it learns some good Special Attacks to take advantage of its best stat. However, you might want to invest in some TMs to teach it really high-powered techniques.
4/10 Froslass
Froslass evolves from a female Snorunt when it’s exposed to a Dawn Stone, and it is a singularly harrowing Pokémon. Its cry is absolutely terrifying to hear in the distance when you’re roaming around the world. It isn’t any less scary when you’re battling it either.
Its only notable stat is its Speed with a base of 110, while its offensive stats are base 80 and defensive stats are base 70. It’s a dual Ice/Ghost-Type, and while it is okay as an offensive Pokémon it flourishes as a Status dealer.
3/10 Gengar
The Ghost/Poison-Type Gengar has been around since Gen I and has been a popular choice among trainers across the franchise. Competitively, its best used as a fast and powerful offensive team member, as its base Special Attack is 130 and it has a base Speed of 110.
Its natural move set includes the classic Shadow Ball, as well as some good type coverage and some Status inflicting moves that can help protect it on the battlefield. It doesn’t learn a lot of Poison-Type moves naturally, so if you want to utilize it for Poison damage you’ll need to teach them to it via TMs.
2/10 Ceruledge
Exclusive to Pokémon Violet is the Ghost/Fire-Type evolution of Charcadet, Ceruledge. It’s a physical attacker, with a base Attack stat of 125, and it has a base Special Defense stat of 100. Its signature move is Bitter Blade, which is a 90 base power Fire-Type move that heal the user for half the damage inflicted.
It has good type coverage through TMs, ranging from Bug-Type offensive moves to Iron Defense. Its ability is Flash Fire, which increases its attack when it’s hit by a Fire-Type attack, while its hidden ability is Weak Armor which helps make up for its mediocre defense.
1/10 Flutter Mane
The ancient ancestor of the Misdreavus line, Flutter Mane is a Fairy/Ghost-Type like Mimikyu, which gives it makes up for Ghost-Types’ natural weakness to Dark-Type attacks. Its Special stats both have a base of 135, as does its Speed, while the rest sit at a reasonable 55 base.
As a Paradox Pokémon, it has a well-padded move pool with a lot of heavy hitters in its natural setting, as well as some infuriating Status moves like Perish Song. Its TM list is nice and long too, so you can get some good type coverage and there are a lot of options for different types of strategies.