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The list of Ghost-type Pokémon has grown considerably from the original trio of Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar.
So much so that choosing the best Ghost-type Pokémon no longer is as simple as it once was.
In addition to there being more Ghost-type Pokémon in the Pokedex right now, they’ve also become considerably more powerful and well-liked.
Case in point, they’re no longer just useful for taking down Psychic-type Pokémon – they’re extremely useful in taking down any kind of Pokémon.
With that said, if you’re planning to choose the best Ghost-type Pokémon, then you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Or, at least, you should have.
Thanks to us, you’ll no longer have to sift through the 54 different ghost-type Pokémon to find the best one.
All you need to do is to scroll down below and find out.
15 Best Ghost-Type Pokémon
1. Gengar
While we did try to make sure that our list isn’t ranked by any order, we did want to start things off on the right note.
Hence, Gengar.
Gengar is the original Dark Ghost type Pokémon.
Back when they were pretty much useless, Gengar was already striking fear in the hearts of gamers and audiences alike. He was big, mean, and scary, a malevolent spirit that took the naughtiness of Haunter to a whole other level and legitimized just how powerful ghost-type Pokémon can be.
Considered by many as the ultimate ghost-type Pokémon, Gengar has the ideal combination of Speed (130) and Special Attack (170), as well as typing (Ghost/Poison), and a special ability (Shadow Tag) that essentially locks in enemy Pokémon in combat with it.
In the altered words of the Watchmen’s ruthless vigilante, Rorschach, Gengar isn’t trapped in a battle with you, you’re trapped in a battle with it.
If that’s not enough to make Gengar the best Ghost Pokémon, I don’t know what will.
2. Aegislash
What do you get when you combine two of the most overpowered typing in Pokémon in the past?
You get Aegislash, that’s what.
A Steel/Ghost-type Pokémon, Aegislash is either immune to something or resistant. However, it being able to take a hit (or that it can’t be hit at all) isn’t the reason why Aegislash makes it to our list. Rather, it’s because of the fact that it’s so versatile.
For starters, it has Stance Change, which is a unique ability that lets it switch between offense (Blade Forme) and defense (Shield Forme).
When switching to the former, the Pokémon can sacrifice its defense to enjoy a 150 stat in both Attack and Special Attack.
Meanwhile, the latter has the opposite effect. But, what makes this ability so special is that it’s an ability and not a move, so, the Pokémon will change its stance automatically based on its next move.
Because it has the ultimate offense and defense, Aegislash is a hard-hitting Pokémon that can dish out as much damage as it can take.
This is the very reason why Aegilash is banned in numerous competitive circuits.
But, if you’re a casual player or just like competing with your friends, then there’s no reason NOT to try and have a trusty Aegislash in your lineup.
3. Dragapult
Dragapult is the very definition of a glass cannon.
Aesthetically, Dragapult looks like a cross between the Northrop B-2 Spirit, otherwise more commonly known as the Stealth Bomber, and a Dragon. The result? A unique typing (Dragon/Ghost) and an ability that lets it pass through barriers without a hitch, hence why it’s known as the “Stealth Pokémon” as well.
Introduced in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Dragapult is a fast (142 Speed stat) and hard-hitting (120 Attack stat) that could help you breeze through the game if used right.
What really makes Dragapult stand out though is its typing.
Because most Dragon-type Pokémon can learn a variety of moves, Dragapult can fill in multiple kinds of roles in any kind of team. But, if we’re being honest, Dragapult is best used as a glass cannon, as we’ve already mentioned earlier.
If you’re looking for a Pokémon that helps you take down entire teams as quickly as possible, Dragapult is your guy.
4. Arceus-Ghost
According to the Pokedex, Arceus is said to have “emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world.”
If to you, that sounds like Arceus is god, then you’re not alone.
There’s a lot of confusion among fans on whether or not Arceus is the literal god of the entire Pokémon universe and the one responsible for its creation, or if Arceus is the god of all the Pokémon creatures.
Either way, the fact that Arceus is a deity is reason enough for it to be on our list.
Known as “The Original One”, Arceus, in terms of combat ability, is one of the most powerful Pokémon out there with a base stat of 720.
While it is not a ghost-type Pokémon by default, we decided to include Arceus because he can change types.
5. Giratina
Dragapult might have one of the more unique typings in Pokémon, but it’s not alone.
Giratina is another Ghost/Dragon hybrid. Albeit, the main difference is that Giratina isn’t just a ghost-type Pokémon. This is because it is a legendary Ghost Pokémon.
Both the heaviest (Altered) and tallest (Origin) Ghost-type Pokémon, this Generation IV Legendary Pokémon represents antimatter and is part of the creation trio composed of itself, Dialga, and Palkia.
It’s only one of the best by virtue of being one of the most powerful and cool-looking Pokémon out there.
Not to mention, it’s got one of the darkest backstories of any Pokémon.
You see, Giratina didn’t just scare people as most Ghost-type Pokémon do. Instead, this Legendary Pokémon used to terrorize people and Pokémon alike so much that there was no other choice but to seal it away into a different world to prevent its violent tendencies from hurting the world.
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6. Sableye
If you’re wondering why you don’t see Mega Sableye often in competitive play, it’s because it’s one of the few Pokémon that’s banned in all levels.
When Mega-evolved, the Mega Sableye benefits from a huge boost in its Defense and Special Defense.
This makes its ability, Magic Bounce, which allows it to send back status moves and other environmental hazards back to its opponent, borderline overpowered because it’s extremely hard to counter.
Of course, the same can’t be said for the regular Sableye.
A Dark/Ghost-type Pokémon, Sableye is weak to very few things. However, it’s not exactly strong either.
But, what it does lack in power and strength, it makes up for in being the kind of Ghost-type Pokémon that will scare the wits out of people, not by meaning to scare them, but simply by being itself.
Its imp-like body and dead eyes are unsettling, to say the least, and staring at it for too long will definitely send chills down your spy.
Sure, one could argue that it looks somewhat harmless and goofy, but, believe us, Sableye is the last thing that you want to see standing from the corners of your eyes in the middle of the night.
7. Mimikyu
Whereas some Pokémon have dark backstories, Ghost-types especially, Mimikyu’s backstory is just downright depressing.
A Pokémon with Ghost/Fairy typing whose appearance has been associated with sickness, people purposely avoid it. As a result, this has made Pokémon want to be liked, at all costs.
Because of this, Mimikyu decided to not be itself and be one of the most likable Pokémon instead, which is Pikachu.
But, while it may appear like a harmless child who just wants to have friends, Mimikyu is actually quite a powerful ghost.
For starters, Mimikyu’s disguise isn’t just for show. It’s actually quite useful.
The disguise gives Mimikyu an ability called “Disguise” where it’s afforded one free hit because the Pikachu costume takes all of the damage. This comes in handy since it doesn’t really have a lot of HP.
Mind you, Mimikyu’s not powerful just because it can dodge attacks once. Because of its typing, it can use STAB moves on pretty much all Pokémon for neutral damage.
8. Galarian Corsola
Galarian Corsola is proof that not all evolutions are great.
One of the more recent additions that came with Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, this tanky Pokémon loses its ability to soak up enormous amounts of damage when it evolves.
But, if you leave it as it is, and use Eviolite to boost its defenses, as well as make full use of Strength Sap, then you’ll have the Pokémon equivalent of an impenetrable wall.
The addition of Strength Sap is important. This is because it lets users heal an equal amount of HP based on the attack stat of the target while also lowering the target’s attack.
Since most Pokémon are physical attackers, taking down this Pokémon can be quite a chore.
This is specially made even more annoying because, being a Ghost-type Pokémon, Galarian Corsola is already immune to Normal and Fighting attacks.
9. Chandelure
Yeah, so Chandelure doesn’t look scary. In fact, it looks like a chandelier that’s been brought alive.
But, while Chandelure might look like one of the weirdest Pokémon around, it’s a common favorite among many Pokémon players. Why? Because the typing (Ghost/Fire) gives the Pokémon access to STAB moves that can pretty much take anyone but those with resistances down with little more than two hits at most.
Examples of said abilities include Shadow Ball and Flamethrower.
While it’s far from the strongest Ghost-type Pokémon, Chandelure is an excellent choice for a sweeper so long as you’re not fighting against faster opponents.
10. Cofagrigus
Cofagrigus lives up to being a Pokémon sarcophagus.
Whatever it is that it’s trying to protect inside it, whether it is its true form or the body of whoever was originally inside the sarcophagus, Cofagrigus boasts physical Defense and Special Defense stats that only a few normal Pokémon can rival.
That’s not all. Cofagrigus is one of the few pure Ghost-type Pokémon.
What this means is that it’s immune to Normal and Fighting. It also means that it’s weak only to other Ghost-type Pokémon, as well as Dark-type Pokémon.
What makes Cofagrigus special compared to other defense-first Pokémon, however, is that it can dish out a lot of punishment. This is because of moves like Nasty Plot and Trick Room.
The former gives it a drastic boost in Special Attack. Meanwhile, the latter slows down faster Pokémon while making slower Pokémon faster. This combination makes Cofagrigus a terrifying opponent to face off against.
11. Dhelmise
What would happen if algae became sentient?
Dhelmise is the answer to that question.
A Ghost/Grass Pokémon that shouldn’t have any business being scary nor powerful, Dhelmise is a formidable powerhouse that can annoy opponents to death when used right.
This is because it has Synthesis, which is a self-healing move. Not to mention, in competitive tiers, its ability, Rapid Spin, allows it to clear the battlefield of any and all environmental hazards.
Paired with a notable Attack stat and you’ve got a hard-hitting sleeper right there and then.
12. Marowak (Alola Form)
Hands up if you were one of those who thought that Marowak was a Ghost-type Pokémon.
You see, it wasn’t really hard to come to that solution, especially back then. After all, it’s wearing a skull, and while in-game lore suggests that it is its mother’s skull, who’s to say that it’s the mother wearing his son’s skull instead?
Luckily, Generative VII comes to fix this.
The Alolan Marowack is now finally a Ghost-type Pokémon, and a dual-type with Fire at that, which gives it plenty of STAB moves.
However, what makes the Alolan Marowack so formidable is its Curse Body ability which gives it a 30% chance of disabling enemy moves once it’s been used in battle.
13. Lunala
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon introduced yet another Legendary Ghost-Type Pokémon in Lunala.
According to in-game texts, Lunala is supposedly so powerful that it can create wormholes if necessary. But, Lunala is not just a powerful Pokémon outside of the game, because it can also do a lot of damage when in battle.
In particular, its unique Ghost-type move, Moongeist Beam, comes in extremely handy.
Lunala is also tied with Dawn Wings Necrozma and Giratina as the three Ghost-type Pokémon with the highest base stat total.
14. Decidueye
Every time starter Pokémon are released, there’s always one that stands out as the crowd favorite.
For Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, that was Rowlet.
A cute Grass-type Pokémon, Rowlet stole the hearts of gamers when it was first revealed. However, its popularity shot up when people realized that its final form, the Grass/Ghost Pokémon Decidueye, was even cooler and arguably more powerful.
A potent wall breaker, Decidueye might not be a sweeper or a heavy-hitter, but its typing makes it great for defenses and for switching to other bulkier Pokémon when necessary.
Decidueye can be seen in the Nintendo Switch version of Pokken Tournament DX as an exclusive fighter.
15. Banette
Have you ever been so angry that you came to life?
Well, Banette was.
The evolution of the teensy little Shuppet, Banette is a vengeance-filled Pokémon filled with dark energy, which is even more evident when it evolves into Mega Banette.
As for strength, Banette is a little underrated. It’s not your typical powerful Pokémon that can one-shot teams, although it’s capable of doing so.
Rather, it’s a tricky Pokémon that requires dodging if you want it to be as effective as possible. But, if set up properly, Banette can be an extremely useful asset on your team.
Just make sure that you know how to dodge. Otherwise, you’ll want to avoid it entirely.
Final Thoughts
And, there you have it.
From the best-looking to the most powerful and to the ones with the best backstories, these are the best Ghost-type Pokémon out there.
So, whether you’re looking for a bad-ass addition to your competitive lineup or you just want to add a Ghost-type Pokémon, we’ve already done the research for you to make sure that you get the pick of the litter.
