Spring is in the air, and you know what that means! Time to think about spooky ghosts! In the world of Pokémon, you can encounter ghosts at any time. You are having a nice day on the beach! Cursola. Taking a nice hike through the woods? Phantump. That is the beauty of Pokemon. You don’t need an excuse like a holiday for supernatural encounters. Ghostymon are just there, lurking, waiting.
Not sure which Ghostymon is the best? I’m here to help you with my list of the 10 Best Ghost Type Pokemon. This list includes dual and secondary types and doesn’t include Gengar because he’s always in Ghost-type lists, and frankly, he doesn’t need the press.
Polteageist
Let’s begin with a tea-based ghost because I am British, and nothing if not on brand.
Polteageist evolves from tiny teacup Sinistea. It would be easy to think this evolutionary line is adorable. But instead, a little purple ghost lives inside some crockery and peeks out like a goofy little guy.
Of course, because this is Pokemon, it’s actually a nightmare. Polteageist is made of black tea and is frequently drank because it is supposedly delicious. However, drinking too much can cause stomach problems, sickness, or even death. Polteageist only lets trainers it trusts drink from it, which suggests it actively wants its trainers dead. Fair.
Mimikyu
Said to be Pikachus’ biggest fan, Mimikyu is never seen without its homemade Pikachu cosplay. Unfortunately, no one knows what Mimikyu truly looks like, and rumors persist that seeing its true form can cause illness or death. A dual Ghost/Fairy type, Mimikyus’ disguise protects it from attacks and stays on even if broken. If its disguise is broken, it will spend all night repairing itself while crying, then seek unforgiving, unrelenting, and even kamikaze revenge on whoever damaged it.
Originally this little super fan was thought to be a ghost wearing a sheet, and it is the only currently known Pokemon to be able to use the Z-move Lets Snuggle Forever. This move entails jumping on top of the opponent, covering it with its disguise, and relentlessly attacking it.
Dragapult
One of my favorite sneaky-looking dudes, Dragapult is a Dragon/Ghost dual type and floats around bodies of water. Evolving the final evolution of the Dreepy line, Dragapult permanently looks like he is laughing like Muttley from Wacky Races. Said to be the ghosts of Prehistoric aquatic Pokémon, Dragapults share their looks with a dragon and a stealth bomber.
It can focus all its energy, become invisible, and has a hilarious signature move. Dragapult has a pair of Dreepy that live inside the horns on its head. It fires these Dreepy at enemies at supersonic speeds like missiles in battle. Unfortunately, this move also means Dragapult makes my list of worst Pokémon parents. Dragapults Pokedex entry says the Dreepy looks forward to this, but I suspect it may have written that itself.
Phantump
This kawaii spectral stump with its big eyes looks like Caspar the Friendly Ghost decided to wear a wood helmet. The leaves on its head are said to create a healing broth/tea if brewed, and it’s described as sounding like a child or the screams of those in distress. It’s ok, though. It’s just looking for friends!
Phantump are looking for friends because they are the spirits of dead children that have possessed the rotted tree stumps of the forest floor. So kawaii! On top of that, Phantump evolves into Trevenant, which is the Pokémon equivalent of the traumatizing evil tree from Poltergeist. Despite being terrifying, Trevenant is a forest protector and only attacks those that harm the forests. In addition, both Phantump and Trevenant are the only Pokemon to be able to use the move Forest’s Curse, a powerful Grass-type move.
Greavard
Simultaneously skeletal and shaggy, Greavard is a dog Pokemon that tends to hang around underground. The candle on its head pokes above ground like a beacon to lure people in. Once people come near, Greavard jumps out because it wants to be friends. That’s it, no nefarious spooky ulterior motives. Not intentional ones, anyway.
The thing about Greavard is that it accidentally leeches the life from the people around it the longer they are in contact with it. Although, let’s be honest. We would all let our dogs steal our life force. That’s just dog science.
Greavard evolves into Houndstone, an incredibly powerful ally on your team. It’s so powerful that it was banned from competitive matches.
Spectrier
This ghostly horse (Gorse) was introduced in the Crown Tundra DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield and is the regal steed of big-headed weirdo Calyrex. You can choose which form Big Heads’ horse will take by offering Shaderoot carrots or Iceroot carrots at the shrine.
Iceroot carrots will result in the summoning of Glastrier, an Ice-type horse. Spectrier used to rule the Crown Tundra and make life miserable for the people and Pokémon of the area until Calyrex, and his massive orb head tamed it. The Pokedex entries from Sword and Shield state that Spectrier prefers isolation and silence and that its kick can separate someone’s soul from their body. I, too, prefer isolation and silence and am currently working on my soul-separating kicks.
Spiritomb
Spiritomb is a dual Ghost/Dark-type and a psychedelic horror whirligig. Spiritomb doesn’t technically have a physical form but instead projects its swirly visage out of a cracked rock called an Odd Keystone. The true nightmare of Spiritomb is that it is, in fact, a collection of 108 spirits who have been trapped in the keystone as punishment for their misdeeds in life. Can you imagine being stuck in a confined space with one stranger, let alone 108?
It’s no wonder it’s known for its aggression and unpredictability. Spirits from the group within Spiritomb can also possess people, causing their faces to morph into Spiritomb’s horrible angry expression. Furthermore, if one of its spirits goes missing, the Spiritomb will go berserk until they are reunited—an actual nightmare.
Cofagrigus
Appearing as an Ancient Egyptian-style sarcophagus with four spectral hands reaching out from within, Cofagrigus evolves from the mask-carrying Yamask. According to history, Cofagrigus trap grave robbers inside themselves and turn them into mummies. It also eats gold nuggets because it knows their worth. Hanging out in ruins waiting for people to mummify, Cofagrigus would easily have been at home as a villain in the 90s cartoon Mummies Alive, a show that definitely existed, and someone other than me must remember.
Aptly, Yamask and Cofagrigus are the only Pokémon that can learn the ability of Mummy, which causes the opponents’ own ability to become Mummy once Cofagrigus is hit with a physical attack. So basically, Cofagrigus wants to create an army of Mummies to take over the world, and it is frankly a miracle that the Mummy uprising hasn’t happened in at least one region.
Drifloon
Drifloon is my all-time favorite Pokémon. A cute, pastel-colored balloon floating along on the breeze, this cottony cloud-headed ghost has long dangly legs and cute little heart-shaped feet. Unfortunately, it also regularly steals children.
The Pokédex entries for Drifloon vary wildly from “Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a “Signpost for Wandering Spirits'” to entries that state “if for some reason its body bursts, its soul spills out with a screaming sound.” A delightful contradiction of good and evil in one adorable balloon, Drifloon is also so light that when attempting to take children to the afterlife, it gets pulled around. When it evolves, it becomes the dual Ghost/Flying type Drifblim, whose body contains souls, said to be burdened with regrets. These souls serve as fuel for Drifblim’s gas. We can all relate to regret gas.
Marshadow
Known as the Gloomdweller Pokémon, Marshadow is a mythical monster introduced in the Sun and Moon games. A dual Fighting/Ghost type, Marshadow sinks into the shadows of other people and Pokémon and can learn their feelings and copy their abilities.
Marshadow is a wispy, fog-like creature. It is the only Pokemon to learn the damage-dealing move Spectral Thief and Z-move Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. Almost nothing is known about Marshadow as it rarely appears to humans, but it does appear to be wearing some armor as the wisps around its head seem to be a helmet, and it also seems to be wearing wrist bracers.
Did I miss your favorite Ghost-type? Drop your picks in the comments below.
