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Revision as of 08:40, 14 June 2024 by CyberDragonM(talk | contribs)(→Trivia: It actually halves Attack/Special Attack during damage calculation, which results in only highly similar effects to a type resistance.)
The Ghost type (Japanese: ゴーストタイプGhost type) is one of the eighteen types. Ghost-type moves are super effective against Ghost- and Psychic-typePokémon, while Ghost-type Pokémon are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type moves.
The move Curse, introduced in Generation II, functions differently when used by a Ghost-type Pokémon.
From Generation VI onwards, Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to effects that prevent recall or escape (such as Mean Look and Shadow Tag), and they are also guaranteed to flee from any wild battle regardless of Speed.
The move Trick-or-Treat, introduced in Generation VI, adds the Ghost type to the target's types.
As of Generation IX, 73 Pokémon or 7.12% of all Pokémon are Ghost-type (counting those that are Ghost-type in at least one of their forms, including regional forms), making it the third rarest type among Pokémon after Fairy and before Dragon and Electric.
The Pokémon below are listed by their current types. Some Pokémon have had their types changed.
As of Generation IX, there are 34 Ghost-type moves, which makes up 3.64% of all moves (excluding those that are Ghost-type only under certain circumstances), causing it to tie with Bug as the 4th rarest type among moves after Ice and before Poison.
If the user is knocked out after using this move, the Pokémon that knocked it out will also faint. This move's chance of failing rises if it is used in succession.
The user takes the target trick-or-treating. This adds Ghost type to the target's type.
All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.
Changed types
The following Ghost-type moves have had their types changed.
A Pokémon with Protean or Libero will become a Ghost-type Pokémon if it uses a Ghost-type move. A Pokémon with Color Change, Imposter, RKS System, or Multitype will become a Ghost-type Pokémon if (respectively) it is hit with a Ghost-type move, is sent out against a Ghost-type opponent, is holding a Ghost Memory, or is holding a Spooky Plate or Ghostium Z.
Despite being introduced in Generation I, there were no pure Ghost-type Pokémon until Generation II introduced Misdreavus.
Generation VII introduced the most Ghost-type moves of any generation, with eight. Generation V introduced the fewest Ghost-type moves, with only one, Hex.
In Generation I, Ghost-type moves have no effect on Psychic-type Pokémon, though an abundance of evidence suggests that this may have been an error. Multiple sources mention that Ghost-type moves are super-effective on Psychic-type Pokémon: official strategy guides published by Nintendo, two episodes of the anime (The Tower of Terror and Haunter versus Kadabra), and even the games themselves, where a Pokémon Trainer in the Saffron Gym mentions that Psychic-type Pokémon "only fear Bugs and Ghosts" (though the reference to Ghost-type Pokémon was removed in Pokémon Yellow). This was corrected in Generation II to make Ghost-type moves actually be super effective against Psychic-type Pokémon.
The Ghost type is the only type who is immune to two types: Normal and Fighting.
It is also the only type to have ever been ineffective against two types: Normal and Psychic in Generation I.
Ghost and Normal are the only two types to be ineffective against each other.
As of Generation VI, Ghost is tied with Dragon for being the least resisted type.
While the Ghost-type has an immunity to Normal-type moves, several damaging moves that display as Normal-type can affect them, including Hidden Power (whose actual type varies) and Struggle (which inflicts typeless damage from Generation II onward).
In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Ghost-type Pokémon can walk through "walls" (some dungeons have cliffs, holes, or other equivalents), although doing so rapidly depletes their Belly meter. This is a reference to how ghosts are often depicted as being able to phase through objects.
Despite not being Ghost-type, Darkrai is also able to walk through walls.
Starting in Generation VI, it is not possible for any Pokémon to possess a double resistance to Ghost. However, the Purifying SaltAbility, introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, simulates a resistance to the Ghost type and a Dark-type Pokémon that obtained it would basically have a double resistance to Ghost-type moves.
The only Pokémon to have ever possessed a double resistance to the Ghost-type naturally were Pawniard and Bisharp, both of which are dual-type Dark/Steel.
Kalos is the only region without a notable Ghost-type specialist.
In Pokémon Conquest, Ghost-type Pokémon which are not part-Flying-type or have Levitate are shown with an animation of physically passing through enemies, referencing the common belief that real-life ghosts can pass through solid objects. They cannot, however, pass through any other obstacle on the field in-game.
Ghost- and Dark-type moves are super effective against the same types. As of Generation VI, the only difference between them is that Dark-type moves are not very effective on Fighting- or Fairy-type Pokémon while Ghost-type moves do not affect Normal-type Pokémon.
As shown in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, some Ghost-type Pokémon, despite their name, can still die. However, it also appears that many Ghost-type Pokémon, particularly ones who are more similar to traditional ghosts, are indeed immune to the ravages of time and can live on indefinitely.
All Ghost-type moves are eligible to be used in Sky Battles.
The Ghost type was the last type to have at least one Pokémon officially owned by Ash in the anime, following his capture of a Gengar in A Chilling Curse!.
Rock is the only type that has yet to be paired with Ghost.
Ghost and Dragon share some characteristics. They both:
originally had three Pokémon in Generation I, then gained only one more in Generation II.
are the only types that are weak to themselves.
have one type immune to them and one type resistant to them.
Until The Isle of Armor and the introduction of Poltergeist, every Ghost-type move had 100% accuracy or could not miss.
In Japanese, the Ghost type shares its name with Haunter, whose Japanese name is ゴースト Ghost.