The 10 best Ghost Pokémon of all time

The best Ghost Pokémon need a spooky presence, but a bit of playful mischief too

Author:
Ryan Woodrow
Publish date:
Jun 24, 2023 4:00 AM EDT

Pokémon has always had a disturbing underworld. You don’t have to search hard to find creepy Pokédex entries of creatures that steal children away in the night or slowly suck the soul from their trainers. Most of the time, you’ll find the Pokémon responsible for such crimes are Ghost-types.

Their very existence has some dark implications for the way the series’ world works, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love them all the same. Here are the best Ghost Pokémon that we’d let spirit us away to the afterlife.

Mismagius

“Cute” may not be the first word that comes to mind with Mismagius, but when you get the past the threatening presence, it’s an adorable ghost that wants to be a real witch. Sure, it chants incantations that can torment you with headaches and hallucinations, but if it likes you, those same chants can fill you with happiness. Roll the dice, live a little – or die.

Chandelure

As the generations roll on, it’s become more common to criticize Pokémon that are inanimate objects with faces, and Ghost’s ability to possess things means there are a lot of them. Chandelure is one of the prime examples of how to do it right, though. Everything that makes it animate is worked carefully into the object’s design. You might not even spot the face at first, and the way it floats in the air, gently swaying like it’s hanging from something invisible is creepy in the best way.

Ceruledge

Armarouge’s cooler brother, Ceruledge manages to stand tall as a cool knight Pokémon. It’s a bit cheesy with the purple armor and flaming blade hands, but it’s exactly the right kind of over-the-top design. It’s something that the later generations don’t often get right, but Ceruledge proves it can still be done.

Rotom

Rotom seemed like a forgotten gem of a Pokémon for a while, but then Gen 7 came along and gave it a recurring role in every game going forwards, making it strangely iconic. Its ability to possess electrical appliances makes it stand out straight off the bat, giving you so many options in battle. Then, you add on the fact that you have one in your pocket at all times from Gen 7 onwards and you just can’t knock it.

Aegislash

Another inanimate object ‘mon that could’ve gone the way of Vanilluxe, but some stunning visual work makes it stand out. It’s all in the presentation with Aegislash. The detailed design on its shield and hilt make it a joy to look at, plus its ability to switch forms gives it some unique appeal on the battlefield.

Mimikyu

Few Pokémon in the modern generations have become beloved quite as fast as Mimikyu, and it's easy to see why. It stands perfectly on the line between horrifying monster and adorable companion. The way it tries to look like Pikachu is so very cute until you consider that to gaze upon its true form is to instantaneously fall over dead.

Spiritomb

One of the only Pokémon with no weakness until Fairy came along and ruined everything, Spiritomb has become greater than the sum of its parts thanks to how much mystery is built up around it. It’s very rare that a Pokémon game will simply let you go out and find Spiritomb in the wild, you almost always have to complete some other task. Be it finding the Odd Keystone, talking to a certain amount of people underground, or even scouring the world for 104 lost souls.

Stuff like that is bound to make a Pokémon feel special.

Hisuian Zoroark

There’s some interesting lore stuff with this form of Zoroark thanks to its Normal/Ghost-type combination, but the real reason we love it so much is that it’s a thing of beauty. The white/red imagery is a classic, but the way its hair flows out into wild strands makes it so much more than the base concept. It keeps the cool aura of the original design while taking it in this strange new direction that pulls you in.

Gengar

The classic Ghost-type is still a great Pokémon all these years later. Its simple single-color body is all it needs to back up the menacing grin that makes up its massive face. It’s so expressive and charismatic, packing tonnes of charming personality into arguably one of the simplest Pokémon designs ever created.

Giratina

If you’re talking about Ghost-types, you can’t leave off the literal lord of the underworld. Giratina’s altered form may leave something to be desired, but all that goes away when it transforms into its awesome Origin form. Leaving its lumbering dinosaur behind for a long twisted creature with golden claws running all the way down its body as shadowy spikes sprout from its spine. It’s a vicious beast that will destroy you as soon as it lays eyes on you.