Darkrai Best Moveset
135 Sp. Atk at 125 Speed on Dark with AbilityBad Dreams draining sleeping opponents 12.5% each turn. Held ItemHeavy Duty Boots blocks TermEntry Hazards damage. NatureTimid outspeeds nearly everything. MoveDark Void puts multiple opponents to sleep with 50% accuracy, and Bad Dreams chips them while they sleep. The moveset is a speed demon with a devastating status game. S-Tier.
Dark Void put both opponents' Pokemon to sleep with 80% accuracy in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Bad Dreams dealt chip damage every turn they stayed asleep. Banned from standard play.
Best Moves
Best Build
Darkrai best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Void
- Dark Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Nasty Plot boosted 135 Sp. Atk in Gen V (Black & White), and sleeping opponents couldn't stop the sweep. Two gens in the restricted format.
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Void
- Dark Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Dark Void accuracy was nerfed but still landed enough to matter in Gen VI (X & Y). Darkrai controlled the restricted format through sleep for three straight generations.
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Void
- Dark Pulse
- Nasty Plot
- Sludge Bomb
Recommended Teammates
Dark Void nerfed to 50% accuracy in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Even weakened, Darkrai stayed restricted because Nasty Plot from 135 Sp. Atk and 125 Speed was too fast and too strong.
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Dark Void
- Nasty Plot
- Hypnosis
Recommended Teammates
Finally dropped to standard play in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Dark Void at 50% wasn't reliable enough to justify the ban, and Darkrai competed at the top without it.
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Bomb
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Darkrai Weakness
Darkrai's Dark typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. It shrugs off Psychic-type attacks completely. With 70 HP and balanced defenses, Darkrai can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
What is Darkrai Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Darkrai
Cyclizar's U-turn hits Darkrai for 48-57%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Cyclizar builds →Rapid Spin17-21% U Turn 2x48-57% Knock Off11-13% Draco Meteor28-34% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureModest Moves View Altaria builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWatercompaction ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Palossand builds →Shadow Ball11-13% Scorching Sands20-23% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityDrizzle ItemDamprock NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Pelipper builds →Hurricane30-35% U Turn 2x23-28% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPsychic Surge ItemTerrain Extender NatureTimid Moves View Indeedee-F builds →
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Evolution
A Dark-type mythical at 600 base stats, Darkrai can't breed or evolve. Event distribution is the standard way to obtain one. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
How to Get Darkrai
No wild encounters for Darkrai in Scarlet & Violet. It's available in Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Darkrai is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Darkrai doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Darkrai is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Darkrai is a fixed encounter, not a random spawn. Walk up to it, interact, and the battle starts immediately. Head to Clamberclaw Cliffs when your team is ready for the fight.
How to Get Darkrai in Legends: Arceus
Darkrai doesn't appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Transfer it from Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Darkrai cannot be caught in the wild in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, but you can still get it via these paths:
Obtain and trade from these games:
Then trade to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Also Obtainable In:
Pokemon transfers only go forward through generations, never backward. Direct cross-gen trades aren't supported.
Base Stats
Everything pushes toward special damage here. Darkrai's Sp. Atk does the work, HP pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Sp. Atk and Speed EVs per KO. Near-impossible to catch, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
It can lull people to sleep and make them dream. It is active during nights of a new moon.
Darkrai Guide
At 600 BST, Darkrai is built different. We rank it A-Tier. As a Mythical Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper.
Bad Dreams damages sleeping opponents for 1/8 their max HP after each turn. That's the one you want on Darkrai. It's the only ability Darkrai has.
Darkrai is a special attacker with base 135 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 125 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the sweeper role.
Darkrai has answers, but so do you. Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.
Game Availability
Introduced in Diamond & Pearl, Darkrai shows up in 13 games across 7 generations. Mythical status keeps it locked behind events or specific story content in most appearances.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves