Stats & Training
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.
On a moonless night, a strange incident occurred in which every one of a village’s inhabitants suffered nightmares. The villagers attested that Darkrai appeared before them in these nightmares.
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 |
 Scizor BugSteel | S | |
Bug is super effective against DarkraiView Scizor → | ||
 Magearna SteelFairy | S | |
Fairy is super effective against DarkraiView Magearna → | ||
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Fighting is super effective against DarkraiView Cobalion → | ||
 Genesect BugSteel | B | |
Bug is super effective against DarkraiView Genesect → | ||
In Sun & Moon, Scizor can KO Darkrai with Superpower (155-183%). Cobalion's Close Combat also KOs at 111-131%.
Scizor BugSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Scizor builds →Bullet Punch39-46% Superpower 2x155-183%KO U Turn 2x136-160%KO | ||
Magearna SteelFairy | S | |
Recommended Build AbilitySoulheart ItemAssault Vest NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Magearna builds →Volt Switch22-27% Ice Beam29-34% | ||
Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemFightiniumz NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x111-131%KO Stone Edge31-36% | ||
Genesect BugSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDownload ItemChoice Scarf NatureNaive Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Genesect builds →U Turn 2x67-79% Ice Beam32-38% Flamethrower32-38% | ||
Sun & Moon 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
Sun & Moon Darkrai Best Moveset
Wide Lens and Baddreams form the backbone. Darkrai invests spread EVs to play its special attacker role properly, and Timid nature pushes Speed higher. Dark Pulse handles the heavy lifting on offense. Ice coverage rounds it out.
Best Build
Darkrai best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Utility Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Hypnosis
- Blizzard
- Phantom Force
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch for the basics, but Darkrai's real strength is the 12-type coverage spread. Ghost and Normal hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Darkrai in Sun & Moon
Darkrai doesn't appear in Sun & Moon. Transfer it from Diamond, 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 found in:
Darkrai Guide
For the Sun & Moon meta, At 600 BST, Darkrai is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Mythical Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Dark Pulse with Wide Lens is the standard set.
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.
In Sun & Moon, run Dark Pulse, Hypnosis, Blizzard, and Phantomforce on Darkrai. Dark Pulse is the most common pick at 23% usage. This set covers the sweeper role with a mix of damage and utility.
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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves