Dusknoir's all-in on Defense at the expense of HP. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 3 Defense and Sp. Def EVs and follows a fast 800K XP curve.
Comes to those whose lives have come to an end and escorts their souls to the afterlife. Known to mistakenly take the souls of those who yet have life left in them, albeit rarely.
Ghost and Dark moves hit Dusknoir for super-effective damage. The upside? Normal and Fighting-type moves can't touch it at all. Dusknoir's overall bulk (45/135/135) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Poison, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
Cinderace deals 37-44% with Sucker Punch.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn14-16% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemRed Card NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Glimmora builds →Power Gem22-26% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLibero ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Cinderace builds →U Turn9-11% Sucker Punch 2x37-44% | ||
 Hatterene PsychicFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Hatterene builds →Nuzzle3-4% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Corviknight builds →U Turn6-7% | ||
Dusknoir doesn't evolve through normal leveling. You'll need a trade to get here from Duskull's line. Breed this form to get Duskull eggs (average hatch time). Evolving from Duskull gave Dusknoir the biggest boost in Attack (+60), bringing the total to 525 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Dusknoir to get Duskull eggs easily using 63 partners from the Indeterminate egg group.
Start with max HP and Sp. Def EVs. Careful nature gives Dusknoir the right special wall lean, Leftovers adds passive recovery each turn, and Pressure works in the background. Poltergeist is the main damage option.
Best Build
Dusknoir best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Wall Moveset
- Poltergeist
- Shadow Sneak
- Leech Life
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Tank Moveset
- Poltergeist
- Trick Room
- Rock Slide
- Pain Split
Recommended Teammates
Physical Tank Moveset
- Trick Room
- Earthquake
- Brick Break
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Winds & Waves has not been released yet. Build info will be available after launch.
Check back after the game launches for competitive build content.
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Physical Tank Moveset
- Shadow Sneak
- Poltergeist
- Power Up Punch
- Earthquake
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Psych Up
- Poltergeist
- Brick Break
- Trick Room
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Trick Room
- Will O Wisp
- Poltergeist
- Spite
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Need something that threatens multiple types? Dusknoir's movepool delivers. Coverage across 11 types plus STAB from Poltergeist and Phantom Force gives it answers for most defensive cores you'll run into.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Winds & Waves hasn't been released yet. Dusknoir's full moveset for this game will be added after launch.
Dusknoir's movepool balances level-up moves with TM options. Consistent STAB comes from Shadow Ball and Hex, and coverage across 11 types keeps opponents from switching in for free. No major gaps here.
Without breeding, Dusknoir misses out on Destiny Bond and Grudge. That's 6 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Shadow Ball and Hex, with coverage across 9 types rounding things out.
No wild encounters for Dusknoir in Scarlet & Violet. Bring Duskull over from Ruby, Emerald, or Sword, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Winds & Waves is still unreleased. Whether Dusknoir will appear as a wild encounter is unconfirmed. It's catchable in Ruby, Emerald, or Sword in other titles.
A trade step sits in Dusknoir's 3-stage chain from Duskull. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Duskull shows up at decent rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
Where To Catch Dusknoir in Legends: Arceus
The path to Dusknoir starts with Duskull at walking via walking encounters. 3 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch DuskullArena's ApproachGrassUncommonNightAvalanche SlopesGrassUncommonNightDeadwood HauntGrassUncommonNight
Step 2Catch or Evolve DusclopsArena's ApproachGrassUncommonNightAvalanche SlopesGrassUncommonNightDeadwood HauntGrassUncommonNightor evolve from Duskull (Step 1)
Step 3Dusknoir ✓Deadwood HauntGrassUncommonNightor evolve from Dusclops (Step 2)
A trade step sits in Dusknoir's 3-stage chain from Duskull. The step cards below map each stage with catch locations and evolution methods. Duskull shows up at decent rates, so the starting catch is the easy part.
How to Obtain Dusknoir in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
The path to Dusknoir starts with Duskull at Lv. 16-63 via walking and special encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch DuskullDazzling CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.16-63 Cave25%MidUnique encounterStargleam CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.16-63 Cave25%MidUnique encounterDazzling CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.16-63 Cave20%MidUnique encounterStargleam CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.16-63 Cave20%MidUnique encounterRoute 224Shining PearlUsing PokeRadar Lv.23 Route2%MidRoute 224Brilliant DiamondUsing PokeRadar Lv.23 Route2%MidDazzling CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameDazzling CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStargleam CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStargleam CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve DusclopsRoute 224Brilliant DiamondUsing PokeRadar Lv.52-54 Route20%PostRoute 224Shining PearlUsing PokeRadar Lv.52-54 Route20%PostDazzling CaveBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameDazzling CaveShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStargleam CavernShining PearlGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameStargleam CavernBrilliant DiamondGrass Lv.58-63 CavePostPost-gameor evolve from Duskull (Step 1)
Step 3Dusknoir ✓
Dusknoir has a 525 base stat total and ranks as B-Tier: a solid choice for the right team. It works best as an attacker. Base 135 Defense is where it shines.
Pressure increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. That's the one you want on Dusknoir. Frisk is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Dusknoir fills the attacker role. It's a physical attacker with base 100 Attack. Base 45 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
Dusknoir has answers, but so do you. Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
Dusknoir has been available in 14 games since Diamond & Pearl, though obtaining it requires a trade evolution. This extra step makes it less common than Pokemon found through standard wild encounters.
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