Dusknoir's Ghost typing gives it an immunity to Normal and Fighting. Only 2 weaknesses on top of that — it has plenty of safe switch-in opportunities. Works well under Trick Room. Known as the Gripper Pokemon.
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.
Dusknoir Weakness
ExcellentGhost and Dark-type 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.
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.
How to Evolve
Breed with Dusknoir to get Duskull eggs easily using 19 partners from the Indeterminate egg group.
Bulk and offense in one package. Dusknoir runs Assault Vest for a special bulk boost with no status moves allowed with a Adamant nature, so it survives long enough to threaten with Poltergeist. Max HP and Attack EVs and Ground coverage make it hard to safely switch into.
Best Build
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
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.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
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 DuskullEASYArena's ApproachGrassUncommonNightEASYAvalanche SlopesGrassUncommonNightEASYDeadwood HauntGrassUncommonNight
Step 2Catch or Evolve DusclopsEASYArena's ApproachGrassUncommonNightEASYAvalanche SlopesGrassUncommonNightEASYDeadwood HauntGrassUncommonNightor evolve from Duskull (Step 1)- Step 3Dusknoir ✓EASYDeadwood HauntGrassUncommonNightor evolve from Dusclops (Step 2)
Dusknoir has a 525 base stat total and ranks as S-Tier — one of the best competitive options available. 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 appears in 13 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Dusknoir has been available in 13 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.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A