Stats & Training
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
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 |
 Chien-Pao DarkIce | S | |
Obtain MethodWest Province Area One Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Chien-Pao builds →Dark Pulse 2x55-65% Throat Chop 2x70-83% Crunch 2x70-83% Night Slash 2x61-73% | ||
 Ting-Lu DarkGround | S | |
Obtain MethodSocarrat Trail Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Ting-Lu builds →Dark Pulse 2x40-48% Throat Chop 2x66-78% Hex 2x21-25% Snarl 2x28-33% | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Tyranitar builds →Dark Pulse 2x59-70% Crunch 2x76-90% Bite 2x59-70% Snarl 2x40-48% | ||
 Hydreigon DarkDragon | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Hydreigon builds →Crunch 2x63-75% Dark Pulse 2x72-85% Bite 2x48-58% Assurance 2x48-58% | ||
 Wo-Chien DarkGrass | B | |
Obtain MethodSouth Province Area One Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Dusknoir View Wo-Chien builds →Foul Play 2x63-75% Dark Pulse 2x59-70% Knock Off 2x44-53% Hex 2x33-38% | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, 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% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
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 53 partners from the Indeterminate egg group.
Scarlet & Violet Dusknoir Best Moveset
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
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
How to Get Dusknoir in Scarlet & Violet
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.
Dusknoir Guide
In Scarlet & Violet, Dusknoir has a 525 base stat total and ranks as B-Tier: a solid option in Scarlet & Violet for the right team. It works best as an attacker. Poltergeist with Leftovers is the standard set.
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.
In Scarlet & Violet, 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.
For Scarlet & Violet, Dusknoir has answers, but so do you. Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
Game Availability
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