Mid-stage Pokemon like Duskull rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Dusknoir, which is where the real potential kicks in. Introduced in Gen 3. Normal and Fighting moves can't touch it, and only 2 types hit it super-effectively.
Defense and Sp. Def carry most of Duskull's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Sp. Def EV. Follows a fast 800K XP curve.
DUSKULL can pass through any wall no matter how thick it may be. Once this POKéMON chooses a target, it will doggedly pursue the intended victim until the break of dawn.
DUSKULL wanders lost among the deep darkness of midnight. There is an oft-told admonishment given to misbehaving children that this POKéMON will spirit away bad children who earn scoldings from their mothers.
Duskull Weakness
ExcellentDuskull's Ghost typing leaves it vulnerable to Ghost and Dark moves. It shrugs off Normal and Fighting-type attacks completely. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Three stages ahead. Duskull grows into Dusclops, then pushes on to Dusknoir. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, average hatch time with a decent partner pool via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 230 total stats over Duskull.
How to Evolve
Breed Duskull easily with 22 breeding partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Pass egg moves like Destiny Bond, Feint Attack, Grudge and 3 more to offspring.
Duskull's built to absorb hits. Impish nature leans into physical wall duty, Quickclaw gives it extra utility, and the moveset handles sustain. Levitate and Defense and Sp. Def investment EVs tie the defensive profile together.
Best Build
Best Duskull Moveset
- Pain Split
- Curse
- Substitute
- Grudge
Recommended Teammates
You'll want to breed for Destiny Bond and Feint Attack on Duskull. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Shadow Ball and Astonish, they expand what Duskull can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Duskull starts showing up in mid-game routes at high spawn rates across 14 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations
Which version you're playing matters for Duskull. 14 walking spots at Lv. 22-30 spread across Ruby and Sapphire, and some routes only appear in one cartridge. Check the version badges below.
Duskull is meant to evolve into Dusclops. At 295 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Watch for Misdreavus (Ghost) and Absol (Dark) when using Duskull. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. At base 25 Speed, Duskull won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Duskull evolves into Dusclops at level 37. Duskull is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Levitate is what you want on Duskull. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Frisk) work on paper but Levitate is what makes Duskull worth using.
Base 25 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Duskull is a physical attacker with base 40 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Duskull appears in 16 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Available in 16 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Duskull spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through catching or hatching as a base form in most mainline games.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
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