Is Gengar Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Trade evolution from Haunter. AbilityLevitate gives Gengar a Ground immunity on top of three type immunities. The physical/special split is a massive upgrade: Shadow Ball becomes Special, matching Gengar's best stat. Handles Maylene, Fantina, and Lucian. One of the best Pokemon in the entire game.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Roark's team.
Gengar trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Crasher Wake's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Fantina's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Gengar resists most of Candice's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lucian's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Jupiter's team.
Gengar resists most of Saturn's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catchable
Catch Gengar on Old Chateau (walking, Lv 16, rare). Pokémon Ruby in GBA slot.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM64NormalExplosionPower 250Accuracy 100%PP 5Given by the coin clerk at the Veilstone Game Corner once you string together ten bonus rounds in a row on the slot machines
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- LV 33GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Fantina
- TM84PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20Route 212
- TM65GhostShadow ClawPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Gym Leader Fantina at Hearthome City
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- Post-Game
- TM53GrassEnergy BallPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 226
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Catch Gastly
Catch Gastly on Old Chateau (walking, Lv 12-16, common).
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM64NormalExplosionPower 250Accuracy 100%PP 5Given by the coin clerk at the Veilstone Game Corner once you string together ten bonus rounds in a row on the slot machines
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Veilstone Game Corner
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Veilstone Game Corner
- LV 29GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 33PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 36DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- Post-Game
- TM53GrassEnergy BallPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 226
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Gengar in Diamond & Pearl
Wild Gengar only shows in the Old Chateau, and only when any GBA cart sits in the second slot for dual-slot mode. With a cart linked it is a rare level 16 catch, otherwise you trade-evolve a Haunter.
1 location to catch Gengar3 locations to catch Haunter
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 1Catch Haunter at any of the 3 locations below, then trade it — it evolves into Gengar.
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Where To Catch Gengar in DP
To get Gengar, start by catching Gastly through walking encounters at Lv. 12-22. The chain covers 3 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch GastlyOld ChateauLv.12-16GrassRate 100%Old Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.12-16GrassRate 100%Old Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.12-16GrassRate 100%Lost Tower - 1FLv.16-18FloorRate 50%Morning/dayLost Tower - 2FLv.17-19FloorRate 50%Morning/dayLost Tower - 3FLv.18-20FloorRate 50%Morning/dayLost Tower - 4FLv.19-21FloorRate 50%Morning/dayLost Tower - 5FLv.20-22FloorRate 50%Morning/dayLost Tower - 1FLv.16-18FloorRate 40%NightLost Tower - 2FLv.17-19FloorRate 40%NightLost Tower - 3FLv.18-20FloorRate 40%NightLost Tower - 4FLv.19-21FloorRate 40%NightLost Tower - 5FLv.20-22FloorRate 40%NightRoute 209Lv.16GrassRate 10%Night
- Step 2Catch or Evolve HaunterOld ChateauLv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: RubyOld ChateauLv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: SapphireOld ChateauLv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: EmeraldOld ChateauLv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: FireRedOld ChateauLv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: LeafGreenOld Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: RubyOld Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: SapphireOld Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: EmeraldOld Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: FireRedOld Chateau - 2F Room 2Lv.16GrassRate 8%Dual-slot: LeafGreenOld Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.16GrassRate 4%Dual-slot: RubyOld Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.16GrassRate 4%Dual-slot: SapphireOld Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.16GrassRate 4%Dual-slot: EmeraldOld Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.16GrassRate 4%Dual-slot: FireRedOld Chateau - 2F Room 4Lv.16GrassRate 4%Dual-slot: LeafGreenTurnback CaveLv.44-66CaveRate 30%Snowpoint CityIn-game tradeRate 100%Trade for (give Medicham)or evolve from Gastly (Step 1)
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in Diamond & Pearl for Gengar.
How to Get Shiny Gengar in Diamond & Pearl
Gengar only appears deep in the Old Chateau, so a patient PokeRadar chain there is what lands its shiny at 1 in 200. Compare Shiny Gengar odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Gengar Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is PokeRadar Chain at full boosts, about 1 in 200 on each try. Tune it below.
PokeRadar Chain: Chain shaking-grass patches without breaking the combo. The rate peaks at a chain of 40.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 22-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 58-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 139-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 460-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your Diamond & Pearl shiny odds for Gengar.
Gengar Weakness
Type-wise, Gengar takes extra damage from Ground, Psychic, Ghost, and Dark. Normal and Fighting moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. At base 110 Speed, Gengar outspeeds most threats and doesn't need to tank what it can outrun.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Gengar Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Gengar
 Shiftry GrassDark | C | |
 Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Kadabra builds →Confusion 2x62-74% Thief 2x17-22% | ||
 Murkrow Dark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Murkrow builds →Pursuit 2x46-55% Astonish 2x23-28% | ||
 Solrock RockPsychic | C | |
 Cubone Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Cubone builds →Bone Club 2x51-60% Thief 2x20-25% | ||
Haunter GhostPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Haunter builds →Sucker Punch 2x38-46% Lick 2x18-23% | ||
 Misdreavus Ghost | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Misdreavus builds →Astonish 2x31-37% Thief 2x26-31% | ||
 Rotom ElectricGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodOld Chateau Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Rotom builds →Astonish 2x26-32% Thief 2x20-25% | ||
 Drifloon Ghost | C | |
Obtain MethodValley Windworks Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Drifloon builds →Payback 2x26-31% Astonish 2x26-32% | ||
Gengar Evolutions
Getting Gengar requires a trade, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Gastly. Breed this form to get Gastly eggs (average hatch time). Sp.Def grew the most through evolution (+40 over Gastly), and Gengar peaks at 500 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Gengar to get Gastly eggs easily using 31 partners from the Amorphous egg group. Notable egg moves include Astonish, Explosion, Fire Punch and 7 more.
DP Gengar Best Moveset
130 Sp. Atk and 110 Speed behind Ghost and Poison coverage make Gengar one of the most dangerous special attackers around. AbilityLevitate blocks MoveEarthquake entirely, removing what would otherwise be a fatal weakness. The moveset hits fast and hard with special attacks, and Held ItemLife Orb pushes the damage to KO levels.
Best Build
Gengar best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
- Explosion
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Astonish and Explosion give Gengar options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 8 types already covers a decent range on top of Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball. The egg moves push it further.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
46 of 49 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
It hides in shadows. It is said that if GENGAR is hiding, it cools the area by nearly 10 degrees F.
Lurking in the shadowy corners of rooms, it awaits chances to steal its prey’s life force.
Gengar Diamond & Pearl Guide
Mega Evolution isn't available in Diamond & Pearl, but Gengar does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Gengar hits 600 BST.
Gengar is obtained by trade-evolving Haunter. Catch or evolve a Haunter first, then trade.
In Diamond & Pearl, Gengar plays as a sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
In Diamond & Pearl, Timid is the go-to nature for Gengar. That's +Speed / -Attack. Pair it with 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the sweeper role.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Gengar has appeared in 22 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6 and a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShGigantamax
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Gengar.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List