Is Gengar Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Trade evolution from Haunter. Ghost/Poison with AbilityLevitate granting Ground immunity in Gen 4. One of the fastest and hardest-hitting special attackers in HGSS. Dominates Chuck through Ghost immunity to Fighting and handles Koga and Bruno in the E4.
Falkner's typing presses Gastly's defenses.
Gastly trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Whitney's typing presses Gastly's defenses.
Haunter resists most of Morty's coverage and hits back hard.
Haunter has the type edge here and should clean up Chuck's team.
Jasmine's typing presses Haunter's defenses.
Haunter has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Clair's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Gengar resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Gengar resists most of Sabrina's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Gengar resists most of Will's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Catch Gastly
Catch Gastly in Sprout Tower (walking, Lv 3-6, common).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- LV 22DarkSucker PunchPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 5
- LV 29GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 33PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Jasmine
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 43
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Lake of Rage
- LV 36DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Gastly to Haunter
Gastly evolves into Haunter at Level 25. Your Gastly should hit Level 25 before you reach Morty, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 25)
- LV 25GhostShadow PunchPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 25DarkSucker PunchPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 5
- After Bugsy
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- TM65GhostShadow ClawPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 15Route 42
- LV 33GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Jasmine
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 43
- LV 39PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 44DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Haunter to Gengar
Haunter evolves into Gengar when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Clair.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 34)
- LV 34GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 34GhostShadow PunchPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- TM65GhostShadow ClawPower 105Accuracy 100%PP 15Route 42
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Jasmine
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 43
- LV 39PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Gengar in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Gengar has no wild encounters. Haunter only becomes it through a trade, so the shadow needs a partner to finish, capping a ghost line you cannot complete on your own. The classic Gen-1 trade-evolution applies here too.
Catch Gastly or Haunter at any of these 4 spots to eventually evolve into Gengar.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8How to Obtain Gengar in HGSS
To get Gengar, start by catching Gastly through walking encounters at Lv. 3-22. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 2Catch or Evolve Haunteror evolve from Gastly (Step 1)
- Step 3Gengar ✓
How to Get Shiny Gengar in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Gengar evolves by trade, so breed a Gastly Masuda-style and trade it to finish the line. Compare Shiny Gengar odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Gengar Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
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 | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
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 HeartGold & SoulSilver 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
 Latios DragonPsychic | S | |
Obtain MethodPewter City Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Latios builds →Dream Eater 2x134-157%KO Shadow Ball 2x71-84% Earthquake 2x77-91% | ||
 Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodCerulean Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Mewtwo builds →Future Sight 2x186-219%KO Shadow Ball 2x83-97% Earthquake 2x92-108%KO | ||
 Latias DragonPsychic | S | |
Obtain MethodPewter City Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Latias builds →Dream Eater 2x116-136%KO Shadow Ball 2x61-72% Earthquake 2x70-83% | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Tyranitar builds →Crunch 2x131-154%KO Earthquake 2x108-128%KO Shadow Claw 2x76-90% | ||
 Gardevoir Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x154-182%KO Shadow Ball 2x69-81% Thief 2x24-29% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x149-175%KO Shadow Ball 2x67-79% Thief 2x16-19% | ||
 Lugia Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodWhirl Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Lugia builds →Dream Eater 2x98-115%KO Earthquake 2x77-91% Shadow Ball 2x52-62% | ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Jynx builds →Dream Eater 2x119-141%KO Shadow Ball 2x64-76% Payback 2x25-30% | ||
 Absol Dark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Absol builds →Sucker Punch 2x126-149%KO Psycho Cut 2x74-88% Shadow Claw 2x74-88% | ||
 Drapion PoisonDark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Drapion builds →Crunch 2x94-110%KO Earthquake 2x77-91% Shadow Ball 2x38-45% | ||
 Weavile DarkIce | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Weavile builds →Night Slash 2x104-123%KO Dig 2x79-93% Shadow Claw 2x70-82% Dream Eater 2x38-45% | ||
 Houndoom DarkFire | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Houndoom builds →Dark Pulse 2x92-109%KO Dream Eater 2x77-91% Shadow Ball 2x61-72% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x158-186%KO Crunch 2x84-99% Shadow Claw 2x74-88% | ||
 Xatu Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Xatu builds →Future Sight 2x122-144%KO Shadow Ball 2x55-65% Thief 2x28-32% | ||
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, Disable, Explosion and 8 more.
HGSS Gengar Best Moveset
Ghost/Poison at 130 Sp. Atk and 110 Speed with AbilityLevitate providing full Ground immunity. The moveset fires special Ghost and Poison attacks before almost anything else moves, and three immunities (Normal, Fighting, Ground) give safe switch-in opportunities. 60 HP is the one limitation.
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 Disable give Gengar options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 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
All 30 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It steals heat from its surroundings. If you feel a sudden chill, it is certain that a GENGAR appeared.
To steal the life of its target, it slips into the prey’s shadow and silently waits for an opportunity.
Gengar HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
Mega Evolution isn't available in HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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 HeartGold & SoulSilver, Gengar plays as a sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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
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