Is Gengar Good in Yellow Playthrough?
The strongest Ghost-type in the game, locked behind a trade evolution. Gengar is fast, powerful, and MoveHypnosis covers its few bad matchups. If trading is an option, Gengar is one of the best things you can put on your team. Haunter alone is already excellent if it's not.
Haunter has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Misty's typing presses Haunter's defenses.
Haunter trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Haunter trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Sabrina's team hits Gengar's weaknesses hard.
Gengar trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.
Gengar resists most of Bruno's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar resists most of Agatha's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Gengar trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catch Haunter
Catch Haunter in Pokémon Tower (walking, Lv 20-25, rare). Needs the Silph Scope; without it every Pokemon here is an unidentified Ghost that cannot be caught.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 20)
- LV 20GhostNight ShadePower 50Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Lt. Surge
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge
- LV 29PsychicHypnosisPower —Accuracy 60%PP 20
- LV 38PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Koga
- TM36NormalSelf-DestructPower 130Accuracy 100%PP 5Silph Co.
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Kanto Power Plant
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
- After Giovanni
- TM47NormalExplosionPower 170Accuracy 100%PP 5Victory Road 3F
Evolve Haunter to Gengar
Haunter evolves into Gengar when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Koga.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 32)
- LV 32PsychicHypnosisPower —Accuracy 60%PP 20
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Rocket Game Corner
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- LV 38PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Koga
- TM36NormalSelf-DestructPower 130Accuracy 100%PP 5Silph Co.
- After Giovanni
- TM47NormalExplosionPower 170Accuracy 100%PP 5Victory Road 3F
How to Get Gengar in Yellow
Gengar is trade-locked. A Haunter only finishes evolving when handed to another player, so the strongest Gen 1 ghost needs a trade partner you can't fake solo.
Catch Gastly or Haunter at any of these 1 spot to eventually evolve into Gengar.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 3How to Obtain Gengar in Y
Gastly is your first catch on the way to Gengar. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 18-29 across 10 total spots in the chain.
- Step 3Gengar ✓
Gengar Weakness
Type-wise, Gengar takes extra damage from Ground, Psychic, and Ghost. Normal and Fighting moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. Gengar's special bulk (base 130 Special) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic, Ghost |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
What is Gengar Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Gengar
 Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodCerulean Cave Interact Encounter | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | S | |
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | S | |
 Nidoking PoisonGround | C | |
 Nidoqueen PoisonGround | C | |
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodRoute 12 Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Slowbro builds →Psychic 2x62-73% Earthquake 2x67-79% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Kadabra builds →Psychic 2x71-84% Dig 2x38-45% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
 Dugtrio Ground | B | |
Haunter GhostPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Gengar View Haunter builds →Dream Eater 2x50-59% Lick 2x16-19% | ||
 Onix RockGround | C | |
Gengar Evolutions
Gastly's chain leads to Gengar (by trading). A Ghost/Poison type at 555 stats, sitting in the Undiscovered group. Special grew the most through evolution (+95 over Gastly), and Gengar peaks at 555 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Y Gengar Best Moveset
Untouchable by MoveBody Slam, MoveHyper Beam, and every physical Normal move that defines the format. 130 Special fires from a Speed tier that outspeeds nearly everything, and MoveHypnosis shuts down whatever switches in. The combination of immunity, speed, and special power creates a threat with no clean answer.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Hypnosis
- Explosion
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
TMs carry this one. Gengar learns Lick and Night Shade naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Psychic and Normal and beyond give it real matchup play.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- 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.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM 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 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 27 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
A GENGAR is close by if you feel a sudden chill. It may be trying to lay a curse on you.
Gengar Yellow Guide
Mega Evolution isn't available in Yellow, but Gengar does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Gengar hits 655 BST.
Gengar is obtained by trade-evolving Haunter. Catch or evolve a Haunter first, then trade.
In Yellow, Gengar plays as a sweeper. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move.
Gigantamax Gengar is exclusive to Sword & Shield, so it's not usable in Yellow. The form has a unique appearance and a signature G-Max move.
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 · YellowYellow Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Yellow Tier List