Mid-stage Pokemon like Haunter rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Gengar, which is where the real potential kicks in. Normal and Fighting moves can't touch it, which offsets the 4 weaknesses somewhat. Known as the Gas Pokemon.
Haunter's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, HP pays for it. Moderately hard to find, worth 2 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If you get the feeling of being watched in darkness when nobody is around, HAUNTER is there.
Because of its ability to slip through block walls, it is said to be from another dimension.
Haunter Weakness
GoodGround, Psychic, Ghost, and Dark-type moves hit Haunter for super-effective damage. The upside? Normal and Fighting-type moves can't touch it at all. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Haunter leans toward special offense (base 115 Sp.Atk) instead of trying to wall anything.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Haunter is partway through a three-stage line between Gastly and Gengar. The chain involves a trade, so it's not a straightforward grind. So far, Sp.Def got the biggest boost (+20 from Gastly). The final form adds another 95 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Breed with Haunter to get Gastly eggs easily using 22 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Astonish, Explosion, Grudge and 4 more.
Timid nature gives Haunter the fast special lean it needs to trade hits effectively. Leftovers adds passive recovery each turn, max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs split the difference, and Electric coverage punishes anything trying to wall it.
Best Build
Best Haunter Moveset
- Destiny Bond
- Mean Look
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Without breeding, Haunter misses out on Astonish and Explosion. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball, with Psychic and Normal coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
high spawn rates in mid-game routes across 38 locations. Haunter's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Where To Catch Haunter in FireRed & LeafGreen
Gastly is your first catch on the way to Haunter. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 13-52 across 76 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch GastlyEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 3FLeafGreenGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 3FFireRedGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 4FFireRedGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 4FLeafGreenGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 5FFireRedGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 5FLeafGreenGrassLv.13-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 6FLeafGreenGrassLv.14-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 7FFireRedGrassLv.15-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 7FLeafGreenGrassLv.15-19CommonEarlyBuildingEFFORTLESSPokémon Tower - 6FFireRedGrassLv.17-19CommonMidBuildingEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 1FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 1LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 10FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 10LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 2FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 2LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 3FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 3LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 4FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 4LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 5FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 5LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 6FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 6LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 7FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 7LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 8LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 8FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 9LeafGreenGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 9FireRedGrassLv.38-40CommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 11LeafGreenGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 11FireRedGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 12LeafGreenGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 12FireRedGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 13FireRedGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 13LeafGreenGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 14FireRedGrassLv.40UncommonLateCaveEASYLost Cave - Room 14LeafGreenGrassLv.40UncommonLateCave- Step 2Haunter ✓EASYPokémon Tower - 7FFireRedGrassLv.23-25UncommonMidBuildingEASYPokémon Tower - 7FLeafGreenGrassLv.23-25UncommonMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 3FLeafGreenGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 3FFireRedGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 4FFireRedGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 4FLeafGreenGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 5FFireRedGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 5FLeafGreenGrassLv.20RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 6FFireRedGrassLv.21-23RareMidBuildingCHALLENGINGPokémon Tower - 6FLeafGreenGrassLv.21-23RareMidBuildingEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 1FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 1LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 10FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 10LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 11LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 11FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 12LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 12FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 13FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 13LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 14FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 14LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 2FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 2LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 3FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 3LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 4FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 4LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 5FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 5LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 6FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 6LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 7FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 7LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 8LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 8FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 9LeafGreenGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveEFFORTLESSLost Cave - Room 9FireRedGrassLv.44-52CommonLateCaveor evolve from Gastly (Step 1)
Haunter isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Gengar to unlock its full potential. At 405 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Watch for Rhydon (Ground), Alakazam (Psychic), and Misdreavus (Ghost) when using Haunter. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Dark-type attackers are also a problem.
Run Levitate on Haunter. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche.
Haunter fills the pivot role. It's a special attacker with base 115 Sp. Atk. Base 95 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Haunter appears in 22 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Haunter has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 22 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
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