Is Haunter Good in Crystal Playthrough?
One of the better mid-game options in Crystal. Haunter's speed and special attacks handle Chuck, contribute against Will at the E4, and the immunities let it switch in for free against Normal-type attacks. Gengar needs a trade, but Haunter alone is strong enough.
Falkner's Pokemon outpace and outclass Gastly here.
Gastly trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Gastly trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
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 resists most of Pryce's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Clair's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Gengar has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Gengar resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar resists most of Janine's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar resists most of Misty's coverage and hits back hard.
Gengar resists most of Brock'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 resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
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 resists most of Lance's coverage and hits back hard.
Catch Gastly
Catch Gastly on Route 31 (walking, Lv 5, rare).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- LV 21GhostNight ShadePower 50Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Morty
- TM30GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Morty
- LV 33PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- After Lt. Surge
- TUTORElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
- TM19GrassGiga DrainPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5Prize for defeating Erika
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 25GhostNight ShadePower 50Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- After Morty
- TM30GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Morty
- After Jasmine
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a fisherman in a house at Lake of Rage
- LV 39PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Lt. Surge
- TUTORElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
- TM19GrassGiga DrainPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 5Prize for defeating Erika
Evolve Haunter to Gengar
Haunter evolves into Gengar when traded. Most players are ready to trade before reaching Clair.
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Game Corner prize (5500 coins)
- TM33IceIce PunchPower 75Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Department Store
- After Morty
- TM30GhostShadow BallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Morty
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Olivine City
- LV 39PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Lt. Surge
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Celadon Game Corner prize (7500 coins)
- TUTORElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod City
- TM29PsychicPsychicPower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Saffron City
How to Get Haunter in Crystal
Haunter drifts through Route 8 and Rock Tunnel at night, uncommon to rare. Or evolve a Gastly at level 25, which is the steadier path given how thin the wild ones are.
2 locations to catch Haunter5 locations to catch Gastly
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 8Catch Gastly at any of the 5 locations below, then level it up to 25 — it evolves into Haunter.
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7Where To Catch Haunter in C
The only way to get Haunter during the story is evolving Gastly (Lv 25).
- Step 1Catch GastlySprout Tower - 2FLv.3-6FloorRate 85%NightSprout Tower - 3FLv.3-6FloorRate 85%NightRoute 31Lv.5GrassRate 5%NightRoute 36Lv.5GrassRate 5%NightRoute 32Lv.7GrassRate 5%NightTin Tower - 2FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 3FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 4FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 5FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 6FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 7FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 8FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%NightTin Tower - 9FLv.20-22FloorRate 80%Night
- Step 2Haunter ✓Rock Tunnel - B1FLv.15CaveRate 5%NightRock Tunnel - 1FLv.17CaveRate 10%NightRoute 8Lv.17GrassRate 10%Nightor evolve from Gastly (Step 1)
- Step 3Evolve into GengarBREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Gastly egg.
To plan your throws, open the Crystal catch rate calculator with Haunter preloaded.
How to Get Shiny Haunter in Crystal
Haunter materializes after dark in Rock Tunnel and on Kanto's Route 8, uncommon either way; plenty of hunters evolve a shiny Gastly at level 25 instead. Compare Shiny Haunter odds across every game
Crystal Shiny Haunter Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Breed w/ Shiny Parent, about 1 in 64 on each try.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Breed w/ Shiny Parent: Eggs inherit stats from a shiny parent, so about 1 in 64 hatch shiny. A shiny Ditto helps every egg, and any other shiny parent (the red Gyarados works) helps only eggs of the opposite gender.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 7-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 19-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 45-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 147-- | -- |
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.
For time estimates and charm math, open the Crystal shiny odds calculator with Haunter already selected.
Haunter Weakness
Ground, Psychic, Ghost, and Dark moves hit Haunter for super-effective damage. The upside? Normal and Fighting-type moves can't touch it at all. Haunter leans toward special offense (base 115 Sp.Atk) instead of trying to wall anything.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground, Psychic, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
What is Haunter Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Haunter
 Tyranitar RockDark | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Tyranitar builds →Earthquake 2x151-177%KO Crunch 2x118-139%KO | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x213-251%KO Thief 2x49-58% Shadow Ball 2x44-52% Dig 2x33-39% | ||
 Celebi PsychicGrass | C | |
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Celebi builds →Future Sight 2x183-215%KO Shadow Ball 2x94-111%KO Mud-Slap 2x25-30% | ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Jynx builds →Dream Eater 2x172-203%KO Thief 2x46-55% Shadow Ball 2x55-65% Mud-Slap 2x15-18% | ||
 Lugia Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodWhirl Islands Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Lugia builds →Dream Eater 2x139-165%KO Earthquake 2x108-127%KO Shadow Ball 2x86-101%KO | ||
 Xatu Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Xatu builds →Future Sight 2x175-207%KO Thief 2x40-48% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Slowbro builds →Dream Eater 2x152-180%KO Earthquake 2x93-110%KO Shadow Ball 2x75-89% | ||
 Mr. Mime Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Mr. Mime builds →Dream Eater 2x152-180%KO Thief 2x42-49% Shadow Ball 2x51-61% Mud-Slap 2x14-17% | ||
 Houndoom DarkFire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Houndoom builds →Crunch 2x132-156%KO Dream Eater 2x110-130%KO Shadow Ball 2x86-101%KO Mud-Slap 2x23-27% | ||
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Hypno builds →Future Sight 2x142-167%KO Shadow Ball 2x73-86% | ||
 Nidoking PoisonGround | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Nidoking builds →Earthquake 2x180-211%KO Shadow Ball 2x96-113%KO Thief 2x37-44% | ||
Gastly GhostPoison | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Gastly builds →Dream Eater 2x101-120%KO Shadow Ball 2x66-78% Thief 2x42-49% | ||
 Nidoqueen PoisonGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Nidoqueen builds →Earthquake 2x165-194%KO Shadow Ball 2x88-104%KO Thief 2x33-39% | ||
 Murkrow Dark | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Murkrow builds →Dream Eater 2x89-106%KO Feint Attack 2x80-95% Shadow Ball 2x82-97% Mud-Slap 2x21-25% | ||
Haunter Evolutions
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Haunter to get Gastly eggs easily using 11 partners from the Amorphous egg group. Notable egg moves include Haze, Perish Song, Psywave.
C Haunter Best Moveset
Normal immunity and 115 Sp. Atk with 95 Speed create a fast special attacker that physical Normal moves can't touch. MoveThunderbolt and MoveIce Punch provide coverage. MoveHypnosis sleeps threats. Held ItemLeftovers sustains. Competitive without needing the trade to Gengar.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Explosion
- Thunder
- Giga Drain
- Haze
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Haunter misses out on Haze and Perish Song. That's 3 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Shadow Ball and Lick, with Psychic and Normal coverage and more rounding things out.
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.
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
15 of 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It hides in the dark, planning to take the life of the next living thing that wanders close by.
Haunter Crystal Guide
No. Haunter only evolves into Gengar through a real trade. There is no in-game alternative in Crystal.
In Crystal, Haunter does the job early-game if you need a Ghost/Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Gengar before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
In Crystal, use Haunter as a cannon. Physical side carries the damage. Speed is middling,
Game Availability
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.
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 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
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 Haunter.
Keep playing · CrystalCrystal Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Crystal Tier List