Ghost-types have definitely come a long way since the days of Pokémon Red and Blue.Back in the humble Game Boy generation of titles, this typing was represented by only one evolution line: Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. In terms of available moves, Ghost was super bad too.
Fast-forward all the way to Pokémon Sword and Shield, though, and Ghost Pokémon are barely recognizable. They have so much more versatility and variety than before and are not messing around. Is a Ghost truly an essential addition to any player’s Pokémon team, though? Let’s take a look and find out!
10 Important: They Have Always Meant Business (Since Generation I)
So, yes. Ghost-types had a less-than-auspicious start in the original games. However, after that, they started to become the offensive powerhouses they were always supposed to be.
In Red and Blue, Ghost couldn’t deal with those terrifying Psychic-types (which were running rampant at the time) at all. They were immune to Ghost moves, in fact! As of the second generation, Ghost is super effective against Psychic, as well as other Ghosts. Only Normal-types are immune, and only Dark resists Ghost now, making it an excellent neutral attack type to clean up with.
9 Don’t Bother: Most Of Them Are Terrifying And Just As Dangerous To Their Trainers
Now, granted, this next entry has absolutely no logical basis from a gameplay point of view. If you’re a fan of horror movies, though, you’ll surely have noticed one thing: befriending and associating with ghosts doesn’t tend to end well.
It’s a bit of a series meme that Ghosts have some of the most frightening Pokédex entries ever. Whether Duskull’s spiriting children away or Honedge is lapping at peoples’ life force like we’re walking sacks of Kool-Aid, Ghosts are Pokémon that you might want to steer well clear of.
8 Important: Some Fantastic Ghost-Types Have Been Released Recently
All of that life force drinking might be a bit of an etiquette faux pas, but you’ve got to forgive Honedge. After all, in competitive Pokémon, there’s only one thing that really matter: how good said Pokémon are. The Steel- and Ghost-type Aegislash debuted in Pokémon X and Y, quickly establishing itself as one of the best new meta Pokémon in some time.
Aegislash is so good that its base stats were nerfed a little in the transition to Gen VIII. Recent generations have also introduced other fantastic Ghost-types, like Dragapult, the Ultra Beast Blacephalon, Mimikyu, the mythical Marshadow, and even Lunala/Dawn Wings Necrozma. Ghost is looking super powerful just now.
7 Don’t Bother: A Couple Of The Best Ghost-Types Have Been Nerfed A Little
While Game Freak definitely do take their time getting much-needed nerfs out there, they usually do get the job done. Mega Kangaskhan, for instance, took a big hit when its Parental Bond Ability was changed (the second hit now deals only a quarter of the damage of the first). Talonflame, too, had its Gale Wings altered so it only kicked in while its HP was full.
As we’ve mentioned, Aegislash’s base Attack/Special Attack in Blade Forme (and its Defense/Special Defense in Shield Forme, of course) has been reduced from 150 to 140 in Sword and Shield. Similarly, Gengar has lost its Ability Levitate, which was replaced with Cursed Body. They’re both still excellent Pokémon, but they’re not quite the monsters they used to be.
6 Important: They Tend To Be More Interesting And Creatively Designed
So-called ‘Genwunners’ will tell you that Pokémon designs peaked with the original 151, and nothing since has been as good. Yes, we’ve seen some rather questionable garbage bags, ice cream cones, and the like, but that good old-fashioned creativity hasn’t just disappeared.
A lot of the more creative and unique Pokémon, both in terms of design and mechanics, have been Ghost-types lately. Take Runerigus and its complicated evolution method, Spiritomb and how much of a pain it can be to acquire, or Aegislash’s/Mimikyu’s exclusive Abilities, which completely change the way they’re played. Ghost-types are a bit odd, a bit spooky by nature, and these traits allow the designers to really try something different.
5 Don’t Bother: Physical Ghost-Types Are Usually Very Limited
Typically, a lot of Ghosts serve as effective special sweepers. The first Ghost, Gengar, has been serving this sort of role for generations now. It can’t really take a hit at all, so it relies on its Speed and Special Attack to finish off opponents.
Shadow Ball is the trusty Ghost STAB that these Pokémon have been using as their weapon of choice (along with secondary STAB and other coverage, of course). Sadly, reliable physical Ghost moves are rare. The only major ones that aren’t specific to particular Pokémon are Shadow Punch (which is weak) and Phantom Force (a two-turn move). The rare Ghost-types with high Attack power, such as Golurk, can’t do a lot with their potential as a result.
4 Important: They Can Perform A Range Of Roles Well
From the devastatingly limited options Ghosts had in Generation I, they’ve really branched out. While many Ghost-types are special attackers, as we’ve seen, they can do a lot besides that.
If you want a purely tanky Ghost, Eviolite Dusclops can be a huge pain to get rid of. Set-up sweepers like Swords Dance Mimikyu can do an incredible amount of work too, as can something more devious like a Perish trapper (thankfully, Mega Gengar isn’t a thing anymore). Ghosts also specialize in spreading status and capitalizing on it. Walls with reliable healing like Jellicent work nicely too. Whichever job you want a team member to fill, there’s a good chance that a Ghost will be able to do it.
3 Don’t Bother: They’re Usually Quite Frail
So, yes. As anyone who’s ever tried to get rid of a stubborn Dusclops or Cofagrigus (or even Giratina) will tell you, Ghosts absolutely can function as great tanks/walls. Before the advent of the Fairy type, Spiritomb had no weaknesses and could absorb all kinds of attacks before going down too.
However, that’s not what the Ghost type has historically been known for. With their low average HP and the popularity of strong, frail Ghosts like Gengar and Chandelure, they’ve become known as glass cannons. A lot of the time, Ghosts need to be played very carefully in battle.
2 Important: Their Immunities To Normal And Fighting
Another element of a Ghost-type’s appeal is that they’re completely immune to two types (every other only has one, if that): Fighting and Normal. This is presumably a reference to the incorporeal nature of these spirits, but never mind that. What’s important here is that Ghosts allow you to switch in on an Explosion entirely unharmed, which is one of the greatest and most hilarious feelings in Pokémon.
Many Ghosts struggle to take a hit, and these immunities give them much more breathing space. It’s an excellent asset to have on a team, as both Normal and Fighting attacks are usually powerful and very threatening to team members.
1 Don’t Bother: Sometimes, A Dark-Type Will Be More Fitting
As we’ve seen, then, Ghost Pokémon have a number of unique traits and advantages that no other type can offer. They fit nicely on a lot of different teams as a result, but you’ve got to be sure that you’ve considered other options too. Namely Dark-types.
If your Ghost is primarily being used as a Psychic-and-other-Ghosts swatter, a Dark-type might fit the bill a little better. One advantage of making a switch is that the weakness to fellow Ghosts is eradicated. Of course, in exchange, you ‘gain’ a Fighting weakness from an immunity, and a Bug weakness for good measure. It’s all about team composition, as usual with Pokémon, but it’s an important point to consider nonetheless.
NEXT: The 10 Best Dark Type Pokémon
