Stats & Training
Everything pushes toward special damage here. Darkrai's Sp. Atk does the work, HP pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Sp. Atk and Speed EVs per KO. Near-impossible to catch, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
It chases people and Pokémon from its territory by causing them to experience deep, nightmarish slumbers.
It can lull people to sleep and make them dream. It is active during nights of the new moon.
Darkrai Weakness
Darkrai's Dark typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. It shrugs off Psychic-type attacks completely. With 70 HP and balanced defenses, Darkrai can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting, Bug, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
In X & Y, Clefable's Moonblast hits Darkrai for 77-91%. Breloom's Mach Punch hits Darkrai for 52-61%. Volcarona deals 65-76% with Flamethrower.
 Clefable Fairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Clefable builds →Moonblast 2x77-91% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemMiracleseed NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Breloom builds →Bullet Seed16-19% Mach Punch 2x52-61% | ||
 Volcarona BugFire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemLum Berry NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Volcarona builds →Giga Drain36-42% Flamethrower65-76% | ||
 Genesect BugSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityDownload ItemChoice Scarf NatureHasty Moves
Damage vs Darkrai View Genesect builds →U Turn 2x85-100%KO Flamethrower30-35% Ice Beam30-35% | ||
X & Y Evolution
A Dark-type mythical at 600 base stats, Darkrai can't breed or evolve. Event distribution is the standard way to obtain one. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
X & Y Darkrai Best Moveset
Lum Berry and Baddreams form the backbone. Darkrai invests max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs to play its special attacker role properly, and Timid nature pushes Speed higher. Dark Pulse handles the heavy lifting on offense. Utility options rounds it out.
Best Build
Darkrai best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Substitute
- Icy Wind
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch for the basics, but Darkrai's real strength is the 12-type coverage spread. Ghost and Normal hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Darkrai in X & Y
No wild encounters for Darkrai in X & Y. It's available in Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Darkrai is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Also found in:
Darkrai Guide
For the X & Y meta, At 600 BST, Darkrai is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Mythical Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Dark Pulse with Lum Berry is the standard set.
Bad Dreams damages sleeping opponents for 1/8 their max HP after each turn. That's the one you want on Darkrai. It's the only ability Darkrai has.
Darkrai is leaning toward the special side (base 135 Sp. Atk). Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 125 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the sweeper role.
For X & Y, Darkrai has answers, but so do you. Priority moves (Mach Punch, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard) bypass its speed. Bulky walls that resist its STAB also shut it down.
Game Availability
Introduced in Diamond & Pearl, Darkrai shows up in 13 games across 7 generations. Mythical status keeps it locked behind events or specific story content in most appearances.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves