Stats & Training
Haunter's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, HP pays for it. Moderately hard to find, worth 2 Sp. Atk stat exp. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It hides in the dark, planning to take the life of the next living thing that wanders close by.
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
 Gastly GhostPoison | C | |
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Quagsire builds →Dig 2x125-148%KO Mud-Slap 2x34-42% | ||
 Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Onix builds →Dig 2x82-97% Mud-Slap 2x23-28% | ||
 Cubone Ground | C | |
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Cubone builds →Dig 2x86-102%KO Bone Club 2x69-83% Bonemerang 2x54-65% Mud-Slap 2x26-32% | ||
 Geodude RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Geodude builds →Dig 2x117-138%KO Mud-Slap 2x34-42% | ||
 Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x112-134%KO Mud-Slap 2x31-37% | ||
Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Quagsire builds →Dig 2x121-142%KO Mud-Slap 2x32-38% | ||
 Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Graveler builds →Dig 2x131-154%KO Mud-Slap 2x36-42% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Onix builds →Dig 2x78-92% Mud-Slap 2x22-27% | ||
Cubone Ground | C | |
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Cubone builds →Dig 2x85-100%KO Bone Club 2x68-81% Thief 2x32-38% Bonemerang 2x55-65% | ||
Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x110-131%KO Thief 2x23-28% Mud-Slap 2x32-38% | ||
Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Quagsire builds →Dig 2x118-139%KO Mud-Slap 2x31-38% | ||
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Graveler builds →Dig 2x130-154%KO Mud-Slap 2x35-41% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Onix builds →Dig 2x76-90% Mud-Slap 2x21-26% | ||
Cubone Ground | C | |
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Cubone builds →Dig 2x79-94% Bone Club 2x66-79% Thief 2x31-38% Bonemerang 2x50-60% | ||
Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x108-128%KO Thief 2x23-28% Mud-Slap 2x31-38% | ||
Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Quagsire builds →Dig 2x118-139%KO Mud-Slap 2x31-38% | ||
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Graveler builds →Dig 2x130-154%KO Mud-Slap 2x35-41% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Onix builds →Dig 2x76-90% Mud-Slap 2x21-26% | ||
Cubone Ground | C | |
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Cubone builds →Dig 2x79-94% Bone Club 2x66-79% Thief 2x31-38% Bonemerang 2x50-60% | ||
Sandshrew Ground | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Sandshrew builds →Dig 2x108-128%KO Thief 2x23-28% Mud-Slap 2x31-38% | ||
 Donphan Ground | B | |
Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Quagsire builds →Dig 2x118-139%KO Mud-Slap 2x31-38% | ||
Graveler RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Graveler builds →Dig 2x130-154%KO Mud-Slap 2x35-41% | ||
Onix RockGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Onix builds →Dig 2x76-90% Mud-Slap 2x21-26% | ||
Cubone Ground | C | |
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Cubone builds →Dig 2x79-94% Bone Club 2x66-79% Thief 2x31-38% Bonemerang 2x50-60% | ||
In Crystal, Golem can KO Haunter with Earthquake (205-242%). Umbreon's Pursuit hits Haunter for 41-48%.
 Golem RockGround | A | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Golem builds →Earthquake 2x205-242%KO | ||
 Umbreon Dark | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Umbreon builds →Pursuit 2x41-48% | ||
 Misdreavus Ghost | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves View Misdreavus builds →
| ||
 Jynx IcePsychic | B | |
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Jynx builds →Ice Beam77-90% Psychic 2x153-181%KO Thief 2x68-81% | ||
Crystal Evolution
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 Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Haze, Perish Song, Psywave.
Crystal Haunter Best Moveset
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Explosion
- Thunder
- Giga Drain
- Haze
Recommended Teammates
Moves
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.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Haunter in Crystal
Haunter appears at moderate rates across 3 spots in early-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Where To Catch Haunter in Crystal
Gastly is your first catch on the way to Haunter. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 3-22 across 8 total spots in the chain.
- Step 1Catch GastlySprout TowerGrass Lv.3-6 Building85%EarlyNightRoute 31Grass Lv.5 Route5%EarlyNightRoute 36Grass Lv.5 Route5%EarlyNightRoute 32Grass Lv.7 Route5%EarlyNightTin Tower - 2F-9FGrass Lv.20-22 Building80%MidNight
Step 2Haunter ✓Rock Tunnel - B1FGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyNightRock Tunnel - 1FGrass Lv.17 Cave10%MidNightRoute 8Grass Lv.17 Route10%MidNightor evolve from Gastly (Step 1)
Haunter Guide
In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, Haunter fills the cannon role. It's a physical attacker with base 50 Attack. Base 95 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
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.
Game Availability
Haunter has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 22 titles across all 10 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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
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 4DP
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