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 EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If a HAUNTER beckons you while it is floating in darkness, don’t approach it. This POKéMON will try to lick you with its tongue and steal your life away.
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. 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.
| 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
In Emerald, Starmie can KO Haunter with Surf (85-100%). Claydol threatens a KO with Earthquake (187-221%). Houndoom's Crunch also KOs at 162-191%.
 Starmie WaterPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Starmie builds →Ice Beam57-67% Thunderbolt57-67% Surf85-100%KO | ||
 Claydol GroundPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Claydol builds →Earthquake 2x187-221%KO Psychic 2x95-112%KO | ||
 Houndoom DarkFire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Houndoom builds →Pursuit 2x81-96% Fire Blast111-131%KO Crunch 2x162-191%KO | ||
 Dusclops Ghost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Haunter View Dusclops builds →Shadow Ball 2x95-112%KO | ||
Emerald 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 22 partners from the Indeterminate egg group. Notable egg moves include Astonish, Explosion, Grudge and 4 more.
Emerald Haunter Best Moveset
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
Haunter best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Attacker Moveset
- Destiny Bond
- Mean Look
- Thunderbolt
- Substitute
Recommended Teammates
Moves
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
How to Get Haunter in Emerald
No wild encounters for Haunter in Emerald. Bring Gastly over from Red, Yellow, or FireRed, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
Haunter Guide
In Emerald, 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 Emerald, 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 Emerald, Run Levitate on Haunter. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche.
In Emerald, Haunter fills the pivot 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.
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