Gengar Pokémon: Evolution, Mega Gengar, Weakness & Shiny Guide

One of the most famous Pokémon in the franchise is Gengar. The Pokémon is famed for having a devilish smile, shady look, and Ghost/Poison-type. However, Gengar is introduced in Generation I as the last evolution of Gastly and is recognized as one of the most popular Pokémon across the series video games, anime, and franchise spin-offs.

Thanks to this Pokémon’s awesome nature. Due to its sinister smile, coupled with its ability to hide in shadows and play pranks on innocent trainers, it is beloved by fans. Being a Shadow Pokémon, Gengar is a Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon evolving from Haunter through trading and is infamous for stalking shadows and scaring unsuspecting individuals.

This guide will help you find out everything about Pokémon Gengar — from getting the best moveset of this Pokémon to discovering how Mega Gengar performs in battle. Thus, if you’re keen to know how Pokémon Gengar evolves from Gastly → Haunter → Gengar, the weaknesses of types in Pokémon battling, and many more, go through it.

What Is Gengar? Pokédex Overview 

Gengar is the third stage of evolution of the Pokémon Gastly and Haunter, and it is the Ghost/Poison type Shadow Pokémon from Generation I. Its creepy appearance has made it very popular, and its ability to blend into shadows means it is capable of sneaking up on people.

It is home to the special ability known as Cursed Body, through which its opponents might get to learn something that Gengar Pokémon can disable its opponent’s move if it is subjected to an attack. The wider Pokémon characters lineup also includes many other recognizable Pokémon personalities and designs. 

Pokédex data

National no.	0094
Type	Ghost Poison type
Species	Shadow Pokémon
Height	1.5 m (4′11″)
Weight	40.5 kg (89.3 lbs)
Abilities	1. Cursed Body
Experience	Depends on Game

Stats of Gengar

Overall stats of Gengar show that it is a special attacker Pokemon which has an impressive special attack base/130 special attack and 110 Speed, meaning that it is able to attack with the enemy before the enemy can attack back. Players who build competitive teams may also want to understand the Pokémon nature chart when considering how a Pokémon’s nature affects its stats. 

Base Stats

Stat		Range
		At Lv. 50	At Lv. 100
HP: 60		120 – 67	230 – 324
Attack: 65		63 – 128	121 – 251
Defense: 60		58 – 123	112 – 240
Sp. Atk: 130		121 – 100	238 – 394
Sp. Def: 75		72 – 139	139 – 273
Speed: 110		103 – 178	202 – 350
Total: 500	Other Pokémon with this total

FAQ: Are there alternative names for Gengar such as Gangar or Ganger?

Yes. Gengar is also commonly misspelled and searched using variations such as “Gangar”, “Ganger”, and sometimes “Hengar”. Gengar is the official name of the Pokémon.

Gengar Evolution Line 

Gengar has a three-stage evolution: Gastly → Haunter → Gengar. Gastly evolves into Haunter through leveling up while Haunter needs to be traded for it to evolve. However, in new Pokémon games, there are other ways to evolve Haunter.

Gastly → Haunter → Gengar 

• Gastly → Haunter: Level 25 is the level at which Gastly evolves into Haunter.
• Haunter → Gengar: In most games, Haunter has to be traded to another player for it to evolve.
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus has made it easy using an item called the Linking Cord.

In almost all Pokémon main games, trading Haunter or using an in-game trick allows the evolution to take place. Evolution mechanics are also a key part of many other Pokémon lines, including the Eevee evolutions. 

Generational  evolution of Gengar

Have a look at the Gengar evolution chart generation by generation

Game generation	Gastly → Haunter	Haunter → Gengar
Gen I	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen II	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen III	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen IV	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen V	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen VI	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen VII	Level 25	Trade Haunter
Gen VIII	Level 25	Trade Haunter*
Gen IX	Level 25	Trade Haunter*
Legends: Arceus	Level 25	Linking Cord

There are various contemporary games that allow players to get Gengar directly, or help quickly evolve Haunter, thanks to certain unique game features. The Linking Cord is an interesting alternative to the formal trading method that is very popular.

If you happen to play a game with old mechanics, the most straightforward way to evolve Gengar is to get Gastly at Level 25 → Haunter → trade Haunter → Gengar.

Gengar Weakness & Type Matchups 

The fact that Gengar is a Ghost/Poison-type Pokemon that you need to remember if you are searching for Gengar weakness in all its variations, including a common misspelling “hengar weakness”. Gengar has normal weaknesses, such as Ghost, Dark, Psychic, and Ground that deal the same 2x super effective damage to the Pokemon.

Weaknesses of Gengar (2x damage)

• Ghost 
• Dark
• Psychic
• Ground

Immune to 

• Normal — takes no damage
• Fighting — takes no damage

Resistant to

• Bug (½ damage)
• Poison (½ damage)
• Fairy (½ damage)

Gengar’s Ghost typing makes the Pokémon immune to Normal and Fighting attacks, and its Poison typing means that it takes the least damage from Bug and Poison moves. Fairy types are also resisted.

Effective Strategies Against Gengar

The simplest answer here is to utilize a Pokémon with big Ghost-, Dark-, Psychic-, or Ground-type moves. Speedy Pokémon are especially good here, since Gengar has high Speed but rather poor defenses. Trainers exploring Pokémon battles can also try competitive formats through Pokémon Showdown. 

• Dark-type moves:  It is most reliable and causes super-effective damage against Ghost-type Gengar. 
• Ghost-type moves:   Also hit Gengar super effectively, but a Ghost-type Pokémon fighting Gengar needs to consider Gengar’s equally powerful Ghost-type moves.
• Psychic-type moves: Poison typing can take 2x damage.
• Ground-type moves: Also cause 2x damage to the Ghost-type Pokémon.

One critical thing to notice is that Ground-type moves are not always the best practical option against every Gengar, as the Pokémon’s moveset, ability, item, and the generation being played might vary the matchup. However, on a simple type-chart note, Ghost, Dark, Psychic, and Ground are the weaknesses of Gengar.

Mega Gengar 

Mega Gengar is a Mega Evolution of Gengar that was first introduced in Generation VI through Pokémon X and Y and is also present in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Mega Evolving Gengar requires Gengarite, its specific Mega Stone.

Mega Gengar retains its Ghost/Poison typing but receives a significant stat boost that raises its Base Stat Total from 500 to 600. The most significant increases in stats are in its Special Attack, which goes up to 170, and Speed, which increases to 130, making Mega Gengar a more dangerous option as a speedy special attacker.

Shadow Tag: The Unique Ability of Mega Gengar 

The ability of Mega Gengar is Shadow Tag, which does not allow enemy Pokémon to run away in a normal manner. Hence, Mega Gengar is more than just a powerful attacker: it can trap its target on the battlefield and defeat it before the opponent can take any actions. Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to the effects of Shadow Tag due to mechanics present starting from Generation VI.

This is why Mega Gengar has consistently been barred from Ubers in Smogon competitive formats. Its combination is very powerful:

• 170 Special Attack hits like a truck
• 130 Speed outspeeds the majority of the metagame
• Shadow Tag traps checks and counters so they can’t escape before Gengar knocks them out

Mega Gengar vs. Gengar

Base stat	Gengar	Mega Gengar
HP	60	60
Attack	65	65
Defense	60	80
Special Attack	130	170
Special Defense	75	95
Speed	110	130
Base Stat Total	500	600
Ability	Cursed Body	Shadow Tag
Type	Ghost/Poison	Ghost/Poison

In short, Mega Gengar doesn’t just threaten teams via its sheer force — it also takes away the primary counter defensive mechanism (switching). This is a rare combination, and that is why competitive formats see it as a top-tier threat instead of regular OU Pokémon. 

So the important upgrades are +40 Defense, +40 Special Attack, +20 Special Defense, and +20 Speed, while HP and Attack stay the same. As a result, Gengar becomes faster and far more powerful on the special side and is able to take full advantage of its trapped opponents.

Shiny Mega Gengar 

Shiny Pokémon are the Pokémon that possess a different color scheme than their regular counterparts (this fact is attributed to the color gerade at the moment the Pokémon is generated). However, even after evolving, they will remain shiny.

If you are looking for Shiny Mega Gengar—which is infamously misspelled as “shiny mega gangar”—the obtaining process is simple: first, you will need to get a Shiny Gengar, and Mega Evolve it in a properly equipped game.

How to Get Shiny Gengar

A Shiny Gengar is merely an alternate form of regular Gengar, which means that you do not need to get a separate “Shiny Mega Gengar” first. Instead, you can obtain it in several steps.

The process of getting a Shiny Mega Gengar involves two major steps: the first step is getting yourself a Shiny Gengar, and the second step is Mega Evolving it.

Step1: Obtaining a Shiny Gastly, Haunter, or Gengar

You can obtain a Shiny Gengar using traditional shiny-hunting techniques depending upon your video game:

• Random Encounters:    Gastly and Haunter can be spotted in the wild in various regions. Each encounter carries a standard shiny rate of 1/4096 in modern video games without boosts.
• Chain/Outbreak Method:  Games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet run various outbreak events from time to time, which greatly increase shiny chances. 
• Masuda Method:    Breeding two Pokémon that belong to different languages in different games increases shiny chances tremendously.
• Shiny Charm:   Acquiring this item can help improve your shiny odds. You can earn it in most games by completing the Pokédex.
• Trading:  The easiest way of obtaining a shiny Gastly, Haunter, or Gengar is by trading with someone who already has shiny Pokémon.

Step 2: Evolving It into Mega Form

When you have obtained a Shiny Gengar, the Mega Evolution will work in the same way as for the non-shiny version. You just need Y-Gengarite, and Mega Gengar will be created in a fight by using this ability during the battle (in those versions where Mega Evolution is enabled – for instance, X/Y, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, etc., up to the modern versions that allow Mega Evolution).

What is Shiny Mega Gengar like?

The main feature of Shiny Gengar is its different color. It is not purple like regular Gengar. It is colored lighter than regular Gengar, and this difference may be easily seen on the majority of its body and its eyes. When Mega Evolved, Shiny Gengar gets its purple color instead of regular Gengar’s deep black one, making it very attractive for collectors due to the unusual appearance.

Where is it Possible to acquire Shiny Gengar?

The options for this Pokémon rely on the specific Pokémon video game being played. The Gengar Pokémon has been present in many of the main series games and is linked to the games that support its Mega Evolution. For players building a broader Pokédex, guides such as how many Pokémon are there can provide additional context about the size of the franchise. 

Gengar in the Games & Anime 

Gengar has made quite a name for itself, as its presence is felt throughout the entire franchise in terms of video games and movies.

Memorable Appearances

• In films:   Gengar has been shown in many clips of the animated series, particularly in the earlier episodes and in filler plots with its trickster ways.
• In the Mystery Dungeon Series:   Gengar can be adopted as a partner in many of the different Mystery Dungeon series applications, maintaining its tricky and mischievous demeanor.
• In Pokémon GO:    In Pokémon GO, several Community Days and Mega Gengar raids have occurred that increase its prevalence among mobile game players. Other notable Pokémon GO content includes guides focused on Giovanni in Pokémon GO. 
• Spin-off releases and merchandising:    Gengar’s design guarantees its appearance in the Pokémon Trading Card Game series, the Pokkén Tournament, and other related games, thus establishing Gengar as a top-level Ghost-type Pokémon.

Moveset of Gengar

Gengar has a diverse moveset focused primarily on fast and powerful special attack moves and some utility moves as well. 

• Shadow Ball — Gengar’s move when it uses the Ghost-type (STAB) attack that has a strong base power and a chance to decrease the opponent’s Special Defense. 
• Sludge Bomb — This move has good potential to poison the opponent, as it is an effective Poison-type STAB move. 
• Hex — This move deals 2x damage if the opponent. 
• Focus Blast / Sludge Wave — They are popular coverage moves in the professional field.

Thanks to Gengar’s noted high Special Attack and Speed stats, it can deal considerable damage before an opponent finishes attacking. However, its relatively low defensive capabilities mean that it can be knocked out quite fast if it receives powerful attacks. 

Gengar in Competition

In competitive Pokémon, Gengar is used basically as a fast special attacker with support options. The Pokémon’s Ghost/Poison type adds to its number of useful resistances, while its rich arsenal of moves lets it act in different situations. Players comparing different Pokémon builds can also explore individual Pokémon guides such as Charizard and Blastoise. 

Final Thoughts

Gengar has come a long way since its origin as a Shadow Pokémon inspired by a doppelgänger. After all these years, it has rightfully earned the title of one of the strongest Ghost Pokémon today. Whether hunting for the elusive shiny Gengar, completing the evolution line through trading, or strategizing around Mega Gengar’s imposing Shadow Tag ability, Gengar has proven that it can deliver rewards for putting effort into it for obtaining it.

Ready to continue filling in your Pokédex with what you have in Paldea or Kanto? Be sure to check out our other guides on Ghost Pokémon as well as guides for their evolution on Skwovet, or head on to our Mega Evolution Tier List to find out more about how Gengar compares to others in the league. You can also explore other Generation I Pokémon such as Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Caterpie while continuing through the Pokédex. 

FAQs