#0491 · Sinnoh · Generation 4 · mythical

Darkrai

Pitch-Black Pokémon · Dark-type

Darkrai is a Dark-type Pokémon, the Pitch-Black Pokémon, number 491 (#0491) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 50.5 kg.

Darkrai is the Pitch-Black Pokémon, a shadowy Dark type that sends people into nightmares on moonless nights, though the Pokédex insists it means no harm. In Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC it is the final boss, and it gains a Mega Evolution.

How to pronounce Darkrai

Darkrai is pronounced DARK-ry. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Darkrai said out loud:

In Japanese it is ダークライ.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Darkrai is a black, shadow-like figure 1.5 m tall and 50.5 kg. A white, fog-like plume covers one of its teal eyes, a red spiky growth rings its neck, and tattered shreds hang from its shoulders like an old cloak. Bulbapedia says it usually floats but can extend stilt-like legs to stand, and it can tuck its head and plume into a hollow on top of its torso when it feels threatened.

Behaviour

The Pokédex says Darkrai is active on new-moon nights, lulling people to sleep and making them dream. It gives those nearby nightmares to protect itself or to drive intruders from its territory, but it means no harm. A Legends: Arceus entry tells of a whole village having nightmares in which Darkrai appeared. Bulbapedia says the cure for what Darkrai's power causes is Cresselia or a Lunar Feather.

Habitat

Bulbapedia says Darkrai lives on Newmoon Island, where it is active at the new moon. In Scarlet and Violet it comes through Pokémon HOME or events, and in Legends: Z-A it is met in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Newmoon Nightmare.

Powers

Its Ability Bad Dreams hurts sleeping opponents every turn, and Bulbapedia says Darkrai is the only Pokémon that has it or can learn Dark Void, a move that puts foes to sleep. It also uses Nasty Plot, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse and Sucker Punch. With base Special Attack 135 and Speed 125 it hits hard and fast. Mega Darkrai, which Darkrai reaches by holding Darkranite, doubles in length to 3 m and weighs 240 kg; its Special Attack rises to 165. The Z-A Pokédex says its dark power blocks out the sun and that no one escapes its evil eye.

Name origin

Darkrai may combine 'dark' with the Japanese kurai, also meaning 'dark'. The Japanese name is ダークライ (Dākurai), which the games write Darkrai in Latin letters.

Design inspiration

Hironobu Yoshida designed Darkrai. Bulbapedia reads it as a personification of nightmares, close to folklore figures such as the mare and other night hags, and to the nocnitsa of Slavic tradition. Mega Darkrai appears to draw on the beholder, a fantasy monster that is a floating eye with tendrils, and possibly on a solar eclipse. These are fan readings.

In the games

Darkrai is a one-off event encounter on Newmoon Island in Diamond and Pearl, where you need the Member Card, and it appears again in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and in Legends: Arceus. In Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC it is the main villain and final boss.

In the anime

Darkrai is a protector in the film 'The Rise of Darkrai', holding off Dialga and Palkia's fight. Tobias's Darkrai beat eight Sinnoh Gym Leaders on its own and faced Ash in the League semifinal, losing to his Sceptile in 'The Semi-Final Frontier!'.

Fun facts

• No other Pokémon in poke.si's game data gives the same Effort Value reward as Darkrai: 2 Special Attack plus 1 Speed.
• Darkrai holds the final slot of the Hisui Pokédex, Bulbapedia says.
• In the Mystery Dungeon Explorers games and Super Mystery Dungeon, it is the only non-Ghost Pokémon that can pass through walls without the Absolute Mover IQ skill, Bulbapedia says.
• Mega Darkrai ties Mega Tyranitar for the highest base stat total of any Dark Pokémon at 700, once Arceus holding a Dread Plate is excluded.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Darkrai (Pokémon) · Serebii: Darkrai (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 70
• Attack: 90
• Defense: 90
• Sp. Atk: 135
• Sp. Def: 90
• Speed: 125

Darkrai’s base stat total is 600. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Darkrai weak to?

Darkrai takes extra damage from Fighting (2×), Bug (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Ghost (½×), Dark (½×).

It is immune to Psychic moves.

Evolution

Darkrai does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Forms

• Mega Darkrai (Mega): Dark-type, base stat total 700 (HP 70, Attack 120, Defense 130, Sp. Atk 165, Sp. Def 130, Speed 85). Ability: Bad Dreams.

Abilities

• Bad Dreams: Damages sleeping opponents for 1/8 their max HP after each turn.

Moves

Moves Darkrai learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (53)

Darkrai can learn 53 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Scary Face, Protect, Confuse Ray, Thief, Charge Beam, Facade, Hex, Snarl, Swift, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Night Shade, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Psyshock, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Sleep Talk, Drain Punch, Thunder Wave, Poison Jab, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Swords Dance, Dark Pulse, Substitute, X-Scissor, Will-O-Wisp, Trick, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Calm Mind, Ice Beam, Nasty Plot, Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Tera Blast, Haze, Spite, Knock Off, Focus Punch, Lash Out, Psych Up, Throat Chop, Curse.

Breeding & training

• Gender: genderless.
• Egg groups: Undiscovered.
• Egg cycles: 120 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 15,360).
• Catch rate: 3 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 0.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk and 1 Speed effort values.
• Base experience yield: 270.

Pokédex entries

On a moonless night, a strange incident occurred in which every one of a village's inhabitants suffered nightmares. The villagers attested that Darkrai appeared before them in these nightmares. (Legends: Arceus)

It can lull people to sleep and make them dream. It is active during nights of the new moon. (Diamond, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

It chases people and Pokémon from its territory by causing them to experience deep, nightmarish slumbers. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, X, Omega Ruby)

To protect itself, it afflicts those around it with nightmares. However, it means no harm. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Folklore has it that on moonless nights, this Pokémon will make people see horrific nightmares. (Pearl)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Atk among Dark types: 135, shared with 1 other.
• Fastest Pokémon in Gen 4: 125 Speed, shared with 1 other.
• Tallest Dark type in Gen 4: 1.5 m.
• Fastest Dark type in Gen 4: 125 Speed, shared with 1 other.
• Highest Sp. Atk among Dark types in Gen 4: 135.
• Highest base stat total among Dark types in Gen 4: 600.
• Taller than 72% of all Pokémon (1.5 m).
• Heavier than 67% of all Pokémon (50.5 kg).
• Base stat total 600, ranked #25 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #21 of 1,025.
• One of 69 Dark-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 51 black Pokémon.
• Number 105 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
• Can learn 60 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 3: about 0.4% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 1 alternate form.
• Appears in 5 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Darkrai (Pokémon), Serebii: Darkrai (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (DARK-ry): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Dark-type Pokémon · Darkrai vs Cresselia · Darkrai vs Mewtwo · Sinnoh region guide · Bad Dreams ability · Compare Darkrai · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 4 Dark-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Black Pokémon list · No Eggs Discovered egg group · Pokémon that start with D

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