#0477 · Sinnoh · Generation 4

Dusknoir

Gripper Pokémon · Ghost-type

Dusknoir is a Ghost-type Pokémon, the Gripper Pokémon, number 477 (#0477) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 2.2 m tall and weighs 106.6 kg.

Dusknoir is the Gripper Pokémon, a one-eyed ghost with a mouth on its belly that the Pokédex says collects lost spirits and carries them to the afterlife.

How to pronounce Dusknoir

Dusknoir is pronounced dusk-NWAR. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Dusknoir said out loud:

In Japanese it is ヨノワール (Yonoir).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Dusknoir is a tall black ghost, 2.2 m and 106.6 kg, with a cylindrical grey head, one yellow-and-red eye, a disc-tipped antenna and a ruff of flat points around its neck. A yellow band round its body can open like a mouth. The Pokédex says the antenna picks up radio waves from the spirit world.

Behaviour

Dusknoir shows up for those who have died and guides their souls on to the afterlife, which is why people fear it. Legends: Arceus says it rarely takes the souls of the living by mistake. The Pokédex adds that no one knows if it has its own will.

Habitat

The Pokédex gives no habitat. In The Teal Mask you evolve Dusclops or meet it in 5-star and 6-star Tera Raid Battles, and it is not available in Legends: Z-A.

Diet

Shield's Pokédex says it swallows a target whole through its belly mouth but eats only the soul and gives the body back.

Powers

Its Ability is Pressure, with Frisk hidden. It uses Shadow Ball, Poltergeist and Future Sight, learns Destiny Bond at level 54, and can use Trick Room. With 100 base Attack, 135 each in Defense and Special Defense, but 45 Speed, it is a sturdy, slow attacker.

Name origin

Dusknoir may combine 'dusk' and the French noir ('black'). The Japanese name is Yonoir (ヨノワール), which may blend yōma or yoru (night) with 'noir'.

Design inspiration

Dusknoir appears to be a cyclopean ghost, and its round, hollow body may allude to a chōchin-obake lantern. Its role as a guide for lost spirits resembles the Grim Reaper and other psychopomps. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Dusclops evolves into Dusknoir when traded with a Reaper Cloth held, and Dusknoir is the end of the line. In Legends: Arceus the cloth works by exposure instead of a trade.

In the games

Dusknoir plays a major story role in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Sky. It debuted in Diamond and Pearl, and in Legends: Arceus it turns up in space-time distortions in the Coronet Highlands.

In the anime

Dusknoir debuted in 'Ghoul Daze!', where it tried to protect people from a ghost girl but was often blamed for her trouble. Conway's Dusknoir used Trick Room against Ash at the Lily of the Valley Conference in 'Working on a Right Move!'.

Fun facts

• Among Ghost types introduced in Generation IV, its Defense and Special Defense of 135 are the highest.
• A novelisation of 'Ghoul Daze!' in the Pokémon Annual 2010 describes Dusknoir as metallic.
• In Pokémon Conquest it evolves from Dusclops after its Warrior carrying a Reaper Cloth knocks out a Pokémon in a way that allows recruitment.

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

Base stats

• HP: 45
• Attack: 100
• Defense: 135
• Sp. Atk: 65
• Sp. Def: 135
• Speed: 45

Dusknoir’s base stat total is 525. Its highest stat is Defense and Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Dusknoir weak to?

Dusknoir takes extra damage from Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (½×), Bug (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

What does Dusknoir evolve from?

Dusknoir evolves from Dusclops (Trade holding Reaper Cloth).

Dusknoir is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Duskull, Dusclops, Dusknoir.

• Duskull evolves into Dusclops at level 37.

Abilities

• Pressure: Increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one.
• Frisk (hidden ability): Reveals an opponent's held item upon entering battle.

Moves

Moves Dusknoir learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (55)

Dusknoir can learn 55 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Protect, Confuse Ray, Thief, Charge Beam, Facade, Hex, Swift, Icy Wind, Rock Tomb, Night Shade, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Brick Break, Body Slam, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Metronome, Rest, Rock Slide, Taunt, Imprison, Dark Pulse, Leech Life, Skill Swap, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Trick, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Earthquake, Phantom Force, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Trick Room, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Haze, Spite, Gravity, Focus Punch, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Psych Up, Future Sight, Skitter Smack, Curse, Hard Press.

Egg moves (3):Haze, Memento, Pain Split.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 25 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 3,200).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 35.
• Growth rate: Fast (800,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Defense and 2 Sp. Def effort values.
• Base experience yield: 236.

Pokédex entries

At the bidding of transmissions from the spirit world, it steals people and Pokémon away. No one knows whether it has a will of its own. (Sword)

Comes to those whose lives have come to an end and escorts their souls to the afterlife. Known to mistakenly take the souls of those who yet have life left in them, albeit rarely. (Legends: Arceus)

With the mouth on its belly, Dusknoir swallows its target whole. The soul is the only thing eaten— Dusknoir disgorges the body before departing. (Shield)

The antenna on its head captures radio waves from the world of spirits that command it to take people there. (Diamond, Pearl, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

It is said to take lost spirits into its pliant body and guide them home. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X, Omega Ruby)

This feared Pokémon is said to travel to worlds unknown. Some even believe that it takes lost spirits along with it. (HeartGold, SoulSilver)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Attack among Ghost types in Gen 4: 100, shared with 1 other.
• Highest Defense among Ghost types in Gen 4: 135.
• Highest Sp. Def among Ghost types in Gen 4: 135.
• Taller than 91% of all Pokémon (2.2 m).
• Heavier than 84% of all Pokémon (106.6 kg).
• Base stat total 525, ranked #189 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Def, ranked #16 of 1,025.
• One of 65 Ghost-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 51 black Pokémon.
• Number 91 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 65 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 6 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: Dusknoir (Pokémon), Serebii: Dusknoir (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (dusk-NWAR): 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

Ghost-type Pokémon · Sinnoh region guide · Pressure ability · Frisk ability · Compare Dusknoir · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 4 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Black Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with D

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