#0093 · Kanto · Generation 1

Haunter

Gas Pokémon · Ghost/Poison-type

Haunter is a Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon, the Gas Pokémon, number 93 (#0093) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 0.1 kg.

Haunter is the Gas Pokémon, a floating purple spectre with disembodied hands that fears light and loves the dark. The Pokédex warns that if one beckons to you from the shadows, you should never go near.

How to pronounce Haunter

Haunter is pronounced HAWN-ter. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Haunter said out loud:

In Japanese it is ゴースト (Ghost).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Haunter has a gaseous purple body, a round head with three spiked horns on each side, triangular eyes and a long pink tongue. Detached hands with three clawed fingers float in front of it, and its body ends in a ragged tail. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 0.1 kg. Its tongue is made of gas, and the Pokédex says a lick saps a victim's strength.

Behaviour

Haunter hides in total darkness, passes through walls and strikes from the shadows. The Moon Pokédex says it fears light and may be dying out in cities that never go dark at night. It stalks anyone who strays near, though in the anime it is just as likely to play pranks.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat list puts Haunter in caves, and Bulbapedia adds dark urban areas at night. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in Paldea and, in The Teal Mask, Kitakami. In Legends: Z-A it appears in Lumiose City, and in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.

Powers

Its only Ability is Levitate. Haunter attacks with Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse and Shadow Punch, and Hypnosis sets up Dream Eater. It is a fast special attacker, with 115 base Special Attack and 95 Speed, but only 45 HP.

Name origin

Haunter may come from 'haunt' with the suffix -er, or possibly 'hunter'. The Japanese name is Ghost (ゴースト), exactly the word the Japanese use for the Ghost type.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia reads Haunter as a plain ghost, with traits shared with the akaguchi, a yōkai with a wide mouth, big tongue and clawed hands in a cloud of darkness. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Haunter evolves from Gastly at level 25 and into Gengar when traded or exposed to a Linking Cord.

In the games

Haunter's biggest game moment is as the antagonist of the Special Episode 'Today's "Oh My Gosh"' in Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, and two of them guard the Pokémon Pinball bonus stage on the Red Table. It is a Generation I original.

In the anime

In 'The Tower of Terror', Ash befriends a Haunter to use against Sabrina, and in 'Haunter Versus Kadabra' it wins the day by making her laugh before choosing to stay with her. Morty's Haunter beat Cyndaquil with Hypnosis and Lick in 'From Ghost to Ghost'.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia says Haunter has had more cry changes than any other Pokémon in the core series, in Generations II, III and VI.
• In the Red and Green beta its English name was Spectre, and the Pokémon Trainer's Survival Guide used that name by mistake.
• Its Generation I artwork gives it three fingers and a thumb, but in most other media, including the anime, it has two fingers and a thumb.

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

Base stats

• HP: 45
• Attack: 50
• Defense: 45
• Sp. Atk: 115
• Sp. Def: 55
• Speed: 95

Haunter’s base stat total is 405. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Haunter weak to?

Haunter takes extra damage from Ground (2×), Psychic (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (¼×), Bug (¼×), Grass (½×), Fairy (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

What does Haunter evolve from?

Haunter evolves from Gastly at level 25.

How does Haunter evolve?

Haunter evolves into Gengar (Trade).

The whole family: Gastly, Haunter, Gengar.

Abilities

• Levitate: Evades Ground moves.

Moves

Moves Haunter learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Haunter learns the move the moment it evolves: Shadow Punch.

TM moves (55)

Haunter can learn 55 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Scary Face, Protect, Acid Spray, Confuse Ray, Thief, Facade, Hex, Icy Wind, Night Shade, Fling, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Dazzling Gleam, Metronome, Poison Jab, Rest, Taunt, Toxic Spikes, Imprison, Dark Pulse, Skill Swap, Gunk Shot, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Trick, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Psychic, Encore, Thunderbolt, Nasty Plot, Sludge Bomb, Phantom Force, Focus Blast, Trick Room, Thunder, Tera Blast, Haze, Toxic, Spite, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Psych Up, Sludge Wave, Skitter Smack, Curse.

Egg moves (8), which Gastly can hatch knowing:Astonish, Clear Smog, Disable, Haze, Perish Song, Reflect Type, Smog, Toxic.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 90 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 142.

Pokédex entries

If you get the feeling of being watched in darkness when nobody is around, Haunter is there. (FireRed, X, Shield)

This frightful, malevolent spirit can glide through walls, appearing wherever it likes. According to rumor, victims of a Haunter's lick will wither to death day by day. (Legends: Arceus)

Its tongue is made of gas. If licked, its victim starts shaking constantly until death eventually comes. (Silver, SoulSilver, Sword)

By licking, it saps the victim's life. It causes shaking that won't stop until the victim's demise. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

It's dangerous to go outside alone on nights when you're feeling sad. Haunter will catch you, and you won't be able to go back home. (Ultra Moon)

On moonless nights, Haunter searches for someone to curse, so it's best not to go out walking around. (Ultra Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Poison type: 0.1 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lightest Ghost type: 0.1 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lightest Pokémon in Gen 1: 0.1 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lightest Poison type in Gen 1: 0.1 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lightest Ghost type in Gen 1: 0.1 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Tallest Ghost type in Gen 1: 1.6 m.
• Taller than 77% of all Pokémon (1.6 m).
• Heavier than 0% of all Pokémon (0.1 kg).
• Base stat total 405, ranked #605 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #89 of 1,025.
• One of 4 Pokémon that are both Ghost and Poison.
• One of 87 purple Pokémon.
• Number 93 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 69 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 90: about 11.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 16 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: Haunter (Pokémon), Serebii: Haunter (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (HAWN-ter): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Ghost-type Pokémon · Poison-type Pokémon · Ghost/Poison weaknesses and matchups · Haunter vs Gengar · Kanto region guide · Levitate ability · Compare Haunter · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 1 Poison-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Purple Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with H

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