#0562 · Unova · Generation 5

Yamask

Spirit Pokémon · Ghost-type

Yamask is a Ghost-type Pokémon, the Spirit Pokémon, number 562 (#0562) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 1.5 kg.

Yamask is the Spirit Pokémon, a small shadow that carries the mask it wore when it was human. The Pokédex says it arose from the spirits of people buried in graves long ago, and it still wanders ruins looking for someone who knows its face.

How to pronounce Yamask

Yamask is pronounced YAH-mask. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Yamask said out loud:

In Japanese it is デスマス (Desumasu).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Yamask is a shadowy creature with long, three-fingered arms, large teary red eyes and a tail-like appendage that holds a golden mask. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 1.5 kg. The mask is the face it had as a human, and the Pokédex says each Yamask keeps the memories of its former life.

Behaviour

Yamask is more wistful than fierce. The Pokédex says it sometimes gazes at its mask and weeps, and Bulbapedia adds that it becomes furious if the mask is lost. By night it wanders through ruins.

Habitat

The Pokédex links Yamask to graves and ruins. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet. In Legends: Z-A both forms appear only in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.

Powers

Yamask's only Ability is Mummy, which turns the Ability of any Pokémon that hits it with a contact move into Mummy. It learns Will-O-Wisp, Hex and Destiny Bond. Galarian Yamask is a Ground and Ghost type carrying a cursed clay tablet instead of a mask; the Sword Pokédex says the tablet is absorbing its dark power. It has Wandering Spirit, which swaps Abilities on contact.

Name origin

Yamask may combine yami ('darkness') or Yama, the Hindu and Buddhist lord of the dead, with 'mask'. The Japanese name is Desumasu (デスマス), which may blend 'death' and 'mask'.

Design inspiration

Yamask may be based on the Egyptian ba, a person's soul, or the shadow of the soul, and the mask is likely a death mask. Galarian Yamask's tablet may be based on runestones, or on the Deildegast, a Norwegian spirit forced to haul a boundary stone as punishment. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Yamask evolves into Cofagrigus at level 34. Galarian Yamask instead becomes Runerigus once it has taken 49 HP of damage and then walked under the rock arch at Dusty Bowl.

In the games

Galarian Yamask, introduced in Sword and Shield, lives on Route 6 and in the Wild Area's dens and gets its own evolution. The original Yamask debuted in Black and White, where it is found in Relic Castle.

In the anime

Yamask debuted in 'A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!', where one caused havoc because its mask had been put on display; Bulbapedia notes anyone who wears the mask can be possessed by it.

Fun facts

• Galarian Yamask's Attack and Special Attack are swapped compared with the Unovan form (55 and 30 instead of 30 and 55), and the swap carries on to Runerigus, whose stats mirror Cofagrigus's.
• According to Bulbapedia, Mummy belongs only to Yamask and Cofagrigus among all known Pokémon.
• With a base Attack of 30, Yamask ties with Litwick and Gimmighoul for the lowest of any Ghost type.

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

Base stats

• HP: 38
• Attack: 30
• Defense: 85
• Sp. Atk: 55
• Sp. Def: 65
• Speed: 30

Yamask’s base stat total is 303. Its highest stat is Defense.

Type matchups

What is Yamask weak to?

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

It resists Poison (½×), Bug (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

How does Yamask evolve?

Yamask evolves into Cofagrigus at level 34. Yamask evolves into Runerigus (Galarian Yamask: Take 49 damage, then walk under the rock arch, at Dusty Bowl).

The whole family: Yamask, Cofagrigus, Runerigus.

Forms

• Galarian Yamask (Galarian form): Ground/Ghost-type, base stat total 303 (HP 38, Attack 55, Defense 85, Sp. Atk 30, Sp. Def 65, Speed 30). Ability: Wandering Spirit.

Abilities

• Mummy: Changes attacking Pokémon's abilities to Mummy on contact.

Moves

Moves Yamask learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (31)

Yamask can learn 31 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Safeguard, Rest, Thief, Snore, Protect, Attract, Rain Dance, Will-O-Wisp, Facade, Imprison, Fake Tears, Payback, Trick Room, Wonder Room, Round, Hex, Psychic, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Shadow Ball, Trick, Skill Swap, Iron Defense, Calm Mind, Toxic Spikes, Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Nasty Plot, Zen Headbutt, Ally Switch.

Egg moves (1):Memento.

Move tutor moves (1): Poltergeist.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Mineral, Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 25 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 3,200).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Defense effort value.
• Base experience yield: 61.

Pokédex entries

The spirit of a person from a bygone age became this Pokémon. It rambles through ruins, searching for someone who knows its face. (Shield)

It wanders through ruins by night, carrying a mask that's said to have been the face it had when it was still human. (Sword)

Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry. (Black, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

These Pokémon arose from the spirits of people interred in graves. Each retains memories of its former life. (Black 2, White 2, X, Omega Ruby)

These Pokémon arose from the spirits of people interred in graves in past ages. Each retains memories of its former life. (White)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Ghost type in Gen 5: 1.5 kg.
• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 5% of all Pokémon (1.5 kg).
• Base stat total 303, ranked #852 of 1,025.
• One of 65 Ghost-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 51 black Pokémon.
• Number 69 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 44 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% 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: Yamask (Pokémon), Serebii: Yamask (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (YAH-mask): 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 · Unova region guide · Mummy ability · Compare Yamask · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Black Pokémon list · Mineral egg group · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with Y

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