Famed Pokemon trainers like Morty, Fantina, Allister, Agatha, Pheobe, Shauntal, and Acerola have all proven just how terrifying Ghost types can be in battle. These sinister specters have haunted the minds of many trainers as they brought normal types to their knees.
Still, not all Pokemon are created equal, and this still holds true for Ghost types. While pure Ghost types aren't as common as their mixed type counterparts, some of them are downright devastating in battle and popular amongst fans.
14 Shuppet
Shuppet's most notable appearance was in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness where one appears as a part of Team Ebony. A unique Shuppet was also distributed during a special event all the way back in 2003. This ghost friend hasn't had many appearances in the anime and might be forgotten by fans unless they are evolving it into Banette.
13 Sinistea
Be it in Phony form or Antique, Sinistea is an adorable Pokemon, especially compared to most Ghost-types. Neither form affects how strong it is, only its rarity. This makes it so a square shiny Antique Sinistea is one of the rarest Pokemon in the entire game, with only a 0.000015% chance of being found in the wild. It's also notable for being the smallest Ghost-type to be released to date.
12 Mismagius
No one is going through the Hawthorne Gym without getting past Fantina's Mismagius! It is even featured in the GOTCHA! Music video. While it's currently unavailable in Sword & Shield, we can only hope that players will be able to manage their Fantina cosplays in the game soon.
11 Duskull
Duskull is a pretty popular Pokemon with over 15 appearances throughout the anime. A special Duskull was also distributed during week one of New York Monster Week all the way back in 2003. Fans of Halloween are bound to adore this grim reaper-styled Pokemon.
The most notable Duskull likely comes from the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. One appears as a banker in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness and eventually came back for players to meet in Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon as well.
10 Polteageist
Evolving a Sinistea into a Polteageist can be a bit complex, but it's certainly worth doing so. It was created by James Turner, the first Westerner to officially design a Pokemon. It's also has a unique signature move: Teatime. It forces all Pokemon on the field to eat their held berry. It can be used for some strange strategies, but overall is too niche to shine in battles.
9 Cursola
Cursola is a dire message on environmental damage in Pokemon form. It resembles bleached coral, which occurs in coral reefs due to climate change causing rising temperatures. This haunting piece of undead coral is gorgeous and the creators should be applauded for its fantastic design. Allister also uses it multiple times throughout Pokemon Shield so players with that version are likely very familiar with it.
8 Yamask
Who doesn't remember James's adorable Yamask from the anime? It was heartbreaking having to see James give it up to Giovanni as a sign of Team Rocket's accomplishments in the Unova region. Still, this is a creepy Pokemon, even for a Ghost-type. All Yamasks were once humans according to the PokeDex, which is seriously depressing to think about.
7 Misdreavus
Little Miss marked the debut of Misdreavus in the anime and made her well-loved in the hearts of fans. Marina may have preferred to use her other Pokemon in battle, but when Little Miss made appearances they were always notable.
In competitive play, Misdreavus is notable for being banned in the Little Cup format. As it wasn't originally intended to evolve, it had far more powerful stats than most Pokemon in the tier. It dominated the game as it had few checks, especially once Steel types lost their resistance to Ghost-type attacks.
6 Dusknoir
Dusknoir is incredibly important in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness as it was sent back in time to prevent Team Pokepals by Primal Dialga to prevent them from changing history. It's still been seen in other places as well, with Conway using one to take out two of Ash's Pokemon during the Lily of the Valley Conference.
5 Banette
Banette might look spooky, but Mega Banette looks downright terrifying. We wouldn't want to be chased down by one in a haunted house! Sird uses a Banette often in the Pokemon Adventures manga and shows just how frightening it can be in battle. One also appears in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky in the special episode Igglybuff the Prodigy.