The Best Ghost-type Pokemon In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - TheGamer

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Ghosts are the tricksters of the Pokemon universe. They emblemize mischief and many of their most famous anime and manga moments stem from mucking things up in a playful but (borderline) benevolent manner. Comic book fans whose one true love is Loki, Trekkies who can never get enough Q, even folks who tune into The Game Awards every year just to see how Hideo Kojima plans to troll the audience — these are the core of the Ghost-type Pokemon fanbase.

In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, there are several great Ghost-types to choose from. All of them are precious, but some are more powerful than the rest. Here are the six strongest selections, categorized by Sinnoh Dex (most of which can be caught during the main quest) and National Dex (the bulk of which cannot be caught until the post-game).

6 Mismagius (Sinnoh Dex)

Mismagius capitalizes in Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. As you might imagine, its other stats — HP, Attack, and Defense — are low. But if we were to limit ourselves to Pokemon with stellar stats all-around, very few would be eligible. That's what Pokemon team-building is about: finding the perfect partners not just for yourself but for covering the weaknesses of the rest of the squad.

We strongly suggest hooking your Mismagius up with Nasty Plot, a buffing move that will elevate its Special Attack stat by a further two stages. If you can pull that off, Shadow Ball will tear many of your rivals apart. Need a Rock-type move but your team is lacking in a Rock-type user? No sweat; give Mismagius Power Gem. Similarly, it can deliver a mean Thunderbolt if necessary.

5 Dusknoir (National Dex)

Right off the bat, we'd like to call attention to the fact that Duskull, the Dusknoir line's starting form, can be caught during the main game despite being on the National Dex. We'll try to point this out whenever possible, because it can really shake things up. You can catch a Duskull as early as Eterna City, when you first gain access to the Grand Underground. It's a rare lurker in the Dazzling Cave.

But enough with all that. What makes Dusknoir a stalwart Ghost-type in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl? It's the tankiest ghostie around. Sterling Defense and Special Defense will keep Dusknoir working hard even if it suffers from the pitiful HP that so many Ghost-types must live with. (Or... not? Do ghosts "live" with anything? We digress.) Dusknoir's Attack outranks its Special Attack, so as far as offensive moves go, Poltergeist and Darkest Lariat are wise choices.

4 Spiritomb (Sinnoh Dex)

If our guide had favored weird designs first and foremost, we might have been inclined to just copy and paste this Spiritomb entry a dozen times over and call it a day. Even among Ghost-types, few are as spooky as this purple circle with a stone attached to its body. It even rotates like some supernatural disco ball. What's not to love? And fear?

Ghost/Dark gives Spiritomb solid defensive typing, granting it immunities to a whopping three types: Psychic, Fighting, and Normal. It isn't as bulky as Dusknoir, but it doesn't necessarily need to be. It can put the damage-over-time pain on its enemies with moves like Will-O-Wisp, lock them out of important utility functions with Taunt, and give itself a nice offensive boost with Calm Mind.

3 Froslass (National Dex)

We'll forgive you for beginning to wonder if National Dex Pokemon actually are mostly relegated to the post-game, because the Ghost-types on this list sure seem to think otherwise. You can grab a Snorunt, Froslass' unevolved form, from the Glacial Cavern, Icy Cave, and Whiteout Cave as soon as you can enter the Grand Underground.

Froslass carves a handy niche in Pokemon BDSP thanks to its excellent Speed and ability to learn a plethora of stall moves like Spikes and Taunt. You can get rid of some real behemoths like Garchomp with Destiny's Bond, too, while hooking up your frosty lass with damage-dealers such as Poltergeist and Icicle Crash.

2 Gengar (Sinnoh Dex)

Gengar's been spooking unsuspecting denizens back in Kanto since before many Pokemon players were even born, and it's no stranger to scaring Sinnohians, either. With a frankly startling Special Attack stat and Speed that isn't far behind, it has time to fire off a Nasty Plot before becoming a ghastly (but not Gastly) wrecking ball with moves like Shadow Ball, Venoshock, and Focus Blast.

Confuse Ray will make things that much more irksome for Gengar's prank victims. Substitutes can keep Gengar going when little else would. Much has been written about Gengar's versatility in every Pokemon generation, making this Ghost-type a perennial force to be reckoned with. When all else fails, use Gengar.

1 Rotom (National Dex)

Rotom as it appears in the Pokemon Anime

We remember when Rotom was a much-maligned young upstart. "Pokemon that can turn into household appliances? Game Freak has jumped the shark." Some still say this all these years later, but plenty of fans have learned to stop worrying and love the dishwasher.

Admittedly, Rotom is a tad bit controversial here. Its base form is Electric/Ghost, but many of its neatest tricks involve shifting its secondary type to something else entirely. But when those shifts result in such potential brilliance, we're willing to let this slide. Of particular note is Rotom-Heat, with its high Special Attack, Defense, and Special Defense stats and access to Overheat, Discharge, and Nasty Plot. Properly utilized, Rotom-Heat can rip through the opposition.

Rotom-Wash is another winner. Its stats mirror Rotom-Heat's, so Hydro Pump and, again, Discharge and Nasty Plot represent a great combo package.

Next: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Complete Guide And Walkthrough

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Quinton O'Connor (44 Articles Published)

Quinton's a freelance writer who thinks rather highly of cats, canyons, and café con leche. They've had work published at RPG Site, RPGFan, Zelda Universe, Nova Crystallis, and more. Follow them @QuintonWrites.