Though it's a franchise aimed at younger kids, the Pokémon franchise has never been afraid of scaring its audience. Whether it was episodes in the anime, or events happening in the games, there have been plenty of times trainers have been scared or frightened.
Despite their typing, not all ghost-type pokémon are insidious, vile, or looking for a victim to scare. That being said, there is a fair amount of nefarious ghouls lurking in the dark. Let's look at the 10 scariest ghost-type Pokémon, ranked.
10 Sableye
Looking freaking and/or unnerving can be just as effective at scaring people as looking straight up ghoulish. Sableye is a pokémon that only becomes scary if you look at it for a prolonged amount of time. Its impish body and dead eyes can become quite unsettling and it makes you begin to question if the creature has ulterior motives.
In broad daylight, Sableye may look goofy and innocent, but anyone with sleep paralysis will not want to open their eyes to a Sableye standing in the corner of their room.
9 Spiritomb
Spiritomb won't strike trainers as scary at first glance largely due to its official art. The real frightening depictions of the pokémon come from the fan-made drawings and designs that show just how terrifying the spirit-based pokémon can be. Everyone has different traits in things that scare them.
Some people are more terrified of things that have a physical form and can be touched. Others, who would hate Spiritomb, hate the idea of amorphous spectral fog that can manipulate itself into a variety of things.
8 Gastly
He may simply be the first evolutionary phase of the only ghost-type pokémon native to the Kanto region, but that doesn't mean Gastly isn't scary. He's a bulbous floating head who floats around in a mist of spectral fog and given the right opportunity he can send people running for the hills.
Out of its three evolutions, Gastly tends to be the most friendly and is often looking for a good laugh. In comparison to both Haunter and Gengar, Gastly isn't much of a worry in your local haunted house.
7 Dusknoir
What if mummies weren't Scooby-Doo villains and were scary again? In the early years of cinema, mummies were often used in horror flicks and in many ways was the origin of the modern zombie genre.
Dusknoir is Pokémon's way of saying that mummies can still be cool and they can still be scary. Despite bigger departures from their core designs, vampires and werewolves still seem to be in a better, possibly scarier place than mummies are or may ever be.
6 Trevenant
The wilderness and nature is a wonderful place to explore as it helps you connect with Earth in a meaningful way. Once the sun goes down and you're left in absolute darkness things can take a turn for the worst.
Trevenant is many people's worst fear come to life. It's what would happen if the ghosts and spirits people think roamed forests at night possessed the trees around them. The scariest things can oftentimes be the things that are hidden in plain sight, but you're none-the-wiser.
5 Gengar
If you happened to watch Detective Pikachu then you were able to catch a glimpse at what Gengar would look like if they existed in real life. They have very large mouths and a sinister look in their eyes that makes them hard to trust.
Their round plump bodies are the only thing that takes away from how scary they are and is the only reason why Haunter ranks higher on this list. Still, don't underestimate a creature who can put you to sleep and eat your dreams for their gain.
4 Cofragigus
Mummies and sarcophagi were once very scary and horrifying pillars of horror-based entertainment, but over the years they've become a bit more of a joke. This is likely due to their overuse in cartoon animations and b-level movies which turned them into a comic-relief trope.
Cofragigus was seemingly created with the sole intention of making mummies and sarcophagi scary again. By mixing the two and making the arms so ethereal and ghastly, it showcases the true horror potential of ancient Egyptian history once again.
3 Banette
Have you ever wondered what it would look like if your younger siblings stuffed animal was possessed by a demon? Well, look no further than the pokémon Banette. Many people suffer from sleep paralysis which causes them to wake up without the ability to move their body.
They often are overcome with anxiety and will experience panic attacks that result in seeing demonic like figures in the corner of their room or right next to them. Banette is what you would likely get if their visualizations during these moments were sketched onto paper.
2 Haunter
Haunter clocks in near the top of the list for several reasons. The first is that out of its evolutionary line it has the scariest base design out of the three. It's pointed edges, angry eyes, and creepy hands make it the most outwardly devious of almost any other ghost-type pokémon.
It's also the biggest trickster of the bunch which means it is willing to do whatever it can to scare people in hopes of entertaining itself. This means that it likely doesn't understand boundaries or respect.
1 Mimikyu
The sheer idea of what Mimikyu is is terrifying simply on its own. It's a ghost-type pokémon that's trying to mimic one of the world's most beloved, trusted, and cherished creatures in Pikachu. This is worrisome when you consider how susceptible young children are to this trick and it makes you question what the endgame goal is for Mimikyu.
The way it moves the puppet it possesses is also quite unnatural and makes you feel uncomfortable. One Mimikyu may be like Casper, while another may be the Poltergeist.