Hello, everyone, Spectacled Observer here and in this series I intend to share my thoughts on my Top 5 Pokémon of Each Type, Generations 1-7. Since today is Halloween, I thought it’d be a good (and very predictable) idea to list off my Top 5 Favourite Ghost Type Pokémon (So far).
Ghost type is one of those types I’ve had a very limited exposure to over the years as I’ve found I tend to focus on more common types in my various play through of games in the Pokémon series. The only time I tend to have Ghost Pokemon on my team is if I really go out of my way to use them, or decide on the fly to give a new one a shot.
That being said I’ve not had much experience with Ghost types and for this list I really wanted to focus on Ghost types I’d had personal experience with, or had to acknowledge just because of how creative and appealing they are.
So here are my Top 5 Ghost Type Pokémon from Generations 1-7:
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5. DHELMISE
Though I didn’t get to use it properly in Pokémon Sun/Moon, I intend on using it in one of the Ultra games.
Dhelmise was one of the few Pokémon I did not know about when I began playing Pokémon Sun so imagine my surprise when I made it to Poni Island, decided to fish on the off chance of finding something interesting and coming face to face with this possessed seaweed encrusted anchor! It’s because of where it is found in the game that I was surprised to find it was actually a Ghost/Grass type, I’d expected another Ghost/Water type like the Frillish line. Guess not.
Its design is pretty interesting, from the anchor attached to the ship steering wheel, to the compass acting as an eye with the seaweed draped all over it, it looks very haunted and mysterious. It’s name is a combination between “Demise” and “Helm” which just adds to the haunted ship aesthetic it has going on. I’m surprised there’s not a lot of lore behind Dhelmise, the PokéDex doesn’t even offer much of an in depth look into its story either.
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4. ALOLAN MAROWAK
As soon as Marowak’s Alolan form was revealed last year it automatically had a place in my Pokémon Sun team. There was no doubt about it. I picked up a Cubone at the base of the Wela Volcano and soon after I had my Alolan Marowak and went on to storm the rest of the Alola region with it.
I thoroughly enjoy the fire dancer/voodoo theme it has going for it and the Ghost/Fire typing games sense when you consider Marowak’s history in the Pokémon franchise (ie; Gen 1), and as stated, the fire dancer theme it has going for it.
Alolan Marowak fit really well into my Alolan team and proved to be of vital use in many battles throughout the rest of the story of the game and beyond! A great first impression of Alolan forms to give and easily placed in my top 5 Ghost type Pokémon!
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3. PALOSSAND
When I picked up Pokémon Moon earlier this year I struggled to find Pokemon I hadn’t used before in some way as I wanted to go through the game with a team of Pokémon I had never used before. When I made it to Akala Island I accidentally got caught in a shaking sand patch and found myself facing a Sandigast. I gave a non-committing shrug and caught it, willing to give it a try. It became a vital part of the team and arguably the most capable!
The little Sandigast had a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the team at that point but it proved to be a pleasure to train and when it evolved into Palossand, it really brought it’s a-game. It conquered every challenge it was put up against, even in the face of type disadvantage and low health and I could always rely on it to get me to the end of a battle.
From a Pokemon I initially had no real interest in, Palossand really proved itself to be a great Pokemon and will forever have my respect and fond memories of it wiping the floor with 3/4 of the Elite 4 single-handedly.
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2. MIMIKYU
I love the lore of Mimikyu. I’m not Pikachu’s biggest fan, but I know a lot of people claim to be. So for Game Freak to capitalise on that and create a Ghost/Fairy type who is ignored for the most part when all it wants is to be loved and so disguises itself as a Pikachu – that’s really creative!
It’s such a simple design too, Mimikyu’s true form is, at the time of writing this, unknown and it is said that all who look upon said true form will be cursed. It’s a lonely existence to be a Mimikyu so you can see why they would resort to hiding their true selves behind the imagine of something infinitely more popular and beloved.
Though, as much as I love Mimikyu, I have to mention the one Jessie caught in the Sun and Moon anime – that little Mimikyu is a sociopath! I love it! It takes what you expect Mimikyu to act like and completely turns it upside down and turns the cuddly little sock-puppet into a menacing force of nature, especially toward Ash’s Pikachu.
Unfortunately, Mimikyu, much like Dhelmise, is a Pokemon I never got to use to much effect in Pokémon Sun & Moon and because of my plans for my Ultra Sun/Moon team, I’m not sure when I will be able to adopt my own Mimikyu to take with me throughout the lands. Maybe if I get the other Ultra Moon/Sun game at some point it shall find a place on that team but right now, Dhelmise fits the team I have planned just a little better than Mimikyu does.
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1. HAUNTER
I’ll put my hands up and freely admit this one – nostalgia plays a part in the placement of Haunter. I deny that I am a “Gen wunner” in any way, but I cannot deny that Generation 1 was the generation I grew up with and therefore will always have a nostalgic influence in my opinions of Pokémon, for better or for worse. I do have other reasons for my love of Haunter though, besides its number in the PokéDex.
Growing up on Red & Blue (Later Yellow, too) I never had access to link cables so I was completely unable to get Gangar so I always had my Haunter on the team and it did so good, I never considered it much of a loss to not have Gengar. I knew I wanted a Haunter when Ash managed to acquire the allegiance of one to take on Sabrina in the anime. I loved how fun-loving it was and it was just the right amount of creepy, too.
Since growing up, I’ve held on to Haunter being the superior design to Gengar, because Haunter fits the basic design of a ghost more closely than its evolution. With the large, white eyes with pinprick pupils, the way its body seems to be melting into sharp points at the bottom with the disembodied, clawed hands it can stretch out and grab you with. Haunter is the Ghost type I associate most with Halloween, and since Halloween is the “Ghost holiday” it is the best fitted to the title of my favourite Ghost type (As of Gen 7).
Give me a disembodied head with clawed hands over Clefairy’s angry shadow any day. 😉
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Are there any surprises on this list?
Perhaps you were expecting Gengar to scare Haunter off, or Aegislash to cleave Dhelmise from the 5th slot?
Which are your top 5 Ghost type Pokémon?
I never noticed until I was writing Haunter’s entry that 4/5 of the Pokémon on this list debuted in the 7th generation games Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon. So to clarify, as I said before I’ve never really went out of my way to use Ghost types unless I’ve really wanted to… It just so happens I wanted to use Ghost types more in Generation 7, so, what can you do?
I plan on doing a Top 5 [BLANK] Type Pokémon list once a month, so keep checking back for those. Between those lists though I’ll be writing about other things though, so keep your eyes peeled for whenever I post something new! Right now I’m intending to release something new every Tuesday or Wednesday, but we’ll see in time – won’t we?
Also, happy Halloween. 🙂
Spectacled Observer, out.
The Spectacled Observer 