Gengar has been one of the most popular Ghost-type Pokemon since the original Red and Blue games, and it remains a powerhouse in Pokemon GO. If you are working on completing your Pokedex or building a strong raid team, learning how to get Gengar in Pokemon GO is essential. This shadowy Ghost/Poison-type packs an Attack stat of 261 and reaches a Max CP of 3254, making it one of the strongest non-legendary attackers in the game.
There are four main ways to add Gengar to your collection:
I have spent months hunting Gengar across multiple accounts, and I will walk you through every method in detail, including the newer Mega and Gigantamax forms that most guides skip over.
The most straightforward way to get Gengar is through the evolution chain. Every Gengar starts as a Gastly, the floating purple ghost that shows up at night and during foggy weather. The evolution path follows three stages with specific candy requirements at each step.
Here is the complete evolution breakdown:
Each time you catch a Gastly, you earn 3 candies (plus a bonus for a good, great, or excellent throw). Using a Pinap Berry doubles that to 6 candies per catch. That means you need to catch roughly 21 Gastly using Pinap Berries to gather the 125 candies for a full evolution. Setting Gastly as your buddy Pokemon also earns 1 candy per 3 km walked, which adds up over time.
Farming Gastly candies efficiently comes down to timing and using the right items. Here are the methods I rely on:
During Halloween 2025, I caught over 40 Gastly in a single afternoon just by walking through a local park with incense active. Those events are by far the fastest way to stock up on candy.
Trading is the secret shortcut that many players overlook. When you trade a Haunter to another player, it automatically evolves into Gengar without costing any candy. The same works in reverse: if someone trades you a Haunter, it evolves into Gengar on your end for free. This mechanic mirrors the main-series Pokemon games where Haunter only evolves through trade.
The catch is that trading itself costs Stardust, and the amount depends on your friendship level with the other player. Here is the full breakdown:
For Pokemon that are not yet registered in your Pokedex, the Stardust cost increases significantly. A Haunter traded to someone who does not have Gengar yet costs 20,000 Stardust at Good Friends level, but this drops to 800 at Ultra Friends and remains free at Best Friends.
Since 2024, Pokemon GO includes a trade code system that lets players connect with remote friends for trading. The Gengar-specific trade process works like any other trade: open your friend list, select the trainer you want to trade with, choose the Haunter from your collection, and confirm the trade. The evolution happens automatically as soon as the trade completes.
I recommend coordinating with a trusted friend who also needs Gengar. You both trade Haunter to each other simultaneously, and you both get a Gengar for free. This way, nobody loses their Pokemon and both of you save 100 candy.
Gastly is the foundation of every Gengar hunt, so knowing where and when it spawns makes a huge difference. Gastly is a Ghost/Poison-type, which means it follows specific spawn patterns tied to time of day and weather conditions.
Gastly spawns most frequently under these conditions:
During non-event periods, Gastly is considered an uncommon spawn. Gengar itself is even rarer in the wild and almost exclusively appears during special events. If you encounter a wild Gengar, use an Ultra Ball and a Golden Razz Berry to maximize your catch chances.
Certain Field Research tasks reward Gastly encounters. These tasks rotate periodically and are often tied to event-specific research. Check the current Field Research task list during Halloween and Ghost-type events, as these frequently include “Catch 3 Ghost-type Pokemon” tasks that reward Gastly encounters. Special Research storylines, particularly those themed around Ghost-type Pokemon, also frequently include guaranteed Gastly or Haunter encounters as rewards.
Raid battles offer a direct path to catching Gengar without needing to evolve anything. Gengar appears as a Tier 3 raid boss, which means you can solo it if you have strong counters. Mega Gengar also appears in higher-tier raids for players seeking Mega Energy.
When facing Gengar in a raid, bring these top counters:
Gengar is weak to Dark, Ghost, Ground, and Psychic-type moves. Avoid using Fighting, Poison, Bug, Grass, or Fairy-type Pokemon, as Gengar resists all of those types. A team of 3-4 trainers can comfortably take down a Tier 3 Gengar raid, and a well-prepared solo trainer with high-level counters can manage it as well.
Understanding Gengar’s stats helps you decide whether it is worth investing candy and Stardust to power one up. Here are the base stats:
That Attack stat of 261 is exceptional for a non-legendary Pokemon. Gengar hits hard in raids and PvP, though its relatively low Defense and Stamina mean it goes down quickly if it takes super-effective hits.
The optimal moveset for Gengar in Pokemon GO is Shadow Claw (Fast Move) + Shadow Ball (Charged Move). This combination benefits from the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) on both moves, giving you maximum Ghost-type damage output.
Here is how the moves break down:
For PvP in the Ultra League, Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball remain the best picks. The fast energy generation from Shadow Claw lets you fire off Shadow Balls frequently, putting constant pressure on your opponent. I have used this moveset in hundreds of PvP battles, and the damage output consistently surprises opponents who underestimate Gengar’s burst potential.
Mega Gengar takes an already powerful Pokemon and pushes it even further. The Mega Evolution boosts Gengar’s stats significantly and adds a biting grin with additional spikes that make it one of the coolest-looking Mega forms in the game.
To get Mega Gengar, you need Mega Energy:
You earn Mega Gengar Energy primarily by defeating Mega Gengar in Mega Raids. These raids typically appear during special events and require a group of 4-6 trainers to complete comfortably. The amount of energy you receive depends on how quickly you defeat Mega Gengar and your raid performance.
Once you have Mega Evolved Gengar for the first time, the walking method becomes available. Set Gengar as your buddy and walk to earn Mega Energy at a rate that varies by your Mega Evolution level. At Mega Level 3, you can earn enough energy to Mega Evolve Gengar for free simply by walking it as your buddy regularly.
Mega Gengar’s stats receive a substantial boost over the base form. Its Attack jumps to an incredible 349, making it one of the hardest-hitting Ghost-type attackers in Pokemon GO. The Defense improves slightly to 163, and Stamina rises to 170. This translates to a Max CP of 5302 at Level 50, which puts Mega Gengar among the top non-primal Mega raid attackers in the game.
Gigantamax Gengar arrived in Pokemon GO in April 2026 as part of the Max Battle system, bringing a new way to experience this fan-favorite Pokemon. Unlike Mega Evolution, Gigantamax Gengar grows to an enormous size with a massive mouth that serves as a portal to the afterlife, staying true to its lore from Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Getting Gigantamax Gengar works differently from the other methods:
Gigantamax Gengar cannot be obtained by evolving a regular Gengar. You must catch one directly from a Max Battle encounter. This makes it distinct from both the standard evolution path and the Mega Evolution system. Niantic has been rotating Gigantamax Gengar through Max Battle events, so check the current raid rotation to see when it will next appear.
The visual design of Gigantamax Gengar is spectacular, with its enormous gaping mouth and glowing red eyes making it one of the most striking forms in Pokemon GO. While its battle performance is strong, most players pursue it primarily for collection purposes and the unique visual appearance.
Yes, shiny Gengar is available in Pokemon GO and has been since the 2018 Halloween event. The shiny version of the entire evolution line exists, meaning you can find shiny Gastly, shiny Haunter, and shiny Gengar. The shiny forms feature a purple-tinted body with slightly different shading compared to the regular versions.
Shiny Gastly has a more vibrant purple coloring with a blue-tinted gas cloud surrounding it. When it evolves into shiny Haunter, the purple tones shift noticeably. Shiny Gengar retains the altered purple color scheme, making it distinguishable from the standard form when you know what to look for.
The base shiny rate for Gastly in the wild is approximately 1 in 450 encounters. During events with boosted shiny rates, this can increase to 1 in 64 or better. Community Day events featuring Gastly would provide the best shiny hunting odds, but Gastly has not yet had its own Community Day. Halloween events remain your best bet for farming shiny Gastly encounters.
I have personally caught two shiny Gastly over the past year, both during Halloween events. The key is volume: the more Gastly you encounter and catch, the better your odds of finding a shiny one.
Knowing Gengar’s type matchups is important whether you are using Gengar in battle or fighting against one. As a Ghost/Poison dual type, Gengar has a unique set of weaknesses and resistances that determine how effective it is in different matchups.
Gengar is weak to:
Gengar resists:
Gengar is immune to Normal and Fighting-type attacks in the main series games, but in Pokemon GO, it simply takes reduced damage from those types. This makes Gengar a strong choice against Fighting-type raid bosses and Team GO Rocket opponents who rely on Fighting moves.
When building a team around Gengar, pair it with Pokemon that can handle Dark and Ghost-type opponents. Mewtwo, Togekiss, and Tyranitar all make strong partners that cover Gengar’s weaknesses while it deals massive Ghost-type damage in return.
You can get Gengar in Pokemon GO through four methods: evolve Gastly into Haunter (25 candy), then Haunter into Gengar (100 candy); trade a Haunter to another player for a free evolution with zero candy cost; catch Gengar directly from Tier 3 raid battles; or find Gengar in the wild during special events like Halloween.
Yes, you can get Gengar without trading by evolving a Haunter using 100 Gastly candies. You can also catch Gengar directly from Tier 3 raid battles when it appears as a raid boss. Trading simply saves you the 100 candy cost by triggering a free evolution when Haunter is sent to another player.
There is no specific trade code for Gengar in Pokemon GO. To trade for a Gengar, you need to be friends with another player in the game. Open your friend list, select the trainer, choose a Haunter to trade, and confirm. The Haunter will automatically evolve into Gengar once the trade is completed, regardless of which player initiated the trade.
Gengar itself is very rare in the wild and almost exclusively appears during special events like Halloween. However, Gastly, its base evolution form, is relatively common at night and during foggy weather conditions. The most reliable way to get Gengar is to catch and evolve Gastly rather than hoping for a wild Gengar encounter.
Learning how to get Gengar in Pokemon GO opens up strong options for raids, PvP, and your Pokedex completion. The evolution path from Gastly to Haunter to Gengar requires 125 total candies, but trading a Haunter with a friend saves you the final 100 candy cost entirely. Raid battles provide a direct catch route, and Mega Gengar plus the newer Gigantamax Gengar give you even more forms to chase.
The key takeaways for your Gengar hunt:
Whether you are a returning player catching up or a dedicated trainer building the perfect raid team, Gengar delivers excellent value. Get out there during the next foggy evening or Halloween event, stock up on those Gastly candies, and add this iconic Ghost-type to your roster.
