Gengar is a dark purple, bipedalPokémon with a roundish body. It has red eyes, a wide mouth that is usually curled into a sinister grin, and pointed ears. On its back are numerous spikes, and it has smaller spikes on top of its head similar to tufty fur. Its arms and legs are short with three digits on both its hands and feet. It also has a stubby tail.
Gengar has the ability to hide perfectly in the shadow of any object, granting it exceptional stealth. Its body acts as aheat sink, cooling the temperature of the surrounding area by nearly 10 °F (5 °C) by absorbing its warmth. It is shown inPokémon the Series that Gengar can fly,[1] turn intangible,[2] possess people[3] and other Pokémon, create illusions[4], pass through dimensions,[5] and extend its tongue by several meters.[6] In certain media, such asPOKÉMON Detective Pikachu and thePokémon Ranger series, it is also able to create copies of itself. Gengar is very mischievous, and at times, malicious. It enjoys playing practical jokes and casting curses, such as pretending to be one's shadow during a full moon, then behaving erratically, or attacking people who get lost in the mountains. When the quarry notices, Gengar takes delight in its victim's terror. However, it has been known to be loyal to aTrainer who treats it well. It waits in people's shadows or the dark areas of their homes before stealing their life force. This is because it was once ahuman and wishes for a traveling companion. Being the result ofEvolution viatrading, Gengar is rarely found in the wild, though they can be found incaves and dark places where shadows form. As mentioned inPokémon Sleep, Gengar is known to sleep deeply while hiding in the shadow of a target it plans to curse.[7]
As Mega Gengar, a portion of its body sinks into the ground, and its arms and tail lengthen. The lower portions turn a more reddish-purple, and a third eye appears on its forehead. This new unblinking eye is oval, yellow, and allows it to see into other dimensions.[8] The spikes on Mega Gengar's back are more numerous and pointed, and additional spikes appear on its hands and tail. Its ears are now considerably longer and tilt backward.
Mega Gengar has the ability to access other dimensions and has a vicious nature. It has no interest in opponents unless perceived as prey, and its relationships are warped due toMega Evolution. Mega Gengar desires to take and curse the life of anyone or anything in its path; it may even curse its own Trainer. It sinks into another dimension to wait for a chance to attack; this power allows it to appear anywhere it wants to be. Mega Gengar caused an incident one time where it had one of its legs stick out of a wall.
Gigantamax Gengar
As Gigantamax Gengar, it becomes larger, with portions of its body sinking into the ground, and only the head, tail, and arms remain. Its body changes from dark-purple to light-purple, and its eyes become white with yellow sclera. The inside of its mouth changes to resemble a tunnel with a long purple tongue sticking out. Three red clouds surround the top of Gengar's head.
Gigantamax Gengar's mouth is rumored to not lead into its body, but the afterlife instead due to its cursed energy. By laying a trap, it attempts to steal the lives of those it captures. Should someone stand near its mouth, they can hear the voices of their loved ones calling out to them.
In Legends: Z-A, duringMission 20: A Request from the Rust Syndicate, the player is required to battle two Gengar to clear an old building for Gänger to live in. One Gengar remains and he decides to live with said Gengar. Side Mission 118: Goodbye, Gengar, focuses on this Gengar, who appears to have gone missing. After looking for Gengar with Gwynn, Gänger decides to leave the situation alone knowing Gengar is no where to be found. Gänger reunites with Gengar after the side mission.
In the spin-off games
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Pokémon Pinball: A Gengar appears in a bonus stage accessible from the Red Table. Once the player has knocked out the threeGastly and the pair ofHaunter, a Gengar appears and must be defeated to win.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team: Gengar is the leader ofTeam Meanies. While often accompanied byEkans andMedicham, Gengar will often act alone and spends much of the game causing trouble, even convincing the village to exile the hero, blaming them for the natural disasters plaguing the world. However, it is later revealed that he is the actual cursedhuman, having been cursed byNinetales to be reborn as aPokémon. AfterRayquaza destroys the meteor heading for the world, Gengar will post a request, asking to visit Ninetales in the hopes of bringing backGardevoir. While she is rescued, she has no recollection of her times with herTrainer, but Gengar is still satisfied to see her safe and leaves.
It steals heat from its surroundings. If you feel a sudden chill, it is certain that aGengar appeared.(Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) To steal the life of its target, it slips into the prey's shadow and silently waits for an opportunity.(Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Sometimes, on a dark night, your shadow thrown by a streetlight will suddenly and startlingly overtake you. It is actually aGengar running past you, pretending to be your shadow.
Sometimes, on a dark night, your shadow thrown by a streetlight will suddenly and startlingly overtake you. It is actually a Gengar running past you, pretending to be your shadow.
Possesses potential victims' shadows in an effort to steal away the victims' lives. If your shadow begins to laugh, you must take hold of a protective charm posthaste!
It lays traps, hoping to steal the lives of those it catches. If you stand in front of its mouth, you'll hear your loved ones' voices calling out to you.
Clears Pokémon icons and gimmicks in an X pattern and replaces a few surrounding Pokémon icons with megaphones, then sets them off.
Powered-Up Skill:
Clears more Pokémon icons and gimmicks in an X pattern and replaces a moderate number of surrounding Pokémon icons with megaphones, then sets them off.
Specialty Gimmick Info
Unlocks at
Description
Lv.3
Attach up to 1 to the Pokémon icon you're holding to move them around. (Up to 7 by Lv.25)
Lv.5
Attach up to 5 to the Pokémon icon you're holding to move them around. (Up to 7 by Lv.25)
Lv.15
Clear up to 2 by making a combo next to them. (Up to 6 by Lv.25)
InLental, picture books warn that Gengar will pay a visit to children who are naughty. It loves to use its powers to slip through walls and other objects so it can play tricks on people.
Increases Snorlax's Strength by anywhere from 200 to 800.
If you feel a sudden chill, a Gengar may be sleeping close by. Apparently, it sometimes falls into a deep sleep while hiding in the shadow of a target it intends to curse.
InIllusion Confusion!, multiple Gengar, along with a group ofHaunter, were causing trouble for Ash andhis friends while they were wandering through a deep forest, by creating a number of illusions that impeded their progress.
Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon. AGhost andPoison-type. Gengar can pass through dimensions and appear almost anywhere. Since Gengar absorbs any warmth around it, the temperature suddenly drops wherever it appears.
A Gengar appeared inThe Show, under the ownership ofMorty. They sat together watching theKimono Girls' show, which Gengar sobbed at.
Other
A Gengar appeared inThe Discovery, under the ownership ofGreen. She used it alongside herKangaskhan in her battle against the Trainers ofNugget Bridge and won easily.
Agatha has two Gengar on herteam, and many in herGhost-type army. Her first one and her Ghost army first appeared inLapras Lazily. One of them was used to attackBlue andKoga from the shadows, draining the latter's life force as it possessed his shadow. Eventually, it was taken down when Koga used the tail that the old woman'sArbok bit off his own, distracting it long enough forBlue's Porygon to deal the finishing blow.
InTying Trevenant, a Gengar belonging toGurkinn appeared, stoppingCelosia'sAegislash from killingX. He helped battleTeam Flare to stop them from obtaining the tree form ofXerneas and was later given to X, where he wasnicknamed Garma. He can Mega Evolve into Mega Gengar.
Gengar is playable through obtaining a Unite License. It is a melee speedster that starts as Gastly and evolves into Haunter at level 5, which evolves into Gengar at level 9.
Trivia
In the EnglishPokémon Red and Blue beta, Gengar's prototype name was "Phantom", which is also its Korean name (팬텀Phantom).
Gengar isKen Sugimori's favoritePokémon. The reason for this is that he finds Gengar to be the easiest Pokémon to draw.[9][10]
Gengar, along with Nidorino (and possibly other Pokémon), originate from theCapsule Monsters game design pitch, which would eventually become thePokémon series.
When viewingMega Gengar'sPokédex entry, the camera's view can only be moved sideways.
Gengar could be seen as a counterpart toAlakazam. They are both the last stage of a three-part evolutionary line, require trading to reach their final stage of Evolution, and are capable of Mega Evolution. They are the same height, and both get shorter upon Mega Evolution. They share a base friendship of 70 and, since Generation VI, a base stat total of 500. Both are weak to the other'sSTAB, and they share weaknesses to theGhost andDark types. In thePokémon the Series: The Beginning episodeThe Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis, a Gengar and an Alakazam are put against each other.
Gengar could also be seen as a counterpart toMachamp. They are, like Alakazam, the last stage of a three-part evolutionary line, can both be obtained throughEvolution induced by trade, and are capable ofGigantamaxing inGeneration VIII. Both Gengar and Machamp also share a base friendship of 70. While both are weak againstPsychic-type Pokémon, as Gengar is partPoison-type and Machamp is aFighting-type, Gengar can counter it with itsGhost typing.
In thecore series games, Mega Gengar has small feet that can be seen by recalling it and sending it out. A glitch inPokémon GO also allows Mega Gengar's feet to be seen. InPokkén Tournament, however, Mega Gengar does not have feet. Instead, a portal appears beneath it whenever it is airborne. Its tail will disappear as well.
When GengarGigantamaxes, it doesn't grow on screen. Instead, it pops out of the ground.
Gengar is the only Pokémon capable of both Gigantamax and Mega Evolution that is not one of theKanto first partner Pokémon.
Gengar is the only Ghost-type Pokémon with a Gigantamax form.
Gengar appears to be based on aghost. Its evolutionary line appears to depict a ghost crossing from the afterlife into the living world, with Gengar representing one that successfully broke through. This is further supported by Mega Gengar and Gigantamax Gengar, which can create portals to other dimensions and the afterlife, respectively.
Gengar's many abilities revolving around shadows, as well as itsPokémon category, may also suggest it is partially based onshadow people. Both its Japanese and English name may also hint at it also possibly being inspired by certain ghostly beings, such as thegenganger,wiedergänger, ordoppelgängers. Both of Gengar's types and shadow themes may be based on a生霊 ikiryō, specifically the doppelgänger-like ones caused by a paranormal illness called影の病 kage no yamai (lit. shadow sickness).
Due to its horn-like ears, large teeth, and dark nature, Gengar may also be loosely based on aoni or oni masks. Oni sometimes have a third eye in the center of their forehead, which could be the reason for that detail inMega Gengar. Gengar may also be loosely inspired by theCheshire Cat, as it possesses pointed ears, a wide toothy grin, and the ability to vanish at will.
Gigantamax Gengar may be based on popular depictions of mouth-shaped entryways found in carnivals and amusement park rides, often horror-themed ones. Its huge mouth acting as a portal to the afterlife also hints that it may be based on aHellmouth.
Name origin
Gengar and Gangar may come from-ganger or-gänger (walker), as found ingenganger orwiedergänger (types ofrevenants), ordoppelgänger (ghostly double of a living person). It may also involve 幻gen (phantasm).
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.