The Creepiest Pokemon in the Franchise, Based on the Pokedex
The Pokemon franchise always has a forward-facing image of being a very kid-friendly brand that people of all ages can enjoy. But in the world of Pokemon, there are a lot of darker and more eerie stories that Game Freak has told that would likely go over the heads of many younger fans. The in-game Pokedex highlights some Pokemon that would strike terror into any who crossed that Pokemon's path along their journey.
Whether these stories are fact or fiction in-universe is up for debate, but most myths are at least somewhat based in fact. With that in mind, here are the scariest and creepiest Pokemon in the franchise from the beloved Pokemon Red and Blue all the way through Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, according to their Pokedex entries.
Paras and Parasect - Starting off the list is perhaps a surprising entry. These Bug/Poison Pokemon aren't Ghost or Dark Pokemon, for which the creepy entries are usually reserved, but their story is disturbing to say the least. Much like the infection in The Last of Us, Paras and Parasect are crab-like bugs that are slowly taken over by a mushroom-based fungus. Eventually, Paras and Parasect lose all autonomy and are ultimately just a house for the fungus. Thankfully, these Pokemon aren't nearly as terrifying to look at compared to the Clickers from The Last of Us.
The Gastly Line - Gastly and its subsequent evolutions were Game Freak's first take on Ghost Pokemon, and they have become iconic staples of the franchise. Gastly is a ball of gas that is poisonous enough to topple an Indian Elephant in seconds. Haunter, while often portrayed as a prankster, can be lethal to those who cross its path. According to the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield Pokedex entries, Haunter's tongue can sap a person's life force, leaving the victim shaking until they pass away. Gengar has often been theorized to be a departed Clefable due to its unique shape and similarity to Clefable's design, but that is merely theory. However, this ghost can slip into someone's shadow and drain their essence without them realizing, and Gigantamax Gengar's enormous mouth is said to lead directly into the afterlife.
Hypno - As the name would imply, Hypno is the hypnosis Pokemon, known for its ability to put anyone to sleep—even if they just woke up. When it lulls its victims to sleep, it feasts on their dreams. While that power alone is enough to terrify some, there have been reports of Hypno stealing children who they have hypnotized, and the children were never seen again.
Murkrow - Murkrow doesn't appear that scary, and it's less disturbing than most. However, these ominous birds are known to lure those chasing it into the mountains where the pursuer is lost forever.
Misdreavus - While Misdreavus is not as lethal as some of the Pokemon found here, it can certainly cause a fright to unsuspecting victims. Misdreavus specializes in lurking in the dark, and scaring anyone and everyone it can. It feeds off of the fear and terror it causes, so it resorts to screaming and wailing in the night which can nourish it if there are plenty of victims. Misdreavus is absent from Sword and Shield, but perhaps it can make a comeback in a potential Generation 2 Remake of Silver and Gold.
Shedinja - Shedinja's design is based off Cicadas who shed their skin, but Shedinja's story is much darker. When Nincada evolves into Ninjask, the husk of Shedinja is left behind - but it maintains some level of sentience. The husk is hollow, but despite the wings not moving, the shell remains afloat. The shell does not breath or eat, it only exists. It is said that when one peers into the hole in Shedinja's back, the husk will steal the viewer's soul.
Sableye - While Sableye may not seem like much at first glance, those who wander the caves of the Hoenn region fear this gem-eyed Pokemon. It is said that when unsuspecting wanderers meet eyes with Sableye in a dark cavern, Sableye uses its gemstone eyes to steal the soul of the victim. Sableye was also a unique candidate for Mega Evolution, though the mechanic is absent from Sword and Shield.
Banette - Banette is unfortunately one of the remaining Pokemon missing from Sword and Shield, which is a shame because it has interesting lore behind it. Banette were once dolls that were discarded by children, and the hatred and resentment allowed a spirit to manifest and take over the doll. Banette can lay curses by using its own body as a voodoo doll, and it wanders the world searching for the child that threw it away.
Duskull and Dusklops - The ghostly counterparts to above Pokemon, Duskull and Dusklops are less vengeful than Banette though they are perhaps just as determined to find their prey. Duskull is said to wander the streets at nighttime, and when fixated on a target, it will stop at nothing to find and hunt down the target until the sun rises and it vanishes. Duskops is a bit more peculiar. Rumor has it that Dusklops is completely hollow, and strong curse energy holds the body together. Some say that there is a single fire burning inside the hollow body, but those who peer into Dusklops and behold the fire will have their soul siphoned away.
Gorebyss - Gorebyss is one of the few non-Ghosts, but that does not make it less terrifying. Despite its beautiful appearance, when swimmers or other prey trespass into Gorebyss' domain, Gorebyss will puncture the victim with its long nose and drain the victim of their bodily fluids.
Drifloon and Drifblim - These two balloon Pokemon specialize in carrying off their victims to parts unknown. While Drifloon is weak, and may only be able to carry off children, Drifblim can carry off fully grown adults. Where these victims go, nobody knows. They are simply never heard from again.
Mismagius - The evolution of Misdreavus, Mismagius also uses its wails and chants to inflict terror and pain upon victims. But this spooky ghost can, on very rare occasions, bring happiness and help to those who hear the chanting. However, more often than not, if a person hears the chants of Mismagius, the chants will bring about ruin and destruction.
Spiritomb - Spiritomb is actually 108 spirits who were bound to the Odd Keystone as punishment for their misdeeds, and has a reputation for being a bit complex to obtain. While it is unknown who the spirits are or what they did, there are many ill-willed spirits in the Keystone. Game Freak also kept tradition in making Spiritomb a bit of a nuisance to catch when they reintroduced Spiritomb in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.
Dusknoir - Dusknoir is one of the most cryptic and mysterious Pokemon in the history of the series. Many believe that antenna on its head allows it to receive messages from the spirit world, and those messages instruct it to guide spirits from the world of the living to the world beyond. While it is said that it mainly deals with lost spirits, it can also open the giant mouth on its body to swallow someone whole, but only the soul is actually consumed. Dusknoir simply regurgitates the soulless body afterward.
Froslass - Froslass is said to be the soul of women lost in the snowy mountains. Froslass will often freeze those she thinks are aesthetically pleasing, and it will decorate her cavern with those frozen bodies. Other stories say that on the night of blizzards, Froslass will sometimes wander down the mountain to villages and knock on residents' doors. Ill fates come to those who decide to open the door.
Darkrai - Darkrai is one of the few Legendary Pokemon missing from The Crown Tundra and its new Dynamax Adventure game mode. This dark entity has expert control of sleep and nightmares. On the night of new moons, Darkrai can quickly lull its victims to sleep and cause horrific nightmares. Depending on the regional pokedex, Darkrai may or may not only do this for protection, but there are many conflicting stories in the Pokedex.
Yamask and Cofagrigus - Yamask's tale is that of sadness. These spirits are not vengeful, but mournful. They carry around a mask of their face from when they were alive. Cofagrigus, however, is a much more terrifying tale. These specters disguise as sarcophagi, lying in wait for tomb robbers. When someone dares to tamper with their sarcophagus, Cofagrigus swallows its victims, draining the victim of their life force and turning them into mummies.
Frillish and Jellicent - These jellyfish-like Pokemon are actually terrors of the seas. Frillish can stun their prey with powerful venom and drag them deep beneath the waves, a terrifying way to die for sure. As for how Jellicent takes down its prey, nobody is really sure. Any ships and sailors who drift into the domain of Jellicent are never heard from again. Jellicent is known to feed off the life-force of its prey, but it does not seem to leave much evidence behind.
The Litwick Line - Litwick, Lampent, and Chandelure all fancy themselves as decorative Pokemon, and each of them drain souls from those nearby to keep their flames lit. Chandelure especially can use its dancing flames to hypnotize nearby victims, allowing Chandelure to feed off the victim's spirit for as long as the victim can survive.
Aegislash - Wielding the mighty Aegislash as a weapon can lead those to victory in battle, and with it will come great glory. But there are tales of those who wielding Aegislash who, after rising to glory in battle, suddenly perished - and the King's kingdom perished with it.
Trevenant - Trevenant is a territorial Ghost Pokemon, and so long as you are not trying to damage the forest for which Trevenant calls home, then you are likely safe. However, anyone who dares to desecrate its forest will feel the wrath of this spirit. It can extend its roots into the ground to control other nearby trees, weakening the victim before devouring the person itself.
Gourgeist - This gourd-based Pokemon may not be much for appearances, but depending on the size of the Pokemon, it can prove to be a threat to nearly anyone. Smaller Gourgeist will try to steal children away when parents aren't looking. However, the largest Gourgeist will simply take anyone, even grown adults, with them and whisk them away to the afterlife. It can even channel the wails of the spirits in the afterlife to terrify those around it.
Palossand - While at first glance this Pokemon may seem like a friendly sandcastle, it is actually possessed by a powerful spirit. It possesses unsuspecting victims to help it grow in size, and it can bury them beneath the sand and absorb their spirit. It is said that beneath the castle are the bones of those who Palossand has drained all of their vitality.
Mimikyu -Mimikyu is not actually a Pikachu clone, but a spirit wearing a Pikachu costume to get attention. This lonely Pokemon is actually a terror to those it does not like. It is especially vengeful to those who try to reveal its true form beneath the rags, and it is said that those who reveal its true form die a painful and terrifying death.
Dhelmise - Dhelmise is not the large anchor, but instead the spirit-possessed seaweed wielding the anchor. While Dhelmise does not tend to go for smaller prey, the strength of this specter should be respected. Using the anchor, Dhelmise can one-hit KO Wailord, and the large whale is its favored prey. If someone were to get caught in the seaweed, Dhelmise would drain them of their vitality until their demise.
Nihilego -Nihilego is one of the Ultra Beasts introduced in Generation 7, which made a comeback in The Crown Tundra. While at first glance Nihilego seems little more than a large, floating jellyfish, its toxin is incredibly potent and it is said that those infected by the toxin grow incredibly aggressive. Nihilego gains sustenance by feeding off of Pokemon and people, causing large influxes of violence wherever it feeds.
Blacephelon - Blacephelon is less scary in the traditional sense when compared to many of the Pokemon on this list. But that does not mean people should not be afraid of this Ultra Beast. This dome-headed Ultra Beast can slither toward victims and, without warning, set off an explosion from its head. It will then feed on the victim, robbing them of whatever vitality they had left.
Sinistea and Polteageist - These tea-based ghosts are unique to Sword and Shield, and feature a secret hidden form mechanic that many did not realize at launch. This spectral Pokemon trains energy from those who end up drinking this Pokemon's tea.
Runerigus -Runerigus is a new Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield with a unique evolution mechanic. This spirit is bound to the ancient painting it carries. After absorbing the spirit of a Yamask, the ghastly depiction began to move. It is said that if someone were to touch its shadowy body, they would be forced to relive the memories of the tormented spirit.
Spectrier - Spectrier is one of the new Pokemon added with Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC, and is used to fuse with Calyrex. This shadowy steed rides through the night and saps the life essence from sleeping creatures it crosses. It is said that this steed's kicks are able to separate the soul from the body.
Those are some of the most terrifying and haunting stories that the Pokedex has to offer. While there are many more dark tales hidden in the Pokedex, these are the perfect ones for those trying to get into the Halloween spirit. It's worth taking some time to read Pokedex entries, because Game Freak has a knack for adding much darker stories within the many, many entries in the Pokedex - especially Pokemon Sun and Moon, which were notorious for their dark Dex entries.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.
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