Pokemon: 10 Things Most Fans Don’t Know About Gengar

From its curious origins to the impossible moves it somehow learns in certain games, these Gengar facts will surprise the Ghost-type’s fans!

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Since Pokemon Sword & Shield released back in 2019, many fans have already completed it (and all of the DLC) and might be looking back to older generations to get their hit. Since the franchise has been around since 1996, there’s plenty to choose from; from the first of the games to the spin-offs, all the way to the anime and books.

Though there’s nearly 900 Pokemon these days, the infamous Kanto Ghost/Poison type Gengar, the Shadow Pokemon, remains a fan favorite. From its manic grin to its iconic blocky purple body, there’s plenty that fans know about Gengar, but also a few interesting facts that you need to go searching in the tall grass to find.

10 Gengar First Appeared in Capsule Monsters

No, not Yu-Gi-Oh! Before Pokemon had the name we all know and love, it existed in the mind of Satoshi Tajiri (creator and current CEO of Game Freak) as カプセルモンスタ, or Capsule Monsters. Many of the Pokemon we know and love come from Tajiri’s early concept art, including Lapras, Rhydon and – you guessed it – Gengar.

Back then, the game was less about battling and more about collecting; the name comes from a Japanese blind-bag vending machine. Thankfully, the franchise went through a couple of drafts before the Japanese release of Pokemon Red and Green in 1996.

9 It Almost Went By Another Name

While the name ‘Gengar’ most likely comes from the German word doppelgänger or the Danish folklore figure of a gjenganger (or genganger), the Ghost Pokemon very nearly had a different name: Phantom. Not the cleverest name in the franchise, but it got the point across.

Its Japanese name can be translated as ‘phantom’ or ‘illusion’, referring to the Pokemon’s habit of blending into other people’s shadows and jumping out at them. After all, nobody wants a nearly five foot tall purple spook leaping out at them in the dead of night! Interestingly, the original name still makes it into the Korean translation, where Gengar is known as 팬텀, or Penteom – a transliteration of the English word.

8 It’s Ken Sugimori’s Favorite

Although the brain child of Satoshi Tajiri, the Pokemon we know and love were first illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Not only did he draw the art for all 151 original Pokemon, but you’d also recognize his style in many of the trading cards and much of the merchandise released over the years.

In fact, he has designed more of the cards than anyone else! He’s given a couple of answers as to which Pokemon his favorite is over the years (including Venusaur and Hoothoot), but in the end, as he stated in an interview in 2013, he always comes back to Gengar. It must be thanks to its simple design and spooky charm.

7 It Was One Of The First Pokemon Seen In The Series

Whether you started out with the game or the anime, Gengar is one of the first Pokemon you’re introduced to. In the opening credits to Red and Green, it’s seen battling a Nidorino; a clip that made it into future games as well.

The original anime pays homage to this scene, even directly referencing the games’ art style. Although at first we didn’t know who the trainers were in this mysterious battle, we learn in the mobile game Pokemon Masters EX that the Gengar was up against the team of none other than the legendary Professor Oak himself!

6 It Has Access to All of the Ghost Moves in Pokemon Go

The release of Pokemon Go back in 2016 changed how a lot of people got involved with the franchise, but one of its more striking differences for those who’ve been playing since the 90s related to the movesets of certain Pokemon.

Gengar was one of the luckiest, and if you’re the sort of player who spends hours agonizing over the perfect moveset for your team, you’ll be pleased to hear that Gengar is the only Pokemon with access to all of the Ghost moves available – even ones it’s not been seen using before.

5 Ash’s Gengar is Not Like Other Gengar

Players who, like Ash Ketchum, have “gotta catch ’em all” have their hands full. If you’re going for a truly complete Pokédex, you have to find every Pokemon twice! Once in their original colours, and once in their shiny or alternative colours.

While Gengar is one of those where the two variations are fairly similar (excluding its shiny Mega Evolution), fans of the anime might be even more confused by the fact that our beloved hero’s Gengar looks different to both. Despite being lighter in colour, however, it is not shiny.

4 It’s Out to Steal Your Body Heat

When you first catch a Pokemon in any of the games, you’re treated to a glimpse at its Pokedex entry; any new trainer’s premier guide to the hundreds of monsters running around the world. The flavor text that accompanies each Pokemon changes up from game to game, but Gengar has one concerning returning trait; hiding in the dark and stealing people’s energy.

If you’re ever walking under a light at dark and your shadow seems to overtake you – run! It might just be Gengar pretending to be your shadow so that it can ambush you. Just another terrifying Ghost-type Pokedex entry!

3 It Knows Extra Moves in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

One of the spin-offs of the franchise, the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, flips the script by having you play as a trainer that has turned into a Pokemon.

In the original Red and Blue Rescue Team games, a team-up with Gengar while travelling through Mt. Freeze and the Murky Cave may surprise some players when they see what moves Gengar has. Although it can’t learn them in any other generation by any possible method, this Gengar knows the basic moves Leer, Scratch and Quick Attack.

2 Its Mega Evolution Used to be the Fastest of the Ghost Types

With the release of Pokemon X and Y in 2013 and in certain games since, Game Freak introduced a new way to temporarily evolve your Pokemon: Mega Evolution. Using a Key Stone and the relevant mega stone, trainers could Mega Evolve a certain Pokemon once per battle, giving them an edge over their opponents by making their Pokemon bigger and more powerful. They also get a snazzy new look!

Until the formidable Dragapult joined the roster in Sword and Shield with a base speed stat of 142, Gengar held the record for all Ghost types at a whopping 130. It’s also the only non-starter Kanto Region Pokemon capable of mega-evolving at all (not that all start Pokemon got the Mega Evolution they deserved).

1 Its Feet Remain a Mystery

When you think of a Pokemon that pops out of the ground, your first thought might be Diglett. If you’re a little confused by what Diglett’s got below the dirt, you might be just as baffled by Gengar. In the core series, Mega Gengar has tiny feet that can be seen when you send it out to battle, but in Pokkén Tournament (an arcade-style fighting game) a portal appears below it and the feet and tail are gone.

The Gigantamax mechanic from 2019’s Pokemon Sword and Shield doesn’t shed any more light on the mystery; instead of growing on-screen like the rest of your team, it pops out of the ground like a wild encounter.

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