Haunter
Encyclopedia
Haunter, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Designed by Game Freak and originally intended to be renamed Spectre for North American audiences, their name is a derivative of the verb "to haunt", and is both the singular and plural name of the species. First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue
, they later appeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off titles such as Pokémon Snap
, merchandise related to the series, and both animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. In animated appearances, Haunter are voiced in Japanese by Toshiyuki Morikawa
and in English localizations by Ted Lewis
.
Haunter has been well received by the media, with groups such as IGN
and GamesRadar praising its abilities and style, the former of which described it as superior to its stronger counterpart, Gengar
. Its characterization within the game's setting has similarly met praise and been described as one of the more vivid aspects of the series, though at the same time the same characterization has drawn fire from several Christian groups in various books.
. Called "Ghost" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Called "Spectre" in early drafts of the localization, the final version dubbed the species "Haunter", derived from the verb "to haunt".
Called the "Gas Pokémon", Haunter appears as a purple, levitating spherical creature, with three spikes extending from each side of its head, angled towards its backside and slightly upward. Its lower back ends in a larger cone-shaped tail, ending in a jagged edge on the sides and of nearly equal length of its body. Its face consists of two white triangular eyes and a wide, pink mouth with jagged teeth that blend into its body. Haunter's body levitates in the air while its sole appendages—two disembodied three-finger hands—hover in the air in front of it. Within the lore of the series, Haunter are described as hiding in very dark places such as graveyards and abandoned caves, stalking their prey. They attack prey by licking them with their tongue, causing paralysis and draining life energy, represented in the games by their "Lick" attack. Haunter can also turn intangible to pass through solid objects, or camouflage
themselves as a floating purple orb. A Gastly Pokémon can transform, or "evolve", into Haunter, while Haunter in turn can evolve into a Gengar
Pokémon. In the context of the games, this requires leveling up a Gastly to level twenty-five, and trading a Haunter to another player respectively.
, where it appears in the Pokémon Tower, a memorial for dead Pokémon, once the player has obtained the "Silph Scope" item. It later appeared in all subsequent sequels, able to be captured in all except Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
and Pokémon Black and White
. Within these games, Haunter also appears as a Pokémon used by enemy NPC
trainers, such as "channeler" enemies in the Pokémon Tower or Ecruteak City Gym Leader Morty in Pokémon Gold and Silver
. The character has also appeared in related spinoff titles, including Pokémon Snap
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
games, and the Pokémon Ranger
games.
In the anime
, Haunter first appeared in The Tower of Terror, where protagonist Ash
befriended it, and it followed him to Saffron City to battle gym leader Sabrina. Instead of fighting however, it first fled, and during a rematch resorted to making faces and other antics in front of Sabrina, including blowing itself up with a harmless bomb. The result sends her into a laughing fit, disabling her Pokémon and letting Ash win by default. Afterward, it chooses to remain with her as Ash caries on his way. Morty used a Haunter to battle Ash in From Ghost to Ghost. In Fear Factor Phony, a Haunter was living in an abandoned mine with several other Ghost Pokémon. The Ghost Pokémon were having difficulty with the partying Psychic Pokémon living nearby.
In the Pokémon Adventures
manga, Agatha used a single Haunter as a part of her team, and used a swarm of Haunter in her attack on Kanto. Eusine was later seen with a Haunter in Volume 14. A gigantic Haunter called "The Black Fog" was featured in the fourth chapter of The Electric Tale of Pikachu, using its abilities to steal the souls of humans and Pokémon alike. Though Ash attempted to capture it, the Black Fog instead committed suicide by self-destructing. It was later revealed the Black Fog had once become accustomed to being worshiped as a god, and chose to die instead of being captured by a human.
.
GamesRadar
described Haunter alongside Gastly and Gengar as "highly useful", further describing its abilities and design as "top shelf". They later called it one of the series' "quintessential Ghost-type Pokemon", though expressed surprise for its popularity in light of an existing glitch in Pokémon Red and Blue that hampered its fighting abilities. In a podcast, they named it as one of their favorite ghost-type Pokémon from the series, attributing its popularity to both its design and its presence in the anime which they felt gave it character as both "funny" and with a "big tongue". It was also named by them as one of the series' most disturbing characters, calling it an "already badass looking Pokemon" and described its ability to "[cripple] its victims with fatal convulsions" as "a whole new realm of fear".
IGN
contributor "PokemonofthedayChick" stated that despite Gengar's higher statistics, "Haunter always has been and always will be cooler", further describing it as having "built quite a loyal following for itself over the years". IGN editor Jack DeVries later agreed with the statement, adding "the real Ghost Type Pokémon that sticks out in gamer memory is Haunter". Official Nintendo Magazine described it as one of the top ten ghosts within Nintendo games, stating that its appearance made it look "every bit as fearsome" as its evolution Gengar and adding that its described behavior made it "even more creepy". Generazione Pókemon described Haunter's traits as one of the more vivid aspects of the games, citing specifically its ability to devour energy from its opponents. Christian groups however have been critical of the character, calling it "demonic" and critical of the implications of its character design, primarily its existence as a "ghost" within the game's setting.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. Designed by Game Freak and originally intended to be renamed Spectre for North American audiences, their name is a derivative of the verb "to haunt", and is both the singular and plural name of the species. First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
, they later appeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off titles such as Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap
is a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
, merchandise related to the series, and both animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. In animated appearances, Haunter are voiced in Japanese by Toshiyuki Morikawa
Toshiyuki Morikawa
is a prolific Japanese male voice actor from Yokohama, Kanagawa, was affiliated with Arts Vision. Lately, however, he has become the head of that a voice actor company he founded in Apr 2011. His name is also sometimes mistranslated as Tomoyuki...
and in English localizations by Ted Lewis
Ted Lewis (voice actor)
Ted Lewis is an American voice actor who does work for 4kids Entertainment, Central Park Media, DuArt Film and Video, NYAV Post. Primarily, he is involved with anime dub voice work...
.
Haunter has been well received by the media, with groups such as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and GamesRadar praising its abilities and style, the former of which described it as superior to its stronger counterpart, Gengar
Gengar
Gengar, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Game Freak, their name it is both the singular and plural name of the species. First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue, they later appeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off games, related...
. Its characterization within the game's setting has similarly met praise and been described as one of the more vivid aspects of the series, though at the same time the same characterization has drawn fire from several Christian groups in various books.
Conception and design
Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon series began in Japan in 1996, and features several species of creatures called "Pokémon" that players, called "trainers", are encouraged to capture, train, and use to battle other players' Pokémon or interact with the game's world. Haunter was one of several different Pokémon designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by artist Ken SugimoriKen Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
. Called "Ghost" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Called "Spectre" in early drafts of the localization, the final version dubbed the species "Haunter", derived from the verb "to haunt".
Called the "Gas Pokémon", Haunter appears as a purple, levitating spherical creature, with three spikes extending from each side of its head, angled towards its backside and slightly upward. Its lower back ends in a larger cone-shaped tail, ending in a jagged edge on the sides and of nearly equal length of its body. Its face consists of two white triangular eyes and a wide, pink mouth with jagged teeth that blend into its body. Haunter's body levitates in the air while its sole appendages—two disembodied three-finger hands—hover in the air in front of it. Within the lore of the series, Haunter are described as hiding in very dark places such as graveyards and abandoned caves, stalking their prey. They attack prey by licking them with their tongue, causing paralysis and draining life energy, represented in the games by their "Lick" attack. Haunter can also turn intangible to pass through solid objects, or camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
themselves as a floating purple orb. A Gastly Pokémon can transform, or "evolve", into Haunter, while Haunter in turn can evolve into a Gengar
Gengar
Gengar, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Game Freak, their name it is both the singular and plural name of the species. First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue, they later appeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off games, related...
Pokémon. In the context of the games, this requires leveling up a Gastly to level twenty-five, and trading a Haunter to another player respectively.
Appearances
Haunter was introduced in Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
, where it appears in the Pokémon Tower, a memorial for dead Pokémon, once the player has obtained the "Silph Scope" item. It later appeared in all subsequent sequels, able to be captured in all except Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
and Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
. Within these games, Haunter also appears as a Pokémon used by enemy NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
trainers, such as "channeler" enemies in the Pokémon Tower or Ecruteak City Gym Leader Morty in Pokémon Gold and Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
. The character has also appeared in related spinoff titles, including Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Snap
is a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
games, and the Pokémon Ranger
Pokémon Ranger
is an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released at various dates, varying between continents. The game was first released in Japan on March 22, 2006 and was later released in North America and...
games.
In the anime
Pokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, Haunter first appeared in The Tower of Terror, where protagonist Ash
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
befriended it, and it followed him to Saffron City to battle gym leader Sabrina. Instead of fighting however, it first fled, and during a rematch resorted to making faces and other antics in front of Sabrina, including blowing itself up with a harmless bomb. The result sends her into a laughing fit, disabling her Pokémon and letting Ash win by default. Afterward, it chooses to remain with her as Ash caries on his way. Morty used a Haunter to battle Ash in From Ghost to Ghost. In Fear Factor Phony, a Haunter was living in an abandoned mine with several other Ghost Pokémon. The Ghost Pokémon were having difficulty with the partying Psychic Pokémon living nearby.
In the Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga, Agatha used a single Haunter as a part of her team, and used a swarm of Haunter in her attack on Kanto. Eusine was later seen with a Haunter in Volume 14. A gigantic Haunter called "The Black Fog" was featured in the fourth chapter of The Electric Tale of Pikachu, using its abilities to steal the souls of humans and Pokémon alike. Though Ash attempted to capture it, the Black Fog instead committed suicide by self-destructing. It was later revealed the Black Fog had once become accustomed to being worshiped as a god, and chose to die instead of being captured by a human.
Promotion and reception
Since it appeared in Pokémon Red and Blue, Haunter has appeared on several pieces of merchandise, including figurines and cards for the Pokémon Trading Card GamePokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
.
GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
described Haunter alongside Gastly and Gengar as "highly useful", further describing its abilities and design as "top shelf". They later called it one of the series' "quintessential Ghost-type Pokemon", though expressed surprise for its popularity in light of an existing glitch in Pokémon Red and Blue that hampered its fighting abilities. In a podcast, they named it as one of their favorite ghost-type Pokémon from the series, attributing its popularity to both its design and its presence in the anime which they felt gave it character as both "funny" and with a "big tongue". It was also named by them as one of the series' most disturbing characters, calling it an "already badass looking Pokemon" and described its ability to "[cripple] its victims with fatal convulsions" as "a whole new realm of fear".
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor "PokemonofthedayChick" stated that despite Gengar's higher statistics, "Haunter always has been and always will be cooler", further describing it as having "built quite a loyal following for itself over the years". IGN editor Jack DeVries later agreed with the statement, adding "the real Ghost Type Pokémon that sticks out in gamer memory is Haunter". Official Nintendo Magazine described it as one of the top ten ghosts within Nintendo games, stating that its appearance made it look "every bit as fearsome" as its evolution Gengar and adding that its described behavior made it "even more creepy". Generazione Pókemon described Haunter's traits as one of the more vivid aspects of the games, citing specifically its ability to devour energy from its opponents. Christian groups however have been critical of the character, calling it "demonic" and critical of the implications of its character design, primarily its existence as a "ghost" within the game's setting.