Dusknoir
Ghost
Best attacking moveset: Hex and Shadow Ball, worth 10.4 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Dusknoir can learn 14 combinations. Hex with Shadow Ball does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Shadow Ball is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Dusknoir you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Hex and Poltergeist, worth 9.9 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astonish | Ghost | 7 | 1.0s | +13 |
| Hex | Ghost | 8 | 1.0s | +13 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Pulse | Dark | 80 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Dynamic Punch | Fighting | 85 | 2.5s | -50 |
| Ominous Wind | Ghost | 55 | 2.5s | -33 |
| Poltergeist | Ghost | 140 | 3.5s | -100 |
| Psychic | Psychic | 95 | 3.0s | -50 |
| Shadow Punch | Ghost | 35 | 1.5s | -33 |
| Shadow Ball Legacy | Ghost | 100 | 3.0s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Dusknoir has been released. Players have found it from: wild, research, evolution, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,700 at level 50, 2,388 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,364 CP at level 20, or 1,706 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,294 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 180 attack · 254 defense · 128 stamina |
What it costs
| Candy to evolve | 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Second charged move | 50,000 Stardust and 50 Candy |
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 2.2 m and 106.6 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Dusknoir does not have one best moveset, it has 4. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Ghost, Psychic, Fighting.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Hex + Shadow Ball | 16.1 |
| Psychic | Hex + Shadow Ball | 16.1 |
| Fighting | Hex + Psychic | 12.4 |
| Poison | Hex + Psychic | 12.4 |
| Rock | Hex + Dynamic Punch | 12.3 |
| Steel | Hex + Dynamic Punch | 12.3 |
| Ice | Hex + Dynamic Punch | 12.3 |
| Dark | Astonish + Dynamic Punch | 11.1 |
| Normal | Astonish + Dynamic Punch | 10.5 |
| Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 | |
| Ground | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Bug | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Fire | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Water | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Grass | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Electric | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Dragon | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
| Fairy | Hex + Shadow Ball | 10.4 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Dusknoir is actually for.
Counters: what beats Dusknoir
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Blacephalon | FireGhost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 21.8 |
 Darkrai | Dark | Snarl + Shadow Ball | 19.6 |
 Chandelure | GhostFire | Hex + Shadow Ball | 19.5 |
 Gengar | GhostPoison | Lick + Shadow Ball Legacy | 19.5 |
 Absol | Dark | Snarl + Brutal Swing Legacy | 19.1 |
 Dragapult | DragonGhost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 18.6 |
 Hoopa | PsychicGhost | Astonish + Shadow Ball | 18.3 |
 Lunala | PsychicGhost | Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball | 18.2 |
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Dragon Tail + Dynamax Cannon Legacy | 18.2 |
 Gholdengo | SteelGhost | Hex + Shadow Ball | 18.2 |
Ranked by damage per second against Dusknoir's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.