Banette

Banette in the games: an abandoned doll's grudge given form

Banette evolves from Shuppet at level 37. It stands 1.1 meters tall, weighs 12.5 kilograms, and has Insomnia or Frisk as its ability, with Cursed Body, which can disable a move that hits it, as its hidden ability. Pokémon X and Y added Mega Banette through the Banettite; it stays a pure Ghost type and has the highest base Attack of any Ghost-type Pokémon.

Its Pokédex story is of an ordinary plush doll that was thrown away and came to life out of resentment. The design plays on haunted dolls, the Japanese tsukumogami idea of discarded objects gaining a spirit, and voodoo dolls, which is where its habit of sticking pins into itself comes from.

Banette also mirrors Dusclops. Both are Generation III Ghost types that evolve at level 37 and share the same base stat total, and in the original games wild Banette appear only in Sapphire while wild Dusclops appear only in Ruby.

Banette in the anime: Harley's Contest partner

Banette's main anime role belongs to Harley, the Coordinator who needled May through the Advanced Generation series. His Banette debuted in Deceit and Assist, where he used it against May at the Hoenn Grand Festival, and it later competed with him at the Kanto Grand Festival.

Banette on cards: a Hidden Legends holo to three Celestial Storm GX

Banette's first card is the 2004 Hidden Legends holo rare illustrated by Midori Harada. Legend Maker followed with Banette ex in 2006, drawn by Mitsuhiro Arita, and Crystal Guardians, Power Keepers and Platinum each printed a Rare Banette over the next three years.

Celestial Storm (2018) printed Banette GX three ways, a regular Ultra Rare, a full art and a Secret Rare, all by 5ban Graphics, and Hidden Fates added a shiny Banette-GX in its Shiny Vault. Lost Origin's Trainer Gallery (2022) gave it new art by Tomomi Kaneko, and in the Mega Evolution era Ascended Heroes (2026) printed an illustration rare by YASHIRO Nanaco, with a regular Uncommon following in Pitch Black.

Cards to know

• Banette (Hidden Legends #1)

  Banette's first card, a 2004 holo rare illustrated by Midori Harada.

• Banette ex (Legend Maker #85)

  Banette's Pokémon-ex card from 2006, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita.

• Banette GX (Celestial Storm #174)

  The Secret Rare version of Celestial Storm's Banette GX.

• Banette-GX (Hidden Fates Shiny Vault #SV61)

  A shiny Banette-GX from the Shiny Vault subset of Hidden Fates (2019).

• Banette (Lost Origin Trainer Gallery #TG07)

  A 2022 Trainer Gallery card with art by Tomomi Kaneko.

• Banette (Ascended Heroes #234)

  A 2026 illustration rare by YASHIRO Nanaco, from the Mega Evolution era.