Scariest Ghosts In Phasmophobia

Key Takeaways

• Gamers in Phasmophobia face a variety of ghost types, each with unique traits, making encounters unpredictable and terrifying.
• Specific ghosts like the Hantu, Goryo, and Poltergeist exhibit distinct behaviors that challenge players with increased speed, invisibility, and object manipulation.
• Understanding each ghost’s unique traits and weaknesses is crucial for survival, as encountering ghosts like Yurei, Onryo, and Demon can significantly affect gameplay dynamics.

Whereas other horror games usually pit players against monsters and creatures of various types at the same time, Phasmophobia allows players to take on the role of ghost hunters. When they visit a particular area, players will have no idea which of the game’s many ghosts are haunting their location. The objective of the game is for players to gather evidence pertaining to the type of ghost plaguing their surroundings.

Unfortunately, ghosts do various things on top of making their presences known, including scaring the socks off of players. At the worst, ghosts engage in Hunts, where they can actually kill players who have no means of fighting back. With that in mind, some ghosts in Phasmophobia turn out much scarier than players anticipate.

Updated November 13, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Phasmophobia remains one of the most popular ghost-hunting games, continually surprising players with terrifying variants of undead entities. From the Jinn to the Demon, every ghost is frightening in its own right, and learning about the types of ghosts is a true test of courage, even when venturing into locations armed with equipment and allies. In the game’s current state, there are over 20 types of ghosts players can encounter. As such, this article has been updated to shine a light on even more of the ghosts, with one rising as the scariest Phasmophobia ghost yet.

21 Hantu

Coldness is its Ally

• Evidence: Ultraviolet, Ghost Orb, Freezing Temperatures
• Unique Trait: A Hantu has increased speed in colder rooms.

Ghosts and colder temperatures often go hand-in-hand in many types of lore, and this is true of the Hantu in Phasmophobia. Not only are freezing temperatures one type of evidence that points to this particular entity being the one haunting this location, but it also works in the Hantu’s favor, terrifyingly enough.

Now, players have more reason to be cautious when monitoring temperatures, as during a Hunt, the Hantu moves much more swiftly when surrounded by lower temperatures. This can lead to many unexpected scares and deaths for players who were just not careful enough. At least those who survive can take a pretty good guess at what the ghost is, for what little comfort that offers.

20 Goryo

Invisibility

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ultraviolet, D.O.T.S. Projector
• Unique Trait: A Goryo will only show itself on camera if there are no people nearby.

What is scarier than seeing a ghost? Not seeing one but knowing that there’s one nearby. This is how the Goryo sets itself apart from the rest, as it is invisible to the naked human eye. Hunters will have to make clever, careful use of equipment to capture visual evidence of its haunting before falling prey to its machinations. Fortunately, the ghost will show up on D.O.T.S. projectors or cameras, provided that no living people are nearby.

The Goryo will never travel far from the room it perished in. This makes it one of the easier ghosts to mitigate death from, but this doesn’t guarantee players’ survival. With this entity, it’s still best to conduct the investigation and leave as quickly as possible.

19 Poltergeist

Interacts With its Surroundings

• Evidence: Ultraviolet, Spirit Box, Ghost Writing
• Unique Trait: A Poltergeist can throw nearby objects with force.

Everyone in the world knows what a poltergeist is, even outside the confines of Phasmophobia. They have appeared in multiple ghost horror movies, books, and TV shows, always portrayed as violent spirits with a penchant for throwing around people’s furniture.

This is what makes the Poltergeist a rather frightening entity to encounter, as the player can pass by an unassuming pile of dishes only for the plates to be suddenly and violently thrown at their head. But with no nearby objects, the Poltergeist loses its power, which can give the players a strategy they can employ against the Poltergeist.

18 Jinn

Moves Faster to Distant Hunters

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Freezing Temperatures
• Unique Trait: A Jinn will travel faster if its victim is far away.

A fast ghost with a penchant for tampering with the player’s light source, a Jinn is a terrifying entity to encounter. It can plunge players into darkness, and darkness in Phasmophobia comes with its own set of dangers, such as rapidly decreasing player’s sanity. This can leave them more vulnerable to the whims of the ghost.

The Jinn moves faster towards far-away victims, meaning that no one is safe. However, there are strategies that players can employ to protect themselves from the Jinn. They can turn off the breaker to prevent it from using its abilities and light candles to mitigate the sanity loss that darkness brings.

17 Yokai

Reacts to Player Comms

• Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orb, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: Talking close to a Yokai may trigger an early hunt.

A known denizen of family homes, the Yokai is attracted to the noise humans make when talking, sometimes to the point that talking too much can anger the Yokai. This trait applies to the Phasmophobia version of the creature. Players talking near the Yokai’s ghost room may trigger a Hunt, even at higher Sanity thresholds. In fact, the Yokai may begin hunting as early as 80% Sanity.

Perhaps the only saving grace is that the Yokai is sensitive to voices and active electronics within 2 meters of it. This means players can potentially escape the Yokai if they stay quiet or leave their electronic devices away from it. Brave players can provoke the Yokai into hunting and perform more of their Whiteboard Objectives. However, players who don’t know how to dodge the Yokai may be in for a scare.

16 Phantom

Sanity Drain

• Evidence: Spirit Box, Ultraviolet, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: Looking at the Phantom will drop sanity significantly faster.

Sanity is a key mechanic in Phasmophobia. Reduced sanity can leave players more vulnerable to attacks at the hands of ghosts and, ultimately, their untimely death. The Phantom is known to have a drastic effect on sanity, making players wish they had brought that bottle of sanity pills they were saving.

Players should identify if the ghost is a Phantom as soon as possible. The most obvious indicator is how fast the player’s sanity drains while facing the ghost during its haunts, as well as its mannerisms during this time. The Phantom will remain invisible for longer intervals compared to other ghosts, and it will also not show up in photos captured of it. Once players know it’s a Phantom for sure, they can run back to their van and grab those pills they will desperately need.

15 Yurei

Doesn’t Need Line of Sight to Drain Sanity

• Evidence: Ghost Orb, Freezing Temperatures, D.O.T.S. Projector
• Unique Trait: Has a stronger effect on sanity.

Based on a spirit from Japanese folklore of the same name, Yurei were known to be tied to their place of death with an appearance that would strike strong fear into the hearts of any who beheld its visage. While the Yurei is undeniably a frightening ghost in Phamosphobia, it is unfortunately not confined to the specific location where it died. Instead, it can roam around the building, much to the dismay of the players.

Like the Phantom, the Yurei is capable of draining sanity. However, it doesn’t need the player to look in its direction to do so. Rather, the ability hits all in the area of effect, draining up to 15%. The Yurei is also capable of slamming shut doors that have been left open, which is sure to jump scare any plucky hunters in the room.

14 Onryo

Higher Sanity Threshold

• Evidence: Freezing Temperatures, Ghost Orb, Spirit Box
• Unique Trait: Flames affect the kind of interactions the Onryo will do, especially when determining the Hunt.

Known as the “Wrathful Spirit,” the Onryo is known to steal the souls of those who are about to die in order to exact revenge on the living. Across any Phasmophobia difficulty, the Onryo isn’t just a dangerous enemy, but a volatile one due to its relationship with flames. It also has a high Sanity threshold, in that it Hunts at 60% Sanity.

Players attempting to scout an Onryo have the added pressure of carrying multiple Candles, which are limited enough as it is. A Candle can prevent an Onryo from Hunting, as it simply blows it, but the third Candle that gets blown will trigger a Hunt. Other types of extinguished flame can also make the Onryo Hunt down players. It’s important to stay on top of keeping a fire.

13 Moroi

Curses Those Who Communicate With it

• Evidence: Freezing Temperatures, Ghost Writing, Spirit Box
• Unique Trait: The Moroi can curse players to lower their sanity, and the Moroi gains an increase in speed at lower sanity levels.

The Moroi is certainly one of the more dangerous ghosts players contend with, as it can inflict a curse that has a negative effect on the cursed player’s sanity. In order to be cursed, players must receive a response through the spirit box, which, unfortunately enough, is a key piece of evidence, or hear whispers through the parabolic microphone. When cursed, their sanity erosion is doubled.

This is especially bad as the Moroi thrives around investigators with lowered sanity, gaining increased speed during Hunts, depending on the average player’s sanity. And a faster spirit is a more deadly spirit.

12 Myling

Startling Appearance and Movements

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Ghost Writing
• Unique Trait: A Myling is known to be quieter when hunting.

Based on a creature from Scandinavian folklore of the same name, the Myling remains one of the creepiest ghosts players can encounter, as the child-like spirits crawls threateningly towards them. With most spirits, lots of activity serves as evidence that the Ghost has entered Hunting mode, and is close to the player. But with the Myling, the opposite is true. When it enters the Hunt, it tends to be quieter. When silence falls, players should be aware of their surroundings to ensure their survival.

Players can identify the Myling early into the game and can then tailor their tactics around it. As Mylings make more frequent noises while not Hunting, players can use a Parabolic Microphone to listen to the ghost sounds and how often they occur.

11 Banshee

Singles Out One Hunter

• Evidence: Fingerprints, Ghost Orb, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: Has a screech when interacting with the Parabolic Microphone, and often sings in ghost events.

In folklore, the Banshee is a faerie creature whose screams, wails, or songs of lament foretell the death of a loved one. In Phasmophobia, the Banshee’s violent nature makes it deadly, one of the trickiest creature types to deal with. One of the best ways of detecting a Banshee is its hardest: the identification of its Hunt target.

Unlike other ghosts, the Banshee is especially deadly due to its obsession with a Hunt target. In addition to singing in most ghost events, it usually triggers events directed towards the target. When interacting with the Banshee, the target gets a 15% Sanity decrease instead of the usual 10%, making this an early Banshee indicator. The only chance players have against the Banshee is almost immediate detection once the Banshee ignores other players except its target during the Hunt.

10 Mare

Snuffs Sources of Light

• Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orbs, Ghost Writing Book
• Unique Trait: May trigger a Hunt depending on whether it’s in a lit or unlit room.

The source of all nightmares, the Mare loves the dark, making it one of the most difficult Phasmophobia Ghosts to detect. After all, Sanity decreases much faster in the darkness, and the Mare is known to love shutting down lights whenever it can. This can make exploration much harder.

The Mare hunts at 60% Sanity inside dark rooms and can hunt at 40% Sanity in lit rooms, forcing players of low Sanity to gamble with their safety in a dark room at the cost of lowering their Sanity faster. Players who approach this intelligently can use this to their advantage, however. If a ghost is obsessed with interacting with lights and staying in the dark, it may be a Mare.

9 Raiju

Electrical Equipment Empowers It

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ghost Orb, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: The Raiju is especially attracted to active electronic devices.

It’s thanks to ghost-hunting equipment that players can detect ghosts in Phasmophobia, so it’s a bit unfair that the Raiju is a ghost type that loves electrical current. In fact, the Raiju grows more dangerous when in proximity to electrical equipment. If players stick to their active equipment during a Hunt, that’s a surefire way of killing them.

The Raiju’s interactions with electronics are both its greatest strength and weakness. When near active electronics, the Raiju becomes much faster. However, its presence will visibly distort electronics in more violent ways compared to other ghosts, making it easier to detect. Considering that one of the best ways to escape the Raiju is to throw equipment away, trying to navigate one’s way around the location to get them back can become another recipe for disaster.

8 Obake

Shape-Shifting Abilities

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Ghost Orbs
• Unique Trait: When interacting with the environment, an Obake will rarely leave a trace.

Described as a shape-shifter in its journal entry, this ability manifests only during a Hunt and only with a 6.66% chance. Though it’s a more humorously chosen number, it does mean that there’s only a slight chance of players witnessing its shape-shifting abilities. They are more likely to encounter the fingerprints it leaves behind as evidence of its presence. However, the evidence can be fickle, disappearing later, or only appearing a while after it has touched a surface.

The Obake remains one of the more terrifying and undoubtedly interesting ghosts to encounter, thanks to the possibility to see it shift between two different types of ghosts, and the fidelity of its evidence. However, the Mimic does it better.

7 Thaye

Aging Appearance

• Evidence: Ghost Orbs, Ghost Writing Book, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: It “ages” over time, making it less active the more players interact with it.

When a spirit remains in the mortal realm, it commonly appears to be the same age as it was when it died. This doesn’t happen with the Thaye. In the lore, the Thaye also attempts to age even in spirit form. This is reflected in the game, with the Thaye’s aging component making it one of the most aggressive early-game hunters. In turn, this makes it potentially dangerous for players on large maps that aren’t able to spot it quickly.

It doesn’t help that the Thaye actually “slows” its activity over time, especially when close to players. In the endgame, a Thaye may only hunt as low as 15% Sanity, with 1m/s speed (versus 2.75m/s), and a 50% interaction rate. However, in the early game, the Thaye may hunt players as early as 75% Sanity. Thanks to its “loss” mechanic, players can add the Thaye to their list of predictions during early Hunts. However, this makes the Thaye dangerous, too, as an unsuspecting player could die as early as the first Hunt.

6 The Twins

Double Ghosts

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Spirit Box, Freezing Temperatures
• Ability: Have different Hunting speeds, and may interact with the environment at the same time.

While Phasmophobia simply elaborates on the Twins as ghosts that copy each other’s actions from different locations, it makes sense to assume that these spirits may have been twins or close contacts that died around the same time. In the game proper, the Twins can be extremely dangerous considering how “different” they approach both interactions and Hunts. Not only that, but the “decoy Twin” will likely try to mess with the team’s clue-gathering by providing many hints towards interactions.

The best way for players to escape the Twin is to identify it swiftly. This often happens when players realize that both Twins have different interaction ranges. The “main Twin” has a bigger range, and the “decoy Twin” has a further range. Hunts can begin from either Twin. Players who notice different hunting behaviors may immediately point towards a Twin, provided they outlast it quickly enough.

5 Oni

Active Against Groups

• Evidence: EMF Level 5, Freezing Temperatures, D.O.T.S Projector
• Unique Trait: Oni are more active whilst people are nearby and will drain their sanity faster when manifesting.

Deriving its title from a demonic Japanese creature, the Oni is fearful enough to earn its name. When it comes to ghost-hunting, people may believe in safety in numbers, but the Oni disproves this method. It becomes more active when people stay in groups and may even throw objects at great speed. As such, players’ sanity will deplete rapidly when ghost events occur.

Its only weakness is that it flickers less than other ghosts, making it easier to identify and photograph. The Oni remains one of the most dangerous spirits within the game, as there are few methods players can employ to protect themselves from its deathly embrace.

4 The Mimic

Mimics Other Ghosts

• Evidence: Spirit Box, Fingerprints, Freezing Temperatures
• Ability: Can mimic other Ghosts, including their Hunt thresholds and Evidence.

Even the afterlife has its fair share of copycats, and the Mimic is the most dangerous of them all. In Phasmophobia, the Mimic is an enemy type that not only copies the traits of any Ghost it likes, but it can even copy the Evidence they provide and the Hunt thresholds they have. The only way players can spot the Mimic is if it provides a Ghost Orb as a fourth Evidence.

Its unpredictable nature makes the Mimic one of the most dangerous ghosts for Phasmophobia players to deal with, especially since other Ghost types it can mimic may exhibit the same “triggers” that cause Hunts. Players are advised to minimize talking (Yokai), turn off unused electronics (Raiju), have flame sources in the Ghost Room (Onryo), and prepare Smudge Sticks for looping (Deogen).

3 Revenant

Becomes Fast During Hunts

• Evidence: Ghost Orb, Ghost Writing, Freezing Temperatures
• Unique Trait: A Revenant will travel at a significantly faster speed when hunting their prey.

One of the few ghosts that gains speed boosts under certain circumstances, the Revenant is known as the most dangerous and one of the scariest ghosts in Phasmophobia. Though it moves at an incredibly slow pace when dormant, it makes up for it during a Hunt. When the Revenant becomes active, it moves at a rapid pace to hunt down the players swiftly and indiscriminately. Players will find themselves in its deathly grasp as soon as the lights start flickering to signal that its Hunt has begun.

Players can try to mitigate its speed by trying to break the Revenant’s line of sight, turning off flashlights and hiding behind objects to escape its detection. The Revenant will then revert to its slow base movement, and players can avoid their untimely death. Its important players determine if the ghost in question is a Revenant so that they can plan their tactics around it. One must pay close attention to the sound of the ghost’s footsteps when it does a full-area sweep of the map. If the footprints are few and far between, it is most likely a Revenant.

2 Deogen

Knows Exact Locations of All Players

• Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Writing Book, DOTS Projector
• Unique Trait: Produces a different Spirit Box responses.

Known in legends to be surrounded by fog, not much is known about the Deogen, except that it almost always manages to catch its prey. Among the monsters present in the horror game, the Deogen is one of the scariest, since it knows where all players are as soon as it begins its Ghost Hunt. The only solace players will know when facing the Deogen is that it gets much slower when in direct eye contact with the player. And in extended hunts, knowing that there’s no escape from the Deogen practically guarantees death for the inexperienced.

While the Deogen does have a lower hunting threshold (usually 40% Sanity), the fact that it gets much more prone to hunting at this state makes it far deadlier. Players can survive the Deogen by looping it around kitchen counters or tables, with the rest of the team hiding in rooms with easy exit routes for rotations.