Since its debut on Steam in 2020, Phasmophobia has become one of the most acclaimed and enjoyable games in the indie horror genre, beloved by streamers and players the world over. Whether by yourself or with friends, you’re tasked with embarking on dangerous investigations at various haunted locations, where you must use all the tools at your disposal to identify what type of ghost is doing the haunting.
Some ghosts are more ruthless than others, and they all have unique quirks and clues to help either reveal who they are or otherwise mislead you to what they’re not. Here is our list of all current ghost types in Phasmophobia, ranked from the easiest to the most dangerous to deal with.
Side Note: This ranked list reflects the most recent version of Phasmophobia (v0.9.5.0), with 24 different ghosts and their updated mechanics.
24. Goryo
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 reading
- Appears in DOTs projection
- Ultraviolet prints
Goryo is the first ghost on our list, and based on all factors, the weakest of the bunch in our opinion. They’re the most introverted type of ghost, based on the fact that they never leave their favorite room/space, no matter the circumstances, no matter the difficulty setting.
This makes them very predictable in terms of their behavior, and easy to contain and avoid during hunts. Their other quirk is that while they appear on a well-placed DOTs projector, they’ll only be visible that way on a camera, as they never show themselves while someone is in the room.
These clear and obvious points of evidence and their overall lack of aggression make them the pushover of Phasmo ghosts.
23. Onyro
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Orbs
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
Onryo comes next on the list because they’re also quite predictable and avoidable in hunt situations, even though they’ll usually try to hunt sooner at 60% average sanity. If you’re trying to “test” whether your culprit is an Onryo, all you have to do is place some Firelights (preferably Tier 2 or higher) in their designated room.
Per an Onyro’s ability to hunt based on the presence of flames (treated like Crucifixes in this scenario), if they blow them all out at once and attempt a hunt, that’ll be a dead giveaway. However make sure you don’t end up dead trying to figure that out.
22. Phantom
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ultraviolet prints
- Appears in DOTs projection
Phantoms are next in line, as they are not remotely the most dangerous ghost in Phasmophobia, but they’re among the most finicky. That’s because getting a photo of them is virtually impossible in any circumstance.
If you catch it walking through a DOTs projection and try to snap a quick one with your camera, it won’t be visible at all in that picture. Likewise, if you’re feeling daring and try to get its visage in your camera during a hunt, you’ll end up empty-handed. This is the quintessential camera-shy ghost, which is its key giveaway.
However, despite it not visibly appearing in photos, it ironically will still count towards your ‘Photos’ score and be captioned as a ghost sighting.
21. Wraith
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 reading
- Spirit Box
- Appears in DOTs projection
Despite their foreboding name, Wraiths are actually not that big of a danger to players, and also can easily be uncovered as the ghastly suspect by one big clue – salt. Once you figure out the ghost’s stomping grounds, you want to make it habit of placing an abundance of salt in that area.
Not only is it great for getting a bunch of easy 3-star photos of ghostly footprints, but it can singularly rule out whether you’re dealing with a Wraith or not. When you get the ghost to wander the area over your salt piles, if you find that they haven’t been disturbed, then it’s most certainly a Wraith.
This is because Wraiths are the designated “floating” ghost of the game, so they don’t leave any visible tracks anywhere. However, when they decide to hunt, they do actually have their own ‘footsteps’ that you’ll hear clearly. Yeah, it’s weird but the absence of that factor would make the guess way too obvious, we’d assume.
20. Yurei
- Evidence –
- Ghost Orbs
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
- Appears in DOTs projection
The Yurei is another relatively predictable ghost that doesn’t pose as much of a threat compared to others in the lineup. Their hunting habits are pretty standard, as they’ll start prowling around once your average sanity hits 50%.
Once again, however, the Yurei has a big and somewhat obvious characteristic that will raise the flags quickly on its identity. This ghost is one that likes to literally slam doors in your face, including the main exit door to whatever house/building you’re searching in.
It can do this whenever it likes, including outside of hunts which is normally the only time the exit door will be forced shut. However, there’s no need to freak out if a Yurei does this while not hunting, as you can simply open it back up. It’s a rude bluff more than anything, and one that’s just asking for it to be caught.
19. Poltergeist
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ultraviolet Prints
- Ghost Writing
From this point on, the ghosts do start to get a bit more formidable in nature, and Poltergeist is one that you don’t necessarily want to tango with in your free time. Visibly its silhouette doesn’t stand out that much, but once again it does have a big giveaway. This particular ghost likes to throw things, a lot.
If the standard evidence checklist is proving difficult to fill, the Poltergeist is one that is a bit trickier for solo players to predict. That’s because spotting its giveaway trait is best seen on camera during a hunt, while it’s happening.
A number of ghost types will toss objects around in their wake, but the Poltergeist basically conjures a mini-hurricane around itself, where objects will be hurled in quick succession as it passes through. So this ruffian is one that likes to leave a big mess wherever it goes.
18. Obake
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Ultraviolet prints
- Ghost Orbs
The Obake is another standard ghost that doesn’t act very aggressively outright, as it traditionally won’t hunt until you hit the 50% sanity threshold. It can be a bit of a trickster though with its biggest defining trait.
The key thing to look for in an Obake is handprints with an Ultraviolet flashlight. If you manage to uncover one in its chosen room/space, it will have 6 fingers instead of the usual 5. This is the only ghost in the game with that trademark, and you can essentially mark your investigation complete once you have that.
However, the Obake will play hard to get with such a clue, as it does have a 25% chance to not leave any Ultraviolet prints at all. If it does show up on a door or window, the print will disappear twice as fast, so you have to be quick to dissect what you’re seeing and get a picture if you have a camera on hand.
17. Spirit
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Writing
The Spirit is a very run-of-the-mill ghost, with not much that makes it especially stand out. However, that makes it harder to predict against other possibilities, and so it’s actually one of the most challenging ghosts to discern in the game
Essentially, the sooner you can gather its three key points of evidence, the better as you won’t have much else to go on. The only thing that can make the Spirit somewhat stand out is if you use Incense on it, the amount of time between hunts will double. So if you notice that hunts are taking a strangely long time to happen after doing that, even when your sanity is low, you may have a Spirit on your hands.
16. Mare
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Orbs
- Ghost Writing
As we get further up the list, the ghosts get decidedly more aggressive in their behaviors, and the Mare is no exception. This particular ghost is another unique type of ‘introvert’, in that it absolutely doesn’t like to be seen. That, or it’s just a ghostly facade meant to lure you to your death.
However, unlike the Phantom who doesn’t like showing up in pictures, the Mare does not like lights turned on anywhere in its vicinity. If you happen to turn a light on, and a mysterious presence immediately turns it off afterward, that is the trademark behavior of a Mare. You can actually test this ability every 10 seconds, to prove it’s what you’re dealing with.
Vice versa, the Mare also cannot turn on lights (excluding a TV or Computer) anywhere. Its main focus is either turning off or busting lights wherever it wanders to. It will gravitate to any consistently dark area of the house/building and linger there.
This can prove quite dangerous because the longer you’re in the dark, the quicker your sanity drops. In the case of the Mare, it can start hunting you in the dark at 60% sanity, so the darkness increases its aggression. By contrast, if you consistently keep lights on, it won’t hunt until 40%.
15. Deogen
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Writing
- Appears in DOTs projection
The Deogen is definitely a fearsome ghost to contend with, depending on your situation. To start with, when you’re attempting to elicit a response through a Spirit Box for evidence, the key thing to look for in a Deogen is heavy, ominous breathing. It won’t speak or sing, but it will huff and puff right in your ear.
While it doesn’t start hunting until your sanity reaches 40%, you definitely need to prepare yourself by not being in the wrong place when it does. The wrong place in this scenario is far away from a Deogen, even though instinctively you never want to be close to a ghost ready to hunt.
However, if you find yourself on the opposite side of the house from its favorite room and a hunt begins, you will have little to no time to save yourself, because the Deogen is essentially a sprinter with one of the fastest paces in the game. Also, there’s no point in trying to hide anywhere because another key trait of the Deogen is that you literally cannot hide from it, period. You cannot outrun it and you will be found.
You may think that makes it the scariest ghost in the game and that it doesn’t belong so far down the list, but believe it or not this particular type does have an Achilles heel – distance. If you’re far away from it during a hunt, the Deogen’s speed increases exponentially. However, if you stay well within the vicinity of its chosen room, it’s as slow as a tortoise. You can basically outwalk the ghost with ease during any hunt, and escape the house after it ends if you need to.
You simply need to not be scared to keep it in your view while conducting your investigation. Easy, right? Right?
14. The Twins
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Spirit Box
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
The Twins is a special type of ghost that is quite formidable and elusive, particularly because it functions as not just one but two ghosts that can confuse players relatively easily, especially those newer to the game.
When it comes to identifying The Twins, its biggest calling card is when it performs two actions simultaneously. One will happen close to its current position, while the other will happen further away. Solo players may find themselves scratching their heads during this, while teams spread out around the house/building can call it out more easily.
13. Shade
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Ghost Writing
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
As its name suggests, the Shade ghost is a special one in that when it appears during events and hunts, its silhouette will be a translucent shadow rather than the detailed figure that others have. This can be a key clue for those with sharp senses, but if you happen to overlook that, the Shade can be difficult to uncover.
This is because the Shade is yet another ghost with introverted traits that likes to act very shy for much of your investigation. On top of not hunting until around 35% sanity, it doesn’t like to act out much at all and give away that much-needed evidence. It won’t give EMF readings, or perform events/hunts while someone is in the same room with it. The only evidence you may get while close by is Ghost Writing or baiting it with a Firelight.
This shyness can be deceiving though, because once your sanity does get low enough for it to stalk you, it will be relentless with events that drain what’s left of it and basically stealth hunt you to your doom. Always be careful around the quiet ones.
12. Banshee
- Evidence –
- Ultraviolet prints
- Ghost Orbs
- Appears in DOTs projection
This juncture of the list is where the ghosts of Phasmo start to get truly dangerous, and you definitely don’t want to play the fool with these. The Banshee eerily lives up to its infamous moniker, and it should give you a good hint about what to expect in terms of evidence.
First off, should you choose to look for evidence via a Spirit Box, while it’s not denoted as one of its main evidence points in the Journal, a dead giveaway for a Banshee is that it will scream through the Spirit Box rather than talk. This is an action exclusive to this ghost, so if you hear it, you’ll know for sure that it’s a Banshee.
Another similar sign is that during ‘ghost events’, a Banshee will often sing for several seconds before vanishing.
If you’re able to deduce that a Banshee is what you’re dealing with, then ending your investigation quickly is the best option. This is because of what exactly makes this particular ghost so dangerous. While other types will target players at random and act based on a group’s average sanity, the Banshee will target one specific player and hunt based solely on that person’s sanity.
So even if you’re sitting in the van with your sanity at 100%, your partner could end up in trouble once theirs has dipped low enough to reach an average sanity of 87%. In other words, you won’t have very long at all before a Banshee goes on the hunt.
11. Myling
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Ultraviolet prints
- Ghost Writing
Mylings are a relentless type of ghost as well, given that their standard pieces of evidence can take awhile to obtain, and there’s not much else to go by in terms of hints until they decide to hunt. If you choose to bring in and use a Parabolic Microphone, a Myling will typically make a lot of sound while it’s turned on, so that can help somewhat.
Those with sharp ears, however, can pick up on how a Myling walks during hunts. If you’re far enough away from its preferred room/space when a hunt begins, a Myling will not make any footstep noise until it’s within a certain distance of you. In this case, it’s about half the distance of other ghosts, so you have less time to figure out where it’s coming from before it comes knocking at your hiding place.
Either way, this is another ghost that you want to identify as soon as possible before trouble happens.
10. Hantu
- Evidence –
- Ultraviolet prints
- Ghost Orbs
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
The higher up the list, the scarier these ghosts become, and Hantu sits comfortably in this spot thanks to its notably aggressive behavior. The main thing it likes to start off doing to definitely annoy you is killing the breaker in whatever house/building you’re in. It will try and do this repeatedly, stranding you in the dark and draining your sanity as quickly as possible.
Not only that, it loves its freezing temperatures and that is actually the key to its hunting prowess. Whatever room it holes up in, the cold will hit hard and the sooner you can detect that the better.
That’s because once it’s within hunting range of your sanity (50%), the Hantu’s movement speed is much faster in the cold, nearly double. If you happen to be in its subzero stomping ground at the wrong time, you’ll likely end up ghost food as you definitely won’t outrun it. As long you stay outside of that range, it will move much slower, giving you time to hide if need be.
Either way, you definitely don’t want to end up in this ghost’s chilly clutches.
09. The Mimic
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ultraviolet prints
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
The Mimic is one of Phasmophobia’s newer ghostly additions, and its reputation lies in its ability to trick players in the worst way possible. As its name would suggest, The Mimic is all about copycatting the actions of other ghosts and throwing you off with false evidence.
As if that weren’t bad enough, it changes behaviors frequently, sometimes as fast as 30 seconds up to 2 minutes. So process of elimination with this ghost can certainly feel like a losing battle.
While it does have its standard 3 pieces of evidence to determine, it will always through Ghost Orbs in the mix to confuse you. So that means any time you see those orbs floating on your camera screen during an investigation, you automatically have to keep the notion of a Mimic in the back of your mind.
Worst of all, should the dice roll poorly, a Mimic can copy the behavior of the most dangerous ghosts in the game, leaving you scrambling for safety and utterly lost in what to think. This is truly the Wild Card of ghosts in Phasmophobia, which is why it lands so far up on our list.
08. Jinn
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Ultraviolet prints
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
The Jinn is another pesky and aggressive ghost that isn’t shy about messing with the lighting in the house, though in a different way. Rather than killing the lights or the breaker like other ghosts, a Jinn uses the breaker as a focal point for draining sanity and hunting.
This means that, as much as you wouldn’t want to, killing the breaker is the key to fending off a Jinn and having a better chance to survive. You’ll want to be diligent about gathering standard evidence, and taking doses of Sanity Meds when needed from wandering around in the dark.
If it does decide to hunt you down, a Jinn will move a lot slower in the dark than if the breaker and lights were on. So you do have a chance to hide in time if the need arises.
07. Oni
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
- Appears in DOTs projection
The Oni is a ghost that is infamous for being one of the biggest sanity-draining types in the game, so if you find yourself running strangely low on the meter throughout your investigation, this one may be to blame.
As you gather evidence around the house, an Oni will become more active the more people that are around, essentially acting territorial of its chosen haunting spot. So you’ll very likely see this ghost stirring up trouble rather quickly compared to other types.
The worst part, however, is that an Oni’s ghost events drain a whopping 20% sanity each time they occur. That means, given its high degree of activity, you will find yourself within hunting range a lot faster than you realize. As scary as this can be, it’s also a telling sign when it comes to identifying an Oni.
The other strategy is to catch it via a DOTs projector in its preferred room. Its figure will appear often and constantly be fully visible.
06. Thaye
- Evidence –
- Ghost Orbs
- Ghost Writing
- Appears in DOTs projection
The Thaye is a ghost that, in our experience, doesn’t appear quite as often as others during investigations. When it does, however, it’s one you definitely don’t want to take lightly or be around too long for that matter.
Its most defining characteristic, which no other ghost has, is that the ghost figure itself “ages” over time. So when you first catch a glimpse of a Thaye, it’ll appear as a small, young child. It’s also the most active during this phase, and worse yet, a Thaye starts hunting at 75% sanity, which doesn’t give you a lot of time to get your equipment on-site and set up. If that wasn’t bad enough, a young Thaye moves much quicker and likely will overtake you if you get cornered.
As the minutes pass, a Thaye’s form will grow older, resembling an adult as it continues to appear and hunt you around the area. More than its standard evidence, this is the key to successfully identifying a Thaye. So either you need to be diligent about evading it in hunts while still being able to see it or have a partner observe it on cameras.
05. Revenant
- Evidence –
- Ghost Orbs
- Ghost Writing
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
We’re now in the top five most dangerous ghosts in Phasmophobia, and the Revenant rolls out the welcome mat. It’s one of the most sensitive ghosts in terms of detecting a player’s actions, including talking on a mic, line-of-sight (LOS), and/or electrical equipment they’re carrying on them.
If a Revenant picks up on any of these scents from you and your sanity falls into hunting range, it will literally sprint at you and likely catch you off-guard before you have time to even think about hiding. However, if the Revenant isn’t able to detect you in time, it will move much, much slower.
If you’re attentive to the different footsteps that ghosts make, you’ll notice that the Revenant’s slower speed is very distinct compared to others. It’ll sound like a slower, “horse-clopping” type of sound. So that makes for a key piece of special evidence.
04. Moroi
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Writing
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
A Moroi is definitely a ghost you’d prefer not to deal with, but if you like a good challenge then look no further. First off, this ghost gives the Oni a run for its money when it comes to sanity draining. Should you happen to hear it over a Parabolic Microphone or a Spirit Box, a curse will be placed upon you for the rest of the investigation, and your sanity will drop twice as fast.
The lower your average sanity drops below the 50% threshold, the faster a Moroi will move while hunting, and this ghost takes the crown as the fastest one in the entire game at peak power. If you wind up in its line of sight and it decides to hunt, you’re essentially done for unless you somehow manage to burn an Incense in the nick of time. Even then, however, it probably won’t be enough.
Your better chance is by pre-emptively chugging Sanity Meds, which will decrease its hunt speed. However, the faster you manage to identify a Moroi, the better as you absolutely don’t want to linger around and tease this particular ghost.
03. Yokai
- Evidence –
- Spirit Box
- Ghost Orbs
- Appears in DOTs projection
The Yokai is a ghost that is known for not liking a lot of chatter in the household, as that is the key to its rapid aggression. From the moment you enter for your investigation and start chatting up with your teammates, or attempt to contact it via a Spirit Box, a Yokai’s tendency to hunt starts spiking. In fact, as soon as you reach 80% sanity, if this ghost picks up talking from anyone a hunt will kick off.
The saving grace here is that a Yokai’s movement speed is considerably slower, and doesn’t increase when detecting things. So you do have the ability to hide if you find yourself needing to a lot sooner than you likely expected.
Basically, a Yokai takes advantage of the most important thing players need to do in this game – verbally communicate.
02. Raiju
- Evidence –
- EMF 5 Reading
- Ghost Orbs
- Appears in DOTs projection
While a close competitor with the Moroi, the Raiju sits in second place on our list due to its unmitigated aggression, which is fueled by the equipment that players bring into its territory.
The more devices you place in its preferred room, the angrier it becomes, and it can kick off hunts at 65% sanity. Worse yet, if you happen to have a flashlight, camera, or any other electrical equipment on you while it decides to prowl, that will greatly increase its speed and make it beeline for you before you have enough time to react.
So if you want any chance of survival, dropping any electronics you don’t need while in hunt range is your best opportunity. The Raiju often gets confused for Oni’s and Demons due to its sheer aggression.
01. Demon
- Evidence –
- Ultraviolet prints
- Ghost Writing
- Freezing Temperatures (Below 0.0)
The top spot on our list goes to none other than the Demon, as it literally does whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and leaves nothing but terror in its wake. Its standard sanity threshold for hunting is 70%, which is high already, but it can also hunt well above that if it feels like it. There’s no solid predictability whatsoever for when it will happen.
In other words, preparing for this type of investigation is pretty much the most difficult time you’ll have in Phasmophobia. You have to be diligent about your equipment choices, and figure out the ghost’s favorite room as soon as possible in order to get your evidence.
Incensing will have the opposite effect on a Demon, as its hunt rate will actually increase, and the standard time between hunts is just 20 seconds. This ghost is bloodthirsty, spares no one, and the sooner you get out, the better.
That concludes our list of all ghosts in Phasmophobia, ranked in terms of difficulty. We hope you found our insight enjoyable and informative, and let us know if there’s a particular ghost you feel should be higher or lower on the list.
Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Phasmophobia, such as our guide to all Spirit Box voice commands and phrases.
