Banette Pokémon

Banette is a ghost-type Pokemon that evolves from Shuppet from level 37 onwards. It is one of the 46 Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution when it is exposed to Banetite . Within its introductory game, Banette can be seen as a parallel to Dusclops since both are Generation III ghost-type Pokemon that evolve from their pre-evolved forms at level 37 with the same base stat total. Wild Banette are exclusive to Pokemon Sapphire, while wild Dusclops are exclusive to Pokemon Ruby.

About Banette

First appearance in anime	Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
First appearance in game	Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
Region	Hoenn
Evolution	N/A
1st Evo level	N/A
2nd Evo level	N/A
Pokedex Entry	Banette generates energy for laying strong curses by sticking pins into its own body. This Pokémon was originally a pitiful plush doll that was thrown away. A cursed energy permeated the stuffing of a discarded and forgotten plush doll, giving it new life as Banette. The Pokémon's energy would escape if it were to ever open its mouth. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away.

Banette Base stats (Before and During Mega Evolution)

HP	64 → 64
ATTACK	115 → 165
DEFENCE	65 → 75
SP. ATTACK	83 → 93
SP. DEFENCE	63 → 83
SPEED	65 → 75
TOTAL	455 → 555

Appearance

Banette is a grey, doll-like Pokemon with three short spikes on its head and long, flat arms with three-fingered hands. It has a long zigzagging ribbon trailing off the back of its head and a zipper that acts as its mouth. Banette has short, stubby legs with a yellow, brush-like tail, purplish-pink eyes with slit pupils that are shaped like a semi-circle with a pointed triangle shape on top.

Behavior

As the Marionette Pokemon, Banette is connected to puppets and puppetry as a whole as it comes from a child’s doll that was abandoned and possessed by pure hatred. This hatred becomes a grudge which drives it to life, keeping this energy within its body via Banette’s zipped up mouth. If this mouth was unzipped, it would lose all of its energy. Banette lays curses on others by using its own body as a voodoo doll and sticking pins into itself. It lives in garbage dumps and dark alleys, where it searches for the person that threw it away before its transformation into a Pokemon. It is rumored that treating it with enough care will satisfy its grudge and Banette will turn it back into a stuffed toy. When Banette transforms into Mega Banette, it is filled with so much power and vindictiveness it cannot help but curse its Trainer.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Banette has a high attack stat and a relatively high special attack stat, though both its defense and special defense stats are relatively low. As a ghost-type, Banette is weak to dark and ghost-types, immune to normal and fighting-types, and resistant to poison and bug-types.

Mega Banette

Mega Banette is a Mega Evolved version of Banette which can be used in battle when a Banette is holding Banetite. In this form, all of its stats are increased except for its HP stat and it gains multiple zippers all over its body. Its first zipper runs from its left eye to the tip of its central head spike. Three other zippers are all unzipped, revealing parts of Mega Banette's cursed pink body, which has three long fingers and two visible pointed legs. Mega Banette’s zigzagging ribbon becomes somewhat erect and it now has two zipper rings around it with a short zipper on the tip. Mega Banette gains one spike on the top and bottom of each hand and one spike on each hip, though it loses its tail.

Best Moveset

Destiny Bond is an effective move for taking out major threats since when it activates if an opposing Pokemon's attack knocks the user out, that Pokemon faints as well. Shadow Claw is Mega Banette's most reliable STAB (same-type attack bonus) attack, dealing solid damage against a majority of Pokemon without wasting much Destiny Bond PP. Gunk Shot is Mega Banette's most powerful attack and is its best weapon against normal and dark-types that are unaffected by Shadow Claw. Finally, Knock Off is a useful tool to remove items from Pokemon that are reliant on them while dealing damage.

Destiny Bond	Shadow Claw
Gunk Shot	Knock Off

How to catch Banette in Pokemon Go?

Banette or its pre-evolution, Shuppet can be found by playing the game at night, specifically between 8 PM and 8 AM or at 2 AM due to their ghost-typing. Ghost-types are more likely in fog and it is rumored that Ghost-type Pokemon like to spawn around churches and urban areas. Pokemon GO’s annual Halloween event also causes ghost-type Pokemon of all kinds to spawn at a higher rate.

Trivia

1. Mega Banette has the highest base attack stat of any ghost-type Pokemon
2. Mega Banette is the lightest Mega Evolved Pokemon at 13.0 kg
3. Within its introductory game, Banette can be seen as a parallel to Dusclops, since they are both Generation III ghost-type Pokemon that evolve from their pre-evolved forms at level 37 with the same base stat total. Wild Banette are exclusive to Pokemon Sapphire, whereas wild Dusclops are exclusive to Pokemon Ruby.
4. Despite Banette's zipper needing to stay closed in order for Banette to conserve energy, its Pokemon-Amie animation depicts it unzipping and opening its mouth in order to smile or eat
5. Banette seems to be based on the idea of a haunted doll, the tsukumogami, an idea rooted in Shinto's animism, or the concept of a voodoo doll due to its tendency to stick pins into itself
6. Banette may be a combination of the words, bane (a cause of great distress or annoyance), bayonet (a pin projecting from the side of an object), and marionette (a puppet worked from above by strings attached to its limbs)
7. Banette’s Japanese name, Juppeta, may refer to Geppetto, a woodcarver who built a puppet that came to life within the story of Pinocchio

FAQs

Is Banette a good Pokemon?

Banette has a high attack stat and a relatively high special attack stat, but both its defense and special defense stats are relatively low. This allows it to act as a wallbreaker and can use the move Destiny Bond in order to take out opponents it could not normally take out.

What is the evolution of Banette?

Banette does not have a normal evolution, though it can Mega Evolve into Mega Banette when holding Banettite in battle. However, this is not considered as an evolution.

How strong is Mega Banette?

Mega Banette has all of its stats increased except for its HP stat and automatically has the ability Prankster, which causes its non-damaging moves to have their priority increased by 1.

What is Banette's weakness?

As a ghost-type, Banette is weak to dark and ghost-types.

Conclusion

As one of the early generation ghost-type Pokemon, Banette has had plenty of time to become an iconic Pokemon that has grabbed the attention of many fans, notably those who enjoy the darker elements of Pokemon lore. While Mega Banette was not brought into Pokemon Sword and Shield, Banette has kept its popularity in competitive circles.