Spectral Thief (move)

Spectral Thief シャドースチール Shadow Steal

Battles Type  Ghost Category  Physical PP  10 (max. 16) Power  90 Accuracy  100% Priority  0 Makes contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by Mirror Move Affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation VII Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0   Jam  0

Super Contests Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0

Contest Spectaculars Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0   Jamming  0

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Spectral Thief (Japanese: シャドースチール Shadow Steal) is a damage-dealing Ghost-type move introduced in Generation VII. It is the signature move of Marshadow.

It can be upgraded to the special Z-Move Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike by Marshadow holding Marshadium Z.

Effect

Spectral Thief deals damage. If successful, it also steals the target's positive stat stages (if any) immediately before dealing damage. Spectral Thief bypasses substitutes, and can successfully steal stat boosts from the boss of a Max Raid Battle even if it currently has a shield up. If the target has an Ability such as Clear Body, White Smoke, or Hyper Cutter that normally prevents some or all of its stats from being lowered, Spectral Thief can still steal boosts in those stats.

Spectral Thief will steal all positive stat stages; even if the sum of the user's existing stat stages and the target's stat stages exceeds +6 in a stat, as long as the target's stat stages are positive, they will be reduced to 0. If the user has the Ability Simple, then the stolen stat stages will be doubled; if the user has the Ability Contrary, then the stat boosts will become stat drops when stolen.

Generation VIII

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Spectral Thief cannot be selected in a battle.

Generation IX

Spectral Thief is programmed into Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but it cannot be used in a battle as no available Pokémon can learn it, and it cannot be called by Metronome.

Description

Games Description SMUSUMPE SwShLA SV The user hides in the target's shadow, steals the target's stat boosts, and then attacks. BDSP This move can't be used. It's recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can't be remembered.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Types	Egg Groups		Level
						VII	VIII
						SMUSUM	SwSh
0802		Marshadow		No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered	45	72
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By event

Generation VIII

#	Pokémon		Types	Egg Groups		Obtained with
0802		MarshadowLv. 60		No Eggs Discovered		No Eggs Discovered	Pokémon Scrap 2020 Marshadow
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

In other games

Pokémon Rumble Rush

Spectral Thief

★★★★
Attack power	102.6584
Charge time	1.38 seconds
Range type	Circular (ranged)
Number of hits	1
Number of projectiles	1
Critical hit rate	1.5%
Additional effect	None

Pokémon Masters EX

Name	Category	Move gauge cost	MP (uses)	Base power	Max power	Accuracy	Target	Effect tag	Description	Playable sync pair(s)
Spectral Thief	Physical	2	3	85	102	100%	An opponent	—	Returns the target's raised stats to normal and raises the user's stats by the same amount.	Sygna Suit Korrina & Marshadow
Sync move
Name	Category	State		Base power	Max power	Target		Effect tag	Description	Playable sync pair
Shadow-Shrouded Spectral Thief	Physical	Default		200	240	An opponent		—	This attack's power increases when none of the target's stats are raised.	Sygna Suit Korrina & Marshadow
		6★ EX		300	360
		6★ EX with EX role							The sync buff is doubled the first time a sync move is used.

In animation

Pokémon animated series

• In I Choose You!, Marshadow was confirmed to know Spectral Thief through its use of Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike. However, it has never been seen using it.

In other generations

Core series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Spin-off series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• If Battle Effects are turned off, Spectral Thief will still display one if it steals any stat boosts.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 暗影偷盜 Amyíng Tāudouh Mandarin 暗影偷盜 / 暗影偷盗 Ànyǐng Tōudào French Clepto-Mânes German Diebesschatten Italian Ombrafurto Korean 섀도스틸 Syaedoseutil Russian Призрачный Вор Prizrachnyy Vor Spanish Robasombra

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.