On this page6 sections
- Ghosts haunt Burial Chambers and Smouldering Tombs in the Black Forest, plus a raid after Bonemass.
- They resist Blunt, Slash and Pierce, so physical weapons do half damage.
Fire Arrows and the Torch's Fire damage hit at full strength; Spirit hits for 1.5x.- Each kill drops 1-4
Ectoplasm, the key ingredient for the T.W.I.G. training dummy. - Dungeon Ghosts never respawn, so the Bonemass raid is the only renewable source.
What Is the Ghost in Valheim?
The Ghost lurks in the dark corridors of Black Forest Burial Chambers and is often the first genuinely spooky encounter for new players underground. Unlike the 
Skeletons and 
Rancid Remains in the same tunnels, it resists physical damage and does not respawn once killed.
Undead, but not like the others
Ghosts belong to the Undead faction, yet fight nothing like other undead. Skeletons are weak to Blunt and Fire; Ghosts resist Blunt, Slash and Pierce. Many veterans remember swinging a 
Club wildly at their first Ghost and wondering why it barely took damage. That confusion is by design.
A more readable model
The Call to Arms update turned the Ghost from a purple cloud into a glowing skeletal figure. The old model had almost no visible attack animation, so you had to parry by sound. Now you can see the wind-up, which makes the fight far more readable.
Ghost Combat Stats
| Health | 60 |
| Attack Damage | 25 Slash |
| Attack Range | 1.2 meters |
| Attack Arc | 1.7m, 90-degree horizontal sweep |
| Attack Cooldown | 2 seconds |
| Stagger Limit | 50% |
| Faction | Undead |
| Star Variants | 0-star (Burial Chambers), 1-star (Smouldering Tombs) |
Damage Resistances and Weaknesses
This is where most players get tripped up. The Ghost takes half damage (0.5x) from all three physical types. With a Club, Sword or regular Arrows, its 60 HP effectively becomes 120.
What works
- Spirit (1.5x): the only true weakness, but Spirit damage is rare when you first meet Ghosts.
- Fire (normal): Fire Arrows hit for their full value and make a solid ranged option.
- The
Torch: its 15 Fire damage is not resisted, so this terrible general weapon is surprisingly decent here. It has no Spirit damage.
Frost and Lightning are also normal.
What does not
Ghosts are immune to Poison, so leave the 
Poison Arrows at home. Chop and Pickaxe damage do nothing either, in case you ever panic-swing a tool in a dark tunnel.
Carry a Torch into Burial Chambers. It lights the darkness, and its Fire damage ignores the Ghost's physical resistances, which makes it one of the best early weapons against them. Experienced players swap to the Torch the moment a Ghost appears, then switch back to their main weapon for Skeletons.
Where to Find Ghosts
Ghosts appear in three situations, and each behaves a little differently.
Burial Chambers (Black Forest)
Most players meet their first Ghost here. Burial Chamber entrances come in three styles:
- large raised rocks with an entrance at one end
- a small entrance ringed by three stones set into a hillside
- a wide flight of stone stairs leading down
Ghosts are uncommon inhabitants alongside Skeletons, Rancid Remains and Evil Bone Piles. They are 0-star only and one-time spawns: once cleared, they are gone for good.
Smouldering Tombs (miniboss dungeon)
These Black Forest dungeons have two Standing Iron Torches flanking the entrance. You find them through Hildir's map table, and they house the miniboss Brenna. Ghosts here are 1-star, so noticeably tougher, and they also never respawn.
Ghost raid event
After you defeat Bonemass, the raid "You feel a chill down your spine..." can hit your base. It sends waves of 0-star Ghosts, up to 3 active at once, with a very common spawn frequency. Because dungeon spawns are finite, this raid is the only renewable source of Ghosts and the best way to farm Ectoplasm in bulk.
“Ghosts do not respawn in dungeons. Once you clear them, they are gone forever.
How to Fight the Ghost
- 1
Bring Light and the Right Weapon
Bring a Torch or the
Dverger Circlet for light. Use Spirit damage if you have it; otherwise Fire Arrows are your best bet, since Fire is normal against Ghosts while physical damage is halved. A Sword or Axe still works on a 60 HP target, it just costs more stamina. - 2
Watch for the Attack Wind-Up
The Ghost swings its hand in a horizontal 90-degree arc covering 1.7 meters. It attacks when you are within 1.2 meters, with a 2-second cooldown. Watch for the sideways motion, then parry, block or dodge: 25 Slash hurts in early armor.
- 3
Use the Narrow Corridors to Your Advantage
Ghosts get stuck in narrow hallways, so whittle them down with arrows from a safe spot, or back into a doorway and make them come to you. If one shows up with Skeletons, kill the quicker Skeletons first, then focus the Ghost.
- 4
Collect Your Ectoplasm
Every Ghost drops 1-4 Ectoplasm, plus a 10% chance at the
Ghost Trophy. Ectoplasm is teleportable, so you can portal it home. Dungeon Ghosts are finite, so pick up every piece: you will want it for the T.W.I.G.
A common mistake is confusing the Ghost with the Wraith. The Ghost is the spectral creature found inside Burial Chambers in the Black Forest. The 
Wraith is a completely different enemy: a cloaked, floating figure found in the Swamp biome. They have different stats, different drops, and different resistances. If someone tells you they fought a "ghost in the Swamp," they are talking about a Wraith.
Ghost Drops: Ectoplasm and Ghost Trophy
Both drops are worth collecting:
- Ectoplasm: guaranteed, 1-4 per kill. Weight 2, stacks to 50, teleportable.
- Ghost Trophy: 10% chance. Weight 2, stacks to 20, teleportable.
The T.W.I.G.
Ectoplasm's main use is the T.W.I.G. training dummy, crafted at a Workbench. It lets you train weapon, archery, dodging and blocking skills safely at base. It has 2500 durability, attacks you when you get close so you can practice blocking, and ignores rain damage.
The trophy
The Ghost Trophy goes on an Item Stand as decoration, or programs a Ballista to target Ghosts. With dungeon Ghosts so limited, the 10% rate makes it one of the rarer early trophies. The Bonemass raid is your best chance to farm it.
T.W.I.G. Recipe (Uses Ectoplasm)
Finewood
Bronze NailsFarming Ectoplasm Efficiently
The T.W.I.G. needs 5 Ectoplasm. At 1-4 per kill, that takes 2 to 5 Ghosts, and dungeon Ghosts are finite, so plan accordingly.
Early game: clear every Burial Chamber
You already raid Burial Chambers for 
Surtling Cores, 
Coins, 
Amber and 
Ruby, so any Ghost along the way is free Ectoplasm. Not every chamber has one, but several dungeons add up. Follow one wall (left or right) to make sure you explore every room.
After Bonemass: farm the raid
The "You feel a chill down your spine..." raid is your renewable source. Build a base within range of several biomes to improve your raid eligibility, then fight each wave as it arrives. With up to 3 Ghosts active at a time, a single raid can yield a solid haul.
Ghost vs. Wraith: Know the Difference
The Ghost and the Wraith are both ethereal undead, but they are completely different creatures.
The Ghost
Found in Black Forest Burial Chambers and Smouldering Tombs. It is an early, manageable fight once you understand its resistances, and it drops Ectoplasm.
The Wraith
Found in the Swamp, usually flying around at night. It is tougher and drops 
Chain, a key crafting material. If someone online says "Ghosts spawn in the Swamp", they almost certainly mean Wraiths.
Ghost vs. Wraith Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Ghosts respawn in Burial Chambers?
No. Ghosts are one-time spawns in both Burial Chambers and Smouldering Tombs, so once killed they are gone permanently. The only renewable source is the "You feel a chill down your spine..." raid, which becomes possible after you defeat Bonemass.
What is the best weapon against Ghosts?
Spirit damage is the Ghost's only weakness (1.5x). Early on, the Torch works surprisingly well because its Fire damage is not resisted, and Fire Arrows are a safe ranged option at full damage. Blunt, Slash and Pierce are all halved, so Clubs are especially inefficient. Later Spirit weapons make short work of any Ghost.
What is Ectoplasm used for?
Ectoplasm is used to craft the T.W.I.G. training dummy: 5 Ectoplasm, 5 Finewood and 10 Bronze Nails at a Workbench. The T.W.I.G. lets you train weapon, archery, dodging and blocking skills safely at your base.
Can Ghosts appear in star variants?
Burial Chambers and the Ghost raid only spawn 0-star Ghosts. The Smouldering Tombs miniboss dungeon spawns 1-star Ghosts, which have double health (120) and more damage. These are the only starred Ghosts in the game.
Ghost Data
Exact values from the game files (version 1.0 (build 2026-09-17)).
Stats
| Health | 60 |
| Run speed | 4 |
Resistances & Weaknesses
- chopIgnore
- bluntResistant
- slashResistant
- pierceResistant
- poisonImmune
- spiritWeak
- pickaxeIgnore
Drops
Recent Updates
- Updated for Valheim 1.0: corrected the Ectoplasm drop amount and Torch damage, fixed Wraith resistances, and reorganised for easier reading.