Balatro Spectral Cards: All 18, Ranked
Exact effects, downsides, a tier list, and when each Spectral is worth the risk. Effects come from the game files; tiers average 8 player tier lists.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
Spectral cards are high-impact consumables found in Spectral Packs and Ghost Deck shops that deliver game-changing deck or Joker modifications, balanced by heavy penalties such as destroyed cards, lost money, or reduced hand size. Most Spectrals cost $4, while The Soul and Black Hole can also appear as 0.3% ultra-rare additions inside Arcana and Celestial Packs. Players rank Cryptid and The Soul at the top for unmatched card duplication and Legendary Jokers, closely followed by Immolate for rapid deck thinning and $20 instant cash.
Spectral tier list
Averaged from 8 player tier lists (2024 to 2025). The right pick still depends on your Jokers and deck.
S tier
A tier
B tier
C tier
D tier
Each card's tier is the average of 8 player tier lists: ZainoTV's 2025 consumable tier list, 6 community lists from TierMaker, and 1 dedicated Spectral list. S counts 5, A 4, B 3, C 2, D 1, then cards are cut into tiers by score (S >= 4.5, A >= 3.75, B >= 2.9, C >= 1.85, else D). A few lists rank Immolate and Trance lower than most players do; the raw averages are kept. Gaming-site listicles were excluded because they disagree with player experience. Effects are checked against the game's data files (version 1.0.1).
The tier list can't see your run. BalatroBuddy can.
Tell it your Jokers, hands, and pack contents, and it evaluates the Spectral risk for your exact setup.
A Spectral Pack offered Ankh, but I already have Cavendish, Popcorn, and Half Joker. Should I take it?
BalatroBuddy: Not automatically. For a level-1 Pair of two unenhanced Kings, fresh Popcorn (+20 Mult), Half Joker (+20 Mult), then Cavendish score 30 x 42 x 3 = 3,780. Selling both flat Mult Jokers and cloning Cavendish leaves only 30 x 2 x 9 = 540. Because Ankh duplicates a random Joker and destroys all other Jokers, selling your flat Mult Jokers guarantees that Cavendish is the card cloned. Two Cavendishes give X9 Mult, but that only helps if you retain enough Chips and base or added Mult. Compare the actual hand before selling anything.
All 18 Spectral cards
Grouped by what they do, best first within each group. Tap a card for full details and synergies.
Jokers
Create, duplicate, or modify Jokers
The Soul
Creates a Legendary Joker (must have room).
Best when: You have an open Joker slot. 0.3% chance per card in Spectral and Arcana Packs.
Tier S
Ectoplasm
Adds Negative to a random editionless Joker. Costs 1 hand size, plus 1 more for each earlier Ectoplasm this run.
Best when: You have an editionless Joker, can spare hand size, and need an extra Joker slot. Each use costs more hand size.
Tier B
Ankh
Create a copy of a random Joker, destroy all other non-Eternal Jokers (removes Negative from copy).
Best when: You have one game-carrying XMult or scaling Joker, or sell off other Jokers to force the copy.
Tier B
Wraith
Creates a random Rare Joker, sets money to $0.
Best when: Early in a run when your money is low and any Rare Joker provides an immediate win condition.
Tier C
Hex
Add Polychrome to a random editionless Joker, destroy all other non-Eternal Jokers.
Best when: You have an editionless carry Joker and can afford to lose your other non-Eternal Jokers.
Tier C
Seals
Add Red, Blue, Purple, or Gold Seals
Medium
Add a Purple Seal to 1 selected card in your hand.
Best when: You have discards to spare. The sealed card creates a Tarot each time you discard it.
Tier A
Deja Vu
Add a Red Seal to 1 selected card in your hand.
Best when: You have a key Glass, Steel, Lucky, or high-chip card you play or hold every round.
Tier A
Trance
Add a Blue Seal to 1 selected card in your hand.
Best when: You can hold the sealed card at round end. It creates the Planet for the last hand you played.
Tier A
Talisman
Add a Gold Seal to 1 selected card in your hand.
Best when: You need consistent economy, granting $3 every time the sealed card scores.
Tier B
Deck changers
Copy, destroy, enhance, or convert playing cards
Cryptid
Create 2 copies of 1 selected card in your hand.
Best when: Targeting a card enhanced with Glass, Steel, or a Red Seal to multiply your scoring engine.
Tier S
Immolate
Destroys 5 random cards in hand, gain $20.
Best when: Your hand contains unwanted low-rank or off-suit cards, giving immediate deck thinning and $20.
Tier A
Aura
Add Foil, Holographic, or Polychrome effect to 1 selected card in hand.
Best when: Targeting a core scoring card you play often. Odds: 50% Foil, 35% Holographic, 15% Polychrome.
Tier B
Grim
Destroy 1 random card in your hand, add 2 random Enhanced Aces to your hand.
Best when: You have Ace-synergy Jokers like Scholar or Fibonacci, or build towards 4 or 5 of a Kind Aces.
Tier C
Familiar
Destroy 1 random card in your hand, add 3 random Enhanced face cards to your hand.
Best when: You have face-card Jokers like Smiley Face, Scary Face, Sock and Buskin, or Photograph.
Tier C
Sigil
Converts all cards in hand to a single random suit.
Best when: You play Flush builds and want an immediate burst of one suit across your entire current hand.
Tier C
Ouija
Converts all cards in hand to a single random rank, -1 hand size.
Best when: Early in Ante 1 or 2 to anchor a 4 or 5 of a Kind build before hand size penalties hurt.
Tier D
Incantation
Destroy 1 random card in your hand, add 4 random Enhanced numbered cards to your hand.
Best when: You run chip Jokers or Hologram and want raw card count, or play Hack builds (ranks 2 to 5).
Tier D
Hand levels
Upgrade every poker hand at once
Black Hole
Upgrade every poker hand by 1 level.
Best when: Anytime it appears. 0.3% chance per card in Celestial and Spectral Packs.
Tier A
Not sure which of these fits your run?
Describe your Jokers and hand. BalatroBuddy picks the Spectral and evaluates the risk.
Spectral card questions
What is the best Spectral card in Balatro?
Cryptid and The Soul lead this tier list, with Immolate in A tier. Cryptid copies a selected playing card twice, The Soul creates a Legendary Joker if you have room, and Immolate destroys 5 random cards in hand for $20. Immolate can destroy valuable cards too; check the whole hand before using it.
How do you get Spectral cards in Balatro?
Spectral cards appear mainly inside Spectral Packs from the shop or Ethereal Tags, and the Ghost Deck allows them to appear in standard shop slots. In addition, The Soul and Black Hole have a 0.3% chance to appear inside Arcana and Celestial Packs respectively, while Sixth Sense and Seance can create random Spectrals during play.
Can The Soul and Black Hole appear in the shop?
No. The Soul and Black Hole do not appear for purchase in the shop, even on Ghost Deck, and Sixth Sense and Seance cannot generate them. Their eligible Booster Pack slots roll at 0.3%: The Soul in Spectral and Arcana Packs, Black Hole in Spectral and Celestial Packs. With Omen Globe, 20% of Arcana slots become Spectral slots, so Black Hole has a 0.06% chance per eligible Arcana slot (20% x 0.3%), subject to duplicate restrictions.
When should you use Ectoplasm or Ouija?
Only when your build can afford permanent hand size loss. Ectoplasm costs 1 hand size, then 2, then 3 on later uses, so it is best once or twice when an extra Joker slot matters most. Ouija costs 1 hand size and is best in Ante 1 or 2, before your deck is built around specific ranks.
Does Ankh remove Negative from the duplicated Joker?
Yes. Ankh removes Negative from the copy, so the copy does not add a Joker slot. It destroys the other non-Eternal Jokers; Eternal Jokers survive. Having only one Joker guarantees which one is copied, but first check whether losing the others would reduce your score.
- Booster Packs: Spectral Pack sizes and where rare 0.3% cards appear.
- Tarot Cards: Reshape and enhance playing cards without Spectral downsides.
- Planet Cards: Level up poker hands alongside Black Hole.