Shiny Pokémon were first introduced in the Generation II Pokémon games — Silver, Gold, and Crystal — and it's a welcome tradition that's persevered into Gen IX. Starting with the Generation V games, the odds of encountering a shiny Pokémon have increased from 1/8192 to a still-rare 1/4096. Due to these unlikely odds, shiny hunting is not for the impatient. It takes immense determination due to the minuscule odds of encountering one. When a player does catch a shiny, it can be one of the most exciting moments in a Pokémon journey.

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the odds of catching a shiny are still 1/4096. However, if players manage to complete the Pokédex and obtain the Shiny Charm, the odds increase to 1/1365. Players can also increase their shiny chances if they use the Masuda breeding method, which involves breeding two species from different real-world regions. Regardless, this mechanic has paved the way for some aesthetically pleasing new color schemes for various Pokémon.

Updated on February 7, 2024, by Guillermo Kurten: Shiny Pokémon will likely always be one of the most sought-after elements of Game Freak's mainline games. The releases of the Gen IX games Scarlet and Violet mean there are now nine generations worth of Shiny designs to find, with several notable standouts. This list is being updated to streamline the information on these Pokémon species' evolutionary lines, what their native regions are, and expand the list with more noteworthy Shiny designs.

25 Shiny Groudon Is A Sharp Contrast From Its Normal Form

A Shiny Groudon appearing in Pokémon Ultra Sun.

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Hoenn (Generation III)

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Alongside the creatures Kyogre and Rayquaza, Groudon is part of the beloved Super-Ancient Legendary Pokémon trio. Particularly with its rivalry with Kyogre, this beast has fascinating lore in the world, with its powers to expand landmasses effortlessly clashing with the former's ability to expand the seas.

Groudon already has an incredibly imposing dinosaur-like design, and the primary red coloring fits its ability to manipulate the land and magma, which is what makes its yellow-green shiny variant stand out so much. It's a stark but clever contrast to its base colors, making Shiny Groudon one of the most hunted variants in the mainline Pokémon games.

24 Shiny Greninja Fits The Ninja Motif

A playable Shiny Greninja in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Evolutionary line:

Froakie (1st stage), Frogadier (2nd stage), Greninja (3rd stage)

Native region:

Kalos (Generation VI)

While the Kalos region games aren't the most memorable titles of the mainline series, Greninja quickly became one of the most popular starters and Pokémon in general. The base version of this species is already one of the most inventive modern creature designs, combining a frog with a ninja theme.

However, Greninja's Shiny variation is perhaps the best of the two, swapping its primary blue color scheme to black. Another simple alteration, but it does wonders for the Pokémon's creature design, as it doubles down on the frog's ninja motif.

23 Shiny Chandelure Is A Perfect Parallel To Its Base Color Scheme

A Shiny and regular Chandelure together in Pokémon on Nintendo Switch.

Evolutionary line:

Litwick (1st stage), Chandelure (2nd stage)

Native region:

Unova (Generation V)

Turning inanimate objects into Pokémon is often controversial in online fan circles, but Black and White's Chandelure is perhaps one of the best examples. Based on a chandelier, Chandelure is a Ghost/Fire species that turns the flashy decoration into a possessed living being.

Naturally, that makes its base color scheme of blue-purple fit the ghostly aspect of the Pokémon, which makes its Shiny version the perfect parallel. This variant gives Chandelure's flames a traditional orange and its body a brighter tone to contrast its normal design.

22 Shiny Suicune Is A Subtle But Elegant Change

A Shiny Suicune appearing in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Johto (Generation II)

The Legendary Beast trio from the Johto region have been fan favorites since their debut on the Game Boy Color games, with the Water-type Suicune having some of the most significant story and lore content across Pokémon media. True to its Water typing, Suicune has arguably the most regal design of its contemporaries, and its Shiny form only adds to it.

This Shiny variant makes subtle changes, with its crest having a lighter blue and its mane swapping from purple to a darker blue. However, these small alterations look great together, leaning into Suicune's elegant and ethereal aesthetic qualities.

21 Shiny Metagross Gets More Lustrous Qualities

Steven Stone's Shiny Metagross in the Pokémon anime.

Evolutionary line:

Beldum (1st stage), Metang (2nd stage), Metagross (3rd stage)

Native region:

Hoenn (Generation III)

The Game Boy Advance Hoenn games are special by having two Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon — the Dragon/Flying-type Salamence and the Steel/Psychic Metagross. The latter is one of the strongest species in its category, with a UFO-like design to complement its powerful Steel typing.

As opposed to the blue and gray color combination, Shiny Metagross gets a silver-gray primary color with yellow-gold accents. This is one of the most striking Shiny redesigns and gives the Pokémon an even more lustrous aesthetic quality to match its dual Type.

20 Shiny Tinkaton Makes The Endearing Heavy-Hitter Even More So

Shiny Tinkaton smiling while holding its rusty hammer in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Evolutionary line:

Tinkatuff (1st stage), Tinkaton (2nd stage)

Native region:

Paldea (Generation IX)

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Tinkaton is a Fairy and Steel-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation IX. Tinkaton, and the rest of its three-stage evolution line beginning with Tinkatink, are based on dwarves or gnomes. They're a natural predator of Corviknight and will try to knock them out of the sky by pelting them with rocks. This can explain the silver and blue coloring of Tinkaton's hammer.

For its shiny, Tinkaton's hammer rusts. Nothing else changes in its shiny design. Just hours of tireless work with its reliable hammer. Some Pokémon fans speculate that the hammer color changes to reflect Corviknight's shiny form.

19 Shiny Lechonk Makes A New Fan-Favorite Even More Charming

Shiny Lechonk is encountered in the grass in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Evolutionary line:

Lechonk (1st stage), Oinkologne (2nd stage)

Native region:

Paldea (Generation IX)

Lechonk is a popular Normal-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation IX. Lechonk quickly became a fan-favorite upon its reveal for its small, adorable, and round pig design. Lechonk is constantly following its strong nose in search of food, which has resulted in its body being built up by muscles instead of fat.

Lechonk, along with its evolution Oinkologne, typically has black and brown coloring, which is common for real-world hogs. However, the black coloring in their shiny forms is replaced with pink, which is a color most commonly associated with pigs.

18 Shiny Klawf Is A Simple, Tasteful Color Change

Shiny Klawf in its battle stance from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Evolutionary line:

Klawf (single stage)

Native region:

Paldea (Generation IX)

Klawf is a Rock-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation IX. Klawf was one of the first Pokémon introduced for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and used to introduce Titan Pokémon. Titan Pokémon are variations of normal Pokémon that are massive in size. Trainers must defeat numerous Titan Pokémon throughout the Scarlet and Violet story.

Klawf's shiny form replaces its red coloring with blue. This is likely a reference to blue crabs, which are commonly found along the east coast of North America and the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Blue crabs are especially popular in the state of Maryland where it's the Maryland state crustacean.

17 Shiny Cetitan Gives The Imposing Creature A Slick Recolor

Shiny Cetitan in its battle stance in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Evolutionary line:

Cetoddle (1st stage), Cetitan (2nd stage)

Native region:

Paldea (Generation IX)

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Cetitan is an Ice-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation IX. Cetitan is Cetoddle's evolution when exposed to an Ice Stone. Cetitan has five horns, but its front-most horn is the source of many of its ice abilities, like freezing its surroundings and gathering ice energy.

Cetitan normally has simple white and gray skin with subtle pink coloring throughout, but its shiny form looks much sleeker. The gray coloring remains, but the white is replaced with black while the pink is replaced with orange. This leads to a drastically different look that stands out compared to its normal variant.

16 Shiny Futuristic Paradox Pokémon Take "Shiny" Literally

A Shiny Iron Moth Pokémon screeches as Shiny sparkles emanate from it.

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Paldea (Generation IX)

Paradox Pokémon are one of the most fascinating additions to Scarlet and Violet. Paradox creatures are distantly related to modern Pokémon and they can come from the distant past or the distant future. For example, the Ancient relative of Volcarona is Slither Wing while its Future relative is Iron Moth.

The Future Paradox Pokémon, which are versions exclusive to Violet, are all metallic and robotic. These normal variants do have chrome coloring in their designs, but their shiny forms cover more of the Pokémon's body with chromium — almost as if someone didn't finish painting them. These Future Paradox species are some of the shiniest shiny Pokémon, literally.

15 Shiny Galarian Zigzagoon Is A Vibrant Regional Alternative

Shiny Galarian Zigzagoon in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Evolutionary line:

Zigzagoon (1st stage), Linoone (2nd stage), Obstagoon (3rd stage, Galarian exclusive)

Native region:

Hoenn (Generation III, original Zigzagoon), Galar (Generation VIII, Galarian Form)

Zigzagoon is a Normal-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation III and got a regional variant in Generation VIII, adding Dark to its Normal typing. Regional variants can breathe new life into old, typically overlooked Pokémon by giving them a fresh new design and typing. Regional variants can result in new evolutions like Zigzagoon with Obstagoon.

Galarian Zigzagoon's design is reminiscent of the rock band Kiss as well as the European Badger. The Galarian Zigzagoon's shiny form trades in its black and white colors for red and light blue, which makes each evolution of the Galarian variant of Zigzagoon stand out far more than its non-Galar variant.

14 Shiny Emboar Is A Stylish Contrast To Typical Fire-Themed Designs

Shiny Emboar from Pokemon

Evolutionary line:

Tepig (1st stage), Pignite (2nd stage), Emboar (3rd stage)

Native region:

Unova (Generation V)

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Emboar is a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon first introduced in Generation V, a generation that introduced more Fire-types than any other. Emboar is one of the most unpopular starters in the franchise. While showing promise with the adorable quadruped, Tepig, the result was yet another bipedal Fire/Fighting type starter.

Players who gave Emboar a chance and pursued its shiny form were rewarded with one of the coolest shinies ever. From its flaming head to its pointy hooves, Emboar turns up the heat with blue flames and fur. Despite being one of the least picked starter Pokémon, Emboar boasts one of the best shiny forms among them.

13 Shiny Yveltal Leans Into Its Intimidating Presence

Shiny Yveltal from Pokemon

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Kalos (Generation VI)

Yveltal is a Dark/Flying-type legendary Pokémon first introduced in Generation VI. Yveltal made an immediate impression on Pokémon fans by appearing on the cover of Pokémon Y. Yveltal is a dangerous Pokémon with destructive life-absorbing powers. Yveltal's counterpart, Xerneas, has the power to undo those effects creating a life-and-death dynamic.

Shiny Yveltal swaps black coloring with white while the rest of its body is a slightly darker red. Yveltal's piercing blue eyes are much more prominent, making for a much more intimidating legendary Pokémon. Pokémon fans also like shiny Yveltal for its resemblance to bacon, making it a fine addition to any food-inspired team.

12 Shiny Zygarde Uses A Creative Color Combination

Shiny Zygarde from Pokemon

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Kalos (Generation VI)

Zygarde is a Dragon/Ground-type legendary Pokémon first introduced in Generation VI. Yveltal and Xerneas aren't just two peas in a pod, they're a part of the "aura trio" alongside Zygarde. Zygarde has multiple forms based on how many cells it has: 10%, 50%, and Complete. The 10% form is reminiscent of a dog, the 50% form is snake-like, while the Complete form looks like a mech soldier.

Regular Zygarde uses the already stellar green and black combination, and its shiny form is just as cool. Zygarde's shiny form goes with the underutilized color combination of white and teal instead, which looks hauntingly ghost-like.

11 Shiny Rayquaza Is Among The Best Black Redesigns

Ash flying on a Latios, Pikachu flying on a Latias, and Shiny Rayquaza in Pokemon the Movie 18: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages

Evolutionary line:

Single stage

Native region:

Hoenn (Generation III)

Rayquaza is a Dragon/Flying-type legendary Pokémon first introduced in Generation III and one of the most popular legendaries, serving as the mascot of Pokémon Emerald. In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's Delta Episode, players can catch Rayquaza, ride it up to space, and face off against a Deoxys. Rayquaza also serves to end the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre.

While Rayquaza looks amazing in green, it looks even better in black, especially after it mega evolves. Notably, shiny Rayquaza even appeared in the Pokémon anime, playing a key role in the 18th Pokémon movie Hoopa and Clash of Ages.

10 Shiny Vaporeon Keeps The Original Version's Elegance

The shiny form of Vaporeon is smiling in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Evolutionary line:

Eevee (1st stage), Vaporeon (2nd stage)

Native region:

Kanto (Generation I)

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Vaporeon is a Water-Type Pokémon first introduced in Generation I. It's one of Eevee's many alternate evolutions and obtainable by exposing Eevee to a Water Stone. Vaporeon is also nicknamed the "Bubble Jet Pokémon." Vaporeon, along with Flareon and Jolteon, was one of the first "Eeveelutions" introduced in the Pokémon series.

Vaporeon's normal color palette is a nice light blue with dark blue around its head. The shiny form is a vibrant light purple with dark purple markings around its head. Vaporeon is one of the prettiest shiny forms in Pokémon.

9 Shiny Ponyta Is Another Classic Blue Recolor

A Player Encountering Shiny Ponyta In Wild in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Evolutionary line:

Ponyta (1st stage), Rapidash (2nd stage)

Native region:

Kanto (Generation I)

Ponyta is a Fire-Type introduced in Generation I and evolves into Rapidash at level 40. A Galarian form of Ponyta and Rapidash was introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, which are Psychic/Fairy-type, rather than solely Fire.

The normal Ponyta has red flames surrounding its body, but the shiny form has electric blue flames, making the Pokémon even more majestic. Shiny Galarian Ponyta is also nice if players are lucky enough to find both. Players can get a Shiny Ponyta as part of a quest in Pokémon Legends: Arceus as a way to introduce players to the concept.

8 Shiny Altaria Complements The White Clouds With A Gold-Yellow

Shiny Altaria in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX

Evolutionary line:

Swablu (1st stage), Altaria (2nd stage)

Native region:

Hoenn (Generation III)

Altaria is a Dragon/Flying-Type Pokémon that players first encounter in Generation III and evolves from Swablu at level 35. Altaria even received a Mega Evolution form in the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games. Altaria's body is sky blue in its normal form, but it drastically changes for its shiny form.

If players ever wanted an in-game Big Bird, this is the shiny Pokémon for them. Altaria transitions from its sky blue color to a blinding yellow, making it reminiscent of the Sesame Street character. Altaria is one of the Pokémon players can encounter in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's wormholes, which have an increased shiny chance!

7 Shiny Gyarados Is An All-Time Classic Design

Evolutionary line:

Magikarp (1st stage), Gyarados (2nd stage)

Native region:

Kanto (Generation I)

Gyarados is a Water/Flying-Type introduced in Generation I and is among the many Pokémon that deserve a paradox equivalent. Evolving from Magikarp at level 20, when it's not shiny, Gyarados is blue with a pale yellow underbelly. Longtime Pokémon players will remember encountering a Shiny Gyarados in Lake of Rage, nearby Mahogany Town in Generation II.

Players are given just one chance to catch the vivid red shiny Gyarados, so they must take caution. After accidentally knocking out the Gyarados or catching it, players receive a Red Scale to trade for an EXP Share and meet with Lance to defeat Team Rocket.

6 Shiny Palossand Is A Clever Real-World Reference

The shiny form of Palossand from Pokemon Sword and Shield

Evolutionary line:

Sandygast (1st stage), Palossand (2nd stage)

Native region:

Alola (Generation VII)

Palossand is a Ghost/Ground-Type Pokémon that players first meet in Generation VII and evolves from Sandygast at level 42. The normal form of Palossand closely resembles an actual sand castle, hence its nickname.

Players won't find it difficult to identify which Palossand is the shiny one due to its drastic color change. The standard sand color for Palossand transforms into a deep black. The change makes the Pokémon almost eerie but super cool. The black color is a reference to black sand found in parts of Hawaii, the geography of which has influenced Alola.