Shiny PokĆ©mon are alternate palette swaps of regular PokĆ©mon, and they’re extremely rareāyou naturally have a 1/8192 chance of finding one of these in the wild (or 1/4096, if you’re playing any game that is or beyond PokĆ©mon X and Y). Depending on the game, if you complete your entire PokĆ©dex, you are rewarded for your efforts with the Shiny Charm, an item that raises your chances even further to 1/4096 (or, again, 1/1365 past X and Y). There are plenty of people within the PokĆ©mon community who have made a hobby of hunting these super-rare color palettes, known as “shiny hunters.”
I am one such shiny hunter. I’ve been scouring several different games for the past few years in search of these alternately colored PokĆ©mon, and I’ve seen almost every Shiny PokĆ©mon’s appearance. There are some that are okay, some that are not-so-great, and then there are the absolute best of the best. Here are 10 of the greatest Shiny PokĆ©mon of all time, ranked from great to best.
10. Charizard
Let’s face it: There’s absolutely no way Charizard wouldn’t have made this list somehow. It was a tough choice between Charizard and Greninja (another iconic black Shiny PokĆ©mon), but Charizard ended up taking the spot. Shiny Charizard wasn’t always colored this wayāalongside several other PokĆ©mon, Charizard’s Shiny appearance was changed in PokĆ©mon Ruby and Sapphire, from purple and green to its current black and red. Already a beloved PokĆ©mon, Charizard gets even more hype for this stunning color combo. If you’re feeling extra patient and willing to break your game a little bit, you can even encounter a wild Shiny Charizard in PokĆ©mon Emerald’s Battle Pyramidāa unique hunt that yields a true sight to behold.
9. Umbreon
Another wildly popular Shiny PokĆ©mon, Umbreon’s Shiny palette is simple yet amazingly effective. While regular Umbreon is black with yellow rings, Shiny Umbreon swaps this yellow for a cool blue and changes the eye color from red to gold. Although Umbreon by itself is not a particularly popular PokĆ©mon, its Shiny palette continues to receive high praiseāand is even the subject of one of the most valuable PokĆ©mon trading cards of all time. Umbreon’s original PokĆ©mon Gold, Silver and Crystal sprites are also absolutely beautiful, with the blue being slightly darkerāalmost making Umbreon look even more ominous. With these colors, it’s no wonder that many hunters highly desire having a Shiny Umbreon amongst their collection.
8. Whimsicott
“Wait, this was a PokĆ©mon?” It’s pretty easy to forget about many of the PokĆ©mon within the Unova region’s plethora of new additions, but Whimsicott stands out among the groupāeven more with its simple but effective Shiny palette. Though it looks very similar to Umbreon’s, Whimsicott’s Shiny still uses many of those same attributes to contribute to one of the best Shinies in the series. Swapping its green and yellow colors for black and blue without changing the color of its soft, fluffy head is a formula for success. I personally added this PokĆ©mon to my Shiny collection last fall, and needless to say, I was stoked to get this beautiful Shiny when it finally appeared.
7. Decidueye
The Shiny forms of Starter PokĆ©mon have varied over the years, from great to not-so-great. Alolan starter Rowlet has undoubtedly one of the best Shiny families among the starters. This culminates in its final evolution, Decidueye, whose shiny is sought-after by many hunters. All of the colors selected work phenomenally well here, with teal, black, and red creating vibrant accents while the white body and wing spots neutralize the look. The vibrant palette chosen for Decidueye’s Shiny form makes it stand out spectacularly, placing it higher on this list.
6. Gigalith
Gigalith is a less-common favorite PokĆ©mon among the community, and it’s a shame that its Shiny palette is given the same treatment, because it’s absolutely stunning. Swapping its jagged red parts for a vibrant cyan and its dark grey body for a purplish grey, Gigalith’s color change attracts lots of attentionāand for good reason. When entering a battle, Shiny Gigalith makes the tips of its jagged cyan parts glow a vibrant orange, allowing it to become even more stunning. Overall, this Shiny is a must-have for its simple but effective color change.
5. Naganadel
PokĆ©mon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduced us to the adorable Ultra Beast (UB) Poipoleāand if it levels up while knowing the move Dragon Pulse, it evolves into the deadly Naganadel. Naganadel’s Shiny palette further reinforces just how dangerous this PokĆ©mon can be, by changing its colors to black and yellow. While this might be a literal “Danger” sign, there’s no denying that this palette is downright amazing, especially for a PokĆ©mon that already looks a lot like an insect. Given that Poipole was actually distributed Shiny for an event some time ago for a tie-in with the PokĆ©mon Trading Card Game, it should come as no surprise that many people have or want this Shiny in their collection.
Related: The Top 10 Best Legendary Pokemon of All Time, Ranked on Gamepur
4. Palossand
Palossand’s black-sand Shiny palette might look similar, on first glance, to many of the other PokĆ©mon on this list, but it gets extra points for mimicking real life in the process. Though many of the first Shiny PokĆ©mon had palettes that were just based on palette swaps, modern PokĆ©mon take their inspiration from real life for Shiny colors. Black sand beaches exist around the world, and one even exists in Hawaii, the archipelago that Alola is based on. Being Alolan itself, it makes perfect sense for this sandy PokĆ©mon to have a black Shinyāand for that, it gets extra credence.
3. Falinks
A newer PokĆ©mon hailing from Galar, people didn’t think much of Falinks when PokĆ©mon Sword and Shield first released. This mini-phalanx formation is quickly becoming a new fan favorite, though, and that owes greatly to its beautiful Shiny palette. Swapping its vibrant yellow and red for a rich brown and gold, Falinks perfectly suits these colors as a Fighting-type. I hunted for Falinks myself two years ago using the Masuda Methodāwhere breeding two PokĆ©mon from different language games yields a higher chance of a Shiny (1/683 without Shiny Charm, 1/512 with). This little fighting troupe gave me quite a fight with a whopping 2,245 eggs hatched before I finally claimed it, and it was absolutely worth the hassle.
2. Heatmor
Heatmor is not exactly the PokƩmon that comes to mind when many people think of their favorite PokƩmon. However, this often-forgotten PokƩmon also houses one of the best Shiny palettes there is. Rather than change its color to something extravagant or complementary, Heatmor doubles down on volcanic reds and pinks, with its main body highlights turning a sooty grey color. Proving that Unovan PokƩmon have quite a few great Shiny forms, Heatmor stands above many for its simple but effective color change.
1. Lunala
At the top of this list, the Alolan Legendary representing the Moon has one of the best Shiny forms out there. The switch from purple to blood red is also taken from real life, given the blood moon phenomenon that occurs when the Moon is eclipsed. This PokĆ©mon’s great Shiny palette is just perfect in all senses of the wordāand definitely a must-have for many shiny hunters out there.
(featured image: The PokƩmon Company)