Shiny hunters, it’s time again to pick up your Pokéballs and head out on an adventure. With Pokémon Legends: Arceus opening the doors to Hisui, there’s a whole bunch of shiny alternatives to add a touch of colour to your team. All you have to do is find them, and that’s never been a challenge before, right?
In our guide to Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny Pokémon, we’ll cover all you need to know about these coveted pallet-swap Pokémon and the best way of locating them. As ever, there’s a big chunk of luck involved in tracking down a shiny Pokémon, but there are things that you can do to boost your odds.
For more on the latest Pokémon adventure, take a look at our list of the Pokémon Legends: Arceus new Pokémon, as well as Pokémon Legends: Arceus legendary Pokémon. Or, if you’ve already caught your shiny but don’t have the currency you need for Pokémon Legends: Arceus evolution items, see our guide to Pokémon Legends: Arceus merit points for all the need-to-know information.
How do I find a Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny?
For the first time in a Pokémon game, you can make out shiny Pokémon in the overworld before starting a battle. This makes it both a little easier and quicker to track down a shiny, especially during an outbreak, but also means you always need to be on the lookout.
Shiny hunters will enjoy Pokémon Legends: Arceus! Along with the Shiny Charm, many new mechanics can further improve your chances of finding a shiny from the base 1/4096 rate.
Here are your shiny rates as of version 1.0.1. pic.twitter.com/gw4dswDMHS
— Anubis (@Sibuna_Switch) January 27, 2022
Unlike previous entries in the series, you can now save before trying to capture a shiny Pokémon, so all that hard work doesn’t go to waste. If you fail the first time around, or the ‘mon in question runs for the hills, saving guarantees you another chance at landing the rare creature, and this way you won’t have to rage like a Gyarados if the shiny does evade you.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny hunting
Now you know the shiny odds; it’s time to go out hunting for pallet-swapped ‘mons. While the shiny charm is incredibly useful for finding these rare Pokémon, outbreaks are the most reliable method of finding a shiny, especially if you’re looking for a ‘mon with a complete Pokedex entry. If you want to know more about how the Pokémon Legends: Arceus outbreak mechanic works, be sure to check our guide before heading out to shiny hunt.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny rates
Like in other recent Pokémon games, there are ways of increasing Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny odds. We’ve detailed below how certain milestones increase your chances of a shiny Pokémon spawn.
Condition | Shiny odds |
Normal shiny rate | 1/4096 |
Pokédex research level ten | 1/2048 |
Perfect dex research level | 1/1024 |
Mass outbreak | 1/158 |
After stacking conditions, you can boost your shiny rates further.
Conditions | Shiny odds |
Pokédex research level ten | 1/152 |
Perfect dex research level | 1/141 |
Not only can you stack these conditions, but you can boost shiny rates even higher by getting your hands on the shiny charm. Of course, you have to put in the work to get it, as you only receive the item once you’ve got every Pokémon up to Pokédex research level ten. It’s certainly worth it if you’re a shiny hunter, though, as the charm increases your odds by a generous amount, as seen below.
Condition | Shiny odds |
Normal shiny rate + shiny charm | 1/819 |
Pokédex research level ten + shiny charm | 1/585 |
Perfect dex research level + shiny charm | 1/137 |
Mass outbreak + shiny charm | 1/128.49 |
Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny locked Pokémon
While it’s easier than ever to get your hands on a shiny Pokémon, some specific ‘mons will have you wasting your time trying to get the pallet-swapped version. The game’s static encounters, such as Professor Laventon’s starters, legendary, and mythical Pokémon, are shiny locked. This means no matter the number of resets, the Pokémon will always have its original colours.
With all that information and a little good fortune, you should be ready to go out find your first Pokémon Legends: Arceus shiny. But, if it all sounds a bit like hard work, you can get your hands on a guaranteed Shiny Ponyta with our guide to Pokémon Legends: Arceus mystery gift codes and gift Pokémon.