How to Get Shiny Pokemon - Star and Square - Pokemon Sword and Shield Guide - IGN (2024)

You can catch rare, Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield which have alternate colors. This Shiny Pokemon guide covers everything you need to do to catch a Shiny Pokemon in Sword and Shield, from battling as many as you can to unlocking the Shiny Charm. This page also includes a List of All Shiny Locked Pokemon, which cannot be Shiny.

Jump to:

• Shiny Pokemon Explained
• How to Get Shiny Pokemon
• How to Shiny Hunt Easily
• How to Get Square Shiny Pokemon
• How to Breed Shiny Pokemon
• How to Unlock the Shiny Charm
• List of All Shiny Locked Pokemon

Shiny Pokemon Explained

Unlike in Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, you won't be able to tell if a Pokemon is Shiny while in the overworld. It will only show its alternate color after you encounter it for a battle - sparkles will announce the Shiny Pokemon's entrance as well.

Though they look cool and interesting, their stats are no different from their usually colored counterparts. You can tell if you have a Shiny Pokemon based on this sparkle icon in the bottom left.

How to Get Shiny Pokemon

There are a few methods to capture Shiny Pokemon in Sword and Shield. Regardless, the base rate of a Shiny Pokemon appearing is a 1 in 4,096 chance.

• Catch Shiny Pokemon in the wild
• Breed Shiny Pokemon

There are also additional methods to increase your odds well above 1/4,096 when Shiny hunting, whether catching, fishing, or breeding.

How to Catch Shiny Pokemon Easily

The more of the same type of Pokemon you've caught or battled, the more likely you will encounter a Shiny version of them in the wild. Also, the more you encounter a certain Pokemon, the more likely they'll appear in the Wild Area, too! So, if you have your eye on a certain Shiny Pokemon, run into them as often as possible. Your "chain" in Sword and Shield is permanent, which you can check by looking at your Pokedex.

The more you defeat or catch a Pokemon, the more likely they'll show up with a Brilliant Aura, too!

Additionally, you'll want to unlock the Shiny Charm if you want to get serious about Shiny hunting. The Shiny Charm will further increase your odds when catching a Shiny, when either catching, fishing, or breeding. See How to Unlock the Shiny Charm.

Check this chart to see the rates you'll encounter a Pokemon based on how many you've battled, and if you have the Shiny Charm.

Shiny Pokemon Hunting Odds Chart

Reminder, these battles can happen at any time, they do not have to be done one after the other! This is the total number of battles done in the entirety of Pokemon Sword and Shield.

The multiplier and odds are from the official Pokemon website and the Odds w/ Shiny Charm rates are from Serebii.net.

How to get square shiny pokemon

Pokemon Sword and Shield introduces a "square" sparkle animation in addition to the usual "star" sparkle. After encountering a Shiny Pokemon, there's an additional "roll" to get either of these animations.

How to Breed Shiny Pokemon

The rates when breeding a Shiny Pokemon are the same as when trying to catch a Pokemon (without the total battled Pokemon multiplier) but there is an additional method: Breeding with Pokemon from two different language games.

The two games must be set to two different languages, not just purchased from two different regions. A Japanese purchased game set to English will not apply, for example.

Using two Pokemon from different language games increases your Shiny Pokemon odds to 1/682. If you have the Shiny Charm, this increases even further to 1/512.

How to Unlock the Shiny Charm

The Shiny Charm further increases your chance when shiny hunting, but requires a bit of work to get. You must catch all 400 Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield to unlock the Shiny Charm - see our List of Pokemon Locations (Pokedex) to help fill out your Pokedex!

After filling your Pokedex, head to Circhester. Enter the hotel on the left, and use the elevator to go to the rooms. Enter the last room down the hallway on the left. Inside, talk to the doctor in this room. He'll give you a Shiny Charm once you complete your Pokedex.

All Shiny Locked Pokemon

The following Pokemon can never be Shiny.

• Starter Pokemon
• Legendary Pokemon Zacian, Zamazenta, and Eternatus
• In-game NPC Trades
• "Strong" Pokemon in the Wild Area you can't catch

You can, however, breed Shiny Pokemon from the Starter Pokemon you're given and the Pokemon you get from in-game trades. Because Legendary Pokemon cannot be bred, you'll have to wait if a Shiny Event Pokemon will be given out in the future.