Shiny Pokemon are among the most sought-after and most difficult to obtain in the series. There are even some Pokemon that are shiny-locked and cannot be shiny naturally. These Pokemon can often be among the most visually stunning Pokemon as well.

The chances of obtaining a shiny Pokemon usually lie around one in 4,096. These odds are incredibly low and can result in even hardcore players never encountering a shiny Pokemon without specifically setting out to do so. Players often employ a tactic called shiny hunting and spend dozens of hours searching for a singular shiny Pokemon.

Updated by CJ Kuzdal on March 14, 2024: The Pokemon franchise continues to grow, a fact that is unlikely to change for years to come. Shiny Pokemon are very desirable Pokemon in the franchise, something that is also unlikely to change in future entries. With this in mind, it is only right that we extend this list to include five additional entries, bringing the total number of Pokemon listed to 20.

20 Eevee

The Evolution Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Normal-type
• Evolution: Eevee → Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon

Eevee is not only one of the most iconic Pokemon in the series, but it also has one of the most famous shiny versions as well. Eevee's shiny is cool for numerous reasons, but its loss of color has more symbolism than fans may realize.

Eevee has many different evolutions and is very likely to receive more in the future. Eevee's shiny monochrome bleached color gives a sense of potential, as its evolution can result in so many different outcomes.

19 Chandelure

The Luring Pokemon

• Generation: Generation V (Unova)
• Type: Ghost & Fire-type
• Evolution: Litwick → Lampent → Chandelure

Chandelure is a Ghost and Fire-type Pokemon. These typings fit in line perfectly with its original color palette, but its shiny brings a whole new feeling to the Pokemon.

Some of the coolest shiny Pokemon in the game give Pokemon more of a realistic color, and Chandelure is one of them. Its shiny form takes its ghostly bluish-purple color and makes it a more realistic orange flame color that you would likely associate with a lantern.

18 Cresselia

The Lunar Pokemon

• Generation: Generation IV (Sinnoh)
• Type: Psychic-type
• Evolution: None (Legendary)

Cresselia is one of the more interesting legendaries that are scattered throughout Pokemon's lore. It is known as the Lunar Pokemon and is heavily associated with the moon and heavenly bodies.

Cresselia's shiny form turns its already galactic colors into a more muted pastel look. These new colors give it an even more ethereal appearance that fits perfectly with the legendary's lore.

17 Kyogre

The Sea Basin Pokemon

• Generation: Generation III (Hoenn)
• Type: Water-type
• Evolution: None (Legendary)

Kyogre, the Sea Basin Pokemon, joins its ground-based counterpart on this list because of its unique shiny design. Kyogre's original color makes perfect sense with its role in the legendary rankings, essentially, the god Pokemon of water.

Kyogre's shiny variant has a bright pink color. This doesn't make much sense with Kyogre's backstory or history in the franchise, but it is a unique legendary variant nonetheless. Kyogre's bold color change has made it one of the most hunted shiny Pokemon in the series.

16 Dragonite

The Dragon Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Flying & Dragon-type
• Evolution: Dratini → Dragonair → Dragonite

Dragonite is a beloved Pokemon, both for its strength and unique design. This Pokemon serves as the franchise's first pseudo-legendary Pokemon, a monster with stats that rival even some of the legendaries on this list.

It makes sense that Dragonite's shiny form would be a high-value catch for players. It shifts from an orange color with bluish-green wings, to a green body and purple wings. Its change puts it more in line with its Dragon-typing.

15 Groudon

The Continent Pokemon

• Generation: Generation III (Hoenn)
• Type: Ground-type
• Evolution: None (Legendary)

Groudon is a Legendary Pokemon originally introduced in the franchise's third Generation. This prehistoric creature is known as the "Continent Pokemon" because of its power and strength. Groudon is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the series and can make a great addition to any trainer's team.

Legendary Pokemon usually have great shiny variants, but Groudon's alternate form is truly special. The yellowish-green color lends itself to the already monstrous appearance of the Pokemon. Getting ahold of this shiny form can be near impossible unless players have a lot of patience.

14 Palossand

The Sand Castle Pokemon

• Generation: Generation VII (Alola)
• Type: Ghost & Ground-type
• Evolution: Sandygast → Palossand

Palossand comes from the game's seventh Generation, the Pokemon Sun and Moon Region of Alola. This strange typing of Ghost and Ground gives Palossand an interesting role on competitive teams. The Pokemon's description gives it the eerie backstory of controlling human adults, forcing them to create sand castles to give it camouflage.

The shiny form of this Pokemon really stands out. Only a few Pokemon employ a black color when shiny. Palossand's alternate color makes it a great reference to the real-world exotic black-sand beaches found around the globe.

13 Altaria

The Humming Pokemon

• Generation: Generation III (Hoenn)
• Type: Dragon & Flying-type
• Evolution: Swablu → Altaria

Altaria is a visually strange Pokemon. Introduced in Generation Three, Altaria is a Flying and Dragon-type Pokémon. Most Pokemon in the Dragon-type appear more intimidating and threatening when compared to Altaria's cuddly appearance.

Altaria already had an ephemeral look with its cloud-covered wings and elegant movements. Its shiny form's golden color only adds to this effect. The Pokemon's shiny form has been featured in most mainline Pokemon games since its introduction in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

12 Ponyta

The Fire Horse Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Fire-type
• Evolution: Ponyta → Rapidash

Both Ponyta and its regional variant, Galarian Ponyta, have desirable shiny forms. Ponyta is an original Generation One Pokemon, and its design stands as one of the simplest, yet most impressive, creations.

Shiny Ponyta's icy blue flames give it a very distinct look while staying in the realm of reality. Blue fires are hotter than red and orange ones in the real world, making Ponyta's shiny form seem more powerful than its regular variant.

11 Rayquaza

The Sky High Pokemon

• Generation: Generation III (Hoenn)
• Type: Dragon & Flying-type
• Evolution: None (Legendary)

Rayquaza is a Flying and Dragon-type Legendary Pokemon, known as the Sky High Pokemon. It is a Legendary first introduced in Generation Three alongside its counterpart Legendaries, Groudon and Kyogre. These three Pokemon make up one of the most iconic Legendary trios in the franchise.

Rayquaza, along with a few other Pokemon on this list, features a shiny form that turns its main color to black. The alternate color makes the draconic Legendary even more mysterious. It is a big enough change from the original color while keeping the same theme to be one of the coolest shinies in the games.

10 Guzzlord

The Junkivore Pokemon

• Generation: Generation VII (Alola)
• Type: Dark & Dragon-type
• Evolution: None (Ultra Beast)

Guzzlord was introduced in the Seventh Generation and is the only Ultra Beast to make this list, though there are other impressive shiny Ultras. Guzzlord's shiny form sets it apart with its unique coloring.

Guzzlord's shiny form gives it an impressive color switch. The orange and white combination is intriguing as it is not used by many other Pokemon, shiny or not. It is a unique look that serves the giant Ultra Beast well.

9 Lucario

The Aura Pokemon

• Generation: Generation IV (Sinnoh)
• Type: Fighting & Steel-type
• Evolution: Riolu → Lucario

Lucario is a must-have on any trainer's team. This Pokemon is Fighting and Steel type, giving great offensive and defensive capabilities in battle. Its shiny form makes it even cooler and sets it apart from other Fighting-type Pokemon in both past and future Generations.

Similar to Guzzlord, Lucario's shiny form uses a color palette that not many other Pokemon have. This makes it a super unique monster that is highly desirable in the mainline games. It is also an example of a great shiny mechanic that swaps main and secondary colors to create a great contrast to its original.

8 Charizard

The Flame Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Fire & Flying-type
• Evolution: Charmander → Charmeleon → Charizard

Charizard is one of the most iconic Pokemon in the game, which means its shiny is all the more popular. This Generation One starter Pokemon has been one of the game's mascots since its release and is a staple of many trainers' teams.

Charizard is one of the most iconic Pokemon in the game, and the same is true for its shiny form. The color switch was one of the largest contributors to the shiny Pokemon craze long ago. Its shiny form looks more like a dragon than its regular form and seems like a more fitting coloration than the original.

7 Gyarados

The Atrocious Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Water & Flying-type
• Evolution: Magikarp → Gyarados

Whether in its regular form or its shiny variant, Gyarados is a sought-after Pokemon in nearly every game in the franchise. It is an incredibly powerful Water-type Pokemon with an appearance that makes it even more menacing.

One of the most iconic aspects of shiny Gyarados' appearance in the games is the way players likely encountered it for the first time. In Pokemon Gold and Silver, players could find shiny Gyarados on the Lake of Rage. This was a surprising encounter in the games and gave shiny Gyarados a special place in many players' memories.

6 Sinistea (Antique Form)

The Black Tea Pokemon

• Generation: Generation VIII (Galar)
• Type: Ghost-type
• Evolution: Sinistea → Polteageist

Sinistea's shiny is mighty cute, but the real gem is the shiny form of this Pokemon's authentic form. There are two different forms of this Pokemon, one is authentic and one is counterfeit. Players can tell the difference between the two thanks to a small insignia that appears on the bottom of the authentic form.

The counterfeit form will have no insignia. While chances of encountering an authentic form Sinistea vary from spawn location to spawn location, on average, players have ~1% chance of encountering an authentic Sinistea, making this specific shiny form a real hassle to catch.

5 Salazzle

The Toxic Lizard Pokemon

• Generation: Generation VII (Alola)
• Type: Fire & Poison-type
• Evolution: Salandit (Female) → Salazzle

Salandit's evolution, Salazzle, is an impressive shiny to show off. Its distinct white and purple coloring makes it a real stand-out Pokemon. The reason this Pokemon makes the list is because of how difficult it is to obtain. When players catch a Salandit, they are about seven times more likely to encounter a male than a female.

This is a problem for players hunting for a shiny Salazzle because only female Salandit can evolve. Not only do players have to battle the normal shiny odds with this Pokemon, but they have an additional hurdle of capturing a female shiny which is one of the most frustrating hunts in any Pokemon game.

4 Dudunsparce (Three-Segment)

The Land Snake Pokemon

• Generation: Generation IX (Paldea)
• Type: Normal-type
• Evolution: Dunsparce → Dudunsparce

Dunsparce is one of the most overlooked Pokemon. Players love to hate this little lump of a monster. That's why its evolution's shiny is so cool. But, there's more to the three-segment Dudunsparce than meets the eye. There are two forms of this evolution, a two-segment form and a three-segment form. When Dunsparce evolves into Dudunsparce, there is only a 25% chance it will result in a three-segment Pokemon.

This can be frustrating for players specifically shiny hunting the three-segment Dudunsparce. While it may not be the most competitive Pokemon, its unique pink coloration makes this Pokemon worth the trouble!

3 Ditto

The Transform Pokemon

• Generation: Generation I (Kanto)
• Type: Normal-type
• Evolution: None

Shiny Ditto is an extremely difficult Pokemon to get in your possession for multiple reasons. One of the most popular shiny hunting methods is breeding one Pokemon with a foreign Ditto. The resulting egg (if the Pokemon are from different countries) drops from the base rate of 1/4,096 to 1/683. These are significantly better odds and the result is a massively easier (yet still difficult) shiny hunt.

This becomes an issue when players set their sights on a shiny Ditto, however. Ditto itself cannot be bred to create a new Ditto. This means shiny hunting via breeding isn't an option when looking for this shiny blue blob. Players need to resort to more archaic shiny hunting methods. Even then, hunting for a shiny Ditto is difficult because the Pokemon will mimic the one that players send out making it tough to know whether a shiny is on the battlefield or not. The difficulty alone makes shiny Ditto one of the most impressive monsters around.

2 Maushold (Family Of Three)

The Family Pokemon

• Generation: Generation IX (Paldea)
• Type: Normal-type
• Evolution: Tandemaus → Maushold

Maushold may not be the most eye-catching shiny Pokemon, but that's one of the things that makes it cool. This Pokemon is nearly indistinguishable from its normal counterpart, making it all the rarer and more difficult to obtain. There's an additional layer of difficulty if players want the Family of Three variant of Maushold, however.

Tandemaus, Maushold's pre-evolution, is an interesting Pokemon. When you catch one and raise it to level 25, there is a chance that it will evolve into a Maushold. The strange thing about this evolution is that it will not show an evolution screen like most other monsters in the game. When Tandemaus hits level 25, players may notice that the Pokemon has become a Maushold on its own. When it evolves into a Maushold, there is only a one in 25 chance that it become the "Family of Three" variant. This means, players may wonder upon a shiny Tandemaus and still not be able to get ahold of the shiny Family of Three Maushold without several attempts.

1 Haxorus

The Axe Jaw Pokemon

• Generation: Generation V (Unova)
• Type: Dragon-type
• Evolution: Axew → Fraxure → Haxorus

This Pokemon has the coolest designs of any listed before--with or without its alternate shiny colors. Haxorus is the first shiny Pokemon that many players encountered. It is given as a reward in Generation Five for completing a very difficult task.

Similar to the shiny Gyarados in Pokemon Gold and Silver, shiny Haxorus is the coolest shiny Pokemon due to the way most trainers likely encountered it for the first time (though its jet-black armor doesn't hurt). Shiny Haxorus looks as cool as they come, but it also acts as a reward for players who complete the Unova Pokedex in Pokemon Black and White 2. This incredibly difficult task is capped off by an encounter with this powerful Pokemon.