Pokemon GO: The 20 Best Looking Shinies In The Game

Highlights

• Shiny Pokemon are a beloved staple in the Pokemon franchise, with a total of 898 catchable in main series games.
• Pokemon GO allows players to catch over 350 shiny Pokemon, including fan favorites like Ninetales and Yveltal.
• Shiny variants make classic Pokemon like Charizard and Lapras feel new and exciting with unique color palettes.

Released back in October of 2000, Pokemon Gold and Silver introduced a new game mechanic to the then four-year-old franchise, giving players the chance to catch color-swapped variants of their favorite pokemon, referred to as “shiny Pokemon” by developer Game Freak.

Since then, shiny Pokemon have become a beloved staple of the Pokemon franchise, with Pokemon Sword and Shield bringing the total number of catchable shiny Pokemon to an astounding 898 in the main series games. Of this expansive list, Niantic‘s 2016 AR mobile title Pokemon GO lets players catch over 350, including a number of fan favorites from across the series’ eight generations.

Updated August 1, 2024, by Erin Rice: Over the years, Pokemon GO has seen even more additions to the Pokedex, allowing for more Pokemon to be found in the game. This list expands upon the original list to add 5 more entries.

25 Shiny Ninetales

Ninetales is one of the original 151 Pokemon from generation 1. This Pokemon evolves from Vulpix, which is another fan-favorite from the generation. Thankfully, it isn’t a particularly rare Pokemon, so grabbing it as a Shiny in Pokemon GO isn’t too terribly bad.

The Shiny version of Ninetales makes the Pokemon white with blue tips on the tails. The original is just a cream color, which looked great, but the white makes it stand out more. It is no wonder that a lot of players love this Pokemon and the shiny version.

24 Shiny Chandelure

Chandelure is a Pokemon that was added back in generation five and is the final evolution of Litwick. This Pokemon is based on a chandelier and candelabra, making it a pretty interesting Pokemon that a lot of players thing is cool.

The original form of the Pokemon is bluish-purple and black, which looks great since it is a Ghost/Fire-Type. However, the Shiny version makes the flames on the Pokemon red and orange instead, sticking with the theme of the Pokemon and the Typing.

23 Shiny Yveltal

Yveltal is the Legendary Pokemon from Pokemon Y. This Pokemon is a pretty popular Pokemon considering almost all box art Legendary Pokemon end up being popular picks for players. However, it is also a pretty interesting Pokemon itself.

Originally, the Pokemon is red and black, which looks pretty cool together. However, the design of the Shiny version makes it stand out. This Shiny changes the black on the Pokemon for white, making it look even cooler than before.

22 Shiny Starmie

Unfortunately, Starmie doesn’t have the same pull as a lot of water Pokemon out there. Although those who grew up with Generation 1 will most defintiely remember this iconic pocket monster thanks to Misty, it seems to get lost in the piles of new and exciting Pokemon that are on display.

Thankfully, the developers gave it a strange and unique Shiny color scheme, to help it stand out among the crowd better. Those that love the star-shaped Pokemon can really impress their opponents by snagging its Shiny variant, which trades its purples for blues, outlining its gem with a bright red.

21 Shiny Sylveon

Sometimes, the best Shiny variations are the ones that make simple changes. Sylveon is a great example of this practice, thanks to the basic-yet-powerful change to its original design. Most players will immediately remember Sylveon as the beautiful white-and-pink Fairy-type evolution of Eevee, but the Shiny form gives it a new color to proudly display.

The blue used for Sylveon’s Shiny form still fits the Fairy motif very well, while giving players something truly unique to quest for.

20 Shiny Furret

Another simplistic variant but one that works to great effect is Furret. There are a lot of fans out there that hold this adorable (but actually pretty big) Ferret-like Pokemon in high regards thanks to its absolutely adorable appearance. Although Furret is the most vaiable pocket monster in battle, it hasn’t stopped dedicated players from finding ways to add it to their team.

The Shiny version of Furret swaps out its brown rings for pink ones, creating a simple-yet-bold change to its overall design.

19 Shiny Ponyta

Ponyta was the first of many horse-inspired Pokemon to make its way into the series and is a firm favorite of many Pokemon fans as a result. Its original model features vibrant red flames in place of its mane and tail fur, perfectly capturing the Pokemon’s fire-typing. When it came to designing a shiny form, however, Game Freak took this idea a step further.

Rather than red flames, Shiny Ponyta features flames of a rich and vivid blue. This works nicely, as those who remember their high school science classes will already know, a blue flame is generally a lot hotter than a red one. Ponyta also has one of the cooler-looking Galarian forms too, and that also has a great shiny form.

18 Shiny Luxray

Though some may prefer the way that the blue and black contrast in its regular form, Shiny Luxray’s bright yellow coloring definitely makes it stand out from the crowd. Granted, it does take a little away from its iconic yellow eyes, but it’s at least instantly recognizable as a shiny Pokemon, which isn’t always the case.

Perhaps most importantly, the yellow coloring highlights Luxray’s electric-typing, which is more than can be said for its regular form. Without knowing any better, players would likely assume that Luxray was a dark-type Pokemon, which would actually make a lot more sense given some of the Pokemon’s characteristics and traits.

17 Shiny Dragonite

There are quite a few orange dragon-type Pokemon in Pokemon GO, but very few green ones. Given that most mediums tend to portray dragons as being either green or black, Dragonite’s shiny form is therefore a lot more in keeping with the way that most players imagine dragons than its base form.

The light green coloring makes for a pretty drastic change, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It contrasts really well with the purple on the underside of the Pokemon’s wings and also works pretty well with the cream coloring that extends across the Pokemon’s chest and belly.

16 Shiny Umbreon

When compared to some of the other shiny Pokemon in the series, some may find Shiny Umbreon to be pretty underwhelming. The changes are certainly quite minimal, but given the strength of the Pokemon’s original design, it’s perhaps understandable why Game Freak took this approach. Being able to easily evolve a Shiny Eevee into a Shiny Umbreon is a nice bonus too.

The blue markings on its head, legs, and tail really stand out against the blackness of the Pokemon’s fur and definitely give the design much more of a dark-type appearance when compared to the original yellow. The blue arguably looks a lot more intimidating too, which better suits the underlying lore behind the Pokemon.

15 Shiny Charizard

Charizard’s original design is one of the most iconic and most recognizable in the series, so it would have been very easy for Game Freak to take a minimalistic approach when it came to designing the Pokemon’s shiny form. Instead, however, the team went in the exact opposite direction, making drastic changes that completely transformed the look of the Pokemon.

Charizard has always looked mean to a certain degree, but Shiny Charizard takes this to a whole new level. The black and crimson coloring is incredibly intimidating and is somewhat reminiscent of its Mega Charizard X form. It may not be for everyone, but many consider Charizard to be the best shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

14 Shiny Gyarados

As the first shiny Pokemon of the franchise, Shiny Gyarados holds a special place in the hearts of long-time fans of the franchise, bringing back fond memories of a fateful battle on the Lake of Rage in the second generation Pokemon games. It’s one of the very few instances in the series where players were guaranteed a shiny too, which only adds to the Pokemon’s appeal.

This particular palette swap is especially striking, as it replaces the iconic blue coloring of the gen 1 water/flying type with a bold crimson, enhancing the Pokemon’s already intimidating demeanor to new levels. When it comes to the best shiny Pokemon, Gyrados can definitely hold its own.

13 Shiny Spoink

There are a lot of adorable Pokemon sprinkled throughout the Global Pokedex but some of them are much more unique than others. Spoink is a good example, thanks to its curly spring-like tail and the fact that it must stay bouncing to keep itself alive. It’s a strange concept that works well, thanks to its adorable design. Its evolution, Grumpig, isn’t as adorable as its small bouncing counterpart but is still captivating to some trainers.

Spoink’s Shiny form trades its purple and gray for a yellow and gray scheme, infusing some brightness into the cute creature.

12 Shiny Spinda

Spinda is another Pokemon that many fans are likely to overlook but the adorable dizzy panda-based Pokemon is actually incredibly unqiue thanks to its strange patterns. There are tons of Spinda variants that can be caught throughout the Pokemon game, with 9 different shinies in Pokemon GO thanks to an array of different spots.

The original Spinda boasts a proud pink color but the Shiny variant switches things up by changing the pink to a pastel green, giving Spinda a more muted appearance. It’s a welcome change but should give Shiny hunters a headache thanks to all the variants.

11 Shiny Vaporeon

One of the series’ many Eevee-lutions, Vaporeon can either be captured in Pokemon Go by staking out waterways, dams, and canals or evolved directly from an Eevee. Interestingly enough, if a player has managed to obtain a Shiny Eevee, then evolving that Pokemon will result in a Shiny Eeveelution of the player’s choosing.

As such, Shiny Vaporeon is an especially good option, as the water-type’s usual blue veneer will be replaced with a pleasant pink and purple palette instead. To guarantee their Eevee evolves into a Vaporeon, players simply need to set its nickname as “Rainer,” although this method can only be used once.

10 Shiny Lapras

One of the original 151 Pokemon, Lapras has been a staple in the minds of Pokemon fans since 1996. In fact, whenever the player used the move surf to travel on water in gen I and II, the sprite used was that of a Lapras. Bearing this in mind, any alterations to the original design were always going to be heavily scrutinized by the community.

However, Shiny Lapras’ subtle shift from its usual blue to a light purple is just the right amount of change to make an old favorite feel new again, while not detracting from the original design in a radical manner. It’s a somewhat subtle change, yet manages to appear far more striking.

9 Shiny Politoed

This petite frog Pokemon might not make most players’ list of the best Pokemon, but Politoed definitely has one of the best shiny skins of any Pokemon in the franchise. Like many of the other great shinies in Pokemon GO, the changes are fairly minimal, but they make a huge difference to the Pokemon’s overall aesthetic.

Forgoing its usual green and yellow color palette, Shiny Politoed sports a lively purple and blue color palette, one which blends seamlessly with the swirl located on its stomach. Players looking for a unique and fun addition to their collections should keep their eyes peeled for this Pokemon in watery areas.

8 Shiny Delibird

In keeping with many of the design swaps of the franchise, Game Freak developers opted to swap the usual red Delibird for a blue-ish purple that perfectly compliments the overall design of the flying/ice-type Pokemon. It looks great and completely transforms the look of the Pokemon in the process.

As an added plus, the Pokemon’s cooler tones more accurately reflect its wide array of ice-type moves and makes it an absolute joy to have on a player’s team. Given the limited selection of strong ice-type Pokemon there are in the game, this can only be seen as a good thing.

7 Shiny Rayquaza

Though every Legendary Pokemon features a shiny variant, none have captured the Pokemon community’s imagination quite like Shiny Rayquaza. The flying/dragon-type introduced in gen III usually sports a striking emerald green, red, and yellow color palette, giving it an almost otherworldly appearance.

However, Shiny Rayquaza kicks the design up a notch and ditches the vibrant green scales of the original for a much more menacing black. Truly, its modified appearance makes it a legend amongst legendaries and a fantastic Pokemon to have on one’s team.

6 Shiny Gardevoir

Ever the fan-favorite, the psychic/fairy-type Pokemon Gardevoir is a potent weapon against fighting-types. It can also be an absolute menace to its fellow psychic types, as well as dark and ghost types due to a surprisingly robust move pool. In many ways, it’s a Jack of all trades that few Pokemon can match when it comes to versatility.

Additionally, Gardevoir has been praised by the Pokemon community for its overall design, which has captured the imaginations of the fandom. However, the developers over at Game Freak turned these looks up a notch when they introduced Gardevoir’s shiny variant, which swaps the Pokemon’s normal green flourishes with a subtle pale blue.