Are Starters Shiny Locked in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

While many people will start their fresh new journeys in the Paldea region by following the opening narrative and picking starters, some will take a different route. Many people take a bit longer to get past the opening of new Pokemon games because they want their starter mon to be shiny. Since this is a new game, will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet allow that option or are starters shiny-locked? We can answer below.

Are Starters Shiny Locked in Scarlet and Violet?

To the disappointment of many out there, it has been confirmed that your starter Pokemon in Scarlet or Violet cannot be shiny. This is going to be a big deal for many because of its significance and the attachment people have with their firsts.

In many past Pokemon games, you were able to have a shiny starter. While chances were extremely low (about 1 in 4096 chance), people would farm the intro until what they got ended up being what they wanted. This was something set since Sword and Shield. From that generation onward, it was impossible to start off your game with a shiny starter Pokemon. This also included the successful Pokemon Legends Arceus.

While it will be possible to get a shiny variant of the starters later down the line, people will not have to constantly reset their games until they get one. For later down the line, you’d either have to be extremely lucky while breeding to obtain a shiny variant of the starters of the Paldea region. Luckily as this is an open-world game, shiny hunting should in theory be easier for everything else. There will also be events that may offer some free shinies along the way.

If wanting a shiny starter is something you really want, it’s best to just play the game like normal and be patient. No amount of resets will grant you one. Modding your game or trading people with modified games is not worth being banned for either.

Besides, this game is taking a new direction. You’re going to be encountering hundreds of new and returning Pokemon to add to your party. Those might be shiny and can fill in the void of not having a first shiny!

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.