Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Tera Raid Symbols, Explained

When you start your adventure in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there’s no denying that the map is slightly intimidating. Between unexplored areas, a sea of question marks, and several colorful splats, there’s a lot to take in and a lot to learn. While the Academy teaches you a multitude of things about the history of the Pokémon Universe and how certain species came to be and communicate, the one thing the game doesn’t hold your hand through is understanding what every icon on the map means. The more time you spend with the game, the more likely you will learn what these symbols mean. But if you’re desperate to understand what the Tera Raid symbols reflect, read on.

What Do the Tera Raid Symbols Mean in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

Across the map of Paldea, you’ll see a number of colorful icons with small symbols which represent active Tera Raids. The color and the white, inner symbol represent the Tera Type of the Pokémon appearing in the raid, which is an excellent signifier if you’re looking to add a specific Tera Type to your team. For example, purple Tera Raid symbols hint toward a dragon, poison, or ghost type, which is where the inner symbol comes in handy. The only anomaly when it comes to identifying Tera Raids by color is when a Black Crystal Event is on, which will shift the background color of a symbol to entirely black and only showcase the inner icon in white.

However, even though Tera Raid symbols help you identify the Tera Type of the Pokémon you’re facing, they do not help you identify the active species or their coinciding type. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell the species of the Pokémon active in the raid until you interact with the crystal, so if you’re searching for a species in particular rather than generically searching for a type, it’s best to activate the PokéPortal and see which raids are available to join through that.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.