The Best Shiny Pokemon Worth Hunting for in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are fun games for Pokemon fans once they get past the litany of performance issues when the game launched. That being said, beneath those have been some really fun features, as well as brand new creatures to discover, and for a particular subculture, this means one thing: new Shiny Pokemon. Some of the Shiny Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet include familiar faces, or new evolutions, or altogether brand new creatures, but any of these are commonly agreed upon as aesthetically pleasing, and different enough to get excited to find.

Which Shiny Pokemon Are the Most Worthwhile in Scarlet and Violet?

While this is a subjective assessment of one feature in Scarlet and Violet, it’s fun to discuss the positive results of Shiny Hunting, and not the frustrating, time-wasting, and uninspired variants of others. Below are some great examples of fun color variants in the game, with some classics, and some new entries:

Umbreon

We know, this is pretty basic, but for a good reason: Umbreon was one of the most popular additions out of Generation II, where Shiny Pokemon first appeared. Umbreon is a great example of a Pokemon’s color variant being different, yet having strikingly good color coordination and still resembling the Pokemon, still holding as a Shiny in Scarlet and Violet. Umbreon frequently appears in favorite Pokemon lists, particularly regarding Gold and Silver’s additions.

Cetitan

Cetitan is not only a beastly Ice Type with a lot of base HP and good Attack stats, but also has an important distinction as a Shiny Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet. Cetitan, and its prior form Cetoddle, have different enough Shiny forms to pick out of a potential crowd, and they look striking with the dominant black exterior, gray underbelly and face, and orange accents.

Mabosstiff

Along with absolutely stealing our hearts in the Path of Legends storyline in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Mabosstiff has a great, understated Shiny form. While their facial features might be relatively the same between Shiny and regular forms, the Shiny Mabosstiff’s fur is now a ghostly shade of purple, which is funny considering their monotype Dark typing. Either way, Shiny or not, Mabosstiff’s a good dog and nobody can debate this.

Pawmot

Despite it not quite being clear what animal this is based upon, Pawmot is an adorable, scrappy Electric and Fighting Type Pokemon introduced to this Generation. It’s also noteworthy that, while Pawmot features as an entry on this list, all three forms including Pawmi and Pawmo are all pleasing to the eye for Shiny Hunters. The soft pinkish-red shades but familiar beige on the paws, tail, and face would make for one cute Squishmallow, just saying.

Dudunsparce

How the tables have turned. This Pokemon was one of the greatest jokes to come out of Generation II, with very little going in their favor as a basic, Normal Type. But this Pokemon received a new evolution in Scarlet and Violet, and the Shiny version’s pink accents arguably just look better than the classic blue underbelly of this land snake. But if you’re a particularly masochistic Shiny Hunter, you’ll be frustrated to learn just how hard it is to evolve your Shiny Dunsparce into a 3-segment Dudunsparce, making this potentially also the hardest Shiny Pokemon to get.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet released on November 18, 2022, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.