What do the shiny Pokemon look like? (Niantic)
Shiny Pokemon are beginning to invade Pokemon Go and trainers couldn’t be more excited. But how will you know if you’re encountering a shiny Pokemon in the wild? In addition to the sparkle animation that you’ll see on the capture screen, shiny Pokemon will also be a different color. Depending on the species, this can be a big color change or just a minor, more subtle difference. So far, as of the time of publication, only shiny Magikarp and shiny Gyarados have been spotted in the game.
Shiny Pokemon are a different color from regular Pokemon. That’s the main difference: their color is different and they are more rare. You won’t know if you’re encountering a shiny Pokemon in the wild until you try to capture it. All shiny Pokemon should evolve into shiny Pokemon.
Here’s a complete list of the shiny Pokemon from Generation 1 and Generation 2 that you may eventually encounter, along with their colors, from sources including Ranked Boost, Bulbapedia, and Pokemon Go Hub. This is according to other Pokemon games, not what’s been encountered in Pokemon Go, so there’s a slight chance some of these may change for the game itself. So far, only shiny Magikarp and shiny Gyarados have been reported by Pokemon Go trainers.
These Pokemon are listed in order of their Pokedex. To find a specific Pokemon, search for it on this page. These are just general color descriptions of the shiny Pokemon.
- Bulbasaur: Green
- Ivysaur: Green
- Venusaur: Green
- Charmander: Yellow
- Charmeleon: Yellow
- Charizard: Greyish
- Squirtle: Blue
- Wartortle: Light purple-ish
- Blastoise: Purple
- Caterpie: Yellow
- Metapod: Red/orange-ish
- Butterfree: Pink wings and Purple body
- Weedle: Yellowish
- Kakuna: Green
- Beedrill: Green
- Pidgey: Greenish yellow
- Pidgeotto: Greenish yellow
- Pidgeot: Yellow
- Rattata: Green-ish
- Ratticate: Orange and Green
- Spearow: Green and yellow wings
- Fearow: Green
- Ekans: Green
- Arbok: Yellowish
- Pikachu: Slightly different orangey shade
- Raichu: Orange
- Sandshrew: Green
- Sandslash: Brownish with red feathers
- Nidoran – F: Purple
- Nidorina: Purple
- Nidoqueen: Green
- Nidoran – M: Light blue
- Nidorino: Blueish purple
- Nidorking: Blue
- Clefairy: Light pink
- Clefable: Light pink with green ears
- Vulpix: Yellow body
- Ninetales: Light purple-ish
- Jigglypuff: Light purple-ish
- Wigglytuff: Purple
- Zubat: Green
- Golbat: Green body
- Oddish: Green
- Gloom: Green
- Vileplume: Green with an orangeish peach top
- Paras: Dark Orange-ish
- Parasect: Orange instead of red
- Venonat: Dark purple with blue eyes
- Venomoth: Blue
- Diglett: Blue nose
- Dugtrio: Blue noses
- Meowth: Darker peach orange
- Persian: Lighter yellow (very difficult to tell the difference)
- Psyduck: Blue
- Golduck: Brighter blue
- Mankey: Green
- Primeape: Peachish body with green legs and arms
- Growlithe: Yellow
- Arcanine: Yellow
- Poliwag: Blue
- Poliwhirl: Bright blue
- Poliwrath: Green
- Abra: Lighter yellowish
- Kadabra: Lighter yellow with purple
- Alakazam: Yellow with pink
- Machop: Greenish
- Machoke: Green
- Machamp: Green
- Bellsprout: Yellow
- Weepinbell: Lime green
- Victreebel: Green and beige-brown leaves
- Tentacool: Purple body and green eyes
- Tentacruel: Blueish purple body and green eyes
- Geodude: Yellow
- Graveler: Brown
- Golem: Brown
- Ponyta: Blue mane and tail
- Rapidash: Blueish mane and tail
- Slowpoke: Lighter pink
- Slowbro: Purple
- Magnemite: Beige-and-greyish
- Magneton: Beige and grey
- Farfetchd: Pink wings and head
- Doduo: Green
- Dodrio: Green
- Seel: White/greyish
- Dewgong: White
- Grimer: Green
- Muk: Green
- Shellder: Orange
- Cloyster: Blue
- Gastly: Purple with blue smoke
- Haunter: Brighter purple (this one is tougher to distinguish)
- Gengar: Blueish-grey body
- Onix: Green-yellow
- Drowzee: Pink and dark pink
- Hypno: Pink
- Krabby: Yellow
- Kingler: Green
- Voltorb: Blue
- Electrode: White and blue
- Exeggcute: Yellow
- Exeggutor: Yellow body and orange leaves on the head
- Cubone: Green with white head
- Marowak: Green with white head
- Hitmonlee: Green
- Hitmonchan: Green head, blue hands
- Lickitung: Yellow
- Koffing: Blue with pink smoke
- Weezing: Blue with purple smoke
- Rhyhorn: Brown
- Rhydon: Grey/beige
- Chansey: Beige with green feet and ears
- Tangela: Green
- Kangaskhan: Lighter brown (very tough to distinguish)
- Horsea: Bright blue with pink stomach and fins
- Seadra: Blueish purple with pink fins
- Goldeen: White with yellow instead of orange
- Seaking: White with lighter orange and green
- Staryu: Beigish-blue with a blue center instead of a red center
- Starmie: Blue body, blue center
- Mr. Mime: Green dots
- Scyther: Darker green (tough to distinguish)
- Jynx: Lighter pink dress (tough to distinguish)
- Electabuzz: Orange
- Magmar: Pink
- Pinsir: Purple
- Tauros: Yellow with green mane
- Magikarp: Yellow
- Gyarados: Red
- Lapras: Purple
- Ditto: Blue
- Eevee: Greyish
- Vaporeon: Pink
- Jolteon: Green
- Flareon: Light brown
- Porygon: Blue and light pink
- Omanyte: Purple body
- Omastar: Purple body
- Kabuto: Green
- Kabutops: Green
- Aerodactyl: Pink with blue wings
- Snorlax: Brighter blue (tough to distinguish)
- Articuno: Lighter blue (tough to distinguish)
- Zapdos: Deeper orange (tough to distinguish)
- Moltres: Pink body
- Dratini: Pink
- Dragonair: Pink
- Dragonite: Green
- Mewtwo: Green tail
- Mew: Blue
- Chikorita: Yellow
- Bayleef: Orangeish-peach body
- Meganium: Yellow body
- Cyndaquil: Orangeish brown on head rather than blue
- Quilava: Orangeish brown on head and body stripe rather than blue
- Typhlosion: Pink stripe down top of body rather than blue
- Totodile: Bright blue
- Croconaw: Bright blue with blue spikes instead of Orange
- Feraligatr: Bright blue with blue spikes instead of orange
- Sentret: Rather than brown on brown, it’s reddish brown on beige
- Furret: pink
- Hoothoot: Yellow body
- Noctowl: Yellow body
- Ledyba: Yellow head and back instead of orange
- Ledian: Orangeish yellow head and back and feet instead of red
- Spinarak: Blue
- Ariados: Purple body
- Crobat: Pink body and green wings
- Chinchou: Brighter blue
- Lanturn: Purple
- Pichu: Brighter yellow (might be tougher to distinguish)
- Cleffa: Pink with green ears
- Igglybuff: Brighter pink (might be tougher to distinguish)
- Togepi: Subtle difference
- Togetic: Subtle difference, more white
- Natu: Subtle difference, lighter green and orange
- Xatu: Brighter/lighter green body (subtle difference)
- Mareep: Pink
- Flaaffy: Lighter pink with a green end on the tail (subtle difference)
- Ampharos: Pink
- Bellossom: Pink head
- Marill: Green
- Azumarill: Yellow
- Sudowoodo: Green body
- Politoed: Blue
- Hoppip: Green
- Skiploom: Purple/pink
- Jumpluff: Pink
- Aipom: Pink instead of purple
- Sunkern: More orangeish yellow (subtle change)
- Sunflora: Lighter yellow (subtle change)
- Yanma: Blue
- Wooper: Pink body
- Quagsire: Purple
- Espeon: Green
- Umbreon: Dark with blue trim instead of yellow
- Murkrow: Purple/pink
- Slowking: Lighter purple with some blue accents
- Misdreavus: Green
- Unown: Blue
- Wobbuffet: Pink
- Girafarig: Brighter yellow with blue spikes instead of pink
- Pineco: Beige/yellow
- Forretress: Yellow
- Dunsparce: Yellow with pink trim instead of blue
- Gligar: Blue
- Steelix: Yellow
- Snubbull: Blueish body instead of pink
- Granbull: Peach-ish body instead of pink
- Qwilfish: Pink
- Scizor: Yellow and green
- Shuckle: Blue instead of orange
- Heracross: Pink
- Sneasel: Pink
- Teddiursa: Green
- Ursaring: Green
- Slugma: Grey
- Magcargo: Purple/pink
- Swinub: Greenish
- Piloswine: Yellow
- Corsola: Blue
- Remoraid: Light purple
- Octillery: Yellowish
- Delibird: Pink instead of red
- Mantine: Blue
- Skarmory: Grey body with green wings instead of blue with red
- Houndour: Blue
- Houndoom: Blue
- Kingdra: Purple
- Phanpy: Lighter blue (tougher to distinguish)
- Donphan: Greenish body with brown on top
- Porygon2: Blue body with pink feet and tail
- Stantler: Green
- Smeargle: Yellowish body with a pink-tipped tail
- Tyrogue: Blue accents on grey body
- Hitmontop: Pink accents on grey body
- Smoochum: Lighter pink (tough to distinguish)
- Elekid: Slightly different shade of yellow (subtle)
- Magby: Yellow
- Miltank: Blue with brownish ears and tail tip
- Blissey: Lighter pink (subtle difference)
- Raikou: Orange body and green hump
- Entei: Orange/peach body, blue accent on ear where there was red
- Suicune: Lighter blue and darker blue where there was purple
- Larvitar: Yellow green
- Pupitar: Purple
- Tyranitar: Beige with purple stomach
- Lugia: Lighter blue with pink accents instead of dark blue
- Ho-Oh: Yellow wings
- Celebi: Pink
It’s important to remember that some Pokemon will have a dramatic, stark difference from their Shiny counterparts, and some will be very subtle and tough to decipher. So look for sparkling animation to clue you in on whether a Pokemon is Shiny. As far as which Shiny Pokemon are best to catch, it won’t be any different from their regular counterparts. The ones that are generally the best gym attackers and defenders will still be so.
Read the stories below for more details about Shiny Pokemon:
