10 Best Shiny Pokémons of Every Generation

Shiny hunting is a favorite pastime of many trainers in the Pokémon fandom. There’s just something so rewarding about entering hundreds of encounters, running around hatching eggs, or resetting a game thousands of times until you finally net the best Shiny Pokémon in the game.

Keep in mind that these lists are all subjective and based on my opinion, as well as the opinions of many in the Pokémon community. It’s perfectly fine to disagree!

Top 10 Coolest Shiny Pokémon of Each Generation

Let’s start off by going over the best Pokemon shinies that have appeared over every generation. This means we’ll cover Gen 1 all the way to Pokemon Sword and Shield.

I’ve excluded legendary Pokemon from this one and gave them their own list further down in the article, so you’ll only be seeing obtainable Pokemon that you can hunt right now!

You may also check some of the best pokemon memes and pokemon fan-made games while you are here.

1. Shiny Psyduck

It’s hard to watch the original anime and not be a fan of this Pokemon. Psyduck and all of his goofiness only look that much more adorable in a baby blue hue.

Unfortunately, Psyduck evolves into an already-blue Pokemon, so its shiny evolution is not as cool as our blue boy.

2. Shiny Umbreon

Umbreon is the best shiny Eevee evolution, in my humble Eevee fanatic opinion. Don’t get me wrong, Flareon is my favorite Eevelution but Umbreon is definitely the coolest shiny Pokemon around.

Many shiny hunters even consider shiny Umbreon to be one of the best shiny Pokemon and it’s hard to disagree given its stats and its looks!

3. Shiny Trevenant

I’m a sucker for shiny Pokemon that have crazy color changes. Trevenant changes from a dull brown to a bright vibrant white. It also gains orange leaves, which contrast with its wood so nicely.

He looks both awesome and terrifying at the same time, which I personally love.

4. Shiny Ninetales

Shiny Ninetales looks a little bit like Galarian Ninetales, I won’t lie. Still, though, shiny Ninetales looks so pretty that I was practically forced to put it on this list.

5. Shiny Emboar

Some shinies are rather subtle, in their color change. Golduck, as I mentioned above changes from one shade of blue to another. These are great and I understand why some fans love the subtle changes.

However, I think some of the best shiny Pokemon are the ones like Emboar here. The blue/purple flames contrasting with its orange body look insanely awesome.

6. Shiny Metagross 

Shiny Metagross is one of the few shinies to make it onto the TV screen. There’s a good reason too. Shiny Metagross is a favorite of many shiny hunters due to how regal its white and gold color scheme looks on its rocky body. 

7. Shiny Mega Gardevoir

Normal Gardevoir wears a white dress, with green hair. The black dress on Shiny Mega Gardevoir starkly contrasts her typical form and may even have deeper symbolism.

Some fans believe that regular Gardevoirs wear a white dress, to represent their wedding day. While Shiny Mega Gardevoir wears a black dress to symbolize her funeral.

8. Shiny Greninja 

Black shinies are some of the rarest shinies in all of Pokemon. Black is usually reserved for starters and legendaries, so it’s not a surprise they quickly become the favorites of many players. 

Shiny Greninja is extra awesome because, well, it’s a ninja! The black plays so well on its theme and just adds to the shinobi vibe of this Pokemon. 

9. Shiny Charizard

I know. You’re not surprised. But at least I didn’t put Zard at number 1 right? 

There is a huge debate between Charizard fans and Greninja fans as to which Pokemon takes the cake for the best shiny starter in Pokemon. Since I’m old, I default to Charizard. 

Just know I would’ve put Greninja and Charizard at a tie if I had the power to do so. 

10. Shiny Mega Gengar

Yet another all-white shiny Pokemon! I have always loved black and white shinies. They just contrast the original colors so well, and they look so clean. 

Shiny Mega Gengar looks absolutely terrifying. I’ll admit that I’m a Gengar mark, in general, but it’s really hard to argue that this isn’t one of the best Shiny Pokemon that have ever been produced.  

The Best Shiny Legendaries 

I promised you shiny legendaries, and you’re going to get shiny legendaries. Usually, Gamefreak does a fantastic job on their shiny legendaries, so it was hard to choose. 

I needed to keep the list short, so I purposely kept this list as diverse as I could between the different generations. 

11. Shiny Mew

I’ve admitted I’m biased before and I’ll do it again. This is my favorite shade of blue so I needed to put Shiny Mew on here. Just be thankful that I didn’t finish the top 10 list with a Shiny Ditto. 

12. Shiny Ho-Oh

Ho-Oh is pretty underrated in the Pokemon community. It always gets overshadowed by Lugia, likely due to the anime movie. However, there is no comparison between the shinies. Shiny Ho-Oh is beautiful. 

From the golden wings to the white tail feathers, I love everything about it. It may even be my favorite shiny legendary in Pokemon. 

13. Shiny Celebi

Just like Mew, this is my favorite shade of pink, so Celebi wins out through nepotism. If you judge a good shiny Pokemon by how adorable it looks after being shiny’d, then I think you’ll agree with this pick. 

14. Shiny Rayquaza

Nothing to see here, just another awesome Pokemon that looks even cooler after a black paint job. Rayquaza’s yellow rings look almost regal. 

15. Shiny Zacian and Zamazenta

Zacian gets bluer (always a plus), and Zamazenta gets pinker. It may be a controversial take, just like all Sword and Shield opinions, but I love how these shiny legendaries look. 

Top Shiny Pokemon in Modern Games

Personally, I grew up playing Gen 1 – 5, so my favorite shinies tend to fall in that area. However, I have recently jumped back into Pokemon thanks to Sword and Shield, as well as Arceus.

Therefore I wanted to dedicate a section solely to newer mons that may not get enough attention due to their ancestors.

Best Shiny Pokemon in Sword and Shield

16. Shiny Cramorant

Cramorant is a goofball, and I’m a sucker for goofballs. It’s also very, very orange which is opposite of its typical blue color on the color wheel.

Like I said above, I love when the shiny versions of Pokemon are profoundly different. 

17. Shiny Galarian Zigzagoon

When I look at shiny Galarian Zigzagoon, I want to eat something sweet. The blue tongue and red/white stripes contrast amazingly. 

The best part is that it doesn’t lose its colors when it evolves. So you never have to part ways with that beautiful scheme. 

18. Shiny Inteleon

Some players were disappointed that shiny Inteleon wasn’t black, akin to Greninja. After all, both are based on some kind of spy/assassin archetype. 

However, I think Inteleon is the best shiny starter of Gen 8. 

19. Shiny Corviknight  

Corviknight is an awesome Pokemon. It is one of my favorite bird Pokemon of any generation. I love Corviknight’s usual colors. Typically it is dark blue, with hints of black which plays well with its gothic look. 

I think this grey color plays into Corviknight’s vibe very well and it reminds me of a Gargoyle atop a haunted mansion. It is one of the coolest-looking shiny Pokemon. 

20. Shiny Dubwool 

If you’re new to Pokemon, or a returning player, then you may have missed the Dubwool craze that swept through the fandom. It was one of the most wholesome times to be a Pokemon fan and left me forever a fan of this tanky Sheep. 

Shiny Dubwool is simple. Its colors are inverted. Sometimes though, simple is perfect, and I believe this is one of those times. 

Best Gigantamax Shinies

21. Shiny Gigantamax Snorlax

Speaking of simple, here we have one of the most simple Pokemon in the world. Snorlax’s usual shiny form is pretty similar to its normal form. It turns a little bluer. 

In its Gigantamax form, however, its trees change trees and plants change colors. It’s a pretty subtle shiny form, but I love the creativity and uniqueness of it. 

22. Shiny Gigantamax Grimmsnarl

Okay, I’ll admit it. I find Grimmsnarl ugly. Being Gigantamax and shiny Grimmsnarl doesn’t change this one bit. However, it’s a fan favorite, so here you go. 

Maybe it’s growing on me a little bit…

23. Shiny Gigantamax Gengar

And Gengar makes the list, yet again! Gamefreak dropped the ball on the original Gengar’s shiny form. However, they’ve been killing it in the newer generations. 

Shiny Gigantamax Gengar may even look more terrifying than shiny Mega Gengar (though not as cool).

24. Shiny Gigantamax Eevee

Pretty much all I’m saying here is that I love shiny Eevee. I didn’t put Eevee on the top 10 list, so I was practically obligated to throw it down here. 

The only thing cuter than a giant Eevee is a giant albino Eevee. 

25. Shiny Gigantamax Charizard

I didn’t put shiny Charizard at number 1 before, so I think it deserves this spot. Gigantamax Charizard looks absolutely epic. 

I believe the only players that wouldn’t want to lay eyes on this colossus are those with Megalophobia. 

Best Shinies in Pokemon GO

Disclaimer: 

I didn’t want to repeat Shinies that I already covered previously. If they look good in other games, they’re gonna look fantastic in Pokemon GO! For Pokemon GO, I wanted to keep the Pokemon more accessible.

Also, I prefer cute shiny Pokemon, so you may notice a bias…

26. Shiny Ponyta

As Emboar proved, there is nothing cooler than blue fire. Ponyta has been a staple in the Pokemon games since Gen 1. 

It was awesome in Fire Red and is now one of the coolest shinies in Pokemon GO.

27. Shiny Misdreavus

I’m a huge fan of Misdreavus. Its normal form looks adorable and is the perfect mixture of cute and scary. 

Shiny Misdreavus turns green, which doesn’t really fit with the spooky theme but I’m a big fan of the contrast with its original.

28. Shiny Lapras 

Lapras is one of my favorite Pokemon, and usually my water Pokemon of choice. I love its shiny form because it’s a very awesome shade of purple/pink, and is so different from its typical blue form. 

I do wish that they would’ve done something a little riskier with its shell. Maybe a bright red? 

29. Shiny Shuckle

Hey guys, what about ol’ Shuckle! Shuckle has been one of my guilty pleasure Pokemon’s since Dorkly’s Youtube series. 

Shiny Shuckle is another very simple shiny form. Its red shell turns blue. Once again, I love the simplicity and think it fits the Pokemon perfectly. 

30. Shiny Furret

And finally, we have Furret. Shiny Furret tops this Pokemon GO list because it is crazy adorable. Just like shiny Galarian Zigzagoon, the red stripes look awesome on Shiny Furret. 

How could you look at those little cheeks and say Furret is not one of the cutest shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO?