A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet image of Ho-oh, Lugia, Solgaleo, Necrozma, Lunala, Groudon, and Kyogre.
Image via the Official Pokemon YouTube Channel

Are Legendary Pokemon Shiny Locked in The Indigo Disk? – Answered

Is it time to find a few shiny Legendary Pokemon?

Since Shiny Pokemon first appeared in Gen Two, their rarity makes them highly sought after, especially for completionist players who want to collect as many as possible throughout their playthrough. However, some Pokemon you encounter in the Indigo Disk are Shiny locked, including the most elusive legendary ones.

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Are Legendary Pokemon Shiny-Locked in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk?

Yes, all legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk are Shiny locked, meaning you will never encounter Shiny versions of them. No matter how much you reload your save or visit and return to a region to look for one, you’ll only find regular versions of these Pokemon.

In other words, finding the legendary Pokemon you want is the real achievement in this situation rather than getting that rare opportunity of encountering a Shiny. Several returning legendaries were added in Indigo Disk, giving you plenty of chances to find a new one you may have never seen before.

Unfortunately, legendary Pokemon are not the only shiny locked ones in The Indigo Disk, and Scarlet and Violet in general. Some other Shiny locked Pokemon include the three Scarlet and Violet starters, NPC gift Pokemon, and Titans, among others. Kiraidon and Miraidon are also shiny-locked, alongside Ghimmighoul and seven-star raid Pokemon.

Several Teal Mask Pokemon are Shiny locked, including the Loyal Three, Sinnoh starters, and Ogerpon, among regular scripted encounters and other special examples.

All Indigo Disk Shiny Locked Pokemon

As a general rule of thumb in modern Pokemon games, if a Pokemon is a scripted or static encounter, then it’s likely Shiny locked. Unfortunately, this means most Pokemon introduced in the Indigo Disk are Shiny locked, including

  • All returning legendary Pokemon.
  • New paradox legendary Pokemon.
  • Terapagos.
  • Pecharunt.
  • Wild Tera Pokemon.

So what isn’t Shiny locked in the Indigo Disk? Well, The Indigo Disk includes (for the first time in Pokemon history) the ability to catch wild starter Pokemon which you can Shiny hunt for. You can also Shiny hunt for the two new evolution Pokemon, Archaludon and Hydrapple.

Aside from that, any wild Pokemon you find as a random encounter can appear as Shiny, so there are plenty of regular Pokemon you can Shiny hunt. You can manipulate the game to improve your odds, but reloading your save or spending extra time exploring the world will allow you to find some rare Shinies if you’re lucky enough.

Do you want to maximize your odds of catching your favorite Legendary Pokemon? Check out how to get a free Master Ball in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Indigo Disk, or click the tag below to browse our growing content collection.


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About the Author

Madison Benson

Madison was a staff writer at Prima Games who has played video games for over twenty years and written about them for over two years. Her love for video games started with turn-based strategy games like Heroes of Might and Magic and has since extended to casual farming sims, MMORPGs, and action-adventure RPGs.