Top 25 Best Shiny Pokémon Designs: Charizard, Mimikyu, and More

One of the most beautiful parts of the Pokémon series is shiny Pokémon. Every single Pokémon has an alternate form with a different coloration than its base version. For some, it’s as simple as a couple of shades lighter or darker, but for others, it is a massive change.

Almost 1000

Regardless, not all of the nearly 1000 shiny Pokémon designs are made equal. Some Pokémon benefit quite a lot from the color changes, even making them look better than the original fan-favorite versions. Here are the top 25 shiny Pokémon designs, ranging from Generation 1 to Generation 8.

25. Venomoth

In its original form, the Generation 1 Pokémon, Venomoth, features a light purple design. However, in its shiny form, the Pokémon turns into a gorgeous deep blue color with a little grayish white. Though it certainly loses its Poison-type coloring, it has a unique look for a Pokémon.

24. Wurmple

The Generation 3 regional Bug-type Pokémon, Wurmple, on its own, is relatively insignificant. The red-and-white style of its original form is meh at best, necessitating a rapid evolution into one of its two evolutionary lines.

However, in its shiny form, Wurmple suddenly stands out as one of the most striking Bug-type Pokémon. Turning to purple and white now, the rich purple color makes it look a lot more intriguing and attractive than before. Too bad its evolutions don’t benefit in the same way.

23. Lapras

Like Wurmple, Lapras takes on a velvety purple appearance in its shiny form. Going for a lighter lavender purple color and a slightly darker underbelly area, this is the best that Lapras appear in the Pokémon games. Changes over the various Generations have made it even lighter and more appealing for the Water/Ice type Pokémon.

22. Ponyta

Ponyta is the first on this list to impress in its shiny form, not just in its original Kantonian version from Generation 1 but also in its Generation 8 regional form. Starting with the original shiny Ponyta, its change to blue flames is gorgeous and a nice take on a Fire type.

However, the real star here is in the Galarian Ponyta shiny form, where it changes the already fantastic purple and massive blue mane of hair into flowing locks of greenish-blue and yellow. This shiny version truly puts across the magical fairytale-style nature of Ponyta.

21. Metagross

It’s arguably hard to tell in its base form that Metagross is even a Steel type in the first place. However, that all changes in its rather unique shiny form where its entire body turns to a platinum silver color alongside the shift of its signature X-shape into a golden version. This mix of silver and gold makes for a rich, highly sought-after shiny.

20. Pachirisu

Game Freak found a way to somehow make the already adorable Pachirisu into its cutest form yet with the shiny version. Its primarily white fur remains the same, but the ears and stripes on its body turn into a vibrant purplish-pink color. Without a doubt, this is one shiny Pokémon that desperately needs a plushie.

19. Lilligant

Hisuian Lilligant is fine, but the focus for this shiny entry is on the original Gen 5 version. The original Grass-type Lilligant’s shiny form takes on a majestic color swap to switch out its green body for a yellow-green one that matches well with its blue arms, pink eyes, and bright pink flower crown.

18. Milotic

The original Milotic coloration might still win out in the end as a sign of how this is one of the best-looking Pokémon of all time, but its shiny form is nothing to scoff at. The flip of the switch on its tail to yellow and its blue hair is a bold choice. It turns out, though, that the blue and yellow work surprisingly well together.

17. Charizard

One of the most famous and beloved Pokémon of all time, it should come as no surprise that Game Freak didn’t hold back in the slightest when it came to Charizard’s intense shiny form. Turning into a black dragon with red wings, it is one of the sharpest and most memorable shiny designs out there.

16. Virizion

The shiny version of Virizion is so beloved and unforgettable that it is easy to forget that the Pokémon wasn’t originally so pink. Instead of its mostly green body in its original form, it turns a neon pink color that feels much more fitting of the gentle and marvelous legendary Pokémon.

15. Cofagrigus

Cofagrigus might be overshadowed these days by its Yamask evolution competitor, Runerigus, but it still wins in the shiny department. The otherwise cliche coffin design takes a huge twist with its shiny form, featuring a silver and purple design that is much more fitting of the ghastly Ghost-type Pokémon.

14. Altaria

Pseudo-legendary Pokémon are the cream of the crop for each Generation of the Pokémon series, and Altaria is no exception. That is why its shiny form finally gives the glorious Dragon type the visual design it deserves. It retains its cloud-like wings but switches its blue body into a much more deserving golden Midas touch.

13. Sylveon

Sylveon feels like a unique case of a gender reveal party in Pokémon form. In its base form, you have the pink and white gorgeous Fairy type Eeveelution with its blue eyes and ears, but the shiny version switches it entirely. Instead, it is a baby blue and white Pokémon with pink eyes and accents. This version is how you correctly swap colors for a shiny version.

12. Gyarados

This list would be incomplete without a mention of a heartfelt shiny Pokémon that was the first for many trainers out there. In Gen 2, players had the chance to catch their first shiny with the red Gyarados easily. Instead of the blue Water and Flying behemoth, this red version feels much more sinister and fitting for the Lake of Rage Pokémon.

11. Pumpkaboo

Both Pumpkaboo and its evolution deserve a spot on this list, but Pumpkaboo edges out its successor ever so slightly for being so darn adorable. The orange and black pumpkin switches out its colors in the shiny form for an ebony black color on top and purple and green on the bottom. This color scheme feels even more spooky and fitting for Halloween than the original.

10. Sobble

The emo Sobble finally fits its name with the shiny form, where everything becomes darker and moodier. It has a sickly primary blue color that somehow looks great and a nice pinkish-purple fin on top that adds a nice touch. Sobble stands out as one of the best shiny Pokémon from Generation 8, even triumphing over its evolutions.

9. Zorua

In the shiny department, the newer Hisuian Zorua is no slouch, either, but the original Unovan Dark-type Pokémon is how you make a design even better. The subtle touches, like a more lustrous black coat of fur, plus the switch of the red parts to a light blue color, are terrific. It almost gives it this ghostly appearance, a possible hint to its later Hisuian form.

8. Celebi

Celebi stands at the top of the list regarding how to give a Mythical Pokémon a shiny form. The original green version is one of the top 10 most fabulous Pokémon designs of all time, but that enhances only further with the shiny pink variant. This version with the green eyes indeed provides the angelic creature with a coloration worthy of its status.

7. Appletun

Few shiny Pokémon do this, but it is the best when a Pokémon has a shiny that has an actual story behind it. Such is the case with Appletun, the Grass and Dragon Pokémon from Gen 8, which is based on a dragon who likes to eat apples. The cuddly oversized Pokémon switches it up in the shiny form to feature a green apple rather than a red one. A subtle but beautiful touch.

6. Dragapult

Continuing with the Gen 8 love, the best of the shinies from that Generation has to be Dragapult. The unique Ghost and Dragon Pokémon feels like a race car in its shiny form, switching out its red and black spaceship for a striking yellow and black version. Perhaps the best switch here is its Dreepy children, who are, in an intelligent touch, also shiny versions of themselves to match their parents.

5. Haxorus

Haxorus gives Charizard a run for its money with a shiny black variant that is almost the best of its class. The original Haxorus is a rather dull design with an ugly yellow color, but the shiny version somehow gives this Gen 5 Dragon the 180 degrees of recovery that it sorely needed. The mix of dark gray, black, and red accents is outstanding.

4. Dragonair

Further cementing Dragonair as the better Pokémon over its evolution, Dragonite, the Gen 1 dragon, has one of the most significant shiny forms of all time. The iconic blue is switched out for a deep pink color that permeates throughout the Dragon-type Pokémon and even switches out its beads for a lighter pink color. It truly fulfills the promise of this pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

3. Mimikyu

There is nothing sadder or more stylish for Mimikyu than its shiny form. In its base version, it is a mysterious Pokémon wearing a tattered Pikachu costume, but its shiny version puts a further twist on it as it is simply a black and gray version. This muted noir tone makes its backstory even sadder as it appears that it couldn’t even afford to make a proper yellow Pikachu costume.

2. Ninetales

Whether you have the Gen 1 Ninetales or the Alolan version, you are in for a real treat with its shiny form. Both are equally amazing, planting it in the firm second-place spot for the top shiny Pokémon of all time.

In its Kantonian form, you’re looking at a haunting dark gray version of the Pokémon that almost looks like it should be a Ghost type now, especially with the periwinkle tip of its nine tails. Then you have the Alolan Ninetales shiny that is similarly ghastly with its rich maroon eyes and light purplish blue fur coat. You can’t go wrong with either version.

1. Rayquaza

Shiny Rayquaza takes one of the greatest Pokémon of all time and somehow makes it several times better. The intense switch from the tame green dragon to a black one is like night and day, literally. Almost nothing else is changed about the Pokémon, which is a smart choice as the black feels like it was meant to be there all along.

Since the yellow and red patterns throughout the Pokémon remain the same, you can see that the new black color scheme matches up with them much better and provides it with the proper design fitting of the best legendary Pokémon of all time.

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