The Pokemon the franchise has always been known for its mix of strategy, exploration and a healthy dose of randomness, especially when it comes to shiny hunting. Players have long sought ways to track down those elusive, rare shiny variants of their favorite Pokémon, and with each new installment, Game Freak has introduced new methods to make the hunt more engaging. IN Pokemon Legends: ZAThe shiny hunt for legendary Pokemon like Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion is a departure from what players may be used to.
The game's quest for legends is an immersive experience that matches the open world format and narrative approach. However, while Legends: ZA brings an exciting twist to the classic shiny hunting formula, can't quite stand what Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced in the Crown Tundra DLC with Dynamax Adventures. Pokemon Legends: ZAThe shiny hunting noose is unique, it can be pretty fun, and it's probably a solid step forward, but in the end Sword and shield's Dynamax Adventures still reigns supreme even after 5 years.
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Pokemon Legends: ZA's legendary method is great, but limited and repetitive
Shiny Hunting Legendary in Pokemon Legends: ZA is a relatively new and immersive experience. The game has adopted a more narrative approach to legendary encounters, especially the story ones in the base game and DLC, such as:
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Xerneas (the one who gives)
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Yveltal (the one who takes)
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Zygarde (Keeping the World in Balance)
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Darkrai (Hyperspace Mission 11)
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Rayquaza (Greatest Gift)
Additionally, there are five specific legendaries that you can shiny hunt in the game and they are: Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion. This allows players to actively pursue these legends through special in-game “quests”, which are repeatable explorations of hyperspace that ultimately award special scans. These always guarantee one of seven results after five special scans and the possible results are:
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Latias
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Latios
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Cobalion
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Terrakion
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Virizion
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Keldeo
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Meloetta
Of these, Keldeo and Meloetta are shiny Pokemon Legends: ZAwhich makes it impossible for them to hunt shiny. However, the other five can be found in specific locations in their respective hyperspace wild zones, and the chance of them sparking up can be less than 1 in 512 for both the Shiny Charm and the Sparkling Power Level 3 Donut, making them more interesting and unique than the series' common tall grass encounters.
The problem is that this method requires players to spawn and despawn Legendary multiple times in a row, which becomes frustrating and boring very quickly. However, Sparkling Power Lv 3 Donuts are easy to get and only require a minimum of 420 Sweet and Sweet as the highest flavor, with the best recipe being 3x Hyperspace Haban Berries and 5x Hyperspace Tanga Berries.
Why Dynamax Adventures in Sword and Shield is still the best shiny hunting method ever
While Pokemon Legends: ZAThe shiny pursuit of Legendary is certainly a step in the right direction, it doesn't quite hold a candle to the innovation that Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced with Dynamax Adventures in the Crown Tundra DLC. This is due to several reasons:
1. Cooperative play with friends, online players and bots
One of the most popular features of Dynamax Adventures is the cooperative gameplay. Players team up in groups of four to take on raids against Dynamaxed Legendary Pokémon. The co-op element of Dynamax Adventures brought a whole new level of excitement to hunting, allowing players to experience the legendary hunt not as a separate task, but as a shared challenge. This multiplayer aspect makes hunting more engaging and adds social interaction to the vibrant hunting process. Whether teaming up with friends or teaming up with random players online, the experience feels alive, dynamic and communal – something that Pokemon Legends: ZAThe solo quest system is not completely replicated.
2. Legendary encounters guaranteed
Dynamax Adventures provided a guaranteed legendary encounter at the end of each dungeon, a major plus for polished hunters. Players didn't have to worry about whether they encountered a Legendary Pokémon or not – if you made it through the adventure, you would encounter one of the many Legendary Pokémon that appear in the Crown Tundra. This certainty was a game changer for flash hunters as it allowed them to repeatedly hunt down flash Legendary in Dynamax Adventures without worrying about missing out. in comparison Pokemon Legends: ZA it requires players to work on quests and conditions, which introduces a lot of uncertainty and makes it difficult to target specific legendary Pokémon for shiny hunts.
3. Shiny speed boosts and retries
In Dynamax Adventures, the chance of encountering a Shiny Pokemon has been greatly increased, especially after completing multiple adventure runs. The more you participate in Dynamax Adventures, the higher your chances of finding a shiny Legendary. This made shiny hunting much more efficient, where retries increased your chances and the thrill of seeing different Legendaries (including their shiny variants) made hunting rewarding and exciting. Pokemon Legends: ZA it offers higher shiny odds once players reach certain milestones, such as a Shiny Charm or via Donuts, but is only applicable to a few pets, unlike Dynamax Adventures where every encounter was a chance to catch a shiny version of the Legendary.
4. Different legends in one place
Another major benefit of Dynamax Adventures was the variety of Legendary Pokémon that players could hunt in one go. Each run featured a rotating selection of legendary Pokemon in Dynamax Adventures, keeping the experience fresh and full of surprises. This was especially exciting for shiny hunters, as it allowed players to go after multiple shiny legendaries without having to farm for each one separately. IN Pokemon Legends: ZAhowever, it focuses more on specific legendary groups such as Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion. While still great for fans of these legends, it lacks the same level of variety and flexibility that Dynamax Adventures provided.
It's unclear if the series will ever return to the heights of Dynamax Adventures, especially after most Legendaries were shiny in Gen 9 and only a handful were shiny to hunt in FOR. actually Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players returned to Gen 8 precisely because of Dynamax Adventures, so it's clear that the system was popular and a huge success. Hopefully Gen 10 will finally use something similar.
- Released
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October 16, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy violence, in-game purchases
