Yes, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet legendary Pokemon are shiny locked. It’s unfortunate that Koraidon from Scarlet and Miraidon from Violet are locked, but considering that past Pokemon games at launch have also done the same for their own legendaries, this is not unexpected. Just like the three starter Pokemon who don’t have shiny versions in the game either, you won’t have to worry about catching any special version of Koraidon or Miraidon.
Why are legendaries shiny locked in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
Well, the legendary Pokemon are already rare enough, so trying to find a shiny version of them would be overkill. There’s a 1 in 4096 base chance of finding a shiny Pokemon as it is, so stacking that on top of the low chances of finding a legendary Pokemon would cause players to farm for days, if not weeks or longer.
That said, there’s a good chance that developer Game Freak will unlock Koraidon and Miraidon for shiny drops in the future. Like the Crown Tundra DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield, which made the legendary Pokemon in that game available in the wild, you might be able to find Koraidon and Miraidon as shinies after an update or expansion.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Legendaries Shiny Locked FAQ
A: Yes, both Koraidon from Scarlet and Miraidon from Violet are shiny locked. This means you won’t be able to encounter or catch shiny versions of these legendaries in the game.
A: The legendary Pokemon are already rare to begin with. The base chance of finding a shiny Pokemon is 1 in 4096, so combining this with the rarity of legendaries would make it an extremely time-consuming task for players. Game Freak decided to shiny lock them to prevent players from having to farm for extended periods.
A: While it’s not confirmed, there’s a possibility that Game Freak could unlock Koraidon and Miraidon for shiny drops in a future update or expansion, similar to how they introduced shinies for legendary Pokemon in the Crown Tundra DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield.