Pokémon Legends: Arceus features Shiny hunting like many other Pokémon games, but not every monster features a Shiny form. While Shiny hunting is easier in Pokémon Legends: Arceus than in other entries, there's no way to get several powerful creatures in Shiny form. For unknown reasons, Nintendo prevents dozens of monsters from spawning as Shinies. Pokémon that can't generate as Shiny are known as Shiny Locked and must be hacked to acquire. However, it's suggested that players don't pursue this route as it can often lead to bans from Nintendo's online services for consoles and profiles. Thankfully, most species in Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Pokédex appear in Shiny forms, meaning players are likely to catch one or two favorites with unique colors.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in the Hisui region, the Sinnoh region's name during ancient times. The player character joins the Galaxy Expedition Team as a member of the Survey Corps, exploring the wilderness and documenting many unique Hisuian creatures. Players can catch, battle, feed, and play with the monsters they find and establish camps throughout various free-roaming areas. Pokémon Legends: Arceus implements several systems to assist with catching Shiny Pokémon, including Research Levels, a Shiny Charm, and Mass Outbreaks that increase the spawn rate of a single species. However, even the game's increased Shiny odds can't force a few special monsters to appear with different colors.
Unfortunately, the several Shiny Locked monsters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus are some of the game's most extraordinary and powerful creatures. There's often a pattern to which Pokémon Nintendo restricts from spawning as Shiny, with the most common offenders being the game's starter trio, title Legendaries, event Pokémon, or limited event monsters. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus has mostly maintained those patterns, a few creatures are absent from the list that may surprise players.
Unsurprisingly, all available Legendaries are Shiny locked in Pokémon Legends: Arcues, including Dialga and Palkia (and their new forms). While this may be disappointing for Shiny hunters, many of these monsters have appeared in Shiny forms in previous games. There are several static encounters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus that have Shiny odds, but those hoping for a teal Dialga shouldn't hold their breath. Thankfully, the only new Legendary available in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is Enamorus, so it's likely cans could expect a special event for the monster in the future.
Nintendo frequently holds events that offer legitimate Shinies, such as Pokémon Sword and Shield offering Zacian and Zamazenta Shiny forms for players of the opposing game. Unfortunately, given Legends: Arceus' recent release, it's unlikely that players can expect these events to happen anytime soon. The upcoming release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may also slow potential events or DLC for Legends: Arceus that might quicken the release of legitimate Shiny legendaries.
While it's disappointing that players can't catch Shiny Arceus in Pokémon: Legends Arceus, it's an understandable limitation that prevents the creature from becoming too abundant. The Mythical Pokémon in Legends: Arceus aren't guaranteed spawns, with some being locked behind preexisting save files in other games. For example, a Pokémon BDSP save is required for Darkrai to spawn in Legends: Arceus, eliminating the possibility of a Shiny for any players without the remakes.
Despite the lack of Mythical Shinies, Pokémon Legends: Arceus makes them far more accessible than in previous games. Darkrai and Arceus are difficult to capture in other traditional Pokémon titles, and despite the lengthy requirements for their spawns in Legends: Arceus, they're far more accessible in the free-roaming prequel. Like the legendary monsters, Nintendo could also likely hold events in specific locations or release codes to provide players with Shiny versions of Legends: Arceus' mythical Pokémon.
The starters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus aren't Sinnoh's expected starters, as the creatures have come from overseas alongside Professor Laventon. While some players may want to restart their games hundreds of times to make their partner Pokémon extremely special, that isn't an option in Legends: Arceus. This likely has to do with the cutscenes required for the character sprites and their appearances throughout Jubilife Village as players progress through the game and return to Professor Laventon.
Thankfully, these Shiny locks only apply to the starter Pokémon that players choose at the game's beginning. Oshawott, Cyndaquil, and Rowlet are all available to spawn during Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Space-Time Distortions in various areas. Oshawott spawns in Alabaster Icelands distortions, Cyndaquil spawns in Crimson Mirelands distortions, and Rowlet spawns in Coronet Highlands distortions.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus has event Pokémon for players in Japanese territories that are unfortunately Shiny locked but provide a meaningful new partner. Players can receive a Happiny to celebrate their birth month from February to October 2022, while Piplup's event focused on a "Save the Piplups" initiative out of the Pokémon Centers in Osaka, Kanazawa, and Mega Tokyo. While Nintendo occasionally gifts players Shiny Legendaries or rare species, these gifted monsters are underwhelming. The failure of these monsters to appear in Shiny form is an additional disappointment, as there's no hope for players to manipulate the code before redeeming their event Pokémon.
It's unknown what events Pokémon Legends: Arceus could host in the future, but the 2022 timetable for the Pokémon franchise is becoming extremely crowded. Pokémon GO has receiveded Alolan Pokémon spawns, and the recent Gen 9 reveal with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet promises significant content for fans soon. Past events for the Sinnoh regions included Arceus' event (though there wasn't a Shiny form), Rotom, Darkrai, and more. Since many of these monsters are already present within the Legends: Arceus Pokédex, Nintendo and Game Freak could utilize Shiny forms as in-game events.
Fans hoping for Nintendo to remove any Shiny locks on the existing list shouldn't hold their breath, as once a monster is locked, it's unlikely to receive any changes. Thankfully, there are hundreds of other creatures available in Shiny form. There are also many mechanics players can use in Pokémon Legends: Arceus to increase Shiny chances. In addition, Hisui features many unique creatures to catch, including several regional variants of popular Pokémon like Growlithe, Braviary, Lilligant, and more. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
