Every mythical Pokemon event in Pokemon Sword and Shield so far

Mythical Pokemon are the rarest sort of Pokemon. Though Mewtwo, Raikou, and Heatran are typically only available once per save file, Pokemon such as Mew, Jirachi, and Darkrai are only available through limited-time events. Not only that, but they can require visiting specific stores, preordering specific games, or any number of other preconditions being met.

Pokemon Sword and Shield have been out for a while now and there have already been a number of promotional events that allow players to get mythical Pokemon. Some of these are still ongoing, while others were only available for a short while. Here are all of the chances players have had to get these rare Pokemon.

This only looks at mythical Pokemon that were available in regions outside Japan. Pokemon that are available now are marked with an asterisk.

Mew promotion from Pokeball Plus (2019*)

The Pokeball Plus is a special controller made for use with Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu. It served as a sort of updated version of the PokeWalker from Heartgold and Soulsilver, with the added functionality of being able to use it to actually catch Pokemon using the Pokemon GO-inspired catching system seen in Let’s Go.

To promote the Pokeball Plus, the Pokemon Company added a promotion with the accessory where players could obtain a Mew with it in either of the Let’s Go titles. This was later added to Pokemon Sword and Shield as well, but with most of its functionality having been removed. 

When first connecting a Pokeball Plus to either a Let’s Go or Sword and Shield game, players will be offered a Mew. Once they accept, the Mew will be added to their party or PC immediately.

Shiny Zeraora raid den event (2020)

Zeraora was a part of a unique event designed to promote Pokemon HOME. Zeraora became a part of Wild Area raid dens for a brief time with Nintendo offering up players the opportunity to obtain a shiny Zeraora if 1 million players could defeat him in a max raid battle.

Players met this threshold and the Pokemon was made available through Pokemon HOME in July 2020.

Original color Magearna from Pokemon HOME (2020*)

Magearna is one of the strangest looking Pokemon. It also has a strange history within the series due to the fact that it’s a Pokemon introduced through generation six, but didn’t arrive in-game until Sun and Moon.

Fans that want this mythical Pokemon are in luck. The original color of Magearna is available by registering the entire National Pokedex in Pokemon HOME. Original color Magearna has a unique red and yellow look, compared to the largely gray version of the Pokemon fans are used to.

Zarude promotion for Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020)

Many have fond memories of getting promotional merchandise from seeing Pokemon movies in theaters, and that tradition lives on today. Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle is a 2020 movie that prominently featured the first mythical Pokemon from the eighth generation, Zarude.

In Japan, Zarude and a shiny Celebi could be obtained with a promo code that was emailed to moviegoers that pre-purchased a ticket. Obtaining Zarude wasn’t necessarily easier in other regions, but it was cheaper.

In the United States and Canada, Zarude was obtainable via promo code for subscribers to the Pokémon Trainers Club newsletter. Similar methods could also be used in a number of other regions. In much of Europe, Zarude could be obtained by visiting stores and using the mystery gift feature. This shiny event Celebi is yet to move outside of Japan.

Gigantamax Melmetal ties together Pokemon GO, Sword, Shield, and HOME (2020*)

Fans don’t necessarily think of Meltan and Melmetal as mythical Pokemon, but the Pokemon GO originals do qualify. By linking a Pokemon GO account to Nintendo HOME and transferring a Pokemon over, fans are rewarded with a Gigantamax Melmetal. This makes for one of the simpler methods of obtaining a mythical Pokemon.

What is the best mythical Pokemon?

Statistically speaking, the best mythical Pokemon is the unbound version of Hoopa. While the vast majority of mythical Pokemon have 600 base stats, similar to pseudo-legendary Pokemon like Dragonite and Metagross, unbound Hoopa has 680 base stats, which is on par with Mewtwo. Unfortunately, Hoopa is not yet available in Pokemon Sword and Shield.