How to get Zarude in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and Pokemon GO

Zarude is one of the most interesting Pokemon to be added in Sword and Shield, and is the only eight-generation mythical to arrive thus far. But how can Pokemon Sword and Shield and Pokemon GO players get Zarude?

At this point, Zarude is a particularly rare Pokemon and has been exclusively available through events. So far, players have had multiple opportunities to get the lone gen-eight mythical, but it’s only been available in unique ways starting with Japanese promotions for Pokemon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle.

But how did players get Zarude in North America and Europe? And can players still get their hands on the latest mythical Pokemon? Here’s everything you need to know about Zarude in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and Pokemon GO.

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle | Official Trailer #1

How to get Zarude codes in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Zarude promotional codes were distributed through the official Pokemon newsletter and at Pokemon TCG release events in Europe.

While Japanese Pokemon fans received Zarude on the Nintendo Switch by heading to theaters to see Pokemon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, European and North American Pokemon fans got it in a much more mundane way. Zarude promo codes for the in-game mystery gift function were distributed to encourage players to sign up for the official Pokemon newsletter. 

The first came in December 2020, which included a promo code for a standard version of the Pokemon. Alongside this, certain European retailers offered the ability to get a promo code as a promotion for the Pokemon TCG’s Vivid Voltage expansion which included Zarude’s debut in the TCG.

A second newsletter promo code came out in October 2021 for the “Dada” version of the Pokemon, which wears a pink scarf to promote the arrival of Pokemon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle on Netflix. The promo code came alongside another one for a shiny Celebi. 

These promo codes do not expire but are only usable once. This means players needed to sign up to the newsletter themselves in order to get themselves a Zarude and if they didn’t get one at the time, they’re flat out of luck.

Can you get Zarude in Pokemon GO?

Zarude is obtainable in Pokemon GO through the “Search for Zarude!” limited-time special research questline.

Search for Zarude! was available for players who signed in within a certain window of time, ending October 10, 2021. The special research was a fairly straightforward affair with rewards themed after Pokemon shown in the Secrets of the Jungle film.

The final reward for the questline is a wild Zarude encounter, 10 Candies, and 1,000 Stardust.

Is Zarude worth powering up in Pokemon GO?

Zarude is definitely strong enough in Pokemon GO to power up.

The mythical Pokemon tops out at 4,334 CP at level 50. Including Pokemon that haven’t been released in Pokemon GO yet, it has the 15th-highest CP ceiling in the game.

Zarude stands as the strongest grass type Pokemon in Pokemon GO behind only Mega Venusaur. It’s also one of the strongest dark types, behind only Mega Gyarados, Hoopa Unbound, and Mega Houndoom. It is almost identical CP-wise with Tyranitar, but has preferable typing.

That said, whether it’s worth it for any given player is a different question. 

As with most other mythical Pokemon, Zarude lacks the pure firepower of the proper legendaries in Pokemon GO. Mewtwo, Groudon, Kyogre, Zekrom, and Reshiram can all hit much higher CP ceilings, while shadow legendaries such as Ho-oh, Lugia, and Zapdos can out-punch Zarude. If the player has Shadow Mewtwo, it should be consuming every rare candy players come across.

There are certainly worse options when it comes to Pokemon that players can burn Rare Candies on. If players are looking to max out something to dominate raids with, they ought to go with one of the more powerful legendaries. But if they already have something squared away and want to shore their lineup further, Zarude is a solid option.

Can I still get Zarude?

No, Zarude is no longer available to Pokemon Sword and Shield or Pokemon GO players.

The Zarude codes for Pokemon Sword and Shield were only distributed to players who were signed up to the official Pokemon newsletter before certain dates. Meanwhile, if players didn’t sign into Pokemon GO to receive the special research, they do not have access to it at this point.

In both cases, it’s uncertain when players might have another shot at it. Pokemon Sword and Shield players likely won’t have another shot to obtain it legally for years, while Pokemon GO players need to hope for some manner of follow-up research mission. In both cases, players are unlikely to get them any time soon.