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Shiny Pokemon are one of the Pokemon franchise's ultimate rewards. With just a 1 in 4096 chance of spawning (1 in 8192 for Generation 5 and older), having just one makes players feel like a Pokemon master. There are those who take it further, though and dedicate hours of their lives to finding shiny Pokemon to complete their collection.It's an arduous task, but there should be great rewards for those who complete it. Unfortunately, not every shiny is up to the task. While plenty of shinies enhance a Pokemon's aura, others diminish it or fail to stand out in a way players can appreciate.
How Are Shiny Pokemon Designed?
The process of transforming a Pokemon into a shiny is somewhat shrouded in mystery. It is widely believed that in Generation 2 (the first to include Shiny Pokemon), the shiny design of a Pokemon was determined algorithmically. Rather than picking colors, the palette would simply be swapped with the next one in the game's data, with some potential oversight to make sure there was nothing too ridiculous. It's not known precisely how this process works, but it explains why Pokemon with similar original colors have similar shinies. For example, several purple Pokemon, like Rattata and Espeon, turn the same shade of green for their shiny.
This design method stuck around for the entire 2D sprite era of the franchise, meaning every Pokemon up until the end of Generation 5 would've been created this way. When the franchise switched to 3D sprites, things changed, and designers had more control over how they wanted the shiny forms of Pokemon they designed to look. Veteran Pokemon designer James Turner stated on Twitter that the first of his Pokemon he got to pick the shiny forms for were the Ultra Beasts in Generation 7. This may explain why shinies in the 3D Generations have more intentionality to their design.
Shinies That Look Almost Identical To The Original Pokemon
Inarguably the most disappointing and worst type of shiny Pokemon are the ones that barely change the coloration in any meaningful way. It feels like a slap in the face for all that work hunting it to not be rewarded with anything new to see. Gengar and Garchomp are the key offenders in this category, with their colors barely changing, and many may not even be able to tell if it's shiny without seeing it side-by-side with the original.
Several of the best Legendary Pokemon, unfortunately, fall into this category too. Articuno and Zapdos both barely see any change in their designs. Even heading into later Generations, Heatran's tiny eyes change from orange to purple with very little else going on. All of the Forces of Nature are underwhelming shinies, but Tornadus takes the cake, with just a small tone change on its purple arm.
Ice-type Pokemon are one of the biggest victims. It's likely due to the creation method used until Generation 5, as many of the pale blues frequently used on Ice Pokemon barely change at all when the palette is shifted. Glaceon, Vanilluxe, and Alolan Vulpix are some of the clearest examples of this, but the worst shiny by far is Regice, where the difference is so minor that even veteran shiny hunters wouldn't be able to tell if it wasn't for the animation that plays whenever a shiny Pokemon is encountered.
Shinies That Enhance A Pokemon's Lore
There are hundreds of shiny Pokemon that look cool in one way or another; that's hard to deny. However, what sets the very best just a tier above the rest is that they add something to the aura and lore of that Pokemon. They play to the strengths of the original design and bring out a different side to that Pokemon which was perhaps only hinted at in a Pokedex entry.
This applies to Pokemon like the ever-popular Starter Greninja, where its shift to a black body rather than blue enhances the feeling of a stealthy ninja in the night. Or perhaps Chandelure, which switches its cool purple flame for a fierce red/orange. Even just small changes, such as adding a little bit of gold to Reshiram's design, gives so much to the overall powerful feel of the Pokemon.
A few Pokemon take it further than any other, though. Sandygast may not come to mind for most people, but it's a clever shiny design. The black sand of the shiny looks cool but becomes even better when noting that Alola has a black sand beach, meaning it even fits as part of the world. Xerneas is a brilliantly designed Pokemon, but the switch from a black to white body gives it the aura it should have as the Life Pokemon.
The crowning achievement of this Pokemon category is undoubtedly Aegislash. While the original design has a kingly feel, the shiny design brings out the savage, violent, and evil side of Pokemon. The metal turns an evil black, the gold highlights on the shield are menacing, and the red around the edge of the sword invokes that of a blood-drenched weapon fresh out of battle.