Pokémon Shiny Odds: Base Rate, Shiny Charm and Best Methods

The base shiny odds in Pokémon games are 1 in 4,096, and have been since X and Y in 2013. Before that they were 1 in 8,192. A Shiny Charm roughly triples your chances to about 1 in 1,365, and breeding with the Masuda Method gives about 1 in 683, or 1 in 512 with the Charm too. These figures come from fan research of the game data rather than official announcements, summarized here from Wikipedia's Shiny Pokémon article and Serebii's shiny pages.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

Shiny odds at a glance (current games)

Think of each encounter as a set of rolls. Every bonus adds rolls, and each roll has a 1 in 4,096 chance of coming up shiny. That's why the bonuses add up rather than multiply.

Shiny Pokémon only differ in color, plus a sparkle when they appear. They don't get better stats, so a shiny's IVs follow the same odds as any other Pokémon's. Our EVs and IVs guide explains what does affect stats.

How shiny odds changed over the years

Shiny Pokémon first appeared in Gold and Silver in 1999. Sword and Shield added a rarer square-sparkle variant, and the Let's Go games started showing shinies in the overworld rather than only in battle.

How many encounters until you find a shiny?

Every encounter is a fresh roll, so the odds never build up on their own. Here's how many encounters give you a 50% and a 90% chance of at least one shiny:

Even after 4,096 encounters at the base rate, there's about a 37% chance you still haven't seen one. Unlucky streaks are normal.

Shiny odds in Scarlet and Violet

Scarlet and Violet keep the 1 in 4,096 base rate and show shinies in the overworld, though there's no sound cue like Legends: Arceus had. They add two ways to boost the odds on top of the Shiny Charm:

• Mass outbreaks. Defeating or catching about 30 Pokémon from an outbreak adds one extra roll for that species, and about 60 adds two.
• Sparkling Power. Sandwiches made with Herba Mystica, which you start earning once 5-star Tera Raid Battles unlock, can give Sparkling Power for one type. It lasts 30 minutes and only affects wild encounters, not eggs or raids.

Figures from Serebii's Scarlet and Violet research.

The best wild setup is the Shiny Charm, a level 3 Sparkling Power sandwich for your target's type and an outbreak of that Pokémon with 60 or more cleared. You get the Shiny Charm by completing the Paldea Pokédex. If you own The Indigo Disk, the Blueberry Academy cafeteria also sells a meal for 150 BP that gives level 1 Sparkling Power without Herba Mystica.

One catch: Let's Go auto battles skip shiny Pokémon, so you won't lose one by accident while auto-battling.

Shiny odds in Legends: Z-A

Legends: Z-A uses the same 1 in 4,096 base rate. Shinies sparkle and make a sound when they're nearby, and they stay visible thanks to a lasting sparkle effect.

• Shiny Charm: a reward for finishing Mable's research tasks up to level 50. In Z-A it adds three rolls instead of two, for about 1 in 1,024.
• Saved shinies: the game keeps up to 10 shiny Pokémon in place around Lumiose City, so leaving the area doesn't make them despawn. Scaring one off or defeating it does.
• Sparkling Power (Mega Dimension DLC): Ansha's donuts can give Sparkling Power that works inside Hyperspace. At level 3, your first spawn of that type in the Hyperspace trip is guaranteed to be shiny.

Figures from Serebii's Legends: Z-A research. Pokémon from gifts, story events or requests are shiny locked in Z-A, and Fossil Pokémon only use the base rate. A side mission also has a guaranteed shiny Mareep.

What is the Masuda Method?

Breed two Pokémon from games in different languages, for example a Japanese Ditto with your English Pokémon, and the egg gets extra shiny rolls. It's named after Game Freak's Junichi Masuda. In current games that support breeding, it gives about 1 in 683, or 1 in 512 with the Shiny Charm.

Shiny locks

Some Pokémon can't be shiny in a given game, usually gift or story Pokémon such as many Legendaries. Locks are often lifted in later games, but a few Pokémon have never been obtainable as shinies at all. Check before you spend hours resetting for one. Our Legendary Pokémon list shows every Legendary and Mythical.

Frequently asked questions

What are the shiny odds in Pokémon?

The base odds are 1 in 4,096 in every main series game since X and Y. Before that, from Gold and Silver to Black 2 and White 2, they were 1 in 8,192.

What does the Shiny Charm do?

It adds two extra shiny rolls to most encounters, which roughly triples your odds to about 1 in 1,365. In Legends: Z-A it adds three, for about 1 in 1,024.

What are the best shiny odds in Scarlet and Violet?

About 1 in 512. You get that from the Masuda Method with the Shiny Charm, or in the wild with the Shiny Charm, level 3 Sparkling Power and an outbreak with 60 or more Pokémon cleared.

Do shiny Pokémon have better stats?

No. Shiny Pokémon have the same base stats and the same IV odds as regular ones. The only difference is their color and the sparkle when they appear.

How do you get the Shiny Charm in Scarlet and Violet?

Complete the Paldea Pokédex. The Shiny Charm is the reward for finishing it, and from then on it works automatically as long as it's in your bag.

Are shiny odds better in Pokémon GO?

Yes. Wikipedia puts the usual rate in Pokémon GO at about 1 in 500, much higher than the main series, and special events such as Community Day raise it further for featured Pokémon.

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