Mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Sword & Shield are the rarest type of Pokémon and are typically only obtainable through limited-time special events. However, occasionally Mythical Pokémon are offered through exclusive promotions, such as a pre-order bonus or visiting specific locations. For Pokémon Sword & Shield, there have been several events that allowed players the opportunity to find Mew, Zeraora, Magearna, Zarude, Keldeo, and Gigantamax Melmetal.
To find Mew, players will need to purchase a Pokéball Plus, which is a special controller used for Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee & Let’s Go Pikachu. The controller is designed to allow players to catch Pokémon using the catching system created in Pokémon GO. While the controller has little functionality for Pokémon Sword & Shield, if players connect it, the Mythical Pokémon Mew will instantly be added to their party or PC.
To find the Shiny Mythical Pokémon Zeraora, players were challenged to have one million total players defeat Zeraora in a max raid battle in the Wild Area raid dens. Once the threshold was met, players were given the opportunity to acquire a shiny Zeraora in Pokémon Sword & Shield through Pokémon HOME. Also available through Pokémon HOME is the mythical Pokémon Magearna. To find Magearna in Pokémon Sword & Shield, players will need to register the entire National Pokédex in Pokémon HOME. Of note, while Magearna is typically grey, this version has the original colors of red and yellow.
Finding Mythical Pokémon in Sword & Shield
To promote the film Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, the mythical Pokémon Zarude, and a shiny Celebi could be obtained with a promo code that was provided to moviegoers who pre-purchased tickets, but this promo was only available in Japan. For the United States and Canada, players could obtain a Zarude in Pokémon Sword & Shield by subscribing to the Pokémon Trainers Club newsletter. For those in Europe, the Pokémon Zarude could be obtained by visiting stores and using the mystery gift feature. Additionally, players will be able to acquire the shiny Celebi the same way.
Keldeo is found in the Crown Tundra in Pokémon Sword and Shield. To find it, players must have first caught Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion. Once players have the three required Pokémon, they should travel to the Ballimere Lake in the Southern region of the Crown Tundra and visit the small island in the middle of the lake. Once on the island, players will find a cooking pot and footprints near it. Next, players should set up camp next to the cooking pot and make a curry. After eating the curry and leaving the campsite, the Mythical Pokémon Keldeo will appear as a level 65 catchable Pokémon in the Crown Tundra DLC in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
One of the easiest mythical Pokémon to acquire in Pokémon Sword & Shield is Gigantamax Melmetal. To obtain one, all players need to link a Pokémon GO account to Pokémon HOME and transfer a Pokémon. In addition, some mythical Pokémon are not obtainable in-game but can be transferred using Pokémon HOME. For instance, Jirachi, Volcanion, and Diancie can be added to Pokémon Sword and Shield this way.
Pokémon Sword & Shield are available on the Nintendo Switch.