In every Pokémon game that has been released, Legendary Pokémon are often the staples and selling points of the games. Legendary Pokémon, such as Ho-Oh and Lugia, Groudon and Kyogre, and Dialga and Palkia have been used as the box legendary duos for the games Gold and Silver, Ruby and Sapphire, and Diamond and Pearl respectively. Regardless of the specific Pokémon or game, Legendaries are typically exclusive Pokémon that have impressive lore and high base stats.

Some games re-introduce Legendary Pokémon in order to make them available to fans who might not have experienced them in previous games. This also has the effect of making them less rare, yet it doesn’t make them any less special. Legendaries from Generation 9’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will not be mentioned below, due to the fact they have only appeared in those games and could appear in future games. Additionally, certain Legendary encounters that can only be experienced by some form of communication between games will not be included in any tallies.

10

Rayquaza Has 9 Different Mainline Appearances

Pokémon Emerald Cover Legendary

Rayquaza is one of the community’s favorite Llegendary dragon Pokémon. It has close ties to the continent Pokémon, Groudon, and the sea basin Pokémon, Kyogre. The green dragon is the cover Legendary for Pokémon Emerald, and also plays a paramount role in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire‘s Delta Episode. Rayquaza is available in a moderate number of games today, and there’s definitely ample opportunity for players to obtain one.

Rayquaza is obtainable in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl. Methods of obtaining Rayquaza differ slightly from game to game, and the levels that players can expect to encounter Rayquaza at may also differ, but in the main story (or sometimes the post-game quest), this Pokémon is available in these games. This makes it moderately rare, but not as rare as other Legendary Pokémon.

9

Giratina Makes 8 Separate Appearances

Member Of The Creation Trio

The frightening ruler of the distortion world and dark shadow of the Creation Trio is within the group of Legendary Pokémon recognized as some of the rarest. Giratina is one of many Legendary Pokémon that have the ability to change forms, being able to change between its Altered Forme and Origin Forme with the power of the Griseous Orb. Giratina has been re-introduced in multiple games since its initial release in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

Giratina can be caught in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. How Giratina is caught, and at what level, varies depending on the game, but its mainline appearances are typically part of the main story or part of the post-game quest. This makes it slightly rarer than Rayquaza, but there are other Legendary Pokémon that are encountered less often.

8

Dialga & Palkia Are In 7 Mainline Games

Diamond & Pearl Cover Legendaries

Dialga and Palkia, the rulers of time and space respectively, serve as the box art Legends, and primary plot Legendaries, of the Sinnoh games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (and their Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes), with both of them being obtainable in Pokémon Platinum. They’re both very impressive Legendary Pokémon, each with their own signature moves, being Roar of Time and Spacial Rend. This draconic duo from the Creation Trio has been available in a handful of games since Diamond and Pearl.

Following their debut in Pokémon Diamond or Pearl, Dialga and Palkia return in Platinum, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, Sword or Shield, Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. Much like Rayquaza and Giratina, Dialga and Palkia’s appearances result in varied methods of obtaining them, though they’re usually involved in the main story or post-game quest. Their fewer appearances, however, makes both of them rarer than the Legendaries mentioned previously.

7

Kyurem Has A Total Of 6 Appearances

Headlined Pokémon’s First Numbered Sequels

Kyurem is a significant Legendary Pokémon, because it broke a trend in Pokémon games that had been running strongly for all prior generations. In some form since Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon games had released as a pair of games, with a third game releasing later down the line. This third game is usually recognized as the definitive way to experience the Generation, like Pokémon Emerald with Gen 3 and Pokémon Platinum with Gen 4, but Kyurem was instead the Pokémon that drove the events that transpired in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

Kyurem is obtainable in Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Sword, and Shield. This means that, outside the generation that it debuted in, Kyurem is only available in Sword and Shield, and is only accessible through DLC. This makes Kyurem quite rare, and one of the rarest Legendary Pokémon. A key feature that Kyurem possesses that few Legendaries possess is its ability to fuse with Reshiram and Zekrom to make White Kyurem and Black Kyurem respectively.

6

Necrozma Also Makes 6 Appearances

Mascot For Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon

Necrozma, the Prism Pokémon, was added in Pokémon Sun and Moon and added the same charm that Giratina and Kyurem previously brought – the charm that was Zygarde was lacking in Generation 6. Necrozma has the ability to fuse with Solgaleo and Lunala to make Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma, respectively. It’s a very cool Pokémon with a unique and fascinating design. Thankfully, it’s available in a plethora of Pokémon titles.

Necrozma is available in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Sword, and Shield. This places Necrozma in an identical situation to Kyurem, due to the fuse factor that it shares in addition to its rarity. However, Solgaleo and Lunala are actually featured in fewer games, making them slightly rarer.

5

Regigigas Makes Regular Appearances In 6 Pokémon Games

Creator Of The Legendary Giants

The crowned king of the regis is a powerful Pokémon with an impressive backstory and deep connection to the Sinnoh region. Regigigas is a colossal Normal-type Pokémon that’s unfortunately hindered by its ability, Slow Start. Despite this, Regigigas still has the title of being a Legendary Pokémon, and the rarity of the golem king reflects this. Regigigas debuted in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, obtainable only through special means, but the Pokémon can be caught in many different games after Generation 4.

Regigigas can also be obtained in Pokémon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Ultra Moon, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. However, it can be obtained in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black 2, White 2, Sword, and Shield if special requirements are met. These requirements differ slightly from game to game, but most commonly involve owning more than one game or obtaining Regirock, Regice, and Registeel.

4

Solgaleo & Lunala Each Show Up In 4 Games

Cover Legendaries For Pokémon Sun & Moon

Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced fans to the first line of Legendary Pokémon that evolve from other Pokémon. Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, and Lunala were all introduced in the Generation 7 set of games, with Cosmog evolving into Cosmoem, and Cosmoem evolving into either Solgaleo or Lunala. These two Psychic-type Legendaries have been made available in a very small handful of games after Sun and Moon.

Solgaleo and Lunala are available in Pokémon Sun or Moon, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, Sword and Shield, and Scarlet and Violet. This means that they have both been available in the staple games of each Generation since Generation 7, and means that in more recent games they might be more common. This is surprising, since they’re only available in four games each, but relatively speaking, they’re newer Pokémon, with Solgaleo being 791 in the Pokédex, and Lunala being 792.

3

Landorus Is Seen In The Series On 3 Separate Occasions

One-Third Of The Forces Of Nature

Thundurus and Tornadus, the other two Pokémon that form the iconic Generation 5 trio, are surprisingly more common than Landorus. The primary reason that the popular Ground/Flying-type is so hard to find is that it often requires its two companion Legendary Pokémon in order to summon it. Landorus made its debut in Generation 5’s Black and White, but has been available in a number of mainline games since then.

Landorus is obtainable, without using Thundurus and Tornadus, in only Pokémon Sword, Shield, and Legends: Arceus. However, if the player has access to Thundurus and Tornadus, then Landorus can also be obtained in Pokémon Black, White, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. This makes it one of the rarer Legendary Pokémon that exist, since both Thundurus and Tornadus are often version-exclusive Pokémon.

2

Xerneas & Yveltal Each Have 3 Pokémon Series Appearances

Box Legendaries For Pokémon X & Y

The two box Legendary Pokémon of the X and Y games are actually two of the rarest Pokémon that exist. Despite X and Y releasing over 10 years ago, Xerneas and Yveltal have only been re-introduced twice, making them a couple of the rarest Pokémon that actually exist. Both of these Pokémon play a pivotal role in the Generation 6 games, with the plot that ensues in Lysandre’s Laboratory.

Both Xerneas and Yveltal are available in Pokémon X or Y, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, and Sword or Shield. Xerneas and Yveltal are always version-exclusive Pokémon, meaning that each of them are only available in one of a given pair of games. Considering that these two have only been re-introduced twice since their initial debut, this makes them incredibly rare and valuable Legendary Pokémon.

1

Zacian & Zamazenta Are Pokémon’s Rarest Legendaries

Only Appearing In Sword & Shield

The rarest Legendary Pokémon are also a pair of box Legendaries, this time from Generation 8’s Pokémon Sword and Shield. Zacian and Zamazenta form the epic dog duo of Legendaries from the Galar region. They haven’t been re-introduced in any games since their initial introduction, with the first generation of games to release on the Nintendo Switch.

This makes both Zacian and Zamazenta exceedingly rare Pokémon, not only rare Legendaries, but two of the rarest Pokémon that exist. Of course, a single playthrough of Sword or Shield will only provide the player with one of the respective Legendaries. Furthermore, both Pokémon are only caught after the champion has been defeated, and the post-game quest has been completed – catching Zacian and Zamazenta is, quite literally, the last primary point of interest in these Pokémon games.