Here's Every New Pokemon Sword And Shield Gen 8 Pokemon Revealed So Far [Updated]
A Whole New Generation Of Pokemon
After months of teases and reveals, we're finally a day away from the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch. Since the games were officially unveiled earlier this year, The Pokemon Company has drip fed a ton of exciting details about the titles in the lead up to their launch. A few weeks after the games' big showing during E3 2019, the company dropped a Sword and Shield trailer that showcased Gigantamaxing, a special form of Dynamaxing that increases a Pokemon's size and changes its appearance. Shortly afterward, we got our first glimpse at Galarian forms and a couple of new rivals, and the games' final pre-release trailer shows off another pair of new Pokemon, including one that appears to be a Galar-exclusive evolution of Mr. Mime.
Whereas the series' seventh-generation games, Pokemon Sun and Moon, took place in the tropical Alola region, Sword and Shield are set in Galar, a picturesque countryside inspired by the UK. We've only seen brief snippets of the region thus far, but it's home to a variety of familiar Pokemon--including fan-favorites like Tyranitar, Lucario, and of course, Pikachu--as well as some brand-new Gen 8 monsters. That includes three new starter Pokemon--Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble--as well as two mysterious, wolf-like Legendaries named Zacian and Zamazenta, who adorn the covers of Sword and Shield, respectively.
We've seen a handful of other new monsters from the upcoming games as well, from the adorable sheep Pokemon Wooloo to the fearsome raven Corviknight; you can take a look at all of the new Gen 8 Pokemon revealed so far in the gallery below. Nintendo will likely unveil even more new monsters as we approach Sword and Shield's release date, so check back often to see how the games' Pokedex is shaping up.
Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. While we don't yet know how many Pokemon will appear in the games, we do know that not all old monsters can be transferred to them from the upcoming Pokemon Home service; you'll only be able to bring over Pokemon that already appear in the Galar Pokedex--a decision that has generated much controversy. Despite this limitation, series producer Junichi Masuda released a statement assuring that Pokemon which don't make the cut in Sword and Shield can still appear in future titles. You can read more about the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield release date and pre-order guide.
We first heard about Sword and Shield back in 2017, when The Pokemon Company teased that a new "core" Pokemon RPG was in development for Switch, but the titles weren't formally unveiled until a special Pokemon Direct presentation this past February. While not the first mainline Pokemon games to hit the console--that distinction goes to 2018's Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee--Sword and Shield mark the start of a brand-new generation for the series, taking players to this entirely new region rife with new Pokemon to capture and raise.
Grookey
- Category: Chimp Pokemon
- Type: Grass
- Ability: Overgrow
One of the three starters in Sword and Shield, Grookey is a mischievous Pokemon capable of restoring wilted leaves and flowers by drumming near them with its stick.
Scorbunny
- Category: Rabbit Pokemon
- Type: Fire
- Ability: Blaze
One of the three starters in Sword and Shield, Scorbunny is a fleet-footed Pokemon that is able to enhance its fire powers by running around.
Sobble
- Category: Water Lizard Pokemon
- Type: Water
- Ability: Torrent
One of the three starters in Sword and Shield, Sobble is a timid Pokemon that is able to camouflage itself in water.
Gossifleur
- Category: Flowering Pokemon
- Type: Grass
- Ability: Cotton Down/Regenerator
Eldegoss
- Category: Cotton Bloom Pokemon
- Type: Grass
- Ability: Cotton Down/Regenerator
Wooloo
- Category: Sheep Pokemon
- Type: Normal
- Ability: Fluffy/Run Away
Drednaw
- Category: Bite Pokemon
- Type: Water/Rock
- Ability: Strong Jaw/Shell Armor
Gigantamax Drednaw
- Type: Water/Rock
- Ability: Strong Jaw/Shell Armor
- G-Max Move: G-Max Stonesurge
Corviknight
- Category: Raven Pokemon
- Type: Flying/Steel
- Ability: Pressure/Unnerve/Mirror Armor (Hidden)
Gigantamax Corviknight
- Type: Flying/Steel
- Ability: Pressure/Unnerve
- G-Max Move: G-Max Wind Rage
Alcremie
- Category: Cream Pokemon
- Type: Fairy
- Ability: Sweet Veil
Gigantamax Alcremie
- Type: Fairy
- Ability: Sweet Veil
- G-Max Move: G-Max Finale
Yamper
- Category: Puppy Pokemon
- Type: Electric
- Ability: Ball Fetch
Rolycoly
- Category: Coal Pokemon
- Type: Rock
- Ability: Steam Engine/Heatproof
Duraludon
- Category: Alloy Pokemon
- Type: Steel/Dragon
- Ability: Light Metal/Heavy Metal
Morpeko
- Category: Two-Sided Pokemon
- Type: Electric/Dark
- Ability: Hunger Switch
Galarian Zigzagoon
- Category: Tiny Raccoon Pokemon
- Type: Dark/Normal
- Ability: Pickup/Gluttony
Galarian Linoone
- Category: Rush Pokemon
- Type: Dark/Normal
- Ability: Pickup/Gluttony
Obstagoon
- Category: Blocking Pokemon
- Type: Dark/Normal
- Ability: Reckless/Guts
Galarian Weezing
- Category: Poison Gas Pokemon
- Type: Poison/Fairy
- Ability: Levitate/Neutralizing Gas
Polteageist
- Category: Black Tea Pokemon
- Type: Ghost
- Ability: Weak Armor
Cramorant
- Category: Gulp Pokemon
- Type: Flying/Water
- Ability: Gulp Missile
Sirfetch'd
- Category: Wild Duck Pokemon
- Type: Fighting
- Ability: Steadfast
Galarian Ponyta
- Category: Unique Horn Pokemon
- Type: Psychic
- Ability: Run Away/Pastel Veil
Gigantamax Pikachu
- Type: Electric
- Ability: Static
- G-Max Move: G-Max Volt Crash
Gigantamax Charizard
- Type: Fire/Flying
- Ability: Blaze
- G-Max Move: G-Max Wildfire
Gigantamax Eevee
- Type: Normal
- Ability: Run Away/Adaptability
- G-Max Move: G-Max Cuddle
Gigantamax Meowth
- Type: Normal
- Ability: Pickup/Technician
- G-Max Move: G-Max Gold Rush
Gigantamax Butterfree
- Type: Bug/Flying
- Ability: Compound Eyes
- G-Max Move: G-Max Befuddle
Zacian
The Legendary cover monster of Pokemon Sword, Zacian wields a sword in its maw and "attacks so gracefully that its movements can even captivate its opponents."
Zamazenta
The Legendary cover monster of Pokemon Shield, Zamazenta is covered with shield-like armor that "can turn back any attack."
Impidimp
- Category: ???
- Type: Dark/Fairy
- Ability: ???
???
- Category: ???
- Type: ???
- Ability: ???
A mysterious Pokemon that briefly appeared in Sword and Shield's final pre-release trailer. Not much is currently known about it, but its body appears to be made out of different runes.
???
- Category: ???
- Type: ???
- Ability: ???
A mysterious Pokemon that briefly appeared in Sword and Shield's final pre-release trailer. Not much is currently known about it, but it appears to be a Galar-exclusive evolution of Mr. Mime.