Pokémon GOis ripe with Pokémon waiting to be caught, and perhaps none are more sought after than the Legendaries. These incredibly rare beasts are hard to find and even harder to capture, but that’s what makes players want them so badly. Right?
WhileLegendary Pokémoncan’t be put into Gyms inPokémon GO(understandable, they’re quite overpowered), they’re all absolute must-haves for collectors and have been since the firstPokémongame was released in 1996.
Here’s your guide to tracking down the Legendary Pokémon inPokémon GOand everything you need to know so that you can catch them.
All Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon GO
Not every Legendary Pokémon from thePokémonfranchise has had itsGOdebut just yet, but here are all the available Legendaries and when they first appeared:
Legendary Pokémon not yet in Pokémon GO
Although we’re working towards a time when all of the Legendary Pokémon will be available to catch inPokémon GO, many still have yet to make their debut. Not including alternate forms to any of the Pokémon mentioned above, or any who have not yet featured, here’s the full list:
How to catch Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon GO
If you’re just starting with your Legendary Pokémon collection, the ideal first targets are the Galarian forms of the Legendary Birds (Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres). These three Pokémon are always available to find in the wild, but only after using your Daily Adventure Incense.
Sadly, they have a high flee rate and are damn near impossible to catch. As with all Legendary Pokémon, it’s a good idea to focus on landing Excellent Throws and Curve Balls while using any Premier Balls you happen to have to increase your catch potential.
Outside of those three, the Lake Guardian Trio (Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf) can appear in the wild at any time. However, which one you’ll be able to find depends on where you live in the world, as each of them is region-locked:
If you’re hunting for the other Legendaries, there are a few different ways to go about finding them.
Raid Battles
Your best bet to get a Legendary inPokémon GOis through 5-star Raid Battles, which take place regularly at Gyms. These are tough battles, and you’ll need to team up with at least four or give other trainers if you want to stand a chance of winning.
If you do beat a Legendary, you’ll be rewarded with a few Premier Balls that can then be used to catch the beast. However, the catch rate for Legendaries is abysmally low (2%, as a general rule), so there’s a high likelihood that you won’t catch the Pokémon even if you do win the battle.
The Legendary Pokémon available to fight and catch in Raid Battles change regularly, so there’s always a chance to try again for a Pokémon that escaped your capture previously.
Timed Research
It’s always worth keeping an eye on Timed Research during events because Legendary Pokémon sometimes feature as rewards. This is by no means guaranteed and hard to predict, but it’s something to look out for with every event.
GO Battle League
Once you reach Rank 20 of the GO Battle League, any Legendary Pokémon that are currently available from Raid Battles will be added to the pool of possible rewards. This is a bit hit-and-miss, but worth striving for.
Defeat Giovanni
Taking on Giovanni is possibly the best way to get some Legendary Pokémon, at least in Shadow form. Once you’ve defeated the Team GO Rocket boss, you’ll have a Shadow Legendary encounter with a 100% catch rate.
