Pokémon Sword & Shield has a massive number of Pokémon that players can find and catch while exploring the Galar region. Some of them are familiar faces from past games while a lot of them are brand new Pokémon or brand new forms of older Pokémon that we've never seen before in any other games. While a lot of them can just be seen wandering around as overworld spawns, there are some you're going to have to run to the exclamation points and hope to encounter.
Anyone who has played this game will know that there are some Pokémon that seem to spawn constantly in certain areas. It's easy to bump into a Growlithe or a Stufful while roaming around the early parts of the Wild Area, but there are a lot of other Pokémon that players may notice that they're very rarely seeing. To see 10 of the rarest Pokémon in Sword & Shield you'll likely never catch, keep reading!
Updated by Michael Connor Smith on June 22nd, 2020: With the eighth Pokémon generation featuring a whole host of old and new Pokémon in its routes and Wild Areas, there are also a handful of elusive monsters that would prefer to make trainers really work to encounter them.
This list was updated to include five additional Pokémon that are particularly difficult to encounter in either Sword, Shield, or both versions. There are also certain Pokémon that have only been introduced from the recent Isle of Armor expansion, so we've made sure to include them as well.
20 Zorua
The Isle of Armor expansion for Sword & Shield introduced over 100 returning Pokémon from previous regions into Galar, with Zorua and Zoroark being just a few of the inclusions.
Found in the Forest of Focus, Zorua has a 10% encounter rate, but only appears during foggy weather. This makes it one of the more difficult Pokémon to encounter in the area, as even though Pokémon like Oranguru and Passimian have a lower encounter rate at 5%, they will appear during any type of weather.
19 Bouffalant
The distant relative to Tauros from the Unova region makes its return in the Isle of Armor as one of the only single-stage Pokémon that can be encountered. Bouffalant can be found in the Soothing Wetlands at a 5% rate.
Bouffalant can be found during any weather, but it has some tall competition as 23 other Pokémon can also be seen in the area. It has the second-lowest encounter rate in the area and will take quite a bit of searching to find.
18 Klefki
Making its return from Kalos, this set of assorted keys can be found jingling about the Fields of Honor. Klefki can be found at a 5% encounter rate during any type of weather in grassy areas.
Klefki shares the exact same encounter rate and weather conditions with Abra, which is another Pokémon that makes its return in the Isle of Armor.
17 Togepi
This adorably lovely egg friend can only be found in one area of the game, that being the Bridge Field area. Well, unless you want to encounter it in a Max Raid Battle, that is. Togepi has always been a pretty rare Pokémon in the games it appears in, and this stays true for Sword & Shield.
In the Bridge Field area, Togepi has a 2% chance to be encountered during clear or cloudy weather, and a 5% chance to spawn during foggy weather. It's definitely ideal to try and hunt for Togepi during the foggy weather, as only a few other Pokémon can be encountered during fog.
16 Mimikyu
Mimikyu resides in a group of Pokémon that can only be obtained after completing the main story and is unable to be found anywhere until you're crowned champion. After defeating Leon and saving the Galar region, Mimikyu is located in either the Giant's Mirror or Bridge Field.
It has a 3% encounter rate in each of these locations, so it can take quite a while to come across one. It has a pretty low catch rate as well at 11.9%, so it is advised to bring some more expensive Pokéballs along.
15 Dhelmise
Dhelmise is a dual-type Ghost/Grass Pokémon that looks like a rusty old anchor covered in seaweed. This Pokémon can be found on Route 9 or in Max Raid Battles, but if you're hoping to add this Pokémon to your party, you might be spending a lot of time wandering around Route 9.
This Pokémon has a 1% spawn rate on Route 9, meaning that players are going to have to encounter a ton of other Pokémon before they find this one. Luckily, Dhelmise is not bound to any specific weather and is an overworld spawn, so you'll know if one is out there as soon as you enter the area.
14 Chansey
Chansey is one of 34 Kanto Pokémon to make a graceful return in the Isle of Armor expansion, but it stands as one of the most difficult of any Pokémon featured on the isle.
It can be found in quite a few areas, including the Soothing Wetlands, Courageous Cavern, Forest of Focus, and Fields of Honor to name a few, but it only has a 2% encounter rate in any of the areas it resides in and usually doesn't appear during foggy weather.
13 Duraludon
As the only other Steel/Dragon Pokémon in the series besides the legendary Dialga, it only makes sense that it would have such a low encounter rate. It can be found in a few different areas, being Route 10, Giant's Seat, and the Lake of Outrage.
It has a 1% rate on Route 10 and a 2% rate at the Lake of Outrage, and can only be seen after becoming the champion in the Giant's Seat. These rates are pretty low, but you'll have a much easier time obtaining one by trading a Frosmoth to an NPC in Wyndon.
12 Feebas
Feebas may not look like a particularly special Pokémon, but this Water-type Pokémon is one that is highly sought after by many players. It evolves up into Milotic after being traded while holding a certain item. Unlike many other evolved forms, Milotic actually can't be found out in the wild, so the only way to get one is either through a trade or by finding a Feebas.
Unfortunately, Feebas is among the rarest Pokémon in Sword & Shield. This Pokémon has a spawn rate of 1% at one of the two fishing spots in the lake by the Professor's house.
11 Sinistea (Antique Form)
The Phony Form of Sinistea is a Pokémon that isn't all that rare. This Pokémon can only be found in Glimwood Tangle and there, the Phony Form of Sinistea has about a 10% spawn rate, meaning that Pokémon trainers shouldn't have any problem finding it. But, if you're hunting the elusive Antique Form, you're going to have more trouble than that.
The Antique Form of Sinistea is a super rare Pokémon. In Glimwood Tangle, the only place where Sinistea spawns, there's only a 1% chance of finding an Antique Form Sinistea. There are no differences in the stats of these two forms, just what it needs to evolve!
10 Stonjourner
Anyone who is looking for rare Pokémon in Sword & Shield has probably spent a lot of time at the Lake of Outrage. It seems like this area is one of the most rare Pokémon-heavy areas in the entire game.
One of the many rare Pokémon that spawns there is Stonjourner, a Rock-type Pokémon. This powerful Pokémon is definitely one that many players want even though Rock-type Pokémon have a lot of weaknesses because of their high stats. This Pokémon has a 2% spawn rate and only appears during Intense Sun.
9 Hitmontop
As the more forgotten Pokémon in the Tyrogue evolution line when compared to Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, Hitmontop has one of the lowest encounter rates around and will force players to do some intense searching.
At the Lake of Outrage, Hitmontop will only spawn during cloudy weather and will only have a 2% chance. There are quite a few other Pokémon that you can encounter during cloudy weather, making it seem even more difficult to find the Handstand Pokémon.
8 Drampa
Drampa is a dual-type Normal/Dragon Pokémon that is already a pretty rare one because of the fact that it's exclusive to Pokémon Shield. This means that this Pokémon can't be found anywhere in Pokémon Sword, so anyone with that version of the game will have to make a friend with Shield to trade it to them.
But, it won't be easy to find it even for Pokémon players with Shield. This Pokémon only spawns at the Lake of Outrage and will only spawn during thunderstorms.
7 Sizzlipede
Sizzlipede is a Fire-type Pokémon and is one of the brand new Pokémon that was introduced with Generation VIII and this game. This Pokémon isn't a super rare one in general, since it can be caught during Kubo's gym trial. But, if you're trying to find one in the wild because you weren't successful during the trial, it's a totally different story.
Sizzlipede only appears in the overworld on Route 3 and has only a 1% spawn rate. This means that anyone hoping to get this Pokémon should definitely focus on catching it during Kubo's trial or they may never see another one!
6 Eiscue
Eiscue is a Pokémon that a lot of people are hoping to add to their party when they're playing through Sword & Shield. Its special Ice Face ability is a powerful one that can be a lot of help during battle. Unfortunately, this Pokémon is really rare and getting one to put in your party may be easier said than done.
Eiscue is a Shield exclusive Pokémon that can't be caught in Pokémon Sword. This Pokémon can be found either at the Lake of Outrage or on Route 10. On Route 10, it can be found in all weather with a 2% spawn rate. At the Lake of Outrage, it has either a 2% or 5% spawn rate, depending on whether it's snowing or a full-on snow storm.
5 Dreepy
Dreepy is a dual-type Dragon/Ghost Pokémon and the first Pokémon in Dragapult's evolutionary line. This Pokémon is one of many super rare Pokémon that can only be found at the Lake of Outrage. Its spawn rate changes depending on the weather, but even in the most ideal conditions, it still has a pretty low chance of appearing.
In overcast weather, Dragapult has a 1% spawn rate. Meanwhile, in thunderstorms or heavy fog, Dragapult's spawn rate only goes up to 2%, meaning that it's still pretty rare, even during the best weather for this Pokémon.
4 Deino
Deino is a dual-type Dark/Dragon Pokémon that is already somewhat rare because of the fact that it's a version exclusive. This means that this Pokémon can only be found and caught in Pokémon Sword, so anyone with Pokémon Shield will have to make a Pokémon-loving friend in order to get their hands on this Pokémon.
It's the first Pokémon in Hydreigon's evolutionary line and a Pokémon that many people definitely want in their party. But, it's not easy to find. It can be found exclusively at the Lake of Outrage and only appears during the rain. When it's raining in this location, there's a 2% chance that a Deino may appear.
3 Goomy
As Deino is a rare Pokémon exclusive to Sword, Goomy is a rare find exclusive to Shield. Goomy and Goodra are a part of the more rare group of Dragons without a secondary typing, with some excellent abilities in the form of Sap Sipper, Hydration, and Gooey.
Goomy is found in the exact same fashion as Deino where it has a 2% chance to spawn during rain at the Lake of Outrage along with other rare Pokémon like Barbacle, Rotom, and Drakloak.
2 Blissey
Like its younger evolution Chansey, players who want to capture this Kantonian Pokémon will have to do some serious searching, but Blissey provides even more of a challenge. Blissey can be found in most of the same areas as Chansey at the same 2% rate.
What sets it apart, however, is that Blissey will only appear during foggy weather. With fog being only one of the nine weather types and it only being at a 2% encounter rate, Blissey will be one of the hardest Pokémon to find on the Isle of Armor.
1 Eeveelutions
It's not that difficult to find an Eevee in Pokémon Sword & Shield. They're somewhat common spawns and then a player can choose which of the many Eeveelutions they want to evolve their Eevee up into. The hardest part then is finding the necessary evolution stone or teaching it the right moves.
But, the Eeveelutions can also be found wandering around in the overworld. Unfortunately, getting evolution stones may be easier than finding one in the world. Although each of them can be found at the Lake of Outrage, they're super rare and they require specific weather types, some of which won't even happen until you've beaten the game.