- What Is the Shiny Charm?
- What Are Shiny Pokémon?
- Where and How to Get the Shiny Charm in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Step-by-Step Guide
- How Much Does the Shiny Charm Improve Shiny Odds?
- Effective Strategies for Shiny Hunting
- 1. Masuda Method (Breeding across language versions)
- 2. Battle Count / Encounter Chains
- 3. Dynamax Adventures
- 4. Patience and Focus
- Is the Shiny Charm Worth It?
What Is the Shiny Charm?
In Pokémon Sword & Shield, the Shiny Charm is a key item that permanently increases your chance of encountering shiny Pokémon (also called “shiny odds boost”). Once obtained, you don’t “use” it actively – it just works in the background for wild encounters and breeding. Without the Shiny Charm, the base chance of a shiny is 1 in 4096. With the Shiny Charm, that improves to about 1 in 1365. When combined with special breeding methods like the Masuda Method, you can push the odds even further (e.g. roughly 1 in 512).
The Shiny Charm was first introduced in Generation V (Pokémon Black 2 / White 2) and has carried forward into newer generations. In Sword & Shield, it’s a sought-after reward because it turns long, tedious hunts into more feasible projects.
What Are Shiny Pokémon?
Shiny Pokémon are extremely rare visual variants of regular Pokémon. Their stats are the same as normal versions – the distinction is entirely cosmetic (color palette, sparkle animations). Collectors and dedicated trainers prize them for prestige, rarity, and bragging rights. Many players remember their first shiny as a highlight in their Pokémon journey.
Where and How to Get the Shiny Charm in Pokémon Sword and Shield
The only way to obtain the Shiny Charm in Sword & Shield is by completing the Galar Pokédex (400/400 Pokémon). Once your Pokédex is fully filled, you can claim the charm in Circhester.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Complete your Pokédex
Catch or trade all 400 Pokémon of the Galar region. Because some Pokémon are version-exclusive (Sword vs Shield), you’ll need to trade with other players or use online exchanges. - Go to Circhester
After your Pokédex is full, travel to the city Circhester in the Galar region. - Enter Hotel Ionia
In Circhester, enter Hotel Ionia using the left entrance, then take the elevator to the top floor. - Talk to the developer NPC
Enter the leftmost room in the upper floor. Inside, you’ll find a NPC (presented as a Game Freak / developer type). Speak to them, show your completed Pokédex count, and they will hand you the Shiny Charm and give you a certificate to mark the achievement.
Once you have it, the Shiny Charm is permanent. You can’t sell it or lose it, and from then on it modifies the shiny rates in hunts and breeding.
How Much Does the Shiny Charm Improve Shiny Odds?
Here’s a breakdown of typical probabilities and how they change with the Shiny Charm and other methods:
| Scenario | Approximate Odds |
|---|---|
| Without Shiny Charm | 1 in 4096 |
| With Shiny Charm | ~ 1 in 1365 |
| With Shiny Charm + Masuda Method | ~ 1 in 512 |
| In Dynamax Adventures | 1 in 300 (no Charm), 1 in 100 (with Charm) |
Effective Strategies for Shiny Hunting
To make the most of the Shiny Charm, combine it with these tactics:
1. Masuda Method (Breeding across language versions)
When you breed two Pokémon from different language games (for example, a German Ditto and a Japanese Pokémon), the “shiny egg” odds increase. With the Shiny Charm, this method often yields an approximate 1 in 512 chance per egg. It’s especially useful for rare or version-exclusive Pokémon you can’t find easily in the wild.
2. Battle Count / Encounter Chains
In Sword & Shield, every time you battle or catch a certain species, the game tracks that count. Higher counts (hundreds of encounters) grant extra “rolls” in shiny checks, effectively boosting your chance on that species. Also, if you repeatedly encounter the same species in a row (a “chain” of ~ 25+), that further pushes your odds. When combined with the Shiny Charm, chains and high counts can push your effective rate to around 1 in 455 in some cases.
3. Dynamax Adventures
In the Crown Tundra DLC, Dynamax Adventures let you catch multiple Pokémon in a single run. The base shiny chance there is 1 in 300, but if you own the Shiny Charm, it becomes 1 in 100 for each potential catch. It’s one of the fastest ways to land shinies, especially legendary ones.
4. Patience and Focus
Even with all optimizations, shiny hunting is stochastic — luck matters. Sometimes you’ll find one quickly, sometimes not. Choose a target species, invest in chain/encounter count, avoid chasing too many species at once, and take breaks to avoid burnout.
Is the Shiny Charm Worth It?
Absolutely. If you enjoy shiny hunting, the Shiny Charm is almost indispensable. It reduces the grind, increases your effective yield, and rewards effort after you complete the Pokédex. The initial effort of completing the Pokédex can be tedious, but the payoff is that your future hunts become far more efficient and less demoralizing.
