All Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go: How to catch Legendaries

Ezequiel Leis
Legendary Pokemon in a Pokemon Go backgroundNiantic/The Pokemon Company

Catching Legendary Pokemon is one of the biggest challenges for any Pokemon trainer in any game. In Pokemon Go, things can get even trickier, so here’s everything you need to know about all of the Legendaries available and how to catch ’em all in Pokemon Go.

Since the beginning of the Pokemon franchise, Legendary Pokemon have been one of the most exciting challenges for players to tackle. The arrival of Pokemon Go changed that by allowing players to have many of the same Legendary Pokemon, but that didn’t make them easier to get.

Although there are still many Legendary Pokemon that haven’t made their way into the mobile game yet, here’s the full list of available Legendaries in Pokemon Go and how to get them.

All Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go

Below is the full list of Legendary Pokemon that arrived in Pokemon Go:

Legendary PokemonImageRelease dateCan it be shiny?
ArticunoArticuno in Pokemon GoJuly 2017Yes
ZapdosZapdos in Pokemon GoAugust 2017Yes
MoltresMoltres in Pokemon GoJuly 2017Yes
MewtwoMewtwo in Pokemon GoAugust 2017Yes
RaikouRaikou in Pokemon GoAugust 2017Yes
EnteiEntei in Pokemon GoAugust 2017Yes
SuicuneSuicune in Pokemon GoSeptember 2017Yes
LugiaLugia in Pokemon GoJuly 2017Yes
Ho-OhHo-Oh in Pokemon GoNovember 2017Yes
RegirockRegirock on Pokemon GoAugust 2018Yes
RegiceRegice in Pokemon GoJune 2018Yes
RegisteelRegisteel on pokemon goJuly 2018Yes
KyogrePrimal Kyogre in Pokemon GoJanuary 2018Yes
GroudonPrimal Groudon in Pokemon GoDecember 2017Yes
RayquazaRayquaza on Pokemon GoFebruary 2018Yes
LatiosLatios in Pokemon GoApril 2018Yes
LatiasLatias in Pokemon GoApril 2018Yes
UxieUxie in Pokemon GoApril 2019Yes
MespritMesprit in Pokemon GoApril 2019Yes
AzelfAzelf in Pokemon GoApril 2019Yes
DialgaDialga in Pokemon GoMarch 2019Yes
PalkiaPalkia in Pokemon GoJanuary 2019Yes
HeatranHeatran in Pokemon GoDecember 2018Yes
RegigigasRegigigas in Pokemon GoNovember 2019Yes
GiratinaGiratina in Pokemon GoOctober 2018Yes
CresseliaCresselia in Pokemon GoNovember 2018Yes
CobalionCbalion in Pokemon GoNovember 2019Yes
TerrakionTerrakion in Pokemon GoNovember 2018Yes
VirizionVirizion in Pokemon GoDecember 2019Yes
TornadusIncarnate Forme Tornadus in Pokemon GoFebruary 2020Yes
ThundurusIncarnate Forme Thundurus in Pokemon GoMarch 2020Yes
LandorusIncarnate Forme Landorus in Pokemon GoMarch 2020Yes
ReshiramReshiram in Pokemon GoMay 2020Yes
ZekromZekrom in Pokemon GoJune 2020Yes
KyuremKyurem in Pokemon GoJuly 2020Yes
XerneasXerneas in Pokemon GoMay 2021Yes
YveltalYveltal in Pokemon GoMay 2021Yes
Tapu KokoTapu Koko in Pokemon GoMarch 2022Yes
Tapu LeleTapu Lele on Pokemon goMarch 2022Yes
Tapu BuluTapu Bulu in Pokemon GoApril 2022Yes
Tapu FiniTapu Fini in Pokemon GoMay 2022Yes
CosmogCosmog in Pokemon GoSeptember 2022No
CosmoemCosmoem in Pokemon GoOctober 2022No
SolgaleoSolgaleo in Pokemon GoNovember 2022No
LunalaLunala in Pokemon GoNovember 2022No
ZacianZacian in Pokemon GoAugust 2021No
ZamazentaZamazenta in Pokemon GoAugust 2021No
Galarian ArticunoGalarian Articuno in Pokemon GoJuly 2022No
Galarian ZapdosGalarian Zapdos in Pokemon GoJuly 2022No
Galarian MoltresGalarian Moltres in Pokemon GoJuly 2022No
RegidragoRegidrago in Pokemon GoMarch 2023No
RegielekiRegieleki in Pokemon GoApril 2023No
ZygardeZygarde sprite in Pokemon GoJuly 2023No

Keep in mind that the list doesn’t include Mythical Pokemon, usually obtained through Special or Ticketed Research, or Ultra Beasts, sometimes considered similar to Legendary Pokemon.

How to catch Legendaries in Pokemon Go

The main method to get Legendaries in Pokemon Go is by beating them in 5-Star Raids. These are some of the toughest Raids in the game, and they require groups of 3 to 5 high-level trainers to be completed.

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Once players defeat the Legendary Pokemon in a Raid, they have the chance to catch it with a limited number of Premier Balls. Catch rates for Legendaries are very low, so it’s recommended players use Razz berries and make Great or Excellent Throws to maximize their chances. Shiny Legendaries are a guaranteed catch, so you should use Pinap or Silver Pinap Berries to get more Candy.

The Galarian Birds, however, can only be encountered in the wild by using the Daily Adventure Incense. While the chance of encountering one of these Legendaries is very low, the chance of catching one is even lower, so you’ll need to have Golden Razz berries and Ultra Balls ready.

Cosmog is another exception to 5-Star Raids. The only way to get one is by completing different Special Research stories. The Cosmic Companion Special Research story is also how you’ll be able to evolve it into either Solgaleo or Lunala. On the other hand, the Starry Skies Special Research story granted players a Cosmog encounter during the Hidden Gems season.

Legendary Pokemon were once part of the Research Breakthrough rewards, but that changed with the introduction of Raids into the game. It is not known if there will be another way to get them in the future.

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Legendary Pokemon currently available in Pokemon Go (December 2023)

In December 2023, players will be able to catch Legendary Pokemon Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, and Regigigas. Be sure to check out our Raid schedule for any changes and upcoming debuts. Zygarde is still available through the From A to Zygarde Special Research.

There’s usually one Legendary Pokemon available at a time, but special events might change that to give players more chances to fill their Pokedex with powerful creatures.


For more Pokemon Go content, check out some of our other guides to be the very best on Niantic’s mobile game:

Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule | How many Pokemon are there? | Best Pokemon for PvP battles in Pokemon Go | How to beat Cliff in Pokemon Go: Best counters & weaknesses | How to beat Sierra in Pokemon Go: Best counters & weaknesses | How to beat Arlo in Pokemon Go: Best counters & weaknesses | Pokemon Go Friend Codes: How to add new friends

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About The Author

Ezequiel is a Writer at CharlieIntel. With a great knowledge on gaming, movies and TV, he's focused on Pokemon and Games stories in general. With a journalism degree, Ezequiel has worked on La Cosa and Infobae, two of the most prestigious outlets in Argentina. He joined CharlieIntel in 2023. You can reach Ezequiel at [email protected], or via his Twitter @ExoPLeis.