Legendary Pokémon are among the rarest and most powerful Pokémon in each game — unique creatures tied to the game's central lore and story. Unlike regular Pokémon, most legendaries are one-per-save encounter, meaning you only get one chance to catch them unless you soft-reset.

Mythical Pokémon take this a step further — they were historically only available through limited-time Nintendo events, making them even rarer than standard legendaries. Today, many Mythicals can be transferred through Pokémon HOME from previous distributions.

Both categories are highly sought-after for competitive teams, Pokémon HOME collections, and shiny hunting — a shiny legendary is one of the rarest Pokémon experiences in the entire series.

Legends ZA is set in a reimagined Lumiose City and features several legendary Pokémon from the Kalos region alongside new ZA-exclusive encounters. Mega Evolution returns as a central mechanic, with several legendary Pokémon able to Mega Evolve.

Scarlet & Violet introduced the Paldea region with version-exclusive box legendaries and the Ruinous Quartet — four ancient legendary Pokémon sealed in shrines across Paldea. The Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLCs added additional legendary encounters.

Sword & Shield's Galar region introduced the Legendary Wolves Zacian and Zamazenta, plus the Crown Tundra DLC which brought back nearly every legendary from previous generations through Dynamax Adventures — making it one of the best games for legendary collection.

Legends Arceus features a rich roster of legendaries tied to the Hisui region's ancient history. Noble Pokémon, the Lake Guardians, and the powerful Origin Forms of Dialga and Palkia make this one of the most exciting legendary line-ups in the series.

BDSP faithfully remade Sinnoh's legendary roster — including Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, the Legendary Lake Trio, and the vast collection of roaming and Ramanas Park legendaries. Ramanas Park allows players to encounter legendaries from every generation using Slates.