Pokémon: The Best Gen 1 Shiny Designs

One of the most thrilling parts of playing Pokémon is encountering the scarce and elusive Shiny variants. Some Shiny designs seem more well thought out than others, though, and this collection showcases the best Shinies Gen 1 Pokémon has to offer.

Even when trainers find a Shiny Pidgey or Caterpie, some of the most common and overshadowed of the bunch, there is still a rush of excitement, as trying to find any Shiny at all in the main Pokémon games often leaves trainers with devastating odds. However, coming across a more uncommon or rare Shiny Pokémon – or even one that looks drastically different from its normal counterpart – can result in a titillating exultation that non-Shiny encounters just can’t match.

So what exactly makes for a good Shiny design? Many Pokémon fans would say a minor deviation from the original coloration is little to get excited about. The iconic Pikachu’s Shiny version, for example, looks like the electric mouse just got a tan. Typically, the color scheme needs to be pretty contrasting to its non-Shiny equivalent. Additionally, a Pokémon’s Shiny design should look better than the original. Of course, this is all subjective, but these Pokémon repeatedly come up in forums as fan favorites. Here are the best Shiny Gen 1 Pokémon designs.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Charizard

Shiny Charizard is by far a fan favorite, in terms of having one of the coolest and most original Shiny looks. Although Charizard is typed as a Fire and Flying Pokémon, it definitely has qualities of a Dragon-type. Its black dragon look as a Shiny variant is reminiscent of Smaug from The Hobbit or Daenerys Targaryen’s Drogon from Game of Thrones. The darker coloration makes it look more menacing, and this is definitely a Pokémon that trainers don’t want to provoke.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Ponyta

The Fire-type horse Pokémon, Ponyta, and its evolution, Rapidash, have a very neat Shiny modification. There’s something about blue fire that comes off as mesmerizing, and seeing it on an equine body seems like something out of mythical legend. Something about this look – even in mere pony form – appropriately demands awe and respect.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Marowak (Alolan)

Marowak, who already had a pretty swell green Kanto Shiny appearance, looks even more fantastic as its Shiny purple Alolan version. Although the Alolan regional variants weren’t introduced until Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon in 2016, there are still a number of Gen 1 Alolan variants of the Kanto Pokémon that shouldn’t be discounted – especially this awesome Ghost- and Fire-type.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Gyarados

A regular Gyarados is a fierce Pokémon that shouldn’t be reckoned with, but the red Shiny appearance somehow makes it look even more threatening. Red is often associated with anger, and combined with Gyarados’s already ferocious face, this look makes for an exceptionally awesome design. One of the few Shiny Pokémon to appear in the anime, Shiny Gyarados is widely adored by many fans.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Lapras

Known for being extremely intelligent and gentle despite its large size, the Water-type Pokémon Lapras is known for understanding human speech and aiding in water transport. The purple Shiny version makes this Pokémon look even more regal and majestic than it already did. It also stands out more against the blue ocean.

Best Gen 1 Shiny Pokémon: Mew

Some Pokédex entries describe Mew as being so rare that many experts consider it a mere mirage. It wouldn’t be too surprising, then, if a Pokémon trainer sacrificed their firstborn to obtain this incredibly limited Shiny variant. Its scarcity as a mythical Pokémon, coupled with the Shiny aspect – and being adorable on top of all that – makes this blue Shiny Mew Pokémon design worthy of being on this list. In truth, there are so many Shiny Pokémon designs from Gen 1 alone that warrant praise and attention, so fans shouldn’t feel bad if their favorites didn’t make the list. Yet, these come up time and time again for their unique characteristics, making them worthy of the spotlight.

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