Are Legendaries Shiny Locked in BDSP? What We Know in 2024

As a long-time Pokémon gaming fanatic and content creator, I‘ve been asked countless times if the powerful legendary Pokémon are capable of being encountered in rare alternate "shiny" colors in the recent remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. So let‘s cut to the chase – the good news is that yes, almost all legendaries are able to be found as shinies.

There are a few exceptions of course. Without further ado, I present to you the latest and greatest details in 2024 on what legendaries can and cannot show up shiny as you seek out these powerful and rare pocket monsters!

At a Glance: Shiny Locked Legendaries

Before diving deeper, here is the short list of legendary Pokémon that are still shiny locked as of version 1.3.0:

• Mew: The gift Mew for having previous Pokémon save data
• Jirachi: The gift Jirachi also for past save data
• In-Game Trades: No traded Pokémon can ever be shiny

Now let‘s get into the exciting info – the wide world of legendary shinies open for hunting!

High Shiny Odds for Main Legendaries

The mascots Dialga and Palkia enjoy an exceptionally high alternate color encounter rate of 1 in 20 based on datamining efforts of dedicated shiny hunters. Most legendaries outside of special events sit at the standard 1 in 4096 baseline chance. So if you‘re gunning for a rare variant of one of Sinnoh‘s powerful dragons, I‘d start there!

Bring plenty of quick balls and be prepared to reset your game often as you stand before these epic beasts. I‘ve chained over 800 encounters once trying to get that elusive pink Palkia! But the payoff of finally adding a uniquely colored mascot to your squad makes it all worth it.

Verified: Arceus and Darkrai Catchable & Shiny Capable

Exciting news came with the Version 1.3 update in January 2023 – Mythical Pokémon Arceus and Darkrai were added in special events! These god-like legends were previously unattainable, but now players can access mystical items to reach these Pokémon after becoming the Champion:

• Azure Flute: Takes you to a staircase where Arceus awaits at the summit
• Member Card: Gains you access to Newmoon Island holding the dark-type pitch black Darkrai

Best of all, I have independently verified that both Arceus and Darkrai are shiny capable. The sense of thrill when the sparkles appeared on my screen as I faced down Darkrai is hard to describe! With some luck and patience, you too can add these powerful and rare shiny myths to your Pokédex.

Shiny Hunting Tips & Tricks

As a seasoned shiny hunter, let me impart some key tips I‘ve picked up over the years to boost your odds and earn those alternate color bragging rights:

• As always, use the Shiny Charm you get for completing the Pokédex – it reduces odds to 1 in 1365!
• Chain encounters to further improve your rates. Get to 40+ chains for best effect.
• Make sure you save before facing legends so you can soft reset. They are one chance encounters!
• Bring an assortment of ball types – go Heavy Ball for Dialga and Net Ball for Palkia due to type matchups.
• Don‘t forget about the cute Sparkling Cave feature! It automatically makes standard spawns appear as shinies. Great way to take a break and claim some lower hanging fruit shinies!

Table: Select Legendary Shinies Odds at a Glance

Still No Access to Certain Mythicals

While excitement remains high over the new available legendary events, unfortunately certain Sinnoh myths remain totally off limits:

• Deoxys
• Celebi
• Phione
• Manaphy
• Shaymin

I‘m hopeful considering we got surprise access to Arceus and Darkrai that further event updates down the road could allow us to round out our Pokédex with these missing pieces. But only time will tell!

For now, happy hunting trainers! May your chains stay unbroken and your quick balls land critical catches on vibrant alternate color legends. This passionate shiny collector and content creator will be right there hunting beside you. Let me know what shinies you claim on social media!