What Color is Shiny Charizard?
Shiny Charizard‘s jet black skin and fiery crimson wings have cemented its status as one of the most iconic and coveted shiny Pokémon. When and how did it get this menacing dark color scheme? Read on to find out!
A Violet Origin
In the classic Game Boy games Pokémon Red and Blue, "shinies" didn‘t officially exist as we know them. But due to the console‘s limited color palette, Charizard appeared purple-gray rather than its normal orange. Early official art even depicted it as violet!
When the second generation of games revolutionized graphics with the Game Boy Color, Charizard‘s shiny form was fully realized as purple with green wings – possibly revealing its "true colors" hidden in the original sprite.
| Generation | Color Scheme |
|---|---|
| Gen 1 (1996-99) | Purple-gray |
| Gen 2 (1999-2002) | Purple with green wings |
So why didn‘t it keep this regal chromatic combination? My theory is that the designers chose to amplify its fiery personality by bathing it in darker, moodier tones.
Turning to the Dark Side
In 2002‘s Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire ushered the third generation, shiny Charizard received a dramatic makeover. Its new black and red coloration, possibly inspired by its menacing Mega X form, would persist to this day.
| Generation | Color Scheme |
|---|---|
| Gen 3 (2002-06) | Black with red wings |
| Gen 4 (2006-10) | Black with red wings |
| Gen 5 (2010-13) | Black with red wings |
| Gen 6 (2013-16) | Black with red wings |
| Gen 7 (2016-19) | Black with red wings |
| Gen 8 (2019-Present) | Black with red wings |
Could we ever see a return to its violet origins or even a radical new take in future? As a collector and mega-fan myself, I‘m always hoping for special event distributions featuring unique shiny variants!
Rarity: A 1 in 4,000+ Shot!
As any shiny hunter knows, randomly encountering a shiny Pokémon in the wild is an incredible long shot. The base odds have been agonizingly low:
- Gen 2-5: 1 in 8,192
- Gen 6+: 1 in 4,096
For context, you are over 20 times more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime!
But over decades of playthroughs by millions of players, enough lucky trainers have spotted sparkling black Charizards to drive up demand for these obsidian beasts.
So You‘re Telling Me There‘s A Chance?
Still, outside of winning the statistical lottery, there are ways to tip luck in your favor:
Pokémon GO
Shiny hunting got a major boost in Niantic‘s hit mobile game, with boosted Community Day rates as high as 1 in 25! But even outside special events, tghe base 1 in 500 rate makes GO much friendlier. Mega Raids grant one of the most reliable ways to catch Charizards, including the shiny variant‘s unmistakable jet black skin. I‘ll never forget the adrenaline rush when one first appeared on my map!
Chaining
Also known as the "poke radar method," clever breeding techniques exploit rate boosts granted by chaining successive encounters. By battling the same Pokémon species in deep grass, the odds of finding a shiny slowly improve, reportedly maxing out at 1 in 200!
Masuda Method
Named after the legendary Game Freak director, Junichi Masuda, breeding two Pokémon from games in different languages increases the shiny rate to 1 in 682. A tedious but proven tactic!
Shiny Charm
Available in Pokémon X/Y and beyond after completing the regional Pokédex, the Shiny Charm item further pushes rates to 1 in 1365!
So get breeding, chaining, and charm hunting until that fated square sparkle appears!
In my decades playing Pokémon, I‘ve hatched five shiny Charmanders through Masuda breeding in Omega Ruby. And I‘ll never forget the goosebumps when my very first orange lizard hatched! So keep persevering fellow collectors and never lose hope!
Collector Value: How Much Is Yours Worth?
For card collectors, the 1999 1st Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard remains the holy grail. The PSA 10 Gem Mint version depicted below recently shattered records by selling at auction for $408,000 in October 2020!
[charizard card photo]But more accessible cards still carry respectable price tags:
| Card | Average eBay Value |
|---|---|
| 2016 Generations Radiant Collection | $375 |
| 2021 Shining Fates Shiny Vault | $220 |
| 2020 Vivid Voltage Amazing Rare | $95 |
So inspect your old binders for early edition base set zards! Buying cards still in circulation like Amazing Rares or Shining Fates pulls gives reasonably affordable shots at ownership too.
And ifdisplayed beside your Gen 3 event shiny dragon obtained through years of effort, you‘ll have quite the trophy case!
Final Verdict: Badass Black Beauty
So after many iterations, Charizard‘s signature obsidian sheen endures as one of the most stunning and coveted shinies out there. With persistence and a bit of luck, every trainer and collector deserves a shot at this dark fiery grail!
Let me know your own priceless Charizard encounters, breeding triumphs, card collecting, or overall thoughts below!
