The wait is finally over, Trainers.
As of today, Pokémon Sword and Shield have been released into the wild across the globe, ready and waiting to take fans on further adventures in Game Freak’s whimsical world. Excluding last year’s casual-oriented Let’s Go! spinoffs, the pair are considered landmark entries, of sorts, in the RPG series for being the first to ditch Nintendo’s handheld consoles in favor of the Switch’s more powerful hardware, but the transition hasn’t gone off of without a hitch.
We’ll refrain from revisiting those recent controversies yet again (see here for further details), as Pokéfans still intending to pick up either game in the near future have an important decision to make. As with past Pokémon Generations, both Sword and Shield offer the same core experience but distinguish themselves with a number of small but impactful differences. There is, of course, a unique Legendary Pokémon to catch depending on which version you choose, but what over critters are locked to a specific title this time around?
For your convenience, we’ve put together the now-final list of ‘Mons exclusive to their respective versions, and you can check it out below.
Sword Exclusive
- Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon
- Jangmo-0, Hakamo-o, Kommo-o
- Turtonator
- Mawile
- Gothia, Gothorita, Gothitelle
- Rufflet, Braviary
- Passimian
- Solrock
- Galarian Darumaka/Darmanitan
- Galarian Farfetch’d/Sirfetch’d
- Flapple
- Zacian
- Stonjourner
- Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry
- Scraggy, Scrafty
- Swirlix, Slurpuff
- Indeedee (male)
Shield Exclusive
- Pupitar, Larvitar, Tyranitar
- Goomy, Sliggoo, Goodra
- Drampa
- Sableye
- Solosis, Duosion, Reuniclus
- Vullaby, Mandibuzz
- Oranguru
- Lunatone
- Galarian Ponyta/Rapidash
- Galarian Corsola, Cursola
- Appletun
- Zamazenta
- Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo
- Croagunk, Toxicroak
- Spritzee, Aromatisse
- Eiscue
- Indeedee (female)
So, which would one should you pick based on the above? With definitive rankings for competitive play still a ways off as yet, your best bet is to choose based on looks alone. Should you decide you made the wrong decision later on, there’s always the opportunity to trade with friends or others online to secure those Pokémon not native to your version, so don’t fret too much.
If you’ve already reached a decision, feel free to let us know in the usual place below what prompted your choice. As for those of you holding out for a deal before making a purchase, see here the best day-one discounts for Sword and Shield we’ve found so far.
