Which Legendary Pokémon Have the Highest Catch Rate?

The quest to capture Legendary Pokémon is a defining aspect of the Pokémon franchise, known for its challenge and thrill. While most Legendaries are notoriously difficult to catch, a select few stand out for their comparatively higher catch rates. Eternatus from Pokémon Sword and Shield boasts the highest catch rate among Legendary Pokémon, sharing the top spot with base-level Pokémon like Caterpie and Pidgey. This seemingly paradoxical situation makes Eternatus an anomaly in the realm of Legendary captures, a relatively easy encounter compared to the struggles often associated with these powerful beings.

The Curious Case of Eternatus

Eternatus’s catch rate stands at 255, the highest possible value in the game, which translates to an approximate 43.9% chance of capture with a standard Poké Ball and no status conditions. This is significantly higher than the typical Legendary catch rate of 3 (1.6%), making it exceptionally easy to capture for a creature of its stature. The reason for this high catch rate is likely tied to its story significance in Sword and Shield and the desire to make this important encounter more accessible to players.

Standard Legendary Catch Rates and Their Challenges

In stark contrast to Eternatus, most Legendary Pokémon share a base catch rate of 3, which equates to a mere 1.6% chance of capture with a regular Poké Ball and no status ailments. This low percentage makes the process incredibly challenging and requires strategic planning, such as lowering their health and inflicting status conditions like paralysis or sleep. The difficulty in catching Legendaries is intentional, contributing to their mystique and sense of being rare and powerful. This challenge is what makes catching them such a rewarding experience for most players.

Legendary Pokémon With Easier Capture Rates

While Eternatus has the highest of the highest rates, some other Legendary Pokémon are considered relatively easier to catch, although not as easy as Eternatus. While their catch rates aren’t close to 255, they are still considered to be the easiest. These include:

Necrozma

Specifically the Necrozma encountered in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. While not having the same catch rate as Eternatus, it is known to be much easier to capture than others.

Understanding the Catch Rate Mechanic

The catch rate mechanic is a core element of the Pokémon games that determines how likely it is to successfully catch a Pokémon. The base catch rate of a Pokémon is a numeric value associated with each Pokemon. The number is used with several other factors, such as HP level, type of Pokeball and if the Pokémon has a status effect, to formulate the final percentage. When a Poké Ball is thrown, the game calculates a probability of capture based on this rate and other modifiers. This explains why even though Pokémon with the same base catch rate will have varied capture rates. For example, even though Eternatus and Pidgey share the same base catch rate, the higher HP of Eternatus means the actual catch percentage is likely much lower. These modifiers include:

• Pokémon’s Current Health: The lower the Pokémon’s health, the higher the catch rate.
• Status Conditions: Inflicting status conditions like paralysis, sleep, or freeze significantly increases catch rates.
• Type of Poké Ball: Different Poké Balls have varying catch rate modifiers, with Ultra Balls being more effective than standard Poké Balls and Master Balls guaranteeing capture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Legendary Catch Rates

Here are some frequently asked questions to give a more in-depth understanding of Legendary Pokémon catch rates and related topics:

1. Which Legendary Pokémon is the most difficult to catch?

Arceus, often considered the god of Pokémon, is regarded as one of the most challenging Legendaries to catch. Its encounter in Legends: Arceus requires specific story progression and can still be very difficult. Although all the other Legendaries have the same catch rate as each other, Arceus is still considered to be one of the hardest.

2. Are Shiny Legendary Pokémon easier to catch?

In raid battles, a Shiny Legendary has a 100% catch rate. However, wild Shiny Legendaries keep the same difficulty as their normal counterparts.

3. What’s the catch rate of Shadow Legendary Pokémon?

After defeating Giovanni, a Shadow Legendary encounter is guaranteed, meaning it will be caught in the first Pokeball throw.

4. What is the best Poké Ball to use for Legendary Pokémon?

The Master Ball has a 100% catch rate, making it the most reliable way to catch any Legendary. However, because of the rarity of Master Balls in-game, they are typically saved for the toughest Legendaries. For non-guaranteed throws, the Ultra Ball has a higher modifier for catch rates. Heavy Balls are also effective against large, heavy Legendaries.

5. How can I improve my chances of catching a Legendary Pokémon?

To increase the odds, you should:

• Lower the Legendary’s HP as much as possible without knocking it out.
• Inflict status conditions, particularly sleep or paralysis.
• Use higher-tier Poké Balls such as Ultra Balls.
• Be patient and have a great deal of patience!

6. Why is it difficult to catch Legendary Pokémon?

The difficulty is designed to emphasize their rarity, power, and special status in the Pokémon world. The low catch rates are an integral part of their mystique and makes the effort to catch them more rewarding.

7. Are there any Legendary Pokémon that have a higher base catch rate than 3 other than Eternatus?

No. Eternatus is the only Legendary Pokémon with a base catch rate of 255. No other Legendary comes close to this high rate.

8. What is the average catch rate for most regular Pokémon?

Regular Pokémon can have a wide range of catch rates. The most common catch rate in the game is 255, although that rate is usually on Pokémon with very low HP. The most common base catch rate on most regular Pokemon is around 45-150 depending on how strong the Pokémon is.

9. How does the Catch Rate differ in Pokemon Go from the Main Series games?

In Pokémon Go, capture mechanics are different than main series games. Catch rates are not a fixed value and are impacted by modifiers. Instead of HP percentages, CP is a heavy factor and can only be lowered by fighting in a raid. These rates are also heavily affected by items such as Razz berries.

10. What makes the Lati twins more difficult to catch?

Latias and Latios in Pokémon Go are often considered more difficult to catch due to their “far away” positioning on the screen. Their erratic behavior on the screen can also make it more difficult to aim pokeballs.

11. What is considered to be the weakest Legendary Pokémon?

Cosmog is widely considered the weakest Legendary Pokémon, possessing only access to “Teleport” and “Splash,” and has the same total base stat as Magikarp.

12. Why is Rayquaza considered easier to defeat in some situations?

Rayquaza is relatively easier to defeat due to its lower defense stat and its double weakness to ice-type attacks. However, it can still be difficult to catch.

13. What is the fastest Legendary Pokémon?

Regieleki has the highest base speed stat of all Pokémon, with a speed of 200.

14. How does the Heavy Ball work with Legendary Pokémon?

The Heavy Ball is more effective against very heavy Pokémon. Legendaries like Dialga, Giratina, Groudon, and Regigigas are good targets for Heavy Balls.

15. Can certain items affect the catch rate?

Yes, items such as Razz Berries, Golden Razz Berries and Silver Pinap Berries in Pokémon Go greatly impact catch rates and the amount of candies obtained per successful catch. Additionally, specialty pokeballs such as Timer Balls, Fast Balls, Level Balls and more have different effects that alter the rate.

Conclusion

While most Legendaries are notorious for their low catch rates, Eternatus from Pokémon Sword and Shield is a notable exception with its unusually high base catch rate of 255, making it a remarkably easy capture. Understanding the mechanics of catch rates and employing strategic tactics is key to adding these legendary creatures to your collection. By using the knowledge here, you can better equip yourself to catch all the Legendaries and finally complete the Pokedex!