It tells people one of two things: A) you worked your butt off trying to find this specific shiny and you should be respected, or B) You got really lucky. But either way, a shiny is awesome to have in your team. And since Water-type Pokémon are the most common in the entire Pokedex (16% of all Pokémon), it only makes sense to go for one of these H2O-loving ‘mons. But which water types truly make the best shinies? We’ll be ranking our top picks right here. And spoilers: Swampert is not on this list. It’s my favorite Pokémon, and I’ve said that I’d try and work it into every list that I could, but I won’t here. There are just so many other Water shinies that I like even more!
20. Tentacruel
There’s just something really creepy about squids. I mean, there’s a reason that the Tentacruel episode of the anime has Tentacruel destroying an entire city. Fortunately, the red and blue color scheme supports that. But when I think of squids, my mind often goes to aliens. And when those aliens attack, isn’t there usually a smarter version of those aliens running the show? That’s where Shiny Tentacruel comes in. Its blue skin is now a darker blue, and the red orbs are changed to green. This makes Shiny Tentacruel seem like it’s more about brains than brawn. While the other Tentacruels go and destroy cities, Shiny Tentacruel is running the show behind the scenes.
19. Bruxish
Many people think that Bruxish is one of the ugliest Pokémon of all time. And that just makes me like it more! It has big lips and it looks like that aunt that forces kisses on you when she comes to visit. And if you thought Bruxish’s normal form is ugly, wait until you see its shiny! Instead of the blues, pinks, and purples above a yellow belly, Bruxish now has bright red, bright green, and white, on top of a yellow tummy. This thing is horrendous. It hurts my eyes, and I absolutely love it. I can’t wait for this thing to make a comeback!
18. Mareanie
Mareanie is actually one of my least favorite Pokémon. This isn’t because of its design or because it’s bad in battle, but because of its Pokedex entries. These things eat Corsola. Yup, that cute coral Pokémon. That’s gotta be at least partially why there’s a Ghost-type version in Galar. And Mareanie’s shiny color reflects this attitude. Corsolas are cute and pink, while Mareanies are usually a combo of blue and purple. Instead, their shiny version is a much brighter pink and red, and its barbs look a bit more like the branches coming off of Corsola. This is kind of like how flamingos are pink because of their diet of shrimp. Ugh, this is depressing me, onto something much happier!
17. Dracovish
Ah, yes! The Pokémon that’s based on the combination of two ancient Pokémon’s DNA, made into one unique creature. Basically, this is if Jurassic Park was crossed with The Fly. But that dark backstory is ok, because Dracovish is an absolute beast and one of the strongest Pokémon in the game right now. Normally, Dracovish looks like 2 Pokémon that are just stuck together. The shiny version is almost entirely black and gray, reflecting how dead this Pokémon feels inside, and how dead the opposing Pokémon is about to be. This may not be the flashiest shiny on this list, but it absolutely gets the message across.
16. Barboach
Barboach is largely ignored by the Pokémon fandom. And that’s not without good reason. It’s a gross catfish that looks slimy and gross. However, in my eyes, its shiny form redeems that. It seems like Barboach was graced by Rumpelstiltskin, since its dumb and useless blue whiskers were changed into beautiful gold in shiny form. The fins also received the same update, turning Barboach into a metallic marvel. All these changes genuinely make Barboach look tougher and more worth your time. I wish this cool color scheme carried on to Whiscash, but that’s not the case. For a shiny Whiscash, its body is still blue but its yellow stomach turns into a muddy red color. Well, at least we have this fantastic fish for the time being.
15. Pyukumuku
Pyukumuku is a peculiar Pokémon. It’s a defensive wall that’s absolutely meant to be hit and deal it right back at you, with its ability Innards Out and the move Counter. But its look is a little boring. It’s basically black with pink spikes and eyes. Pyukumuku’s cute, but it doesn’t really stand out. The shiny form completely changes that. Now Pyukumuku is green with orange spikes and eyes. While a lot of people might not like this color combo, I like how much it contrasts. It forces you to notice this Pokémon that’s otherwise easy to ignore. Maybe Pyukumuku was changed to green because it’s based off of a sea cucumber. Or maybe the designers just love Ireland. Either way, I’m all for it.
14. Azumarill
I freaking love Azumarill, and I really wish the blue-egg-bunny got more love. It’s cute, powerful, and a blast to use. Fortunately, its shiny is just as great. Azumarill takes the common route of “just make it gold”, and it works in spades right here! They literally made it a golden egg, like from the classic fable “The Goose and the Golden Egg.” But to show how great it works here, we need to compare it to another Egg Pokémon. Exeggcute gets the same shiny treatment, but it’s not nearly as effective. Azumarill seems bright, vibrant, and joyful! Meanwhile, Exeggcute looks like the color of pee. And it doesn’t help that when those eggs evolve, they turn into a dying palm tree. I understand that Azumarill may be a simple water shiny. But it’s easily one of the most effective.
13. Slowbro
Shiny Slowbro is another one of these simple changes that look fantastic. All of its pink body was changed to purple, something I’m in complete favor of! Plus the shell takes on more of a yellow-orange-ish hue that counters the purple perfectly. But if I like it so much, why isn’t it higher? Well, the simple answer is that Galarian Slowbro does it better. Not only does it get an awesome Mega Man arm cannon, but its skin color becomes a light orange that blends beautifully into the yellow-orange shell and purple highlights. Shiny Slowbro looks like a simple palette swap. Shiny Galarian Slowbro looks like a sunset. Now when I look at Slowbro, all I think about is Galaraian Slowbro and what could’ve been. And unfortunately, Galarian Slowbro isn’t a Water-type – so it won’t be on this list.
12. Corsola
Although Corsola is more known now as a bulky Ghost-type, originally it was an adorably pink Water/Rock-type creature. It wasn’t the most useful Pokémon. But it was cute as heck, and everybody loved looking at this thing – especially with those front stubs that seem like they’re about to hug you. Fortunately, Corsola is just as cute when it’s shiny. There are barely any stylistic changes, just all of the pink was changed to a light blue. It kinda feels like a gender reveal party. But best of all, this shiny gives me hope. As I mentioned with Mareanie, they eat the branches off of Corsola. And that makes me really sad. Corsola are cute and should be protected! Hopefully the shiny blue coloring will serve as camouflage from those venomous starfish.
11. Krabby
Looking at this list, I didn’t realize how many shiny Water-types are either gold or purple. But you know what? I’m ok with that. Especially when they look as good as Krabby! Most shiny gold or yellow Pokémon are brightly colored and really stand out. And even though most of Shiny Krabby is gold, it’s not as vibrant. It seems subtle and, honestly, almost classy. This thing feels like it was gilded with gold, not dipped and encased in it. I gotta thank Krabby for reminding me that bright and obnoxious is not always the best option. Sometimes, you gotta be soft and understated. Shiny Krabby is one classy crab, and I think it would be a great addition on any Pokémon journey (if you can find one!).
10. Gyarados
I hope we can all agree that Gyarados is an absolute monster. It looks terrifying, and is easily one of the best Pokémon in the entire franchise. But it’s also probably one of the most well-known shinies in the franchise. Not to mention that the red coloring suits it perfectly. Like I mentioned with shiny Mareanie, the color red says “danger” – and there’s no Pokémon that’s more dangerous than Gyarados. All of its Pokedex entries talk about how it regularly rampages and leaves ruins in its wake. It also just happens to be the most common shiny Pokémon in the series. All you have to do is go to the Lake of Rage in Gold, Silver, or Crystal (or HG/SS) and it’s all yours. Which is great, because if you’re going to use this exceptional Pokémon, you might as well get one that looks cool.
9. Vaporeon
Usually I like to try and find a way to justify why a shiny form is worth seeking out. That’s not the case here. The fact of the matter is, I like purple better than blue. And it’s weird, because I think the aquamarine color suits Vaporeon better. It can literally disappear into water. Shouldn’t it be the color of water? But I don’t care. Vaporeon has a great design, and any color would work with it. That said, this purple color really hits the eye just right.
8. Carvanha
Some animals may try to blend in to avoid predators. However, there are animals that warn others of how dangerous they are, just by showing off their bright colors. This is the case with shiny Carvanha. According to its Pokedex entries, Carvanha will tear apart anything to protect their territory. If this was the case, wouldn’t you want to tell other species where your territory is? Carvanha’s shiny form does this perfectly. Instead of a dark blue on top and rich red on the bottom, it now has a lime green top and bright blue bottom. This combo is much more likely to stand out in the water. Because Carvanha is a savage Pokémon. And this new coloring supports that.
7. Greninja
Greninja is currently one of the most popular Pokémon out there. Not only is it one of the strongest starters, but it’s also a really fun character to play as in Super Smash Bros. It’s part ninja and part frog: two things that are well loved in this world. And even though it’s awesome, Greninja does look a little silly. It’s bright blue with a tongue wrapped around its neck like a scarf. That stands out in a crowd. Shouldn’t Greninja look more like… a ninja? Enter its shiny form! Greninja’s blue skin turns black in its shiny design, making all the bright blue ninja stars on its skin stand out even more. Not only that, but Greninja’s pink tongue is changed to red. This makes the scarf effect look even cooler, and less like a gross tongue that it wears around its neck. As a whole, this shiny takes Greninja from looking “neat but kind of silly” to just looking cool. This is a Pokémon that I might think of as better than Swampert. Maybe.
6. Clawitzer
I always love when design choices reflect real life science, even when it’s a little grim. And a great example of this is Clawitzer. Like most lobsters, Clawitzer is a darker color. Blue in this case. But when most people think of lobsters, they think of a bright red. This is because when someone boils a lobster, the heat causes the whole thing to turn red. That’s right. Shiny Clawitzer is just a boiled Clawitzer. You’re playing with a Pokémon that’s about to be eaten. But I’m ok with it, because this thing looks badass! The red with the blue detailing looks great, especially the lines over Clawitzer’s eyes. And in this shiny form, it kind of feels like an old-timey bandit that wants to get caught.
5. Ducklett
Part of the fun of researching these shiny articles is getting to see Pokémon that I never even think about in a completely new light. And for this list, we have Ducklett. Ducklett is a Water/Flying-type introduced in Black and White. While it’s a cute duck that waves at you, I will admit, it is a little boring. Blue on blue has never been the most exciting combination of colors. But its shiny gives this pond duck a lot more life. Instead of blue on blue, shiny Ducklett is a lovely combination of pink and purple – which makes it so much cuter! Ducklett is unfortunately not in Sword and Shield. But it can still be seen swimming around in New Pokémon Snap. And hopefully it’ll waddle back into the main games in the next gen.
4. Araquanid
Araquanid is a scary Pokémon. It constantly headbutts its prey until they’re absorbed into the bubble helmet and drown. Yeah. That’s messed up. But that works, because this thing looks genuinely evil. And the crazy thing is that its shiny version looks even scarier. Instead of the default blue and green combo, Shiny Araquanid becomes purple and red. This is especially effective with the eyes. Instead of the small red eyes on top of the blue bubbles, all of those become red – making Araquanid’s eyes look gigantic and sinister. These are the types of eyes I drew on bad guys when I was a kid. But the craziest part is the shiny bubble helmet. Instead of being a normal bubble-colored helmet, it’s red. Like blood. Does this mean that Shiny Araquanid drowns prey in a bubble made of blood? I can neither confirm nor deny that. But I can say that this shiny form is one of the most wicked-looking Pokémon in the franchise.
3. Magikarp
Magikarp is one of my favorite shinies. It’s well known for being a completely useless Pokémon on its own. I mean, you can’t even eat it! So why not just make the whole thing gold? Magikarp goes from being just a red-orange fish, to becoming a golden god. I mean, this is one of the rare Pokémon that actually got an entire game based off of it. So it has to be great! In fact, Magikarp Jump has a bunch of different patterns for Magikarp – but the golden version is still the best looking one! This flailing fish is just as important to the franchise as the likes of Pikachu and Eevee. And it easily has one of the most memorable shinies, too.
2. Golisopod
Golisopod has always been sinister looking. And that purple face on that pale green exoskeleton has cemented it as a truly evil Pokémon. I mean, it’s the choice for Guzma for a reason. But its shiny form tells a completely different story. Its skin is white with small blue triangle detailing all around. And its purple face is turned red. This makes Golisopod seem like a hero who used to be evil, but has found redemption. I’m reminded of Tommy from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He starts off green and evil, but in the end turns white and good, while becoming one of the best characters in the series. Just like how Golisopod is one of the best water shinies in all of Pokémon.
1. Mudkip
See? I told you I wouldn’t put Swampert on here! Yes, this is a loophole. But I had to get a member of the Mudkip line in this ranking somewhere. Not only are they my favorite Pokémon, but purple is my favorite color – especially when it’s paired with orange. But why choose Mudkip for the top spot? It’s simple, really: those eyes. Mudkip is absolutely adorable with those sweet black eyes. Meanwhile, Swampert looks kinda angry, and Marshtomp flat-out looks like a serial killer. When your favorite starter gets a shiny form with your favorite color combination, you’ve gotta put it at #1.
