A huge staple of any Pokémon game is grabbing every single Pokémon available, including all the different legendaries, which tend to be the "Poster Boys" of any particular game. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is no exception, with several Legendary Pokémon to grab. There's a solid handful to acquire while you're collecting the 151 Pokémon, with even more becoming available later on.
If you're having trouble figuring out how to grab one in particular, don't worry, we're here to help. Here's a list of all Legendary Pokemon and how to catch them in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
What you'll need
List of Legendary Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Depending on which version of the game you grab, you'll need to do some trading, since several Pokémon are exclusive to either Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl. There's also a handful of Legendary Pokémon that are present across both versions of the game. We've marked each Pokémon accordingly in the full list below. Please bear in mind that this list includes Legendary Pokémon from the National Pokédex, which can only be acquired after finishing the main story. There are several Legendaries from previous Pokémon games.
- Articuno (Shining Pearl)
- Azelf
- Cresselia
- Dialga (Brilliant Diamond)
- Entei (Brilliant Diamond)
- Giratina
- Heatran
- Ho-Oh (Brilliant Diamond)
- Lugia (Shining Pearl)
- Mesprit
- Moltres (Shining Pearl)
- Palkia (Shining Pearl)
- Raikou (Brilliant Diamond)
- Regigigas
- Suicune (Brilliant Diamond)
- Uxie
- Zapdos (Shining Pearl)
Now, if you need to a particular Pokémon, there's a few different ways to go about it in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
BDSP Legendaries: Dialga and Palkia
Dialga and Palkia are exclusive to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, respectively. You'll get a chance to acquire whichever one is in your game as part of the story, after you've beaten the seventh gym. Upon taking down the leadership of Team Galactic, you'll get a chance to fight and capture Dialga or Palkia. If something goes wrong and you aren't able to capture the Legendary Pokémon, you'll get another chance after you beat the Elite Four and the Champion, finishing the story.
For whichever one isn't in your game, you'll need to find someone to trade with if you want to actually have both of these Legendaries and not just an entry in the Pokédex.
BDSP Legendaries: Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit
Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit are integral to the storyline and shared between both games, so no trading is required for these three. After beating Team Galactic, you can return to the three lakes to capture them. Uxie and Azelf are relatively straightforward. Mesprit isn't and you'll have your work cut out for catching them, as they'll start hopping around the island, requiring you to get the Marking Map app to find out where they are at a given time.
BDSP Legendaries: Cresselia, Giratina, Heatran, and Regigigas
Cresselia, Giratina, Heatran and Regigigas are also all in both Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, so you don't have to worry about trading Pokémon to grab any of these four. Unlike the other Legendary Pokémon so far, these four will require you to have unlocked the National Pokédex, so make sure you've got that first.
Cresselia is located on Fullmoon Island. You'll want to speak to a sailor in Canalave whose child is sick. After speaking with the child, you'll head to Fullmoon Island with the sailor. After you encounter Cresselia, it'll start to wander the map. Like with Mesprit, you'll now want to use the Marking Map app to track it down.
Giratina is located in Turnback Cave. Head to Sendoff Spring near Route 214 and make your way into Turnback Cave. It's a maze, which you have to navigate within less than 30 turns. If you succeed, you'll find Giratina at the heart of the maze.
Regigas is located in Snowpoint Temple. You unlock access to the temple within Snowpoint City after getting the National Pokédex. Regigas is within the temple...and is sleeping. To wake it up, you'll need to bring Regirock, Regice and Registeel after catching them in Ramanas Park.
Heatran is located in Stark Mountain. Head to the Fight Area and speak with Buck, accompanying him on a journey to Stark Mountain. Events will transpire that Buck has to return to the mountain and put back a stone he took. When accompanying him back, you'll now be able to find Heatran in the final room within the mountain.
BDSP Legendaries: Ramanas Park
The remaining Legendary Pokémon, and quite a few other Pokémon, can be found in Ramanas Park. As mentioned above, some of these Legendary Pokémon are version exclusives, so this is where you'll have to trade in order to acquire every single one of them. Link up with a friend to fill out your collection.
Keep on collecting!
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may not quite be some of the best Nintendo Switch games available, but they are still solid remakes of the classic titles, letting veterans and newcomers alike experience their adventures with some added bonuses. If you're having trouble making your way through the story, we recommend consulting our Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl beginners tips and tricks.
