Pokémon Sword and Shield Gigantamax Pokémon explained - including G-Max moves and possible Gigantamax locations explained
Gigantamax Pokémon are special Pokémon that, when they Dynamax in Pokémon Sword and Shield, have their appearance completely changed.
Each Gigantamax Pokémon also has its own, unique, G-Max move, which it can use to turn the battle in its favour.
Even though Pokémon with the Gigantamax Factor are incredibly rare, some do have specific locations in the Wild Area where they have a higher chance of appearing.
On this page:
- What are Gigantamax Pokémon Sword and Shield?
- What are limited release Gigantamax Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
- Which Gigantamax Pokémon are available in Max Raids?
- Which Pokémon have the Gigantamax Factor in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
- How to find Gigantamax Pokémon in the Wild Area in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Gigantamax Pokémon locations in the Wild Area in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Gigantamax Pokémon you can receive in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- G-Max Moves in Pokémon Sword and Shield explained
What are Gigantamax Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Gigantamax Pokémon are Pokémon that, when they Dynamax, not only grow in size, but change form completely.
Your Alcremie, for example, will go from being a cute little blob of sentient cream to a towering cake monstrosity.
Only a specific list of Pokémon have the ability to Gigantamax. You'll know if you've caught a Pokémon with the Gigantamax factor, because, when you look at its summary, there will be a special red X symbol between its name and the picture of the Poké Ball it lives in.
Due to this each Gigantamax form has its own entry in the Pokédex, through, thankfully, these entries are not required for completing the Pokédex.
Like Dynamaxing, Gigantamaxing will only last for three turns, but the Gigantamax Pokémon will also be able to use a unique move, called a G-Max move, that have a number of special effects.
Finally, it's important to note that, while you can breed Pokémon that have the Gigantamax factor with other Pokémon, both Gigantamax and not, the baby Pokémon they create won't be able to Gigantamax.
Sadly, you can't breed your Gigantamax Pokémon army.
What are limited release Gigantamax Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Limited release Gigantamax Pokémon are special Gigantamax Pokémon that aren't usually available in the games and only appear during specific dates.
Instead of being able to track them down in the Wild Area , you'll have to wait for them to be added to the spawn table.
You can regularly update your Wild Area spawn table by connecting your Nintendo Switch to the Internet or by getting the latest Wild Area new via the Mystery Gift function.
These special Gigantamax Pokémon will never be locked behind any difficulty ranking, which means you don't need the eighth gym badge to battle them.
Which Gigantamax Pokémon are available in Max Raids?
Currently, there is only one limited release Gigantmax Pokémon available:
- Gigantamax Toxtricity - Thursday 6th February to Sunday 8th March
Which Pokémon have the Gigantamax Factor in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Here is a complete list of all the Pokémon that currently have the ability to Gigantamax in Pokémon Sword and Shield in order of their national Pokédex number:
| National Pokédex Number | Gigantamax Pokémon | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Charizard | Pokémon Dens and trained from the Charmander Leon gifts you in the post-game |
| 12 | Butterfree | Pokémon Dens |
| 25 | Pikachu | Let's Go Pikachu reward found in the Wild Area train station |
| 52 | Meowth | Free gift Meowth from early purchases obtained via Mystery Gift |
| 68 | Machamp | Pokémon Dens |
| 94 | Gengar | Pokémon Dens |
| 99 | Kingler | Pokémon Dens |
| 131 | Lapras | Pokémon Dens |
| 133 | Eevee | Let's Go Eevee reward found in the Wild Area train station |
| 143 | Snorlax | Limited release Gigantamax Pokémon between Wednesday 4th December to early January 2020 |
| 569 | Garbodor | Pokémon Dens |
| 823 | Corviknight | Pokémon Dens |
| 826 | Orbeetle | Pokémon Dens |
| 834 | Drednaw | Pokémon Dens |
| 839 | Coalossal | Pokémon Dens |
| 841 | Flapple | Pokémon Dens |
| 842 | Appletun | Pokémon Dens |
| 844 | Sandaconda | Pokémon Dens |
| 849 | Toxtricity | Limited release Gigantamax Pokémon between Thursday 6th February to Sunday 8th March |
| 851 | Centiskorch | Pokémon Dens |
| 858 | Hatterene | Pokémon Dens |
| 861 | Grimmsnarl | Pokémon Dens |
| 869 | Alcremie | Pokémon Dens |
| 879 | Copperajah | Pokémon Dens |
| 884 | Duraludon | Pokémon Dens |
With the announcement of the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, also came the reveal of a new selection of Gigantamax Pokémon. These Pokémon will be released as part of the DLC.
There are the upcoming Gigantamax Pokémon we know about so far:
- Rillaboom - G-Max Drum Solo
- Cinderace - G-Max Fireball
- Inteleon - G-Max Hydrosnipe
- Urshifua
How to find Gigantamax Pokémon in the Wild Area in Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon with the Gigantamax factor are incredibly rare and can only be found in five-star Max Raids, which occur in the Wild Area.
Five-star Max Raids will only start appearing once you earn the Dragon Badge, the eighth and last gym badge in Pokémon Sword and Shield. These raids are usually marked by having a pillar of swirling, dark purple, energy emerging from the Pokémon Den, though can appear in Dens with light red pillars too.
After you've defeated all the Galar gym leaders - it's time to go Gigantamax hunting!
Be prepared for this to be a long hunt, because, without boosted spawn rates, there is only a 5% chance of a Gigantamax Pokémon making an appearance.
You can increase your chances of encountering a Gigantamax Pokémon by using a Wishing Piece on a Pokémon Den. This will attract with a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon to that Pokémon Den.
Just remember - while you can use as many Wishing Pieces as you like each day, if you use a piece on a Pokémon Den that already has a Pokémon in it, this will force that current Pokémon out. If you want to fight that Pokémon, make sure you do it before using a Wishing Piece.
It's also a good idea to defeat all the Pokémon in every Den each day. If you do this, the Dens will reset and your chance of encountering a rare Pokémon will increase.
Finally, using the Wild Area News function in Mystery Gift will update your Pokémon Den spawn tables. This will give you a chance of encountering a Gigantamax Pokémon that is only available for a limited time.
Occasionally this will also increase the likelihood of a certain Gigantamax Pokémon appearing. When this happens, this Gigantamax Pokémon will be removed from the five-star / eighth badge restriction, giving any player the chance to hunt down this rare Pokémon.
Gigantamax Pokémon locations in the Wild Area in Pokémon Sword and Shield
Each Gigantamax Pokémon can only be found in a specific Pokémon Den in the Wild Area.
Visiting one of these Dens does not guarantee you an encounter with a Gigantamax Pokémon, but, if you are after a specific Gigantamax Pokémon, then it's a good idea to know which Den they can appear in. That way you know where to toss your Wishing Pieces.
Below you'll find a list of the Gigantamax Pokémon and the location of their specific Pokémon Dens within the Wild Area:
| Pokémon | Location of Pokémon Den | |
|---|---|---|
| Alcremie | Bridge Field |  |
| Appletun | Dappled Grove (only in Pokémon Shield) |  |
| Butterfree | Rolling Fields - two separate locations |   |
| Centiskorch | Stony Wilderness |  |
| Charizard | Lake of Outrage |  |
| Coalossal | Giant's Seat (only in Pokémon Sword) |  |
| Copperajah | Stony Wilderness |  |
| Corviknight | Giant's Cap |  |
| Drednaw | Giant's Cap | |
| Duraludon | Giant's Seat |  |
| Flapple | Dappled Grove (only in Pokémon Sword) | |
| Garbodor | East Lake Axewell |  |
| Gengar | Stony Wilderness (in Pokémon Shield) |  |
| Grimmsnarl | Dusty Bowl | |
| Hatterene | Bridge Field |  |
| Kingler | West Lake Axewell South Lake Miloch |   |
| Lapras | Giant's Seat (only in Pokémon Shield) | |
| Machamp | Stony Wilderness (in Pokémon Sword) | |
| Orbeetle | Bridge Field Dappled Grove | |
| Sandaconda | Dusty Bowl - two separate locations |
Gigantamax Pokémon you can receive in Pokémon Sword and Shield
Throughout your travels in the Galar region, you will be gifted a couple of Pokémon that have the Gigantamax factor.
The first requires you to have a saved file for either Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu! or Let's Go Eevee!
When you reach the Meetup Spot in the Wild Area, you'll be able to find two people who will give you either a Pikachu or Eevee depending on which version of the game you played.
Both Pikachu and Eevee have the Gigantamax factor.
After you've completed the main storyline of the game, you should return to Leon and Hop's home in Postwick.
Head upstairs to Leon's room and, in the middle of the floor, you'll find a Poké Ball containing a Charmander.
Train this Charmander and, once it's evolved into Charizard, you'll be able to use Gigantamax Charizard.
Finally, you'll occasionally be able to download certain Gigantamax Pokémon through Mystery Gift.
This includes Pokémon like Gigantamax Meowth, which was downloadable between Friday November 15th 2019 to Wednesday 15h January 2020.
With it finally in the wild, here's how to start the Crown Tundra DLC and our full Pokémon Crown Tundra walkthrough. Plus, here's how to catch Calyrex, Glastrier and Spectrier, the Regieleki and Regidrago puzzle solution and Regirock, Regice, Registeel locations, details on how to catch Legendary Birds Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres in the Crown Tundra, the Ultra Beasts and Necrozma adventure, Dynamax Adventures, including the legendries you can catch on these adventures, and the new Crown Tundra Pokédex and returning Pokémon explained. For Isle of Armor players, here's how to find the Slowpoke, where to find Max Mushroom locations, and how to get Kubfu, become best friends and evolve it, plus all Diglett locations too! For the base game, here's info on the ability to transfer Pokémon to Pokémon Home, the Wild Area, lists of all TM locations and TRs, all Galarian forms and finally our main Pokémon Sword and Shield walkthrough for the whole game.
G-Max Moves in Pokémon Sword and Shield explained
G-Max moves are special moves that can only be used by Gigantamax Pokémon when they're in their Gigantamax form.
Each Gigantamax Pokémon has their own G-Max, which has a variety of effects. This can be anything from changing the battlefield to healing certain status conditions.
Below you'll find a list of all the current Gigantamax Pokémon and their G-Max moves in Pokémon Sword and Shield:
| Pokémon | Move Name | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcremie | G-Max Finale | Fairy | Restores 1/6 of ally Pokémon's health. |
| Appletun | G-Max Sweetness | Grass | Heals the status conditions of all ally Pokémon. |
| Butterfree | G-Max Befuddle | Bug | Inflicts either poison, paralysis or sleep status conditions on all opposing Pokémon. |
| Centiskorch | G-Max Centiferno | Fire | Inflicts damage equal to 1/8 of opponent's max HP for 4 to 5 turns. Opponents can't flee or be switched out of battle. |
| Charizard | G-Max Wildfire | Fire | Damages all non-fire-type opponents equal to 1/6 max HP for 4 turns. |
| Coalossal | G-Max Volcalith | Rock | Damages all non-rock-type opponents equal to 1/6 max HP for 4 turns. |
| Copperajah | G-Max Steelsurge | Steel | Releases rocks that will damage Pokémon as they're released on the opponents side. Move is subjective to the strengths and weaknesses of steel-type Pokémon. |
| Corviknight | G-Max Wind Rage | Flying | Nullifies, on the opponent's side, Aurora Veil, Light Screen, Mist, Reflect and Safeguard. Nullifies, on both sides of the battlefield, Spikes, Stealth Rock, Sticky Web and Toxic Spikes. |
| Drednaw | G-Max Stonesurge | Water | Releases rocks that will damage Pokémon as they're released on the opponents side. Move is subjective to the strengths and weaknesses of rock-type Pokémon. |
| Duraludon | G-Max Depletion | Dragon | Reduces the PP of the moves used by all opposing Pokémon by 2. |
| Eevee | G-Max Cuddle | Normal | Every opponent becomes infatuated with Eevee, which causes them to fail 50% of the time. |
| Flapple | G-Max Tartness | Grass | Opponent's evasiveness decreases by 1 stage. |
| Garbodor | G-Max Malodor | Poison | Inflicts poison on all opposing Pokémon. |
| Gengar | G-Max Terror | Ghost | Prevent opponent's from fleeing or switching out during Pokémon battle. |
| Grimmsnarl | G-Max Snooze | Dark | Unless target switches out, sleep status will be inflicted upon them by the under of the next turn. |
| Hatterene | G-Max Smite | Fairy | All opposing Pokémon confused. |
| Kingler | G-Max Foam Burst | Water | Decreases opponent's Speed by 2 stages. |
| Lapras | G-Max Resonance | Ice | Reduces damage from physical and special moves for 5 turns. |
| Machamp | G-Max Chi Strike | Fighting | Increases critical hit rates of ally Pokémon by 2 stages. |
| Meowth | G-Max Gold Rush | Normal | Makes all opponent's confused. Increases the payout at the end of the battle, depending on both the user's level and the number of time, up to three, the move was used: First use: £100 x level Second use: £200 x level Third use: £300 x level |
| Orbeetle | G-Max Gravitas | Psychic | All of the following effects last for five turns. Airborne Pokémon are grounded. Ground-type move now hit Pokémon, which are normally immune to them. Prevents use of Bounce, Fly, Flying Press, High Jump Kick, Magnet Rise and Splash. Raises accuarcy of all Pokémonin battle. |
| Pikachu | G-Max Volt Crash | Electric | Inflicts paralysis on all opposing Pokémon. |
| Sandaconda | G-Max Sandblast | Ground | Damage equal to 1/8 of max HP to all opponents at the end of 4 to 5 turns. Opponents cannot flee or be switched out during these turns. |
| Snorlax | G-Max Replenish | Normal | Restores any berries that Snorlax or its allies have consumed in battle |
| Toxtricity | G-Max Stun Shock | Electric / Poison | Damages opponent with a chance of either poisoning or paralysing them |
We also have a guide on Dynamax Pokémon, which you might find useful.
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