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Not every Pokemon was available at the start of Sword and Shield — many were introduced to the game through DLCs such as The Isle of Armor and Crowd Tundra.
These Sword and Shield expansions brought new versions of beloved Pokemon, introduced new Legendaries, and saw the return of many fan favorites from previous Generations.
These expansions delivered several new Gigantamax forms, as well It was the first time a Pokemon game ever had an expansion or DLC aside from earning Pokemon through gifts or events.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.
Top 5 DLC Pokemon in Sword and Shield
#5 - Scizor
Scizor became available in the Isle of Armor DLC. Ever since the Steel-type evolution of Scyther was introduced, it has been a powerhouse. Finding one in Max Raid Battles or simply wandering around the Training Lowlands was a nice surprise to those beginning the first Pokemon Sword and Shield expansion. Scizor is a heavy hitter with solid defense, making it a good team member.
#4 - Articuno
Articuno received a new regional variant in Crown Tundra. It can be found roaming the Crown Tundra and puts players through quite the act for it to be caught. It is a Psychic/Flying-type in its Galarian Form. It creates an illusion with multiple versions of itself and the player has to select the right one. Otherwise, it flies off to be found elsewhere. With a solid special attack, it has much better base stats than its Kantonian form. It also just looks incredible.
#3 - Urshifu
Urshifu is the Legendary mascot for the Isle of Armor DLC. Evolving from Kubfu, Urshifu can find itself with one of two forms. They each come with different types, different learnsets, different stances, and different Gigantamax forms. Urshifu quickly became a staple of many competitive battling teams. It is an awesome Legendary that adds to the story and to a team.
#2 - Metagross
Metagross made its return in Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra expansion. It can be found wandering the Snowslide Slope area. A lot of the time, players will run into Metang or Beldum. There is a lucky chance to come across a Metagross just minding its own business, trotting around the location. This psuedo-Legendary is super strong and super rare.
#1 - Venusaur
Venusaur could enter Pokemon Sword and Shield through a trade or by evolving the Wild Area News version of Ivysaur. It was the Isle of Armor DLC that truly reintroduced Venusaur to the series and gave it the spotlight, however.
Isle of Armor saw Ivysaur available in Dynamax adventures. Evolving one in this DLC then gave Venusaur a Gigantamax form. It saw it gain a huge usage boost in competitive battling and just made fans happy that Venusaur was relevant once again.
