How to change Terapagos form to Stellar in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Terapagos is the newest Legendary creature to join the franchise's roster following the release of the Indigo Disk chapter of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's expansion pass. This Pocket Monster hosts a bevy of alternative forms for when it is in battle. The main draw is its new and exclusive Steller form.

Having Terapagos reach its fullest potential can be tricky, considering how Pokemon Scarlet and Violet never directly tell the player how to activate the creature's final form. However, understanding the Pocket Monster is much less complicated than many may initially realize.

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Understanding Terapagos in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Terastal Terapagos as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For Terapagos to reach its Stellar form in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, players must Terastilize it. This can be done by pressing the R button on the controller during a battle and selecting a move. Though the creature has three forms, which can be a bit overwhelming to newer players, only two can be used in battle.

Terapagos' base form is only seen in a battle for the first couple of seconds. After being released into battle, the Pocket Monster's ability, Tera Shell, will activate, transferring it into its Terastal form. From there, players will only need to Terastilize the creature for it to reach its final Stellar form.

Since Terapagos' final form will always belong to the new Stellar element, it is one of the only Pokemon that cannot have its Tera Type manually assigned at the Treasure Eatery in the base game.

Ogerpon and Terapagos are the only two creatures to fit under this restriction because their abilities are tied directly to the mechanic. This could mean that they may not come back in future titles as Terastilization seems to be a phenomenon based exclusively in the Paldea region, Blueberry Academy, and Kitakami.

Terapagos' Pokedex picture in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Stellar type is a bit unique as it has no defensive properties. Those who undergo the process of Terastilizing will retain their base type's defensive qualities. Since Terapagos is a Normal-type creature pre-Terastilizing, it will retain its weakness to Fighting-type moves and its immunity to Ghost-type attacks in its Stellar form.

Terapagos' signature attack, Tera Starstorm, also has the added effect of always landing a super-effective blow on other Terastilized Pokemon, making it a decent check for common Terastilizers in the current metagame.

However, since the Stellar type is more of a buff to the moves a Pokemon has than a type of its own, it tends to fall flat when matched up against some of the powerhouses of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet competitive scene, like Urshifu.

In summary, getting a Terapagos to reach its Stellar form in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is as easy as Terastilizing it in any battle. However, players intending to use it in a serious battle should know that it will maintain its Normal typing in terms of its defenses. This means it will still be weak to Fighting-type attacks like any other Normal-type creature.