Legendaries in Pokemon Sun: Locations, Tips & Catching Guide

Legendaries in Pokemon Sun: Locations, Tips & Catching Guide

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Introduction

If you play Pokemon Sun, hunting the legendaries in pokemon sun is one of the most exciting parts of the adventure. Whether you want to add Solgaleo to your team, challenge the guardian deities that protect the Alola islands, or chase Ultra Beasts through Ultra Wormholes after the main story, understanding where to find these rare Pokemon and how to catch them makes the difference between a frustrating chase and a triumphant capture. This guide breaks down locations, catching techniques, team tips, and competitive considerations so you can complete your dex and build a powerful roster.

Why legendaries matter in Pokemon Sun

Legendary Pokemon are important for several reasons. They usually have unique typing, high base stats, and signature moves that change how you approach both in-game battles and competitive play. In Pokemon Sun, legendaries like Solgaleo and the guardian deities (Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini) shape the narrative and alter island gameplay, while Ultra Beasts and Zygarde add late-game objectives for dex completion and team diversity.

  • Story significance: Solgaleo is central to Sun’s plot and has a dramatic late-game encounter.
  • Competitive value: Many legendaries provide unique roles in battles—Tank, Sweeper, or Support.
  • Dex completion: Finding Ultra Beasts and assembling Zygarde cells are core postgame tasks.

Which legendaries are in Pokemon Sun (overview)

Pokemon Sun contains a variety of legendary Pokemon, split across story encounters, version exclusives, guardian deities, and postgame Ultra Wormhole spawns. Knowing which legendaries are native to Sun and which require extra steps or trades helps you plan your hunt.

  • Solgaleo — the mascot legendary for Pokemon Sun; pivotal to the main storyline.
  • Tapu Guardians — Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini are island guardian deities encountered during island trials.
  • Zygarde — collectible Zygarde Cells spread across Alola; assembling them unlocks a Zygarde encounter and the chance to form powerful forms.
  • Ultra Beasts — Nihilego, Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Celesteela, Kartana, Guzzlord and others can be found in Ultra Wormholes in the postgame.
  • Other legendaries and event Pokemon — depending on events and trades, you may obtain more legendary Pokemon; some require distribution or link trades.

Where and when to find key legendaries

Knowing exact locations is half the battle. Below are the practical locations and timing for the most sought-after legendaries in Pokemon Sun.

Solgaleo: the Sun story legendary

Solgaleo is encountered as a story boss late in the main plot. You cannot miss this encounter if you follow the story missions—save before the battle. Solgaleo’s encounter is scripted, so you will find it at the point the narrative forces the clash (the Altar of the Sunne and related events). If you want a competitive Solgaleo, plan to re-battle or use a rare candy, trading or events are typical ways to obtain different IVs or natures.

Tapu Guardians: island deity encounters

The Tapu guardian deities are version-neutral but are encountered during each island’s grand trial. Each guardian has a fixed location tied to a trial shrine:

  • Tapu Koko — Melemele Island (early-game guardian)
  • Tapu Lele — Akala Island
  • Tapu Bulu — Ula’ula Island
  • Tapu Fini — Poni Island

They are stationary legendary Pokemon you battle during or after trials. Save before engaging and apply catching techniques below.

Zygarde: collecting cells across Alola

Zygarde doesn’t appear as a single fixed spawn. Instead, Zygarde Cells and Cores are scattered across the region. Collect them to unlock encounters and to assemble Zygarde forms using the Zygarde Cube (found in postgame). If you want Zygarde’s stronger form, you’ll need to gather a specific percentage of cells—this is a long-term dex completion task.

Ultra Beasts: Ultra Wormholes and postgame access

After you finish the main story, Ultra Wormholes appear that allow you to access Ultra Space and encounter Ultra Beasts. These are version-dependent and random, but spending time in Ultra Wormholes is the primary method to find most Ultra Beasts in Pokemon Sun. Ultra Beasts have unique rates and sometimes require Beast Balls for easier capture, though Beast Balls don’t always help when their catch mechanics are unusual.

Best catching techniques for legendaries in Pokemon Sun

Catching a legendary Pokemon often feels like a mini-boss battle. Use these proven strategies and items to maximize your odds.

  • Save before battle: Always save before an encounter. If you accidentally faint the target or run out of balls, you’ll need to restart.
  • Use False Swipe: False Swipe is the go-to move to reduce a Pokemon to 1 HP without fainting—essential for almost every legendary.
  • Apply status conditions: Sleep and freeze give the biggest catch bonuses; paralysis also helps. Use moves or status-inducing items carefully.
  • Bring a Synchronize lead: A Pokemon with Synchronize as the first in your party gives a 50% chance the wild Pokemon will have the same nature as the Synchronize user—critical for nature control.
  • Ball choices: Master Ball if you want guaranteed success (use rarely). Otherwise use Quick Ball on turn 1, then Ultra Balls. Timer Balls become deadly effective as the battle lengthens. Dusk Balls work in caves or at night, and Beast Balls are specifically designed for Ultra Beasts (they dramatically increase catch rate on Ultra Beasts but are worse on regular Pokemon).
  • Don’t use OHKO moves: Anything that can knock out the target on a single hit risks ruining the encounter. Avoid moves like Horn Drill or Fissure.
  • Level and resistances: Bring a party that resists the legendary’s moves and has appropriate levels—legendary Pokemon often have high level and power.
  • Clock your healing items: Have plenty of healing items for the battle—restores, berries, and status cures—so you can tank hits while trying to secure the catch.

Example catching setup

  • Lead: Synchronize Pokemon (for nature)
  • Second: False Swipe user with sleep-inducing move or a Pokemon with Spore/Thunder Wave
  • Third: Tank with high defense to absorb hits and heal
  • Items: 10–20 Ultra Balls, several Timer Balls, Quick Balls, some Max Revives, Full Restores, and status cures

Team building, IVs, natures, and competitive tips

Once you catch a legendary Pokemon, optimizing it for competitive play or high-level in-game use includes checking IVs, picking the right nature, and training EVs. Many players use Hyper Training (Bottle Caps in postgame) to max IVs if breeding is impractical.

  • Nature selection: Use Synchronize for a chance at the desired nature. If you must, plan to chain soft resets to get the right nature from a scripted encounter like Solgaleo.
  • IVs and Hyper Training: Hyper Training is available postgame and lets you convert imperfect IVs into perfect ones using Bottle Caps—very helpful for legendary Pokemon.
  • EV spreads: Decide the role: offensive sweepers need Attack/Sp.Atk and Speed EVs; tanks need HP/Def/Sp.Def EVs. Adjust moves to fit—Solgaleo often runs a mixed or physical set, while Tapu guardians are often used for fast offensive pressure and support.
  • Movesets and abilities: Know the signature moves and abilities. For example, Solgaleo’s Sunsteel Strike ignores Ability effects that modify damage and has strong physical presence; Tapu guardians combine powerful STAB moves with terrain-setting options.

Postgame objectives and dex completion

After the main story, Pokemon Sun opens up new content that lets you track down Ultra Beasts, finish Zygarde assembly, and search for version-exclusives or event legendaries. This is the time to complete your dex and to farm for perfect IV/nature variants.

  • Ultra Wormholes: Travel through them often to find Ultra Beasts; they rotate and some are rarer.
  • Zygarde Cells: Thorough exploration is required; check online maps or guides if you want to speed up the process, but you can also hunt them organically while exploring every island and cave.
  • Event legendaries: Nintendo occasionally distributes legendaries via Mystery Gift or online events—keep your game updated and check official channels.
  • Trading: If you want a version-exclusive legendary or a perfect specimen, trading with friends or communities is often the fastest route.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced trainers make mistakes when hunting legendaries. Here are pitfalls and fixes:

  • Starting without saving: Always save. If you faint or fail to catch, reload instead of risking permanent loss.
  • Poor ball selection: Don’t blow through all your Quick Balls on later turns; switch to Timer Balls as the battle goes long.
  • Wrong lead: A non-Synchronize lead makes natures uncontrollable; bring Synchronize or plan for more resets.
  • Using harmful moves: Avoid confusion/self-damage or recoil moves that risk fainting the target.
  • Underleveling: Bring Pokemon high enough to survive hits and enforce strategies like False Swipe and sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Which legendary is exclusive to Pokemon Sun?

A1: Solgaleo is the mascot legendary for Pokemon Sun and is central to the Sun storyline. While the Tapu guardian roster is shared, Solgaleo is the version-specific main legendary you encounter through the story.

Q2: How do I catch Solgaleo without fainting it?

A2: Save before the encounter, use False Swipe to reduce HP to 1, put it to sleep or freeze for the best catch bonus, and use Quick Ball on turn one or Ultra Balls and Timer Balls as the fight continues. Bring a Synchronize lead to control nature before the scripted encounter, and use status heals and revives to stay in the fight.

Q3: Where do Ultra Beasts appear in Pokemon Sun?

A3: Ultra Beasts appear in Ultra Wormholes during the postgame. You unlock Ultra Wormholes after progressing through the story, and they offer randomized Ultra Beast encounters that you can catch using Beast Balls or other Poké Balls.

Q4: How do I assemble Zygarde?

A4: Zygarde requires collecting Zygarde Cells and Cores scattered across Alola. Once you collect enough, you can use the Zygarde Cube (accessed in the postgame) to assemble Zygarde and trigger a battle with its various forms depending on how many cells you have collected.

Q5: Are Beast Balls the best option for Ultra Beasts?

A5: Beast Balls are designed for Ultra Beasts and usually give a big catch boost for them, but they perform poorly on regular Pokemon. For Ultra Beasts, Beast Balls are generally recommended, especially for early attempts, but if you prefer other strategies you can use standard balls with good status and damage control.

Conclusion

Hunting the legendaries in pokemon sun is one of the most rewarding parts of the Alola journey. From Solgaleo’s story battle to the guardian deities of each island, and the late-game chase for Ultra Beasts and Zygarde components, each legendary presents a unique test of strategy. Use False Swipe, status effects, Synchronize, the right Poké Balls, and a patient postgame exploration plan, and you’ll add these powerful legendary Pokemon to your team and dex. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Tips summarized: save before encounters, use False Swipe + sleep, bring Synchronize, use Quick Balls early and Timer Balls late, try Beast Balls for Ultra Beasts, and collect Zygarde Cells methodically for completion.