Pokémon has seemingly expanded and become even more popular with the introduction of each new generation of games. The anime is still going and the franchise as a whole has never been in a better place. Shiny Pokémon were introduced in the second generation of games, and over the last two decades have become a staple of the fandom. Which are the best of the best in each respective typing, though? Well, let’s now take a look at and rank the 10 best shiny Ice-type Pokémon, through Pokémon Sword and Shield.
10 Amaura
Amaura is a Pokémon you likely forgot as this Rock and Ice-type was part of the much-maligned 6th generation of games. Many fans consider those games, being Pokémon X & Y, to be a low point for the mainline franchise. Amaura was a bright spot, as the little dinosaur immediately won fans over with its adorably large eyes and stubby legs. Shiny hunters like putting Amaura in their sights as the look of a completely white dinosaur with pastel accents is rather pleasing on the eyes and makes it cuter somehow.
9 Bergmite
Bergmite may land near the bottom of the best shiny Ice-type list, but the little critter has a case for being the cutest of the bunch. In its shiny form both its lower body and eyes become the same shade of yellow with make it look a lot more cohesive as a design. In its common form, it very much looks like the ice is its head, but in its shiny form, it reads more like the Pokémon Cubone, in that the ice is some sort of mask or helmet it wears in order to protect itself from predators and other danger.
8 Alolan Ninetales
Alolan Ninetales was part of the group of Pokémon in Pokémon Sun & Moon that introduced the concept of regional variants to already existing Pokémon. Its design in the Alolan Islands became a lot less fluffy and a lot more ethereal and majestic.
On top of being a Fairy and Ice-type, it sports a bright white coat of fur which helps it hide in the snowy landscapes it calls home. A shiny Alolan Ninetales takes the white coat and adds a hint of violet, making the elegant beast a lot more ghostly.
7 Eiscue
When Eiscue was revealed as a new Ice-type Pokémon in Pokémon Sword & Shield the fan base quickly became divided. Half of the audience thought the penguin with an ice cube head was cute, and the other half thought it was the stuff of nightmares. It comes in two forms, Ice Face and Noice Face, with the former being quite cute and the latter being much creepier. The shiny form cascades the entire creature in a pink hue and helps make it feel like less of a science experiment gone wrong and much more like an odd product of evolution.
6 Walrein
What’s cooler thank a giant blue walrus Pokémon that looks like it has the hair of Weird Al you might ask? Well, the answer to that is a purple walrus Pokémon that shares the same head of hair. Walrein’s base design and coloring is pretty standard for a creature that’s Water and Ice-type. Its shiny form may be nothing more than turning the blues to purple, but even that slight adjustment makes it feel more unique, and not like another run-of-the-mill Water-type Pokémon that happens to be blue.
5 Frosmoth
Shiny forms of Pokémon are typically alternate color schemes that change the look of a Pokémon from head to toe. There are other cases where the change seems non-existent, and some where it only provides additional design details.
Frosmoth is the rare third case as its shiny form doesn’t change its colors, but rather adds patterns in its wings and accents to its eyes. These improve the overall look of Frosmoth and make the Pokémon feel more unique as its entire body isn’t just a flat stark white.
4 Piloswine
Now, Piloswine isn’t a very cute or exciting Pokémon when compared to its adorable base form named Swinub, and its powerhouse final form called Mamoswine. Out of the three, though, it happens to have the neatest shiny form of the bunch. Piloswine can be seen grazing with a thick coat of brown fur covering their body, which helps them live in colder climates. A shiny Piloswine can be spotted a mile away in a pack as its fur is a bright yellow, very similar to what most would call blonde.
3 Lapras
You’d be hard-pressed to find a longtime Pokémon fan who doesn’t like Lapras. It may not be many people’s favorite, but no one dislikes the elegant water glider. Normally this majestic creature is blue to reflect both its Water and Ice-typing, with a sturdy copper gray shell on its back. When a shiny version of Lapras is found, trainers might be surprised by the purple hue displayed on its skin but may be even more shocked to see that its shell becomes a solid silver color that contrasts nicely with
2 Alolan Sandslash
Alolan Sandslash is an interesting case study of how simply changing only one part of a Pokémon in its shiny form can pay off. Normally this Steel and Ice-type has a light cream-colored fur with light blue icicle spikes coming from its back.
When found in its shiny variant its spikes stay pretty much the same color, but its body is now an icy blue. This change makes Alolan Sandslash’s body a lot more defined and less ethereal. It’s tough to say it’s a definitive change for the better, but at worst it seems like a lateral design.
1 Weavile
This may come as a shocker, but landing at the top spot as the best shiny form of any Ice-type Pokémon is Weavile. Weavile happens to be both a Dark and Ice-type Pokémon, so it makes a case for its shiny being a top contender in both typings. It commonly will be seen with a dark navy color to its skin and its accenting parts of its body will be a bright crimson red. Trainers who breed or stumble upon its less common shiny form will be treated to a bold magenta-colored Weavile with bright golden yellow accents adorning its body.
NEXT: Pokémon: The Best Ice-Type Pokémon Of Every Generation, Ranked
