Pokemon: All the Similarities and Differences Between Sword and Shield

Pokemon Sword and Shield are the newest addition to the Pokemon franchise before Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond, and they do have differences.

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Pokemon Sword and Shield were released in 2019, and many were extremely excited for the games. They were, as a matter of fact, the first core Pokemon games to release for Nintendo Switch (as the Let’s Go games are considered more of a spin-off). This meant that graphics would be improved upon from the last titles of the franchise, and gameplay could get awesome new features.

Lo and behold, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company delivered. Pokemon Sword and Shield feature 81 new Pokemon, 13 new Galarian forms for critters introduced with previous generations, and an open-world area with co-op raids to boot. Despite all the excitement, many players and long-time fans were immensely disappointed by the decision of not including all of the Pokemon from the previous generations in the Galarian Pokedex.

Additional familiar critters were subsequently added to the games via two downloadable expansion packs, though, available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Regardless of criticism, the game still managed to become one of the most successful Nintendo Switch games to-date, selling over 20 million copies worldwide in just about one year. And, much like every other title within the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Sword and Shield come with a set of similarities and differences.

Pokemon Sword And Shield Similarities And Differences

For starters, the title screens are different. This might not come as a surprise, as this has always been the trend for most Pokemon games. However, Pokemon Sword and Shield have a big Sword or Shield icon on the corresponding game’s title screen, found in the bottom right corner. Otherwise, the title screen remains unchanged, and the only difference is that it shows the team with which players beat Leon, eventually, but that is not version-exclusive.

Of course, one of the most well-known characteristics of Pokemon games is that they feature a plethora of version-exclusive Pokemon for players to catch and train as they please.

Pokemon Sword includes:

• Farfetch’d (Galarian), Sirfetch’d, Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Darumaka (Galarian), Darmanitan (Galarian), Flapple, Stonjourer, Indeedee (Male), Solrock, Mawile, Basculin (Red-Striped Form), Scraggy, Scrafty, Gothita, Gothorita, Gothitelle, Rufflet, Braviary, Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon, Swirlix, Slurpuff, Passimian, Turtonator, Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o, Kommo-o, and Zacian.

Pokemon Shield includes:

• Ponyta (Galarian), Rapidash (Galarian), Appletun, Corsola (Galarian), Cursola, Eiscue, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Lunatone, Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar, Indeedee (Female), Sableye, Croagunk, Toxicroak, Basculin (Blue-Striped Form), Solosis, Duosion, Reuniclus, Vullaby, Mandibuzz, Spritzee, Aromatisse, Oranguru, Drampa, Goomy, Sliggoo, Goodra, and Zamazenta.

Fossils are not actually version-exclusive, but in Pokemon Sword players receive the Fossilized Bird and the Fossilized Dino, while in Pokemon Shield they get the Fossilized Fish and the Fossilized Drake. Both games allow players to get all four Fossil Pokemon, but each game makes it harder to get the two fossils that are not initially handed out to players.

In Stow-on-Side, there is a fellow trainer in a desperate search for a Maractus. When trading, he trades players in Pokemon Sword a Hatenna, while he trades away an Impadimp in Pokemon Shield. In Chirchester, the same thing happens, with a trainer giving Sword players a Throw for their Vannilish, and a Sawk for the same Pokemon in Shield.

Raids can be played online with a bunch of friends or random players, yet there are some version-exclusive battles in Raids that can provide players with specific Gigantamax Pokemon in each of the two games. In Sword, players can find Machamp, Coalossal, and Flapple; in Shield, they can find Gengar, Lapras, and Appletun. The overall list of Pokemon available in Raids remains unchanged in both versions apart from these six critters. The overworld encounters in the Wild Area are the same for both games, but each game might feature version-exclusive Pokemon as well.

Another fun feature that games have is that the fourth Gym Leader in Sword is a Fighting type trainer by the name of Bea, while in Shield the Gym Leader is called Allister, who uses Ghost types. This version-exclusive difference also applies to the sixth Gym encounter, with the Leaders being the Rock type user Gordie in Sword, and Melony with her Ice Pokemon in Shield. All other Gym Leaders are shared between the versions and bear no differences in their Gym layouts nor Gym challenges.

Pokedex entries for all Pokemon also differ in both games, albeit they do share the main traits for each creature.

The story arc differs in the final battle with either Zacian (Sword) or Zamazenta (Shield), but they remain the exact same as for the rest. Another change is that Hop captures and uses in the final battle with him either Zacian (in Shield) or Zamazenta (in Sword). Another battle difference is that players fight Sordward in Sword and Shielbert in Shield.

The Isle of Armor DLC Differences

The Isle of Armor is the first DLC to ever be made for any Pokemon game. It seems Game Freak and The Pokemon Company didn’t want to make special edition Sword and Shield games to expand the Pokedex, but rather a few expansions to have more open-world areas, exploration, returning Pokemon from past generations, and of course new Pokemon as well.

There is a recurring rival in the storyline of the Isle of Armor, with players having to defeat them in battle. The rival, much like some of the Gym Leaders from the main games, also differs based on the game that is running. In Sword, players will go up against Klara, a trainer specialized in Poison type critters. In Shield, players will have to fight Avery, a trainer using mainly Psychic type Pokemon. They both end up using the Galarian form of Slowpoke and Slowbro, as Galarian Slowbro is a Poison/Psychic type.

The version-exclusive Pokemon for Sword are Clauncher, Clawitzer, Pinsir, and Sawk. The critters exclusive to Shield are Skrelp, Dragalge, Heracross, and Throw.

The Crown Tundra DLC Differences

The second DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield, the Crown Tundra, also comes with a few differences, but they are all related to the Pokemon that can be caught in each game. There is no further difference between the two games while playing the DLC apart from the following 26 Pokemon being equally split into two groups for Sword and Shield.

In Pokemon Sword, players can catch the following Pokemon in the Crown Tundra:

• Dialga, Groudon, Ho-Oh, Latios, Omanyte, Omastar, Reshiram, Bagon, Shelgon, Salamence, Solgaleo, Tornadus, Xerneas

In Pokemon Shield, these critters are available instead:

• Gible, Gabite, Garchomp, Kabuto, Kabutops, Kyogre, Lunala, Lugia, Latias, Palkia, Thundurus, Yveltal, Zekrom

Pokemon Sword and Shield are available for Nintendo Switch.

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