Can Thundurus (Incarnate Forme) be shiny in Pokemon GO? (March 2023)

In Pokemon GO, Thundurus is known as one of the Forces of Nature. The Legendary Pokemon comes in two separate forms: its Djinn-like Incarnate Forme and its more bestial Therian Forme.

However, trainers who have been hunting Thundurus and the other Forces of Nature may have another question to ask. Does Thundurus have a shiny variant that can be caught in-game?

Fortunately, the answer is yes. Thundurus received its shiny variant for both of its forms on March 11, 2021, shortly after its debut.

Even better, Pokemon GO players have an excellent opportunity to catch shiny Incarnate Thundurus right now, as the creature has become a 5-star raid boss in the current raid rotation.

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How to potentially capture shiny Incarnate Thundurus in Pokemon GO

Thundurus' shiny Incarnate Forme takes on a purple coloration (Image via Critical Slacker/YouTube)

Players who have been hunting for shiny Incarnate Forme Thundurus have an excellent opportunity to obtain it as of March 20, 2023.

Pokemon GO's rotation of raids has just changed, and trainers can currently battle Incarnate Thundurus in 5-star raids. While defeating Thundurus in raids won't guarantee that its shiny variant will appear, this Pokemon doesn't show up in the wild and hasn't appeared as a PvP reward for quite some time. This means that the only option left is to repeatedly defeat it in raids until its shiny variant appears.

Since it'll likely take multiple raid victories to obtain a shiny Incarnate Thundurus, Pokemon GO players will want to stock up on raid passes as much as possible. It's unclear when the raid rotation will change again, so there isn't any time to waste.

Furthermore, trainers will want to gather friends to assist them in the raid. Every player who participates will want to use the appropriate counters to quickly defeat Incarnate Thundurus.

For maximum efficiency, Pokemon GO players will want to focus on using Rock and Ice-type moves on Incarnate Thundurus, as these are the two elements that the creature is weak to. If trainers use Rock and Ice-type Pokemon, they'll be able to match their creature's type to their move's type and deal even more damage courtesy of the in-game Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB).

Additionally, it's wise to stock up on healing items like Potions and Revives to keep a player's team in good health during the raid. This is because 5-star raid bosses can deal quite a bit of damage on their own.

Once Incarnate Forme Thundurus has been defeated, Pokemon GO players will be able to collect rewards including berries and Premier Balls. These specialty Pokeballs can be used in post-raid encounters where trainers can capture Thundurus.

If players are lucky or determined, they'll eventually find a shiny Incarnate Thundurus that appears in place of its standard counterpart. Once this happens, all they have to do is ensure that they can secure the catch with a well-placed throw.