How to get Hydreigon in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Brent Koepp
Hydreigon pokemon sword shield

[jwplayer UmrP7a34]One of the rarest Pokemon in Sword & Shield is the Gen V character Hydreigon. The three-headed Flying Dragon is extremely hard to find. Here is everything you need to know about capturing this epic ‘mon.

The Pokemon franchise was ushered into its eighth generation with the debut of Sword & Shield in 2019. The Nintendo Switch title introduced players to the Galar region for the very first time.

Despite the game releasing last year, some Trainers are still trying to complete their Pokedex. Here is the easiest way to capture the incredibly rare Hydreigon.

Hydreigon pokemon sword shield
The three-headed dragon is hard to find in Sword & Shield.

How to get Hydreigon in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Hydreigon was first introduced in the fifth generation title Black & White in 2011. According to its Pokedex entry, the monster has been known to have “destroyed” villages and will “bite anything that moves.”

The scary looking three-headed Dragon is extremely powerful, and is also pretty rare. So much so that his spawn rates are insanely low, and he can only be found in Sword – so Shield owners will have to trade.

Those still left scratching their heads on where to find the beast are in luck. Here is everything you need to know about finding the Dark/Dragon-type. Below are the easiest steps to obtaining it. You first need to obtain the water upgrade on your Rotom bike, which you only get after visiting Route 9.

lake of outrage pokemon sword shield
The easiest way to get Hydreigon is to find his second evolution Zweilous at the Lake of Outrage.

The steps on easily capturing Hydreigon in Sword & Shield

  • Step 1: Go into System settings on Switch. Then scroll down to System and click Date & Time. Turn Synchronize Clock via Internet off. Change your date to April 1, 2020.
  • Step 2: Boot up your game, and fly to Hammerlocke Hills. Head to the Lake of Outrage on your map. You will need to cross the lake of water, and upon arrival it should be sandstorm weather due to the date change.
  • Step 3: Ride your bike around, and look for a wild Zweilous in the overworld. If you don’t see him, ride out of the area and ride back in to respawn all the Pokemon in the overworld. Keep repeating this until you see the two-headed creature. He only has a 2% spawn rate, so it might take a while.
  • Step 4: After capturing Zweilous (we recommend you have a Pokemon with False Swipe, and use an Ultra Ball or stronger), you then need to level up your character to level 64 which will evolve it to Hydreigon. 
Hydreigon in the wild pokemon sword shield
Look for the two-headed dragon in the Lake of Outrage overworld during a sandstorm.

We found the easiest and quickest way to obtain the rare ‘mon, is to get its second evolution and then evolve it. Because the three-headed final form of the Dragon-type does not actually spawn anywhere in the world. 

However, you can also encounter the Dark-type in a Max Raid battle. Hydreigon can spawn in the Lake West Axwell den, as well as several other places. Whichever route you go, prepare to spend some time walking around before you finally catch the creature.

Raid Den locations

  • Bridge Field
  • Dusty Bowl
  • Giant’s Mirror
  • Stony Wilderness
  • West Lake Axwell
Hydreigon max raid pokemon sword shield
The Pokemon can also be found in Max Raid battles.

Sadly Shield owns will have to find another player to trade with, as Hydreigon is exclusive to the Sword edition. However, forums like Reddit will often have Trainers willing to help out.

Despite releasing at the end of 2019,  the Gen VIII title is already the third best-selling game in the entire series. Proof that the Nintendo RPG has never been more popular.