Pokemon Scarlet and Violet maintain the tradition of adding a new Charizard

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will continue a long tradition of featuring another different form of Charizard.

Announced earlier today, both upcoming games will feature Charizard with the Mightiest Mark, only available via Terra Raid Battles, where four players fight one tough opposing Pokemon. What's more, Mightiest Mark Charizard will only be available during two events in December after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launch, and can't be found in the wild after that.

The Charizard that appears during these Terra Raid Battles will feature the dragon-type terastallization that's heading to the series with the new games. Additionally, the new Charizard will only appear in black Terra Raid crystals found in the open world of Scarlet and Violet, which means it's actually far tougher than the normal Pokemon you'd typically encounter as a team in the Terra Raid Battles.

This new Charizard type continues a time-honored tradition of mainline Pokemon games having a different variation of the fiery dragon. Pokemon Sword and Shield had the Gigantamax version of Charizard, for example, while Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee had Mega Charizard X and Y, respectively. 

If you want to catch Charizard this time around though, it seems like you'll need to be quick about it. Newcomers getting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as a Christmas gift over the Holiday season will actually miss out on a chance to fight the creature, assuming The Pokemon Company doesn't resurrect the Charizard-dedicated events in the future, that is.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launch next week on November 18 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

Earlier today a new trailer revealed Great Tusk and Iron Treads for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which some fans think are time-travelling versions of Donphan. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.