The addition of Galarian forms in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon Sword & Shield was heavily anticipated in the wake of Alolan forms in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon Sun and Moon, and the former were just as well-received as their previous counterparts. One of those blessed with a new form was Darmanitan, a Fire-type monkey from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon Black and White.

Related: Poké🐟mon Sword & Shield: 10 Hoenn Pokémon Who 🐓Should Have Returned In Isle Of Armor

With any new form🦩 in Pokémon comes a comparison to its original version, as trainers see if this new take on an old favorite is worth investing time and training in over the classic form that had been there for them over years of Pokémon journeys.

10 💯 ⛎ Type: Unovan

Pokemon Zen Mode Darmanitan

The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ice-typing in Pokemon has very few things going for it in terms of usefulness. On the one ꦕhand, it is super-effective against the all-powerful Dragon-type and the ever healing and debuffing Grass-types. On the other hand, its defensive typing is awful, being weak to common types like Rock, Steel, Fire, and Fighting.

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fire-type Pokemon are generally better offensively, even if they are weaker to some of the more common moves like Earthquake and Rock Slide. However, they have the advantage of being good against many more types, particularly the relatively new 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fairy-type.

9 ꦯ Movepool: Galarian

The new form of Darmanitan may have a typing that hinders its potential, but its movepoo☂l for that typing is one of the best around. Aside from getting most of the same supporting moves as the original, such as U-Turn, Belly Drum, and Superpower, it also has access to the Fire-type moves that the standard form does, making it unique among other Ice-types.

While the Galarian form loses some of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Psychic-type moves that the Unovan Darmanitan ha♌s access to, it doesn't really need them to do whaಌt it does best. Furthermore, the best Psychic-type moves available don't suit its stat distribution either.

8 🅺 Abilities: Galarian

Galarian Darmanitan's zen mode as it appears in the Pokemon Sword & Shield Pokedex

The Unovan Darmanitan has access to two dece෴nt abilities: Sheer Force and Zen Mode. While Zen Mode is particularly wasted on the original Darmanitan, as its speed takes a nosedive in exchange for some defensive buffs, the Galarian Darmanitan's Zen Mode does the opposite, making it even faster and stronger than it already was.

Related: ꩲ168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ranking The Shiny Form Of Ev🔴ery Starter Pokémon

Sheer Force is a very good ability, giving it a 30% attack boost to moves with secondary effects, at the cost of that particular effect. That said, its replacement on Galarian Darmanitan, Gorilla Tactics, is significantly better. A𒆙cting like a built-in Choice Band, it boosts the attack of the first move used, at the cost of restricting move usage to only that one move. It means that giving Darmanitan a Choice Scarf or Choice Band as a hold item is no longer so restrictive, as Darmanitan would be restricted on move usage anyway.

7 Stats: Gala😼rian 🍸

Both the Unovan and Galarian Darmanitan's base stats are identical, so the real comparison comes from their Zen Mode forms, which rearrange their base stats when the ability activates. Galarian Darmanitan gets a boost in attack from the already great 140 to an insane 160, as well as a massive speed boost from an OK 95 to a🎉n amazing 135, making it one of t🤪he faster Pokemon in the series.

The only real downside for Galarian Darmanitan is the fact it doesn't get a defense boost from Zen Mode like the Unovan form, but since it isn't designed to take a hit anyway, it makes no di🌱fference to its usab෴ility.

6 💙Design: Galarian

Darmantian's design, particularly the Zen Mode version of ಞUnovan Darmanitan, fits its namesake rather well.𒀰 Darumaka is based on the daruma doll, a kind of toy and symbol of good luck that looks almost identical to Zen Mode Darmanitan.

However, the Galarian version takes the initial design and runs in a completely different direction with its concept, going for more of a snowman look that encompasses its typing fꦏar better than the original ever did. The only thing Unovan Darmanitan has in common with its namesake is its coloration, which is also probably the on♛ly reason why it's a Fire-type.

5 Shiny Form: Galarian 🦋

Older 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:shiny Pokémon leave little to be desired, as their color wasn't purposefully designed during the development process, which is the main reason why so many are a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:snot-green color. Come generation five, this wasဣ changed so that a shiny color was chosen in development rather than by a strange inversion of the oꦦriginal color, but Unovan Darmanitan was one of the few who didn't get a good shiny form in this new treatment.

Where the original leaned into𒆙 a darker color for its shiny form, Galarian Darmanitan leans heavily into the bright colors that often don't work in shiny forms. Normally, this results in nominations like shiny Espeon and Dragonite, but here it works significantly better when contrasted against Darm🌜anitan's white body.

4 🃏 Avai🌠lability: Galarian

Before 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Isle of Armor was released, Sword players only had access to the new and improved form of Darmanitan unless they transferred one over through Pokémon Home. Conversely, Shield players had to hope they knew someone who had Sword or were lucky enough to be a part of the exclusive-swapping raid 💙event.

Related: Pokémon Sword & Shield: The Isle 𒀰Of Armor - Every New Pokémon & Form, Ranked

With the new in-game trades available in The Isle of Armor, players can now trade a Galarian form of any Pokémon for their original, giving players access to the original Darmaka. Even this is n♚o guarantee, as the trainer who instigates the trades is a random spawn in the overworld, and 🙈will request a random Pokémon.

3 💛 Dynamax Potential: Unovan

Even though Unovan Darmanitan is significantly more difficult to obtain in Pokémon Sword & Shield, it is a better option for Dynamaxing than it's newer form. Aside from its better typing, the only Max move that Unovan Darmanitan can't use that the Galaraian version can is Max Hailstorm, a 🧸move that it wouldn't benefit from u🔴sing anyway.

Ability wise, both Sheer Force and Gorilla Tactics are negated when a Pokémon is in its Dynamax form, meaning that their viability would come down to the hold item. As Gorilla Tactics limits what moves Darmantican can use, it's best to utilize a Choice🌱 Scarf or Band to take full advantage of the ability, which is also negated during Dynamax. For Sheer Force, a Life Orb is common as a secondary effect of the ability is negating the HP loss of a Life Orb while maintaining the attack boost, and a Life Orb isn't negated during Dynamax.

2 ♍ ♐ Playthrough Viability: Galarian

It's easy to see why Galarian Darmanitan is the more viable option for a story playthrough, even given its shortcomings. The most obvious reason is its availability compared to Unovan Darmanitan, as it is significantly easier to obtai🌱n during a normal playthrough.

At the same time, it is also a decent choice against many of the games harder trainers, particular♍ly if playerꦚs can obtain a Choice Scarf early on.

1 �🐎� Winner: Galarian

Winning in a landslide is the newer version of this strange monkey-doll creature. Although it is heavi༒ly let down by its typing, Galarian Darmanitan more than makes up for it with better abilities and offensive potential, while also having a better overall design than the original when it comes to both its Zen Mode form and shiny form.

The classic ma🎐y hold a place in many trainer's hearts, but they should be making room for the new and improved version.

Next: Pokémon: The 10 Best😼 Dragon-Type Legendaries, Ranked