Gen 5 was weird. When Black and White first dropped, people actually complained. They hated that you couldn’t find your old favorites until the credits rolled. But then 2012 happened. Game Freak released the first-ever direct sequels in the main series, and suddenly, the floodgates opened. Finding Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 all legendaries became a massive scavenger hunt that redefined what a "complete" Pokedex felt like. It wasn't just about the box mascots anymore; it was about Unova finally opening its borders to the rest of the Pokemon world.
Most people remember the sequels for the PWT (Pokemon World Tournament), but the legendary distribution was the real heavy lifter. You weren't just handed these gods of the Pokemon world. You had to track them through construction sites, hidden forests, and even dream-scapes. It felt earned.
The Box Mascots and the Kyurem Problem
Kyurem is the star here. Period. In the original games, it was just a creepy grey dragon sitting in a hole in the ground (the Giant Chasm). In the sequels, it becomes a literal fusion monster. Depending on which version you bought, you’re either chasing Black Kyurem or White Kyurem.
Getting them is a multi-step process that actually requires you to beat the Elite Four first. You can’t just catch the fused version in the wild. You have to catch Zekrom (in Black 2) or Reshiram (in White 2) at Dragonspiral Tower after N gives you the stone. Then, you head back to the Giant Chasm to find Kyurem. The game gives you the DNA Splicers, a Key Item that lets you merge them. It's still one of the most unique mechanics in the series because it's not just a form change; it’s a total stat overhaul. Black Kyurem hits like a physical truck with Freeze Shock, while White Kyurem is a special attacking nuke with Ice Burn.
The Swords of Justice are Literally Standing in the Road
One of the funniest things about the Unova sequels is how the Swords of Justice—Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion—just... show up. In the first games, they were tucked away in corners of the map you might never visit. In Black 2 and White 2, Cobalion basically tries to run you over on Route 13.
It’s a narrative shift. The game wants you to see them. Cobalion is on Route 13, Virizion is chilling on Route 11, and Terrakion is waiting near the Victory Road entrance. They are level 45 when you first meet them, which makes them incredibly useful for the mid-to-late game grind. Interestingly, if you knock them out, they reappear after the Elite Four at level 65. That’s a nice safety net for players who accidentally crit them into oblivion.
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The Regi Trio and the Version Key Nightmare
Okay, we have to talk about the Keys. This is probably the most controversial part of finding Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 all legendaries.
Deep inside the Clay Tunnel, there's a place called the Underground Ruins. To get Regirock, you just have to solve a basic puzzle involving walking a certain number of steps from the center of a floor pattern. Easy. But catching Regice or Registeel? That’s where it gets annoying.
- Black 2 players unlock the Iron Key (Registeel) after catching Regirock.
- White 2 players unlock the Iceberg Key (Regice) after catching Regirock.
To get the "other" one, you had to use the Unova Link feature to wirelessly swap keys with a friend. If you lived in a rural area in 2012 with no friends who played Pokemon, you were basically stuck. Once you have all three in your party, you can head to the Twist Mountain basement to wake up Regigigas. He’s level 68 and, unfortunately, still hampered by that terrible Slow Start ability.
The Lake Guardians and the Ghost of Sinnoh
Sinnoh fans got a massive bone thrown to them in these sequels. Once you beat the game and speak to Professor Juniper’s father, the Lake Trio—Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf—scatter across Unova.
Finding them is a bit of a "detective" mission. You have to stand on very specific "sparkle" spots to trigger their appearance. Uxie is outside the Nacrene City Museum. Azelf is on Route 23. Mesprit is at the top of the Celestial Tower. They’re all level 65. It felt like a precursor to the "legendary portals" we’d eventually see in the 3DS era, but integrated much more naturally into the actual world map.
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Latios, Latias, and the Dreamyard Chase
If you’re playing Black 2, you get Latios. White 2 gets Latias. They’re found in the Dreamyard, an area that was iconic in the first games but felt like an afterthought. In the sequels, the Lati-twin will basically play tag with you. You have to follow it around the complex until it finally corners itself and initiates a battle.
They appear at level 68. This was a huge deal at the time because these are high-tier competitive Pokemon. Giving players access to a Soul Dew-compatible dragon (though Soul Dew was nerfed/changed in various generations) was a major endgame perk.
Cresselia, Heatran, and the Side Quests
Some legendaries are just... there. Others require actual legwork.
Take Cresselia. You can't just find her. You have to go to the Strange House near Lentimas Town—which is basically a mini-horror movie level—and find the Lunar Wing. Only then will she appear on Marvelous Bridge.
Then there’s Heatran. You need the Magma Stone, which is hidden in a narrow path on Route 18. Take that stone to the Reversal Mountain (the place you explored with Bianca earlier in the game), and Heatran drops from the ceiling. It’s level 68. These encounters felt special because they utilized the "dead ends" of the map that you previously ignored.
What About the Gen 5 "Originals"?
The Forces of Nature (Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus) are the weirdest omission. You actually cannot catch them in Black 2 or White 2 through normal gameplay. You had to use the Pokemon Dream Radar app on the 3DS.
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By playing a motion-controlled mini-game, you could catch their "Therian Formes" and beam them into your save file. This was the only way to get Landorus-Therian, which, as any competitive player knows, has dominated the meta for a decade. If you didn't have a 3DS or the app, you were out of luck unless you traded.
Similarly, the Mythicals—Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect—were all event-exclusive. While Keldeo has a special "Resolution Forme" trigger in the Pledge Grove near Floccesy Town, you still needed an event Keldeo to see it.
The Actionable Strategy for Completionists
If you are picking up these games in 2026 (likely on original hardware or through "other" means), here is the most efficient way to snag them all:
- Prioritize the Swords of Justice: Catch them during the main story. They make the Elite Four much easier.
- The Post-Game Dash: Immediately head to Dragonspiral Tower for your version's mascot (Reshiram/Zekrom) so you can unlock Kyurem.
- The Key Swap: If you’re playing on a physical cart, find a friend or a second DS to swap the Regi keys. You literally cannot get Regigigas without doing this.
- Nature Power: If you want Landorus, look into the Dream Radar or use the DNS exploit to access old Mystery Gifts. The DNS exploit is a fan-maintained workaround that lets you access old Wi-Fi events by changing your DS network settings to specific primary DNS addresses (like 164.132.44.106).
Unova's sequels remain the gold standard for legendary distribution because they didn't just put them in a menu. They hid them in the world. They made you explore the "old" parts of Unova to find "old" Pokemon, making the region feel like it was actually part of a larger, interconnected world. Whether you're hunting the Lunar Wing for Cresselia or chasing Latios through the Dreamyard, the sheer volume of content in the B2W2 post-game is something the modern series is still trying to replicate.