Honestly, if you haven’t played through Alola in a while, you probably forgot just how bizarre things got. When Game Freak first dropped the concept of Ultra Beasts (UBs) back in 2016, everyone thought they were some kind of weird legendary hybrid or maybe even humans turned into monsters. But by the time Ultra Sun and Moon Ultra Beasts hit the scene in 2017, the lore got way deeper—and way weirder.
These aren't just rare Pokemon. They’re basically invasive species from other dimensions. Imagine a world where a giant mosquito with literal muscles is as common as a Pidgey. That’s the reality of Ultra Space.
What actually are Ultra Beasts anyway?
The thing that trips most people up is the classification. Are they legendaries? Kinda, but technically no. In the game’s code, they share some traits with sub-legendaries (like the Tapus), but they have their own unique quirk: Beast Boost. This ability is honestly broken if you use it right. Every time a UB knocks out an opponent, its highest stat goes up. If you're running a Kartana with a ridiculous Attack stat, it just becomes a snowball of death.
They also have these high-concept designs that look nothing like traditional Pokemon. You’ve got Nihilego, which looks like a glass jellyfish but is actually a Rock/Poison type that parasiticly merges with people’s brains. Then there’s Guzzlord, a literal walking stomach that doesn't produce waste because it consumes everything. Dark? Yeah, a little bit.
The new additions in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
The original Sun and Moon had a solid lineup, but the "Ultra" sequels added a few heavy hitters that changed the post-game completely.
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- Poipole and Naganadel: This was a huge shift. For the first time, we saw an Ultra Beast that actually evolves. You get Poipole as a gift from the Ultra Recon Squad in Ultra Megapolis. It’s a cute little purple thing, but if you teach it Dragon Pulse and level it up, it turns into Naganadel—a Poison/Dragon wasp that dominated the competitive scene for years.
- Stakataka and Blacephalon: These are version exclusives. If you’re playing Ultra Moon, you get Stakataka, which is basically a sentient stone fortress made of hundreds of individual life forms. Ultra Sun players get Blacephalon, a Fire/Ghost "clown" that literally blows up its own head to attack you. I'm not making that up. It's called Mind Blown, and it hits like a truck.
Finding them in the Ultra Wormholes
The hunt in the original games was a bit of a slog—mostly just running through tall grass after the Elite Four. In Ultra Sun and Moon Ultra Beasts are found through the Ultra Warp Ride.
You hop on Solgaleo or Lunala and fly through a literal psychedelic tunnel. It's a mini-game that can be frustrating if you keep hitting those orange electric balls, but the reward is worth it. To find a UB, you’re looking for white wormholes.
White wormholes are the "homes" of these creatures. Unlike the legendary wormholes (which are one-and-done), you can catch most Ultra Beasts an infinite number of times. Want a whole team of Pheromosa? Go for it. The only exceptions are the ones tied to the story, like Poipole, or the new ones like Stakataka and Blacephalon, where you usually only get two per save file.
Why you should care about the "Faller" lore
One of the coolest, and most overlooked, parts of Alolan lore is the concept of a "Faller." Characters like Anabel and Looker have a dark history with these beasts. A Faller is someone who has passed through an Ultra Wormhole and is now coated in "Beast Energy."
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This energy acts like a beacon. Ultra Beasts are instinctively drawn to it, often attacking Fallers because they think they're a way back home. It's why the International Police used Anabel as literal bait. It's pretty grim for a Nintendo game, right? But it adds a layer of weight to why these creatures are so dangerous in the Alola region. They aren't evil; they're just lost and powerful.
Version Exclusives: Which one do you need?
If you’re trying to complete your Pokedex in 2026, you’re going to need to trade. No way around it.
Ultra Sun Exclusives:
- Buzzwole (The buff mosquito)
- Kartana (The paper-thin sword)
- Blacephalon (The exploding clown)
Ultra Moon Exclusives:
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- Pheromosa (The super-fast cockroach)
- Celesteela (The giant bamboo rocket)
- Stakataka (The living wall)
Kartana and Pheromosa are usually the most sought after. Kartana has a base Attack of 181, which is just stupidly high. Pheromosa, on the other hand, is a "glass cannon" in the truest sense. It will outspeed almost everything and one-shot it, but if something so much as sneezes on it, it’s fainted.
Shiny Hunting: The Ultimate Flex
Back in the day, the UBs were shiny-locked. You couldn't get a shiny Nihilego if you tried. But in Ultra Sun and Moon, that lock was removed.
People spend hundreds of hours soft-resetting for a white and gold Poipole or a blue Xurkitree. Since you can encounter most of them infinitely in the wormholes, the shiny charm is your best friend here. Pro tip: if you’re hunting Blacephalon or Stakataka in Poni Grove, you can actually run away or defeat them, and they’ll keep respawning until you catch two. This means you don't have to feel pressured to catch the first one you see if you're holding out for a shiny.
Getting the most out of your Ultra Beasts
If you're actually planning on using these in battle, pay attention to the Natures. Because you can catch multiples of things like Xurkitree (which has the highest Special Attack of any non-mega/non-legendary Electric type), you can farm for the perfect stats.
- Sync is key: Lead your party with a Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability (like Kadabra or Espeon) and the Nature you want. There’s a 50% chance the Ultra Beast will match it.
- Beast Balls: Don't waste your Master Ball. Wicke gives you plenty of Beast Balls, which have a 5x catch rate modifier specifically for UBs. If you try to use them on a normal Magikarp, they’re worse than a standard Poke Ball, but against a Guzzlord, they’re incredible.
- Hyper Training: Since these guys always come with at least three perfect IVs, you only need to bottle cap the remaining stats at the Hau'oli City mall once they hit Level 100.
The Ultra Beast era was a weird experimental time for Pokemon. It moved away from "dragons and birds" and gave us "origami and power lines." Whether you love the designs or think they look like furniture, there’s no denying they brought a unique strategy to the table that we haven't really seen since.
To finish your collection, start by heading to the Altar of the Sunne or Moone. Make sure you've got a solid team of level 60+ Pokemon, because even a small Kartana can sweep your whole party if you aren't careful. Check your PC for that gift Poipole if you skipped the dialogue, and get to the Battle Tree to grab the Dragon Pulse TM for that Naganadel evolution.