Back in June, Game Freak somewhat casually revealed that not every Pokemon from the franchise would be available in the highly-anticipated Switch exclusives, Pokemon Sword and Shield. This information spurred quite a controversy within the community, and the absence of the National Dex in Pokemon Sword and Shield has been a topic of frequent conversation ever since. However, the full extent of the missing Pokemon has only recently become clear, and it is quite a lengthy list indeed.

The ability to assemble a list of the Pokemon that are not available in these forthcoming games comes following a leak that revealed the full Pokemon Sword and Shield Pokedex, which consists of 400 pocket monsters in total. This means that there are nearly 500 Pokemon missing from Pokemon Sword and Shield, and ResetEra member Joseki has shared a graphic that delineates them. This graphic can be found below, and Pokemon marked with green are those that are featured in the games while those marked with white are not.

RELATED: Pokemon Sword and Shield's Pokedex Size Leaked

With so many Pokemon missing in Pokemon Sword and Shield, there is certainly a lot to digest in this graphic. That said, one thing may stand out immediately to those that peruse the Pokemon that are not included in the forthcoming games: the only old starter that is returning in Pokmeon Sword and Shield is Charmander and its evolutions. Considering that many fans have a deep attachment to the starters from previous generations, this may come as a significant blow.

pokemon sword and shield missing pokemon

With respect to why Game Freak may have chosen to cut the old starters for the Galar Pokedex, some fans theorize that the developer wants to encourage players to connect with the new Pokemon Sword and Shield starters by removing the old ones. Indeed, players will be selecting from Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble when Sword and Shield finally release, and there is no chance that these new starters will be playing second fiddle to the likes of Squirtle or Bulbasaur due to their absence.

All of this said, it is important to note that this list of missing Pokemon is based upon unofficial leaks, and cannot thus be considered definitively confirmed. However, everything currently points to these leaks being accurate, and fans can reasonably expect the Pokemon outlined here to be missing from Pokemon Sword and Shield's Galar region.

Pokemon Sword and Shield release November 15, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Sword and Shield: Here's Every Leaked Starter Evolution

Source: ResetEra