How to unlock Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 6-Star Raids

If you think you have mastered everything the Paldea region has to throw at you, then you haven’t taken on one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s 6-Star Raids.

These ultra-hard tera raids are the ultimate test of your Pokemon battling abilities and offer the most powerful rewards. They're also the best way to get ready for the upcoming Charizard Tera Raid event.

Despite being outside of the main storyline of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, unlocking 6-Star Raids is an involved process that can take a long time.

However, there are some really fun challenges involved in unlocking 6-Star Raids, so at least you should have a good time doing it.

Please be aware, this is post-game content and involves completing surprise challenges after you have completed the main game. Therefore the method for unlocking 6-Star Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could be considered spoilers, so continue with that in mind!

• How to unlock 5-Star Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
• How to unlock Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 6-Star Raids
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 6-Star Raid rewards

How to unlock 5-Star Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Before you can venture out and take on 6-Star Raids, you first need to sink your teeth into the 5-Star difficulty. Thankfully, unlocking 5-Star Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is simple.

All you need to do is complete the main game up to the point of rolling the credits. Then 5-Star Raids should start appearing on your map.

You might need to be patient. After you’ve rolled the credits, sometimes it can seem like there aren’t any 5-Star Raids spawning - but you can get unlucky. Rest assured, they’re there.

How to unlock Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 6-Star Raids

1. Complete the main game, the final boss and roll the credits
2. Re-challenge all 8 gym leaders in the post-game boss rush
3. Complete the Academy Ace Tournament by defeating four tough trainers in a row
4. Complete 4 and 5-Star raids in the overworld until Jacq calls you about new data
5. Search your map for a raid icon with a sparkling border
6. Complete this first 6-Star Raid and you have unlocked the ability to challenge more

So basically, to unlock 6-Star Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet you need to complete the entire main game, the two post-game tournaments, then prove your worth by completing a few 5-Star Raids.

Some players have reported that their progress towards Jacq’s goal wasn’t recorded when joining online raids that they weren’t hosting. So the conventional wisdom is to either complete the raids alone or host them yourself to guarantee you’re making headway.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 6-Star Raid rewards

But why are you going to all that effort? Well, 6-Star Raids in Pokemon and Scarlet and Violet not only give you the chance to catch some awesome Pokemon you might have neglected to snag already, but tons of great items as well.

We’ve seen them drop IV-boosting Bottle Caps, which are usually an expensive resource that’s vital for developing powerful competitive Pokemon.

Next up, you also have a chance to acquire rare ingredients for the most useful sandwich recipes - so shiny hunters, be on the lookout!

Additionally, you can get helpful Tera Shards for swapping the Terastallizing type of your Pokemon.

Finally, you can get all sorts of other useful consumable items and experience boosting candies that are always great to stock up on.