As always, Black and White split the Pokémon between them: some live in the wild in only one of the two versions. The gap is wider than usual after the Pokémon League, thanks to White Forest and its Pokémon from other regions. Here is the full list, calculated from each version’s capture locations.

Counted here are the Pokémon that can be caught in the wild in one version and not in the other. Legendary Pokémon are covered separately. Pokémon obtained by evolution follow their base form: a Whimsicott can also be obtained in Black by evolving a Cottonee.

⚖️Exclusives, version by version

Black only (not in White) 16

White only (not in Black) 49

🐉Each version’s legendary Pokémon

LegendaryBlack VersionWhite Version
ReshiramCaught at N’s Castle (level 50)By trade
ZekromBy tradeCaught at N’s Castle (level 50)
TornadusRoaming after the eighth BadgeBy trade
ThundurusBy tradeRoaming after the eighth Badge
LandorusIn both versions, at the Abundant Shrine, with Tornadus and Thundurus in your party: one of the two necessarily comes from the other version.

🏙️Other differences

  • Black City or White Forest: the post-game town changes. In Black, a metropolis of Trainers whose shops sell items you can’t find in White; in White, a forest where Pokémon from other regions live. That is why White has so many exclusives from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.
  • Opelucid City changes appearance: modern and high-tech in Black, ancient in White. Its Gym Leader changes too: Drayden in Black, Iris in White, with the same team.
  • Mistralton City and the Abundant Shrine are surrounded by greenhouses in Black and fields in White.
  • The Battle Institute in Opelucid City offers Rotation Battles in Black and Triple Battles in White.
  • Basculin: the red-striped form lives on the water in Black, the blue-striped form in White; the other form is found in the water shadows.
  • Sawk and Throh exist in both versions, but depending on the version, one of the two only comes out of shaking grass.

🔁Getting the other version’s Pokémon

  • In-game trades: in Nacrene City, a little girl trades a Petilil for your Cottonee in Black, and the reverse in White. See Gifted and unique Pokémon.
  • Player-to-player trades, locally by infrared or online at the time, via the GTS.
  • The Entralink, to visit a friend’s White Forest or Black City.

Still torn between the two? Our Black or White? page covers the question, and the Premium guide The best Pokémon by version tells you which exclusives are really worth the trip.