Bonus Stardust Pokémon List 2026: How Much Stardust Each Gives

Most wild Pokémon in Pokémon GO are not equal when it comes to Stardust.

An ordinary unevolved Pokémon gives 100 Stardust, while a typical second-stage and third-stage Pokémon gives 300 and 500 respectively. Certain species override those standard amounts and award substantially more Stardust every time you catch them.

These are often called bonus Stardust Pokémon, boosted Stardust Pokémon, or simply Stardust catches.

Knowing which ones to prioritize becomes especially valuable during Catch Stardust events. Instead of treating every spawn equally, you can focus your time, Poké Balls, and Star Pieces on Pokémon that provide several times the normal reward.

Bonus Stardust Pokémon List 2026

Here is the current list of notable Pokémon that give bonus Stardust when caught.

The long-established catch values through Shiinotic are documented in the bonus Stardust catch table, while current Pokémon GO database entries list Dragapult and Hydrapple at 800 Stardust each.

The last column is particularly relevant when a 5× Catch Stardust event is active. It assumes the Pokémon's base catch reward is multiplied by five and then benefits from the Star Piece's 50% Stardust increase.

Which Pokémon Gives the Most Stardust in Pokémon GO?

Audino — 2,100 Stardust

Audino is the clear winner among the commonly recognized bonus Stardust Pokémon.

One normal Audino catch gives:

2,100 Stardust

Activate a Star Piece:

2,100 × 1.5 = 3,150 Stardust

During a hypothetical 5× Catch Stardust event with a Star Piece:

2,100 × 5 × 1.5 = 15,750 Stardust

That means one such Audino catch can be worth more Stardust than 157 ordinary 100-Stardust catches without bonuses.

There is a catch, however: Audino is not usually common enough to build an entire farming strategy around it.

The Pokémon with the highest Stardust per catch is not necessarily the Pokémon that produces the most Stardust per hour.

Best Bonus Stardust Pokémon to Farm

A better farming strategy considers two variables:

Stardust per catch × number of catches you can make

1 Audino — Best Stardust Per Catch

At 2,100 base Stardust, Audino should almost always be prioritized when you see one.

It becomes especially valuable during events that increase Audino spawns or provide high Catch Stardust multipliers.

2 Shellder — One of the Best Practical Targets

Shellder gives 1,000 Stardust per catch, ten times the normal 100-Stardust basic catch.

With a Star Piece, that becomes 1,500 Stardust. During a 5× Catch Stardust event with a Star Piece, one Shellder can theoretically produce 7,500 Stardust.

If Shellder receives boosted event spawns, it can become one of the strongest Stardust farming targets in the game.

3 Chimecho — 1,000 Stardust

Chimecho provides the same 1,000 base Stardust as Shellder.

It is another Pokémon worth catching whenever encountered, although availability determines whether it can realistically support prolonged Stardust farming.

4 Combee, Sableye, Trubbish, and Staryu — 750 Stardust

These Pokémon occupy an especially useful middle ground.

Each provides 750 Stardust, or 7.5 times the base reward of a normal unevolved catch. With a Star Piece, that becomes 1,125 Stardust.

They can actually outperform rarer high-value Pokémon when event or nest conditions create dense concentrations.

For example, current crowdsourced Forever Forward season nest reports include Combee among nesting species in some areas, making it particularly interesting for sustained Stardust farming.

Nest pools are regional and change over time, so current locations should always be verified before planning a farming session.

5 Paras, Meowth, Foongus, Morelull, Shroomish, and Delibird — 500 Stardust

Five hundred Stardust may not look remarkable compared with Audino, but it is still five normal catches worth of Stardust from one Pokémon.

These lower-tier bonus Stardust Pokémon become extremely useful when they spawn in large numbers.

During a 3× Catch Stardust event, for example:

500 × 3 = 1,500 Stardust

Add a Star Piece:

1,500 × 1.5 = 2,250 Stardust per catch

6 Dragapult and Hydrapple — 800 Stardust

Current Pokémon GO database entries show 800 Stardust catch rewards for both Dragapult and Hydrapple.

They are worth knowing about, but they are not practical replacements for species such as Combee or Shellder when the goal is continuous farming. Their availability is much more limited.

Treat these as valuable opportunistic catches rather than Pokémon you should actively expect to farm in bulk.

Current Bonus Stardust Event: Water Festival 2026

There is an unusually strong Stardust opportunity in August 2026.

Ultra Unlock: Water Festival runs from August 18 at 10:00 a.m. until August 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Its Catch Stardust bonus increases as the event progresses:

Even an ordinary 100-Stardust Pokémon becomes a 500-Stardust catch before a Star Piece. Bonus Stardust Pokémon magnify that advantage dramatically.

For example, during the 5× period with a Star Piece:

The event's announced wild encounters focus on Pokémon including Psyduck, Goldeen, Mareanie, Wimpod, Feebas, and Clamperl, so bonus-dust species are not guaranteed to dominate event spawns. The best strategy is therefore to combine the global multiplier with whatever high-value Stardust catches you can find.

How Bonus Stardust Multipliers Work

Star Piece: 1.5× Stardust

A Star Piece increases Stardust earned by 50% for a limited period, normally 30 minutes.

Several Star Pieces can also be activated to extend the total duration instead of manually using a new one every 30 minutes.

If Combee normally gives 750 Stardust:

750 × 1.5 = 1,125 Stardust

If Audino gives 2,100:

2,100 × 1.5 = 3,150 Stardust

Star Pieces are therefore most valuable when you already expect to earn large amounts of Stardust.

Do not activate one merely because you found a single Audino. Save it for a period when you expect continuous catching, a boosted event, or several Stardust reward sources close together.

Catch Stardust Events

Events can apply large multipliers to Catch Stardust.

The August 2026 Water Festival is an extreme example because it progresses from 3× to 4× and finally 5× Catch Stardust.

A multiplier that looks modest on normal Pokémon becomes far more powerful when applied to a species that already has an unusually high base reward.

Weather Boost

Weather-boosted Pokémon also award additional Stardust. Pokémon GO's weather system increases encounters of types matching the current weather and provides extra Stardust when those Pokémon are caught. Current game references list that Stardust modifier at 1.25×.

For Stardust farming, weather should usually be treated as an extra bonus rather than the foundation of your plan.

A dense spawn event with a 3× or 5× Catch Stardust bonus is generally much easier to plan around than waiting for a specific local weather condition.

How to Find More Bonus Stardust Pokémon With PoKeep

Sometimes the main problem is not knowing which Pokémon gives bonus Stardust. It is being unable to access enough useful spawns where you currently play.

This is especially noticeable for Trainers in areas with few PokéStops, small parks, or low spawn density.

PoKeep Location Changer includes several location and movement tools that can make it easier to explore known spawn areas and repeat productive routes.

Its 360-degree joystick supports free directional movement, while multi-point movement lets you create a route through several locations such as PokéStops, Gyms, and spawn points.

Use Multi-Spot Movement for Stardust Routes

Instead of repeatedly changing your location manually, a route can connect several productive areas.

For example, if a park has several spawn clusters and PokéStops, you can create a multi-point path through those locations and move along the route.

This works particularly well conceptually for a known event farming zone or an active bonus-Stardust nest.

Save Productive Stardust Locations

Bonus Stardust farming areas are often worth revisiting.

PoKeep supports favorite locations and routes, location history, and GPX route importing, allowing useful farming paths or frequently visited areas to be saved rather than rebuilt every session.

This can be useful when you regularly return to:

Use Joystick Movement Inside Dense Areas

Once positioned in a productive area, PoKeep's joystick can simulate movement through the surrounding map rather than repeatedly teleporting between nearby spawns.

For farming Stardust, this is generally more relevant than jumping constantly between individual Pokémon because sustained spawn density is the real goal.

Can Shadow Pokémon Give Bonus Stardust?

Yes, the older rule has changed.

Some older bonus Stardust guides state that Shadow versions only give the standard catch reward. Current Stardust documentation notes that this was previously the case—for example, Shadow Sableye once gave only 100 Stardust—but that behavior was changed in a later update.

This is an important distinction when comparing newer information with Stardust charts published several years ago.

How Long Does It Take to Get 1,000,000 Stardust?

There is no single number because the result depends almost entirely on what you catch and which bonuses are active.

Normal Pokémon Without Bonuses

At 100 Stardust each:

1,000,000 ÷ 100 = 10,000 catches

Combee Without Bonuses

At 750 each:

1,000,000 ÷ 750 ≈ 1,334 catches

Audino Without Bonuses

At 2,100 each:

1,000,000 ÷ 2,100 ≈ 477 catches

Shellder During 5× Stardust + Star Piece

At 7,500 each:

1,000,000 ÷ 7,500 ≈ 134 catches

Audino During 5× Stardust + Star Piece

At 15,750 each:

1,000,000 ÷ 15,750 ≈ 64 catches

Those last examples are theoretical and assume every catch is the same high-value Pokémon, which is rarely realistic.

The more useful lesson is that event timing can reduce the amount of catching required by several times.

Bonus Stardust Pokémon FAQ

Final Tips for Farming Bonus Stardust Pokémon

The fastest Stardust strategy is not simply to memorize that Audino gives 2,100 Stardust.

Instead, think in terms of Stardust per hour.

Prioritize bonus Stardust Pokémon whenever they appear, but combine them with periods of high spawn density, Catch Stardust events, Star Pieces, weather bonuses, and active nests. A common 500- or 750-Stardust Pokémon spawning continuously can be much more valuable than a rare 2,100-Stardust Pokémon that you encounter only once.