Pokémon Ultra Sun is a separate Nintendo 3DS game, not an update, patch or DLC for Pokémon Sun. Ultra Sun came out worldwide on 17 November 2017, a year after Sun. A Sun save cannot be loaded in Ultra Sun. Pokémon can move over through Pokémon Bank, which shuts down on 25 February 2027, or by local trade, where they can also carry a held item. Ultra Sun is set in the same Alola, with the same three starters and the same daytime clock as Sun. The late story is rebuilt around Necrozma, the Alola Pokédex grows from 302 to 403 entries, and the game adds Mantine Surf, the Ultra Warp Ride, Totem Stickers and the Team Rainbow Rocket postgame. If you have never played either game, start with Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon.
This page compares a retail copy of Pokémon Sun with Pokémon Ultra Sun version 1.2, the final patch, on any 3DS or 2DS system. Neither game has DLC. Ultra Moon comes up only where it changes which game you should buy.
Is Ultra Sun an update to Sun?
No. Ultra Sun has its own game card, its own eShop listing and its own save. Nothing you download for Sun turns it into Ultra Sun. Ultra Sun received two patches of its own: version 1.1 in December 2017 and version 1.2 in February 2018. Both fixed bugs, including a crash in the opening, and neither changes Sun.
| Game | Released | Box legend | Last patch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Sun | 18 November 2016 (23 November in Europe) | Solgaleo | Its own updates, Sun content only |
| Pokémon Ultra Sun | 17 November 2017, worldwide | Dusk Mane Necrozma | Version 1.2, February 2018, bug fixes |
An alternate story, not a sequel
Ultra Sun is closer to Pokémon Platinum or Emerald than to Black 2 and White 2. You play the same journey across the same four islands. You do not need a finished Sun save to follow it, and you do not pick up where Sun left off. The first three islands will feel familiar. The story splits hard in the second half, and the ending changes more than it did in the earlier third versions.
Can your Sun save move to Ultra Sun?
No. Ultra Sun has no option to import a Sun save. Your story progress, bag, money, key items and Pokédex stay on the Sun cartridge. What can move is individual Pokémon, plus a held item when you send one by local trade.
| From your Sun game | Moves to Ultra Sun? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Save file, story progress, badges and stamps | No | Not possible |
| Bag, money and key items | No | Not possible |
| A held item | Yes, by local trade | The Pokémon carries it in a trade. Bank does not carry held items |
| Pokédex entries | No | Each Pokémon you bring over registers again in Ultra Sun |
| Pokémon | Yes | Pokémon Bank, until 25 February 2027, 7:00 p.m. PST |
| Pokémon | Yes | Local trade between two 3DS systems |
| Pokémon | No | GTS, Wonder Trade and online Festival Plaza ended 8 April 2024 |
One 3DS with Bank, or two systems and a local trade
With one 3DS and both cartridges, deposit Pokémon from Sun into Pokémon Bank, then withdraw them in Ultra Sun. Bank is not currently available to download from the eShop, so this only works if Bank is already installed on your system. A Bank transfer is not a trade, so Pokémon that evolve by trading will not evolve. The service ends on 25 February 2027.
With two 3DS systems, Sun and Ultra Sun can still trade and battle over local wireless. This is the only way to trigger trade evolutions or send a held item between the two games, and it will keep working after Bank closes. Nintendo ended 3DS online play on 8 April 2024, so the GTS, Wonder Trade and internet trades through Festival Plaza are gone.
What cannot travel back into Sun
Sun does not know about anything new in Ultra Sun, so some Pokémon cannot be sent to it:
- The five new species: Poipole, Naganadel, Stakataka, Blacephalon and Zeraora.
- Own Tempo Rockruff and Dusk Form Lycanroc.
- Partner Cap Pikachu.
- Pokémon holding an item that only exists in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, or knowing a move that was added in those games. Remove the item or change the move first.
- Dusk Mane Necrozma, Dawn Wings Necrozma and Ultra Necrozma.
- The totem-sized Alolan Marowak, Ribombee, Araquanid and Togedemaru from the Totem Sticker reward. These can be traded between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, but they cannot enter Pokémon Bank or reach Sun.
Sun vs Ultra Sun at a glance
| Feature | Pokémon Sun | Pokémon Ultra Sun |
|---|---|---|
| Starters | Rowlet, Litten, Popplio | Same three |
| When you get your starter | In Iki Town | On Route 1, from Professor Kukui |
| In-game clock | Follows the 3DS clock | Follows the 3DS clock (Ultra Moon is 12 hours ahead) |
| Box legend | Solgaleo | Dusk Mane Necrozma |
| Late story focus | Lusamine and the Ultra Beasts | Necrozma and the Ultra Recon Squad |
| Island trials | 7 | 8 (Mina gets her own trial) |
| Elite Four | Hala, Olivia, Acerola, Kahili | Molayne, Olivia, Acerola, Kahili |
| Alola Pokédex | 302 entries | 403 entries |
| Species the game supports | 802 | 807 |
| Necrozma catch rate | 3 | 255 |
| Zygarde | Collect 100 Zygarde Cells and Cores | Catch one in Resolution Cave, get a 10% Zygarde and a Zygarde Cube with 40 cells after beating Dexio |
| Main postgame quest | Ultra Beasts with Looker and Anabel | Blacephalon, then Episode RR against Team Rainbow Rocket |
| New activities | None | Mantine Surf, Ultra Warp Ride, Totem Stickers, Alola Photo Club, Battle Agency |
What the story changes
The first half follows Sun closely, with the same captains, kahunas and Team Skull. The changes start right away, though.
The shorter opening
In Sun you walk to Iki Town before Hala gives you a starter. In Ultra Sun, Professor Kukui hands you one on Route 1, before you rescue Lillie. You also meet the Ultra Recon Squad, two visitors from Ultra Space, early in the game. They keep turning up as the story goes on.
Lusamine, Necrozma and the League (spoilers)
The story splits at Aether Paradise. Lusamine's motives are rewritten and she no longer takes the final stage of the story. Necrozma does. In Ultra Sun it fuses with Solgaleo and becomes Dusk Mane Necrozma, and the climax takes you to Megalo Tower in Ultra Megalopolis to fight Ultra Necrozma. After that, Mina runs the eighth trial, which pits you against the other captains, and Hapu's grand trial closes the island challenge.
At the Pokémon League, Molayne takes Hala's place in the Elite Four. Your last opponent is Hau, not Professor Kukui. Hala becomes a postgame rematch in Iki Town and gives you the Z-Crystals for the two starters you didn't pick.
Plenty of players prefer Sun's version of Lillie and Lusamine, and that story only exists in Sun and Moon. Neither version is objectively better. If those scenes are why you love Alola, the original is still worth keeping.
New Pokémon, and what you can still catch
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon add five species, raising the number of species the games support from 802 to 807, and 101 Pokémon join the Alola Pokédex, which grows to 403 entries. Dozens of those are Pokémon that already existed but were not in Sun's Alola list. Not all of the new additions can still be obtained.
| Pokémon | How you get it in Ultra Sun | Can you still get it? |
|---|---|---|
| Poipole | Gift from the Ultra Recon Squad at Megalo Tower after the climax, Lv. 40. If you refuse it, return to Ultra Megalopolis later | Yes |
| Naganadel | Level up Poipole while it knows Dragon Pulse | Yes |
| Blacephalon | Postgame, Poni Grove, with Beast Balls | Yes, Ultra Sun only |
| Stakataka | Ultra Moon's counterpart to Blacephalon | Only in Ultra Moon, or by trade |
| Dusk Mane Necrozma | Fuse Necrozma with Solgaleo | Yes. Ultra Moon can make it too, with a traded Solgaleo |
| Zeraora | Event distribution only | No new distributions |
| Own Tempo Rockruff / Dusk Lycanroc | Event distribution, late 2017 to early 2018 | By trade, then by breeding |
Dusk Lycanroc and Zeraora after the events ended
A normal Rockruff in Ultra Sun evolves into Midday Form Lycanroc when it levels up during the day. Midnight Form is not available by evolution in Ultra Sun; it needs Ultra Moon (or Moon) or a trade. Only an Own Tempo Rockruff can become Dusk Form Lycanroc, by levelling up at level 25 or higher between 5:00 and 5:59 p.m. in-game time. That Rockruff came from a Mystery Gift event that ended in January 2018, and 3DS Mystery Gift over the internet has since gone offline. If you have no Own Tempo Rockruff, you need a local trade from someone who has one. After that you can breed more: an Own Tempo Rockruff or Dusk Lycanroc that is the mother, or that is bred with Ditto, produces Own Tempo Rockruff. If your Rockruff will not evolve into Dusk Form, check its Ability first. Zeraora is in the same position: it was only ever an event Pokémon.
What you can do in Ultra Sun that Sun never had
- Mantine Surf is a surfing minigame between islands. It earns BP for move tutors.
- On the Ultra Warp Ride, unlocked later in the game, you fly through Ultra Space on Solgaleo. It leads to Ultra Beast worlds and to wild Pokémon from other regions, including past Legendary Pokémon. Many of those are version exclusive.
- 100 Totem Stickers replace Sun's Zygarde Cell hunt. Turn them in to Samson Oak at Heahea Beach to receive totem-sized Pokémon at set milestones.
- The Zygarde quest is shorter. Catch a 50% Forme Zygarde in Resolution Cave after the League, then beat Dexio on Route 16, with Sina beside him, for a 10% Forme Zygarde and a Zygarde Cube that already holds 40 cells.
- The Ultra Beasts from Sun can be caught more than once, and Aether Paradise sells Beast Balls.
- Episode RR is a postgame story in which Team Rainbow Rocket, led by Giovanni, takes over Aether Paradise. It is separate from the Ultra Warp Ride.
- Smaller additions include Alola Photo Club, Battle Agency, Roto Loto, Pikachu Valley, a Kantonian Gym and more move tutors.
Sun, Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon?
| Your situation | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Never played either game | Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon | More Pokémon, more postgame and a faster start |
| Beat Sun and want the new story and content | Ultra Sun | Same daytime clock and Solgaleo side, new Necrozma story |
| Beat Sun and want the Pokémon Sun never had | Ultra Moon | Moon-side exclusives and Lunala, with the clock 12 hours ahead |
| Want the original Lillie and Lusamine story | Sun | That version of the story only exists in Sun and Moon |
Sun and Ultra Sun share most of their version exclusives: Turtonator, Passimian, Solgaleo, Buzzwole and Kartana all appear in both. Buying Ultra Sun after Sun will not fill Moon's side of the Pokédex. You still need Ultra Moon or a trade for that. As of 2026, the eShop no longer sells 3DS games (purchases ended on 27 March 2023), so a new copy means a physical cartridge. A game you already bought can still be downloaded again.
Why Ultra Sun feels harder
Most of the game plays at a similar pace to Sun, with the same SOS battles and a few tougher totems. The spike is Ultra Necrozma at Megalo Tower:
| Ultra Necrozma | Details |
|---|---|
| Level | 60 |
| Type | Psychic / Dragon |
| Ability | Neuroforce |
| Totem boost | +1 Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def and Speed |
| Moves | Photon Geyser, Smart Strike, Power Gem, Dragon Pulse |
| Can you catch it? | No. It is a boss battle and you cannot flee |
Every stat starts one stage higher, so it often moves first and hits hard. A Dark-type is immune to Photon Geyser, and a stock of healing items helps. Catching Necrozma afterwards is easy: its catch rate rises from 3 in Sun to 255 in Ultra Sun, and you meet it again on Mount Lanakila. One other change cuts SOS chains: wild Pokémon now call for help only once unless you use an Adrenaline Orb. Totem Pokémon are the exception.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pokémon Ultra Sun an update for Pokémon Sun?
No. It is a separate game, released in November 2017. Sun cannot be patched into Ultra Sun.
Can you transfer a Sun save to Ultra Sun?
No. Pokémon can move, through Pokémon Bank until 25 February 2027 or through a local trade between two 3DS systems, and a local trade can carry a held item too. The save, bag and story stay on Sun.
Does Ultra Sun have different starters?
No. You still pick Rowlet, Litten or Popplio. You get your starter earlier, on Route 1.
What is the difference between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon?
The story is the same. Ultra Moon's clock runs 12 hours ahead, its box legend is Dawn Wings Necrozma, and it has its own exclusives, including Lunala and Stakataka.
Can you still trade between Sun and Ultra Sun?
Yes, over local wireless with two 3DS systems. Online trading ended on 8 April 2024.
Is Ultra Sun worth buying after Sun?
Yes, if you want the Necrozma story, the bigger Pokédex and Episode RR. Expect the first half to feel familiar. If you mainly want new Pokémon, Ultra Moon gives you more that Sun does not have.