Galar is the region where Pokémon Sword and Shield are set.
Inspired heavily by the United Kingdom, Galar contains countryside towns, industrial areas, snowy mountains, and stadium-like Pokémon Gyms. The games were released for Nintendo Switch on 15 November 2019 and began Pokémon's eighth generation of main-series adventures.
Galar introduced species such as Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, Zacian, and Zamazenta. It also introduced the Dynamax and Gigantamax mechanics, which temporarily make certain Pokémon enormous during special battles. The Wild Area gave players broad outdoor spaces with freely visible Pokémon and changing weather.
Galar is sometimes confused with Kalos, the France-inspired region from Pokémon X and Y, or Paldea, the Iberian Peninsula-inspired region from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Each region belongs to a different generation and has its own Pokédex, story, and visual identity.