The main gimmick in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games is the Terastallize feature, which is highlighted in the Tera Raids. They usually go up to the six-stars, but some events will temporarily introduce certain 7-star Tera Raids to the game with special Pokemon such as Charizard or Cinderace. Here’s how you unlock those.
Where to Unlock 7-Star Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Before tackling the hardest challenges, you need to beat the second hardest first. After beating the game and its complete content (up to the Academy Ace Tournament), you get access to the 6-Star Tera Raids.
Having them is the prerequisite for unlocking the next difficulty, and they’re a good glimpse of what’s waiting for you in these ultimate challenges. They are distinguished by their special glow in the map, which is stronger than the regular 5-star Raid glow.
Take part in a fair share of these until you get a call from Professor Jacq. He’ll tell you about the Black Crystal Tera Raids, which are precisely the 7-Star Raids you’re looking for. This call only happens if there’s a 7-star Tera Raid currently going on, and it has an even stronger glow effect compared to 6-stars. After making small talk, you can finally challenge those Unrivaled Pokemon.
Despite the name, those crystals have a more rainbow-looking effect around them, and you’ll receive a notification whenever these are up. If you can’t find them around the map, keep completing more 6-Stars until the higher tier finally spawns.
The rewards in 7-Star Tera Raids are similar to the ones from the previous tier, which include several Exp. Candies and Tera Shards, but you can also catch the target Pokemon, which isn’t normally available in Paldea games.
You can only catch one per save file, but you’re free to breed them later. Some special Legendaries such as Mewtwo may also appear occasionally in them, so don’t miss the chance to grab these!