Pokémon card rarities
The special card families of the Pokémon TCG, from the Gym Leaders' Pokémon of 1998 to the illustration rares of Scarlet & Violet. Commons, uncommons and plain rares are left out: each family here is short and belongs to one era.
Owner's Pokémon
1998–2000433 cards
Pokémon that belong to a Gym Leader or a rival and carry their name: Brock's Onix, Blaine's Charizard, Misty's Psyduck. They come from the Gym sets of 1998 to 2000.
Dark and Light Pokémon
1997–2002193 cards
Team Rocket's Dark Pokémon, weaker but meaner, and the Light Pokémon of Neo Destiny, raised with kindness.
Shining Pokémon
2000–2002, 201725 cards
Pokémon in their shiny colors, first in Neo Revelation and Neo Destiny, then in Shining Legends in 2017.
EX-era ex
2002–2007323 cards
The first ex, written in lowercase, from EX Ruby & Sapphire to EX Power Keepers, before the Pokémon-EX of the Black & White era and the ex of Scarlet & Violet.
Gold Star ★
2004–20070 cards
Shiny Pokémon with a star after their name, one to three per set, the scarcest pulls of the EX era.
LV.X
2006–2009159 cards
Level-up cards played on top of the Pokémon of the same name, from Diamond & Pearl to Arceus.
Prime
2009–201128 cards
The Prime holos of HeartGold & SoulSilver, with their own frame and a strong attack or ability.
LEGEND
2009–201148 cards
Legendary Pokémon printed on two cards that fit together and are played as one.
ACE SPEC
2012–2013, 2024–20250 cards
Trainer cards so strong that a deck may hold only one, in Black & White and again since Temporal Forces.
Prism Star ◇
2017–20190 cards
Cards marked ◇, one copy per deck, sent to the Lost Zone instead of the discard pile.
Radiant Pokémon
2022–202338 cards
Pokémon in their shiny colors, one per deck, from Astral Radiance to Crown Zenith.
Illustration Rare
2022–20261084 cards
Full artworks that show a Pokémon in its world, beyond the usual frame, in every Scarlet & Violet set.
Special Illustration Rare
2022–2026511 cards
The scarcest full artworks of Scarlet & Violet, often a Pokémon ex or a trainer in a wide scene.