Card rarity in Pokemon is a strange thing. Often when you hear reference to the rarity of a card you’d think it’s safe to assume that the rarer the card, the more expensive it is. Pokemon cards are funny in the sense that they have this whole table of rarities and such but only a tiny portion of the cards you’ll find are actually valuable despite many, many cards being labeled “rare” or “ultra rare” or even “amazing rare”. So don’t let the names mislead you as a card being called an “ultra rare” doesn’t immediately correlate to dollar signs.

So what do the rarities actually mean then? Well, more often than not the rarity is more an indicator of how often the card will appear in packs and not immediate monetary value. Yes, there are some cases where this card population is directly proportional to the value of the card, but more often than not cards like Ultra Rares are produced just enough so that they are still not incredibly easy to find but aren’t so rare that you’ll be spending hundreds of dollars looking for one. This is because the Pokemon Company has to accommodate not just the collectors but the actual competitive players too. 

If there is an obscene paywall stopping players from using a card simply because of how hard it is to find in packs, it would be absolute anarchy. Nobody would want to play the card game and the community would likely die as a result. This is where The Pokemon Company had the ingenious idea of catering to both the community of collectors and players. Ultra Rares would provide to those who are solely interested in playing the game, they are affordable, easy to find, and functional (they just don’t have the most spectacular art). However, for the collectors, they would make what are known as Secret Rares. These cards are just more expensive, much rarer versions of the same ultra rares, sometimes with a different finish on the card, like Rainbow Rares or Gold Rares, or with a different art entirely. Now everybody’s happy.

A card’s rarity in the Pokemon TCG is indicated by a small emblem at the bottom left of the card. The emblem changes depending on how rare the card is and each one refers to how frequently these cards appear in packs. Before we explain the symbols that correlate to each rarity in the TCG, it’s worth mentioning that these symbols are not the same in every language. Japanese sets don’t even use symbols but instead use letters such as “C” or “U” to indicate rarity. Below we have listed all of the card rarities you can find in Pokemon packs and their designated emblem.

Common: This is signified by a black circle

Uncommon: This is signified by a black diamond

Rare: This is signified by a black star

Ultra Rare: This is signified by a shiny silver star

There are also sub-rarities within these rarities but that is just a general idea of the rarities in the Pokemon TCG.

At this point you may be gripping your screen and screaming “but what do all these rarities mean?!” so we won’t keep you waiting any longer. Below we have listed all of the rarities you can come across in the Pokemon TCG as well as what that means in terms of drop rate and if their value is even negligible.

Common: As you could imagine, common refers to the most common cards that you will find in the Pokemon TCG. You are guaranteed several of these in every pack, or around 4 – 5 in an English booster pack to be specific. Common cards only feature basic unevolved Pokemon and can also appear in the reverse holographic slot of the pack. 

Uncommon: Uncommon cards are the second most common cards you can find, each English booster pack usually containing three of them. Unlike common cards, these cards can feature both evolved and unevolved Pokemon and also make up a vast majority of trainer cards in the TCG. These cards can also be found in the reverse holographic slot of the pack.

Regular Rare: These cards are like the baseline of a Pokemon pack. You are guaranteed at least one rare or something better in every (unless they are promo packs like Detective Pikachu) English pack. At the very most you can get two in one pack as they can also appear in the reverse holographic slot as well as the rare slot of the pack. These cards contain, for the most part, evolved Pokemon or legendary Pokemon. However, within rare cards, there are also sub-classifications as mentioned before which we will cover now.

Holographic Rare: Holographic rares aren’t extremely rare but still aren’t guaranteed in every pack like a regular rare. The pull rates change from set to set, but on average it is slightly below 50% of packs will contain at least a holographic rare. As well as this, it still features that same black star at the bottom left of the card but they have a shiny holographic finish over the art of the card. The type of holographic pattern has changed several times throughout the years and is likely to keep on changing just to keep things fresh.

Ultra Rare:

This is where cards start getting a little bit rare but still not unaffordably rare. Ultra rares refer to cards such as ex, GX, V, VMax, VStar, etc. The look and chance of pulling an “Ultra Rare” can be vastly different from set to set as we will explore below but they are mostly defined by the fact that they are much more difficult to acquire than regular rare cards. More often than not, their art extends beyond the inner border of the card art or they lack an inner border altogether. So, let’s briefly explore the different types of Ultra Rares you can find in the Pokemon TCG throughout time.
Pokemon ex: These cards made their debut in the 2003 set EX Ruby & Sapphire and featured a lowercase ex at the end of the Pokemon’s name which stood for “extra”. Whether this is the extra effects or attacks they bring something extra to the table.  This Pokemon also brought higher stakes to its player as if it were knocked out the opponent would take two prize cards as opposed to one.

Pokemon Star: Also referred to as Gold Star Pokemon, these cards were introduced in the set EX Team Rocket Returns and were pretty much discontinued in the POP Series 5 mini-set. They are reminiscent of the Shining Pokemon of many sets before but instead feature a little gold star next to the name of the Pokemon hence the name Pokemon Star. 

Pokemon LV.X: With each new era of Pokemon it is now pretty much a given that they will introduce a new mechanic to replace the ultra rares of the old generation. LV.X was introduced to replace the “ex” and “star” mechanic from the previous era in the Diamond & Pearl expansion. As opposed to being an evolution these cards are treated more as a “level-up”.

Pokemon LEGEND: One of the less popular changes in the Pokemon TCG was the Pokemon LEGEND mechanic brought about in the HeartGold & SoulSilver era of Pokemon. Unlike most Ultra Rare Pokemon cards, these cards would come in two parts that the player would have to collect to form a whole card art. This was first introduced through the Pokemon Lugia and Ho-Oh and was re-attempted quite a few times after this.

Pokemon Prime: Along with the LEGEND mechanic came Prime cards. Unlike a lot of Ultra Rares, these cards had no special abilities or attacks or anything, they were just stronger than normal Pokemon and had a slightly different holographic card art.

Pokemon-EX: Unlike the ex of old this one is capitalized so you know they mean business. These cards were introduced in the set Next Destinies and up until the set Legendary Treasures only featured Legendary Pokemon. However, beyond that, EX cards started to feature non-legendary Pokemon and became the first type of Ultra Rare to feature a full art print as well as a standard print. This would be a recurring theme throughout Pokemon after this point. 

Pokemon GX: Then came the GX mechanic in the Sun & Moon era of Pokemon which was actually fairly similar to EX Pokemon with the main difference being that not all GX Pokemon were basic Pokemon. As well as this, they also would introduce Tag Team variants of these GX cards later on in the Team-Up set of Sun and Moon. These were the first cards to also feature Rainbow Rare and Golden Rare variants.

Pokemon V, VMax & VStar: Finally, we have the current style of Ultra Rares in the Pokemon TCG: all of the v variants. These cards have massively popularised alternate arts in sets, making them almost commonplace in new sets despite existing since Sun & Moon. They were introduced in Sword and Shield and like most Ultra Rares they feature stronger versions of the Pokemon that already exist within the set.

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Secret Rare:

At last, we come to Secret Rares. These are the cards that are really worth the big bucks when it comes to selling cards in the Pokemon TCG. Sure, an ultra-rare Charizard is nice but what about a Secret Rare Charizard V? These cards are the least common cards in Pokemon packs and appear at a rate of about 1/36. They can be identified by looking at the number of the card in the set at the bottom right of the card. If the number of the Pokemon exceeds the size of the set like 245/200 for example, you have got yourself a Secret Rare Pokemon. Secret Rares make up some of the most expensive cards in modern Pokemon history such as the Rainbow Rare Charizard GX or the Rainbow Rare Pikachu VMax.

Promo:

Finally, we have a bit of a bonus round in the shape of promo cards. Because these cards technically don’t belong to a set and therefore cannot be pulled in packs, they have no inherent rarity as they are guaranteed with a specific purchase. As a result, a promo card can be identified by the word “promo” in place of the typical rarity symbols.

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Evaluating the condition of a Pokemon card and assigning it a grade is referred to as card grading. Grading is completed by third-party organizations, such as the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) or the Beckett Grading Services (BGS), which have become recognized as the industry standards.

The process commences with the submission of the card to the grading company. Experts then analyze the card based on a predefined list of criteria, including centering, corners, edges, and the surface quality of the card. After the evaluation is complete, the card is assigned a grade which is printed onto a label that is affixed to the card.

The mark given to a Pokemon card may have a major influence on its worth. Generally, a card in Mint condition is worth more than one in Poor condition, for instance. Moreover, a card that has been assessed by a reliable company like PSA or BGS will typically be worth more than an ungraded one. This is because a graded card is seen to be more reliable and trustworthy than an ungraded one.

One of the major benefits of getting a Pokemon card graded is that it can help preserve the card’s worth. A graded card is believed to be in a state that is unlikely to change, making it more likely to keep its worth over time. Moreover, a graded card is more likely to be accepted as genuine by buyers, raising its value in the market.

One more profit of getting a Pokemon card assessed is that it can aid in safeguarding the card from harm. Generally, graded cards are enclosed in a defensive cover, which hinders any deterioration due to dirt, dust, or any other external elements. This can be notably essential for unique or expensive cards that are meant to be a part of a lasting collection.

There are quite a few factors that can impact how your Pokemon card is graded. Below we will provide a list of the biggest ones you need to look out for to gauge whether or not your card is worth grading.

When it comes to assessing cards, several factors come into play. These may include: the alignment of the image relative to the borders (centering), the state of the corners (including any wear or fraying), the edges (whether there is chipping or fraying), the surface (scratches or scuffs), the sharpness of the image (focus), the vibrancy and uniformity of the colors (color), and the overall condition of the card (visible damage or wear). Yes, we are fully aware that some of these issues with the card are completely out of your hands and that’s just unfortunately the case when grading Pokemon cards. Grading companies are looking for the most perfect Pokemon card if they are going to give it a 10 meaning that it has to be devoid of any imperfection regardless of whether or not it is the fault of the owner or the print line. 

To determine the grade of the card, grading companies use either a numerical or alphabetical system. The highest grade is 10 or “gem mint,” while the lowest is 1 or “poor.”

It’s hard to say how much it costs to get a card graded as it varies massively depending on the influx of cards that the grading company is getting. For example, following the crazy Logan Paul hype around Pokemon cards, thousands upon thousands of new fans decided that they wanted to get involved in the Pokemon TCG. This meant that PSA began to receive cards in the hundreds of thousands so much so that they were forced to raise the cost of card grading massively to stop the huge backlog of cards that was only piling up. As of January 2023, PSA currently charges $25 per card (for the average card) however another factor to consider is that the cost of grading changes depending on the declared value of the card you are trying to grade. A card can cost as much as $10,000 to grade if it is worth more than $250,000.

It is also worth noting that cards can be graded in bulk for $19 per card currently if you are looking to send off a whole collection.

When it comes to deciding whether or not to grade Pokemon cards, it really depends on what particular cards you possess and what you intend to do with them. If the cards are judged to be in perfect condition, grading can make them more valuable. Nevertheless, the process can be expensive and take a while. Also, some cards may not be worth much more even if they have been graded. Before you go on to grade you should definitely compare the cost of the ungraded card with its value in a PSA 10. If its PSA 10 value is only slightly greater than what it is usually worth then it’s probably not worth grading. You have to consider that there is a likelihood that your card won’t come back in a 10 meaning you will make a net loss on the cost of grading alone. Having said that, some people do just like to get cards graded in a 10 for the novelty of having them in a 10 or they are trying to get a PSA 10 collection. In short, if you are a collector who appreciates the quality of the cards or you are intending to sell them, it might be worthwhile to get them graded. But, if you are just a casual collector or play with the cards for fun, it may not be worth it.

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There are a few organizations that are able to evaluate Pokemon cards, like PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), Beckett Grading Services, and GMA (Global Authentication Inc). Generally, the process consists of these steps:

Selecting a grading organization: Do some research to decide which one is most suitable for your requirements. Some grading companies are more affordable than other while some may have a quicker turnaround. We’ll explain the factors you can weigh up when choosing a company below. 

Send your cards: Send your cards to the grading firm together with any requested application forms and fees.

Inspection and grading: The cards will be examined and graded by a team of professionals based on the strict criteria we listed above.

Receiving your graded cards: When your cards have been graded, they will be delivered back to you with a certificate of validity and grading report.

It is essential to take into consideration that the grading procedure can be costly, and you should be prepared to pay fees for each card you submit, and also delivery and handling costs. Also, grading firms are not perfect so you should be aware of any grievances about the grading company.

Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that not all cards will get the same grade or value after grading, so you should consider if it is worth getting your cards graded or not.

There are several different factors to weigh up when deciding the best grading company for you and the answer is there are no “best grading companies” there are just companies that cater to different people’s wants when grading a Pokemon card.

While it may seem like PSA is an absolute no-brainer when grading your Pokemon cards simply because their name is impossible to escape when researching Pokemon cards, this doesn’t make them the best. PSA is just so commonly used as they have been around the longest and have therefore established themselves as a reputable company meaning that their grading is the most reliable and respected. This reputation then translates to more expensive cards if you manage to get a card with a high grade with PSA. However, this reputation means that they also can drive their cost per card super high like they have done in the past and people are willing to spend it.

However other companies like Beckett have been around for a pretty long time as well and have their advantages and disadvantages much like every grading company. With Beckett, you are getting a similar value to PSA in terms of reliability but the biggest difference is the strictness of their grading criteria in comparison. What Beckett considers a 10 is a lot more difficult to achieve than what PSA considers a 10 meaning that you are much less likely to get 10s when you send your cards off, but (and this is a big but) if you manage to get a BGS 10 from Beckett, the card is worth considerably more than a PSA 10 as it is just so hard to come by meaning that the card is practically perfect. Of course, if you aren’t willing to take the gamble and you don’t actually think your card is that perfect then do as you wish, but it is definitely an option worth considering. 

Then there are some more alternative options such as AceGrading which are much newer than the aforementioned two companies but look like super promising prospects thanks to their unique design. Unlike PSA and Beckett, which have a standardized label for every card, Ace Grading offers awesomely designed labels for your cards depending on the card and the set it comes from. As well as this, their cases just look a lot more presentable than Beckett and PSA. However, the disadvantage of getting a 10 from Ace Grading is that it currently doesn’t carry nearly as much weight as getting a 10 from PSA or Beckett just because of how new Ace Grading is.

There are of course options beyond these three mentioned above and you should definitely check them all out because as we said, they may offer something that the others don’t that you feel just really caters to what you want.

Disagreeing with the grade a grading company gives you isn’t a super uncommon reaction. After all, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars to get your card graded, so the last thing you want to see is some inaccurate grading. Luckily a lot of grading companies come prepared for reactions like this and offer a review service that allows you to send cards that have previously been graded with them back to them so that they can reevaluate the grade they gave it. It should be noted though that it is super uncommon for grading companies to give a vastly different grade to a card they have already graded because it’s unlikely that they got the grade that wrong in the first place. Regardless, if you truly believe that their grading was wrong, it is always worth disputing it as that could be the difference between having a great card and having a perfect card.

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For the most part when a card is “banned”, this typically refers to players no longer being allowed to use the card in competitive play whether it’s because the card is blatantly too strong and makes the game borderline unfair or the card is just poorly designed in general and as a result causes a bit too much confusion. However, in other cases when a card is designed terribly enough, it can call for the said card to stop printing altogether or for a rework of the card to be made. This often happens in the translation from Japanese to English as a card will be released in Japanese and the Pokemon community will quickly realize why a card may be problematic and it is then revamped before the English release so that they don’t face the same problem.

There are several reasons a Pokemon card can get banned. Most commonly, as mentioned before, it’s a result of poorly designed cards transpiring to be highly unfair in competitive play and is therefore disallowed in competitive play. While you could just use the argument of “get good nerd”, the truth is, sometimes a card is just too strong even for the most veteran players. However, other times, cards are banned for some more… questionable reasons. These reasons may include but are not exclusive to:

Card Misprints: on very rare occasions, some cards come off the print line with an error that somehow made it past the several layers of checks and verification that are mandatory before they are even ready for printing, and as a result, the card must be banned and then redesigned or just discontinued. 

Inappropriate Cards: Another thing that happened a lot more back in the day but has definitely seen a few examples in modern Pokemon card history is a card’s art being too inappropriate for the intended audience of children. This may include cultural or religious insensitivity, morbid themes, depictions of gambling, and just general non-child-friendly content. However, because this is such a grey area at times, poor card designs would often slip through the cracks. 

Card Age: This one is just a case of the natural progression of the game meaning as the game progresses, cards from decades ago will inevitably become unplayable because they are just outdated. The card game is constantly evolving and keeping ancient cards in the game can often lead to stagnation. 

Of course, there are other reasons that cards have been banned in the past but for the most part, the ones listed above are the most common. Now, let’s count down the most unbelievable banned cards in the Pokemon TCG.

This is a relatively recent one, considering a lot of the cards listed below were released in the 90s or early 2000s, coming from the 2012 set Dragons Exalted. When this card was originally revealed in the Japanese set Dragon Blast, it created just a tiny bit of a stir amongst the Pokemon TCG community more because of how appropriate it would be for kids than the card being blatantly insensitive. The card originally featured a Magmortar pointing its cannon arm directly at the player of the card with a menacing look on its face which had some pretty violent undertones to it which some parents weren’t too pleased with. Because of this, when the card was re-released in English, it featured a completely different art, this time with the Magmortar’s cannon being pointed into the air.

This card comes from the 2000 Pokemon set Neo Genesis and actually saw many other cards like it also getting banned. The Japanese card’s art features a row of slot machines that literally say “slot” on them and as mentioned before the card game is directed at children leaving many parents slightly annoyed by the depiction of gambling in the usually innocent card game. However, it wasn’t the only card that had art like this, the card “Card-Flip Game” from the very same set received similar treatment and when released in English rather than reworking the art, they simply zoomed in on one of the slot machines so that the word “slot” and therefore the inherent implication of gambling was removed.

Now, this one, coming from the set Unified Minds, was banned from a World Championship of the Pokemon TCG, not because the card was overpowered, not because the card was controversial but because the card was too confusing in a multi-lingual setting. Without diving too deep into the mechanics of the card, the card required a player to call out the name of an attack of one of their Pokemon and the other player would have to guess the Pokemon. As you could imagine, at an event where people from all around the world are playing with cards from their native language, a player guessing the name of a Pokemon solely based on the name of one of its attacks is hard enough, then try guessing that Pokemon based on the name of its attack in a language you don’t even speak. Yeah, pretty difficult.

This is the first entry on the list that was banned because it was simply just too overpowered and it comes from the fairly recent Sun & Moon set Lost Thunder. This card featured the ability “DAMAGE” which would allow the user to automatically win the game if they met the condition of having 66 or more damage counters on their bench. As you could imagine, competitive players were not too fond of the idea of having an automatic win button added to the game which resulted in the card’s ban in 2019.

Any 90s kid might actually remember seeing if not owning one of these cards when it came out. It was released as a promo for the movie Pokemon The Movie 2000 and was given to anyone who bought tickets for it during the first week of the film’s release. For anyone who remembers the card, you may also remember the fact that the card was completely illegible and that there weren’t actually any words on it. So, when it came to competitive play, banning this card was a no-brainer because nobody has the foggiest idea of what it even does. Regardless, it’s still a pretty cool promo card.

This is where the creative choices of the card designers starts to become a little bit more questionable. This card from the 2000 set Team Rocket had to, like a lot of the cards on this list, be reworked for English release thanks to the most minor design choice which made the card super inappropriate for a children’s card game. The Japanese version of this card features a Grimer climbing out of the sewer onto a busy street. Nothing too bad so far, sounds like usual Grimer behavior until you look at Grimer’s eyes and notice that they appear to be looking up the skirt of a passer-by. When the card was re-released in English his line of sight was adjusted so that he was looking straight ahead.

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This is likely one of the most ridiculous reasons a card has been banned from competitive play or rather one of the most ridiculous cards to ever be made. This card was banned from competitive play as soon as it was designed as it says in bright red bold letters at the bottom of the card “this card cannot be used at official tournaments” so let’s explain why. First of all, this card’s ability “Frenzied Escape” requires the player to throw the card as far as they can when retreating. Then its attack “Harmonize” deals 30 damage on the condition that the player sings a song from beginning to end and the damage is only dealt once this song has reached its conclusion.

This is one of the more disturbing entries on the list. It’s not one of the most horrific things you’ll ever see but for a children’s card game, it’s pretty morbid which is what led to its eventual redesign when it was released in English. This card from the vintage set Gym Heroes originally featured a Gengar standing ominously in front of a graveyard. For obvious reasons in the English print of the card, the graveyard was removed, and instead, there was just a grey void put in place of it.

Funnily enough, this card was released twice (once in Noble Victories and once in Dark Explorers) in English and managed to get banned on both occasions for its slightly game-breaking ability. This ability wasn’t designed by accident either, it was completely intentional. This Archeops was given the ability “Hidden Power” which means that both players can no longer evolve their Pokemon which would completely stunt the entire gameplan of any deck that relied on evolving Pokemon.

Here we have yet another case of some terrible card design leading to some terrible, meta-destroying mechanics that would lead to the card’s eventual ban from all official tournaments in 2015. This card, depicting the leader of Team Flare, allowed each player to shuffle their discard pile into their deck. This may not sound extremely problematic at first glance but when you take into account that this could essentially mean that you won’t run out of cards for a hell of a long time, it made beating your opponent by milling them completely impossible. Then, you also start to realize that this means that people can eat through their deck and just draw away with little to no repercussions as well as being able to play previously discarded trainer cards. This would make games last stupidly long and nobody really wants to play a 12-hour game of Pokemon so the card was inevitably banned from competitive play.

This is one of those cards that have you wondering, “what were the artists even thinking when they made this?” because the fact that this card even made it off the print line is shocking in itself. In the Japanese print of this card from the set Leader’s Stadium, it depicted Misty from the Pokemon series holding her trusty Staryu. Pretty tame right? Not when you realize that Misty is completely naked, her arm being the only thing obstructing any explicit nudity. Coupled with the fact that Misty is supposed to be an underage girl, you can probably understand why this card received massive amounts of criticism. The card was then redesigned completely in English and they seemed to scrap not only the nudity but the Staryu altogether and instead replaced it with a Squirtle wiping her tears away.

Koga’s Ninja Trick was a card from the Japanese set Gym Expansion 2 or Gym Challenge in English. When you look at the card there isn’t anything inherently wrong, instead what led to its ban was an unfortunate, cultural misunderstanding. The card features a Golbat flying over a piece of furniture that bears a symbol that would lead to this card’s minor redesign in English. What was supposed to be an omote manji, a Buddhist symbol was misinterpreted as a Swastika, the symbol brandished by the Nazi party. Of course, the artist of this card Sumiyoshi Kizuki did not intend for people to take offense to this card and it was slightly redesigned in English to instead feature a much less controversial symbol.

Finally, we have the Jynx from the base set of Pokemon which was not only redesigned in this card but was redesigned across all Pokemon products in the future of Pokemon. The Japanese version of this card features the original design of Jynx which was not the now iconic purple color but instead black. This was of course deemed extremely, racially insensitive leading to an immediate redesign and rerelease of the card in the English base set in 1999. However, prior to the redesign, this version of Jynx would, unfortunately, go on to make an appearance in the “Holiday Hi-Jynx” episode of the anime. This episode would then go on to receive brutal criticism from the Carole Boston Weatherford titled: “Politically Incorrect Pokemon”.

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Tag Team Pokémon cards are a special kind of card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game that showcase two Pokémon characters on one card. These cards are usually more powerful than ordinary Pokémon cards and contain special attacks and abilities to utilize in battle. Tag Team Pokémon cards can only be found in specific sets from the Sun & Moon era in the year 2019. It was this year that they made their debut in the set Team Up and would go on to be a recurring theme in the Sun & Moon sets proceeding it. These cards made room for some of the most epic duos in the Pokemon universe to make their way onto cards and introduce some of the coolest artworks the TCG has ever seen.

Tag Team Pokémon cards were first introduced in the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the aforementioned “Team Up” expansion, which was released in February 2019. Following that, they appeared in several other sets, such as “Cosmic Eclipse”, “Unified Minds”, “Unbroken Bonds” and “Hidden Fates”. All of these sets were actually released in the same year which made it a year densely packed with some of the modern Pokemon TCG’s most expensive cards. Following this year, however, the new era of Sword and Shield was released which would end up seeing the discontinuation of the tag team mechanic in the TCG.

Tag Team Pokémon cards showcase two Pokemon on the same card and actually count as two Pokemon. This is likely why these cards hold more HP and stronger attacks than average cards and although during the game, it’s possible to play a Tag Team card as one Pokémon, because they are technically two Pokemon they will take up two places on your bench. This means that playing a tag team card can be quite a big commitment not only because they take up two spaces but because they have some of the most high-energy-cost attacks in the game. However, much like GX cards or V cards, they can be played without the need for a Pokemon to evolve from. While we are making these cards sound like they are the most inefficient and costly cards in the game, they make up some of the strongest cards in the entire TCG and have the potential to completely turn the tides of a game.

While they may have the potential to make some of the most devastating plays in the game, tag-team Pokemon cards aren’t extremely hard to come by in their designated packs. They have roughly the same rarity as normal GX cards which have (although classed as “ultra rares”) about a 1 in 9 pull rate. However, the cards we are going to be looking at later on in the article are much rarer as there are variations of these tag team cards such as full arts, rainbow rares, alternate arts, gold rares, etc which have a much lower pull rate. Now, without further ado, let’s get into this list.

Kicking off this list in electric fashion is the Pokemon that has essentially become the mascot of the entirety Pokemon Company accompanied by the trusty fifth-generation legendary Zerkrom. The card features a cute Pikachu standing on the hand of Zekrom with its arms crossed as Zekrom just kind of stands around with its mouth open, staring off into the distance. You’d be surprised what making a card rainbow-colored can do to its value as even without a grade this card sells for $67 and in a PSA 10 can sell for more than $200.

Possibly a duo even more adorable than the Pikachu and Zekrom has to be the Eevee and Snorlax from the set Team Up. This card features an (obviously) sleeping Snorlax as what might be one of the happiest Eeevees I have ever seen sits on its belly. Everything from Snorlax’s stubby, little arms to Eevee’s look of contentment makes this card a joy to look at and the TCG community seems to agree as ungraded this card sells for around $73.10. Then, if you manage to get a hold of this card in a PSA 10 it can sell for more than $200 as well.

It of course wouldn’t be right if we were discussing expensive Pokemon cards and Charizard didn’t at the very least make one appearance from the final Sun and Moon set Cosmic Eclipse. Unfortunately, Charizard cannot steal the show this time as he’s accompanied by the sixth-generation fire starter Pokemon in a bit of an old meets new team up. The card features the Braixen casually sitting on the back of Charizard as they soar through the air. Ungraded this card is worth upwards of $92 and in a PSA 10 has previously sold for $250.

Now for a bit more of an unlikely fairy-type duo and the first entry on this list that isn’t a rainbow rare comes the Gardevoir and Sylveon Full Art from the lesser praised set Unbroken Bonds. Gardevoir already being quite a fan favorite since its debut in the third generation of Pokemon gets to team up with a new fan favorite Eeveelution in the form of Sylveon. The card’s art has this weird hazy effect over it that makes it slightly harder to tell what’s happening but for the most part, it just looks like a happy Gardevoir and a happy Sylveon. Ungraded this card sells for around $100 and in a PSA 10 can be found selling for upwards of $230.

This card is not only making the list of the most expensive Tag Team cards, but it also made the list of the most expensive GX cards altogether, and with good reason too. This card from the now fan-favorite set Cosmic Eclipse features some of the coolest art on a Pokemon card to date. It features the awesome trio as a glistening marble statue underneath some sort of spotlight, I’m not entirely sure where they are. This card has sold for more than $100 ungraded but when put in a PSA 10 it can sell for upwards of $280.

This is yet another card that comes from our most expensive GX cards of all time list because let’s be real, how could it not make it onto either of these lists? It is literally one of the most iconic duos in Pokemon history in rainbow form and they made their appearance in the set Unified Minds. Sure, the artwork isn’t the most impressive in the world, but this is one of those cases where the novelty of the Pokemon coupled with the rarity of the card makes up for the quality of the art on the card. This can be seen in the fact that an ungraded card often sells for more than $110 and in a PSA 10 the card can sell for nearly $300.

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While that previous art may not have been much of a sight to behold, this Gengar and Mimikyu from the Team Up set make up some of the coolest art from the Sun & Moon era of Pokemon as a whole. This card takes a more 2D cartoonish approach to its art style and features a creepy-looking Mimikyu floating around with a Gengar lurking behind it in some unidentifiable void. While this card’s art is pretty cool, it’s also pretty disturbing for some reason whether it be because of the menacing eyes of the Gengar or just the eerie setting of the card, it sure has given a few players the heebie-jeebies. Regardless, ungraded it sells for nearly $140 and in a PSA 10 can be found selling for almost $350.

And we’re back to the Charizards because as we said, it just wouldn’t be right to make any sort of Pokemon list without featuring at least a few Charizards so here’s another one. This time, it comes from the same set as Gardevoir & Sylveon, and frankly, while the art isn’t nearly as cool as the Gardevoir and Sylveon, it shouldn’t surprise how big of a selling point a Charizard is anymore. However, it also features a pretty creative fire/dragon-type duo with Charizard and Zekrom’s fiery white counterpart Reshiram. Ungraded you can find these selling for more than $140 as well and in a PSA 10 they’ve been known to sell for upwards of $360.

Now, back to the good stuff. This alternate art, much like the Gengar and Mimikyu takes the cartoony approach as opposed to 3D rendered looking art of a lot of the full art cards in the Sun & Moon era. The card features a Wailord shooting water out of its blowhole launching a helpless Magikarp up into the air making for a pretty desirable artwork. Its value is only then increased by the card’s rarity in the set Team Up making it one of the most valuable tag team cards in the history of tag team cards. Ungraded, the card can be found selling for more than $150 and in a PSA 10 has previously sold for only $250.

Anyone that has done a little bit of digging into tag team cards will probably know about this card. It has become the quintessential tag team card for collectors as it is just so cool, so rare, and features a pretty beloved duo in the Pokemon community. The Latias & Latios alternate art from the set Team Up features the first-ever gendered legendary Pokemon flying in front of a sunset with both of their noses touching to form a heart around the sun. If that isn’t just a masterpiece of a card I don’t know what is. It was and likely will remain the most expensive tag team card and the second most expensive GX card of all time thanks to just how unique it is. Ungraded, it’s difficult to find the card for less than $400 and in a PSA 10 the card has sold for more than $900.

While it’s hard to call whether or not tag team cards will ever make an official return, there have been plenty of card arts since the discontinuation of tag team cards that feature even more than just two Pokemon in some of the coolest alternate arts you’ll probably ever see. Don’t believe me, just look to sets like Crown Zenith and Evolving Skies for more alternate arts than you can even fathom which have more Pokemon on one card than any card you have likely ever seen. Sure they’re not technically “tag team” cards as they don’t function anywhere near the same but if you’re just a collector who was excited about more than one Pokemon on a card, there is no shortage of that in modern Pokemon.

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GX Pokemon cards are a special type of Pokemon card that features a character or Pokemon using a powerful move known as a GX attack. These cards were introduced in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) in 2016 as a way to add a new level of strategy and excitement to the game. GX Pokemon cards are typically more powerful than regular Pokemon cards and can only be used once per game much like the VMax mechanic from the Sword and Shield era of Pokemon, so players must use them wisely. Just like their EX and V counterparts, they are usually marked with a GX symbol in the top right corner of the card and are sometimes highly sought after by collectors due to their rarity and power, but mostly their rarity.

GX’s have since been discontinued in the Pokemon TCG and replaced with the VMax mechanic but it is possible they will see a return in the upcoming Scarlet & Violet era of Pokemon.

Some GX Pokemon cards can be worth a lot of money, especially if they are rare or hard to find. However, not all GX Pokemon cards are valuable, and the value of a particular card can vary depending on a number of factors, including its rarity, condition, and demand from collectors. Demand from collectors is often determined by both how cool the art of the card is and what Pokemon the card features on it. If it’s an amazing piece of artwork but it’s just a picture of a Tauros, collectors aren’t going to be particularly excited about it because let’s be honest nobody really cares about Tauros. However, if that Tauros were a Charizard or a Pikachu perhaps, it would be worth a hell of a lot more. 

If you’re considering purchasing a GX Pokemon card and are wondering if it’s worth the investment, there are a few things you can do to research its value. One option is to check online auction sites like eBay to see what cards in a similar condition are selling for. You can also check online price guides, such as TCGPlayer, or pricecharting.com which provide information on the value of different Pokemon cards whether they be ungraded or in a PSA 10 as well as providing a graph that highlights trends in the fluctuation of the card’s price.

It’s important to note that the value of a GX Pokemon card can change over time, and it’s possible for a card that was once worth a lot of money to lose value, or for a previously unvalued card to increase in value. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to do your research before investing in any Pokemon cards, including GX cards.

This entry may come as a shock to some newer fans of the TCG who have possibly never even heard of Ultra Necrozma but this card has remained one of the most consistently expensive cards from the Sun & Moon era of Pokemon likely thanks to its unique style. Unlike the gold cards we see now in the Pokemon TCG, these gold, secret rares made both the card and the Pokemon itself gold giving this amazing finish. This card comes from the 2018 subset Dragon Majesty which featured many other crazy pulls, Gold Ultra Necrozma GX included. Ungraded, you can find one of these for around $86.38 and in a PSA 10 you’ll likely find them selling for more than $200.

The 2019 set Cosmic Eclipse brought about some of the most beloved cards throughout the whole of Sun & Moon’s run and was also one of the largest sets in the era so naturally, something from that set was going to make this list. This card featuring the Charizard alone was enough to boost the sales of Cosmic Eclipse as collectors tried to get their hands on yet another variant of the Rainbow Rare Charizard. Because of this, you can likely find one of these cards selling for around $93.35 and that’s when it’s not even graded. If you can manage to find one in a PSA 10, you’d likely be paying upwards of $300 for it.

Despite there being over 60 legendary Pokemon very few are quite as iconic as everyone’s favorite green dragon: Rayquaza. That’s why it makes the number 8 spot on our list as despite just being your average, run-of-the-mill rainbow rare, it still manages to be a collectors’ favorite on sheer popularity (and rarity) alone. Ungraded, you can likely pick one of these up for $103 but in a PSA 10, you’d struggle to find one for less than $500.

This is a personal favorite of mine as it features what is probably one of the coolest arts on this list and is also likely why it even made this list at all. The Arceus & Dialga & Palkia GX Alternate Art (quite a mouthful) comes from the aforementioned 2019 set Cosmic Eclipse and features the trio as a glistening marble statue. Its super original art is likely why these things sell for more than $107.89 ungraded, then when put into a PSA 10 they sell for more than $500.

What can be said about Mewtwo and Mew that hasn’t already been said? Two of the most popular OG legendary Pokemon, so famous that people who don’t even know anything about Pokemon can still recognize them. Therefore, naturally, when both of them make their debut on a tag team Pokemon card in Rainbow Rare form there is only one possible outcome and that is an expensive and equally rare card. They come from the more underrated Sun and Moon set Unified Minds from 2019 and can be found selling for more than $111 ungraded and in a PSA 10, upwards of $300. 

As you might’ve been able to guess, there are going to be quite a few Charizard on this list because let’s face it, Charizard is just the cash cow of The Pokemon Company, and at this point, it basically prints money for them. So, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise when I say that this card, released in the 2019 set Unbroken Bonds, is no exception to that rule. It features a pretty awesome fire/dragon-type duo of the Black & White Legendary Reshiram and everybody’s favorite orange dragon: Charizard. Ungraded you may find these selling for around $140 but in a PSA 10 they can get as expensive as $500.

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Despite popular belief, Lugia is not a dragon type in any way shape, or form. However, the mascot of Soul Silver is likely one of the most beloved legendary Pokemon of all time (next to Mew and Mewtwo, of course) and as a result, he makes a spot on our list. There’s not much else to say about this card than the fact that it features a roaring Lugia on the front with a rainbow finish. Ungraded they sell for upwards of $150 and in a PSA 10 you can pick one of these up for more than $400.

It wouldn’t be a complete Pokemon list without Charizard taking up at least 50% of the spaces on the list and if you were at all into the Pokemon TCG during the Sun & Moon era then chances are you saw this one coming. The card that took the world by storm following the reprint of Hidden Fates as everyone with a dime to spare was chasing it. The Shiny Charizard GX features the same Charizard GX full art but this time the Charizard is black instead and also is extremely rare. Because of this, even when it isn’t in a grading case, this card is difficult to find for less than $300, and then if you’re one of the lucky few that manages to get it in a PSA 10 you have yourself a $1000 card.

Maybe I’m just a sucker for alternate arts because this is yet another one of my personal favorites from this list. Coming from the 2019 set Team Up, which introduced the tag team mechanic, this card features the two legendary Pokemon, first making their debut in the Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire series of games, adorably forming a heart as they touch nose to nose in front of a beautiful sunset. The theme of love on this card is likely a result of Latios and Latias being the first ever gendered legendary Pokemon making them breedable in the game. Without a grade, this card is still worth more than $350 and in a PSA 10, it sells for more than $1250.

Yes, you guessed right, there wouldn’t be order in this world if Charizard didn’t take the number one spot on this list for its Rainbow Rare card that burst onto the scene in the 2017 set Burning Shadows. Just like every other variation of the Charizard GX, it’s just the usual Charizard GX full art but this time with a rainbow finish. There’s not much to say about this card that you probably haven’t already heard about it since its release in 2017 apart from the fact that ungraded you can pick it up for around $416 and in a PSA 10 it sells for more than $2500.

EX Pokemon cards are a type of Pokemon card that was introduced in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) prior to the introduction of GX Pokemon cards all the way back in 2003. Like GX Pokemon cards, EX cards feature a character or Pokemon using a powerful move and are typically more powerful than regular Pokemon cards. However, there are a few key differences between EX and GX Pokemon cards:

Symbol: EX Pokemon cards are marked with an EX symbol in the top right corner of the card, while GX Pokemon cards are marked with a GX symbol.

Uses per game: EX Pokemon cards can be used multiple times in a single game, while GX Pokemon cards can only be used once.

Rarity: EX Pokemon cards were originally more common than GX Pokemon cards, but as the Pokemon TCG has evolved, both types of cards have become harder to find.

Power level: GX Pokemon cards are generally considered to be more powerful than EX Pokemon cards.

Overall, both EX and GX Pokemon cards are powerful additions to a Pokemon TCG deck. However, they differ in their use per game, rarity, and power level.

It’s difficult to determine exactly how many GX Pokemon cards have been released, as the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) has been constantly expanding and evolving since it was first introduced. GX Pokemon cards were first introduced in the Pokemon TCG in 2016, and since then, many new GX cards have been released in various sets and expansions.

There are also different types of GX Pokemon cards, including full-art GX cards, which feature artwork that extends beyond the standard card frame and rainbow rare GX cards, which feature rainbow-colored foil on the card art.

Given the constantly evolving nature of the Pokemon TCG and the large number of sets and expansions that have been released, it’s likely that there are hundreds or even thousands of GX Pokemon cards in circulation.

GX Pokemon cards have been released in many different sets and expansions for the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG). Some of the sets in which you may be able to find GX cards include:

• Sun & Moon (released in 2016)
• Guardians Rising (released in 2017)
• Burning Shadows (released in 2017)
• Ultra Prism (released in 2018)
• Forbidden Light (released in 2018)
• Celestial Storm (released in 2018)
• Lost Thunder (released in 2018)
• Team Up (released in 2019)
• Unbroken Bonds (released in 2019)
• Unified Minds (released in 2019)
• Cosmic Eclipse (released in 2019)

This is not an exhaustive list, as this fails to acknowledge the hundreds of GX Promos, and Japanese Exclusives that are out there. However, in general, if you’re looking for GX cards, you may want to check out some of the sets listed above, as well as other recent releases. Keep in mind that new sets and expansions are being released all the time, so there are always new GX cards to discover.

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