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A stack of pokemon cards
Image via The Pokémon Company

All different Pokémon TCG card rarities

Holo, Reverse Holo, Full Art, Promo—what does it all mean?

If you’re getting into the Pokémon Trading Card Game for the first time and looking to open packs, it’s worth knowing the Pokémon TCG card rarities in case you want to sell or trade them in the future. The TCG has Common, Uncommon, and Rare cards with much more nuance in the Rare varieties.

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The Pokémon Company designed this game around trading, so having good cards to trade and knowing how to find out whether a card is rare is vital to not getting ripped off. Keeping track of different Rare variants has become increasingly difficult over the years, though. Plus, Japanese Pokémon TCG cards use different rarity symbols than English cards do, adding to the confusion.

How many different types of rarities are there? Honestly, there’s a lot. Here are all the card rarities in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

All rare variants of Pokémon TCG cards

Image result for common uncommon rare pokemon card
The first Pikachu card. Image via The Pokémon Company

A card’s rarity is represented by a symbol located in the bottom right corner of every card. There is a shape that indicates what rarity the card is.

Common cards are marked with a black circle, Uncommon cards have a black diamond, and Rare cards have a black star. It sounds simple but gets complicated when it comes to the 15-plus Rare variants available at the time of writing.

  • Common: Black circle
  • Uncommon: Black diamond
  • Rare: Black star
RareUltra RareRare Holo EXRare Rainbow
Rare HoloRare BREAKRare PrimeRadiant Rare
Rare Holo Lv.XIllustration RareDouble RareRare Holo GX
Rare ACERare PromoSpecial Illustration RareFull art Rare
Rare GoldSecret Rare
List of Rare variants

Holo Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image result for holo rare pokemon card
Classic Blatoise. Image via The Pokémon Company

As the name suggests, these are rare cards with a holo picture, meaning the image shines and gleams, especially when the card is rotated in the light. Players may also recognize the name “foil,” used in other TCG games, which is the same as a holo. Only a small number of Rare cards in a set get holo variants, making them a collector’s item.

Holo Lv.X Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image of Luxray Pokemon through Luxray Lv.X
Luxray X. The Pokémon Company

First appearing in the Diamond & Pearl expansion were Pokémon Lv.X. These cards are identifiable by the Lv.X following the Pokémon’s name on the TCG card in the top left corner. The Lv.X stands for level-up and is an example of how Rare Pokémon TCG cards are sometimes tied to mechanics within a specific set.

Reverse Holo Pokémon TCG rarity

reverse holo pikachu card
Reverse Holo. Image via The Pokémon Company

This is a special series of cards with a holo gleam on every part except the picture. Any card in a set can be a reverse holo, which makes some cards, like Welder from Unbroken Bonds, more pricey.

EX/GX/V/ex Half Art / Half Body Pokémon TCG rarity

Image result for gx pokemon cards
GX it up. Image via The Pokémon Company

These are the cards everyone wants to be pulling from a booster pack. They’re usually some of the biggest creatures in the game and some of the hardest cards to find.

These cards can also be classed as Ultra Rare. In truth, they have a lot of different names and come with a unique mechanic that’s special to the current rotation.

Full Art / Full Body Pokémon TCG rarity

Image result for full art pokemon cards
EX changed the game. Image via The Pokémon Company

A different variant of EX/GX/ex cards, Full Art or Full Body cards have the image over the entire card, making the writing hard to read at times.

Secret Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image result for secret rare pokemon cards charizard
Secret Rares used to look a lot different back then. Image via The Pokémon Company

Each set has a number of cards attached to it. You can see the number usually in the bottom left of the card. Secret Rares, however, go beyond that number. For instance, if you have a card that reads “115/113,” it’s a Secret Rare, Rainbow Rare, or Ultra Rare.

Secret Rare cards can look different, with Rainbow Rare and full art variants also being put into this category. You can always tell a Secret Rare from the number, though, and they’re the most expensive cards.

Rainbow Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Ultra Prism Pokemon Dusk Mane Necrozma GX Hyper 163/156 Rainbow ...
Rainbow effect. Image via Pokémon Company

Added in the Sun and Moon Series, Rainbow Rare cards are some of the hardest and most expensive in the game. They only appear at certain times, and some can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Ultra Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image of Alakazam ex with spoons casting spell through Alakazam ex Pokemon TCG card
EX still reigns supreme. Image via The Pokémon Company

Ultra Rare and Secret Rare Pokémon TCG cards are often lumped together. Most players call them Secret Rare, but according to the Pokémon TCG index, they are listed as Ultra Rare. Ultra Rare cards have a specific game mechanic and/or appearance that distinguishes them from Rare Holo cards.

Here are many types of Ultra Rare cards:

  • Pokémon (star)
  • Pokémon ex
  • Pokémon-EX
  • Pokémon LV.X
  • Pokémon-GX
  • Pokémon V
  • Pokémon VMAX
  • Pokémon VSTAR
  • Pokémon Prime
  • Pokémon LEGEND

Promo Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image result for holo rare pokemon card
Promo rarity. Image via The Pokémon Company

These are specific cards given away at events. You can tell the difference by the black star and the word “promo” written on it.

Gold Hyper Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Image of Stadium Artazon through Artazon gold full art Hyper Rare Pokémon TCG
Nothing but gold. The Pokémon Company

Some Pokémon TCG cards have Gold borders, and others are Gold Hyper Rare cards like Artazon from Obsidian Flames. Hyper Rare cards are not a common pull and are typically worth money on the secondary market. Much like Secret Rare and Ultra Rare, Hyper Rare cards have a card number higher than the last regular number in the set. The Artazon card from Obsidian Flames combines full art with a Gold border.

Many Rare Pokémon TCG are tied to a specific set or mechanic. With each new set and expansion released by The Pokémon Company, players are bound to encounter new Rare cards.

Tag Team Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Latias&Latios tag team card
Tag team to victory. Image via The Pokémon Company

Although this isn’t a specific rarity, Tag Team cards are in a league of their own. They were first released in Team Up! packs and are a highly sought-after collector’s item.

VMAX Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

Galar Pokémon and Pokémon V Arrive in Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield ...
Gigantamax strike. Image via The Pokémon Company

Added in the Sword and Shield expansion, VMAX works like Mega Evolutions in that they can be placed on top of Pokémon V cards to give them new moves, abilities, and a lot of health. They can appear in a lot of different forms.

Ace/ACE SPEC Rare Pokémon TCG rarity

First printed through the Boundaries Crossed expansion, Ace spec cards are slated to return to Pokémon TCG in 2024. You can only use one ACE SPEC card and since 2024 have had a nice shiny purple card with custom lettering and art, it really helps them stand out against other cards in your deck.

Trainer’s Pokémon cards

upcoming pokemon trainer cards
The future of the game? Image via The Pokémon Company

Returning in 2025, Trainer’s Pokémon are a unique card type with varying rarities. These Pokémon are usually named after a certain trainer, group, or character from both games and anime. They are unique in that their effects and moves usually work in tandem with another equally named Trainer Pokémon card.

In original sets, you could get these cards as holos or non-holos, but now, with the upcoming re-release of the format, you can get them as normal, holo, or ex-rarities instead.


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Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.
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