Pokémon rarities explained
Quick answer: check the little symbol at the bottom of the card. Circles and diamonds are the everyday cards (Common and Uncommon). Stars mean rarity, and their color matters: black stars for Rare and Double Rare, silver for Ultra Rare, gold for Illustration Rare (one), Special Illustration Rare (two) and Hyper Rare (three).
The modern symbol ladder
- ● Common and ◆ Uncommon: standard cards.
- ★ black, Rare: standard or holo cards.
- ★★ black, Double Rare: standard-art Pokémon ex.
- ★★ silver, Ultra Rare: full-art ex and Supporters.
- ★ gold, Illustration Rare: a regular Pokémon illustrated across the whole card.
- ★★ gold, Special Illustration Rare: alternate full artwork for an ex or Supporter.
- ★★★ gold, Hyper Rare: gold-foil cards.
The Mega Evolution series tops the ladder with Mega Hyper Rare. Some sets add their own extras, like ACE SPEC Rares (one per deck) and the Shiny Rares of shiny sets.
Japanese letter codes
Japanese cards print letters instead of stars. C, U and R are Common, Uncommon and Rare. RR is Double Rare (standard-art ex). AR, Art Rare, matches the English Illustration Rare. SR, Super Rare, is the Japanese full art (English Ultra Rare). SAR, Special Art Rare, is the Japanese Special Illustration Rare. UR, Ultra Rare, is the Japanese gold card (English Hyper Rare). See them on real cards in our Japanese Pokémon cards.
Rainbow rares and earlier rarities
Before Scarlet & Violet, the crown belonged to the Rainbow Rare. Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield sets printed Pokémon-GX, V, VMAX and Trainer cards again in rainbow foil as secret rares at the very end of the list; Special Illustration Rares took over that role in 2023. In our Sword & Shield sets you will also find Amazing Rares, Radiant Rares, alternate-art secret cards and Trainer Gallery cards.
Secret rares
If the first number is bigger than the second, as in 201/165, you have a secret rare. These cards are printed beyond the official list, and they are nearly always a set's toughest pulls.
What is the rarest Pokémon card rarity?
Today that means the two-gold-star Special Illustration Rares and the three-gold-star Hyper Rares, with Mega Hyper Rares above them in the Mega Evolution series. See the rarest Pokémon cards for older ones.
What does a black star mean on a Pokémon card?
A single black star marks a Rare; a pair of black stars marks a Double Rare, which is how standard-art Pokémon ex are labeled.
What are rainbow Pokémon cards?
They are the rainbow-tinted secret rares of the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield years, usually Pokémon-GX, V, VMAX or Supporter cards.
