The Complete Pokémon TCG Rarity Guide: From Common to Futuristic Rare

You crack open a Pokémon pack. Something shiny is inside. Your heart races. But what exactly did you pull? Is it worth $0.10 or $500? The answer lives in a small symbol in the corner of the card — and understanding that system can save you money, sharpen your collection strategy, and give you a real edge in the secondary market.

This is the complete guide, from the most humble card to the rarity that nobody has touched yet.

The Symbol That Says It All

Every Pokémon card carries a rarity symbol in the bottom-right corner. It is not decorative: it is the code that determines how often the card appears in packs and, by extension, how much it is worth on the market.

The system evolved dramatically since 1996. What we know today as modern rarity began on March 31, 2023, with the English release of Scarlet & Violet, when The Pokémon Company redesigned the entire system and introduced the gold stars that define the current era.

Before diving into each rarity, one useful note: The Pokémon Company does not officially publish pack pull rates. The rates in this guide come from statistical studies by TCGPlayer and other specialized outlets with over 8,000 verified openings per set. These are reliable estimates, not official figures.

Base Rarities: What You Find in Every Pack

Common — the black circle (●)

The card you will see most. Four per pack, always. No foil, no shine, matte paper. Its primary role is competitive play — many of the most powerful cards in any format are Commons, precisely so everyone has access to them.

Pull rate: guaranteed. Every pack contains exactly 4 Commons.

Typical price: $0.05 – $0.25 USD. Highly-played competitive Commons can reach $1–2.

Eevee

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.14

Now$0.13▼ 7.1%

Seaking

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.09

Now$0.15▲ 66.7%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Uncommon — the black diamond (◆)

Three per pack, also guaranteed. Slightly scarcer than Commons but equally foil-free. Most Trainer cards (Items, Supporters, Stadiums) are Uncommons.

Pull rate: guaranteed. Every pack contains exactly 3 Uncommons.

Typical price: $0.05 – $0.50 USD. Popular competitive Supporters can reach $2–5.

Exeggutor

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.12

Now$0.04▼ 66.7%

Dipplin

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.10

Now$0.12▲ 20%

Pyroar

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.11

Now$0.08▼ 27.3%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Rare Holo — the black star (★)

The first rarity that makes the card shine. The artwork background has a holographic pattern that shifts with the angle of light. One per pack, guaranteed in eras before Scarlet & Violet.

Pull rate: 1 guaranteed per pack (in pre-SV eras). In the Scarlet & Violet era, this slot was replaced by the Double Rare.

Typical price: $0.50 – $10 USD in modern sets. Classic vintage Rare Holos can exceed $500.

History: Rare Holos were the most valuable cards in the game from 1999 through the mid-Sun & Moon era. The Base Set Charizard Holo was the TCG's first-ever "chase card." Today the most valuable Rare Holos are vintage — the Call of Legends Lugia is currently listed at $107 USD.

Charizard

Supreme Victors

At publish$45.00

Now$68.30▲ 51.8%

Lugia

Call of Legends

At publish$106.74

Now$116.31▲ 9%

Rocket's Mewtwo

Gym Challenge

At publish$234.78

Now—

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Reverse Holo — the shine nobody explained to you

The Reverse Holo has no dedicated rarity symbol — it appears in the reverse slot of the pack and can be any card in the set (Common, Uncommon, or Rare) but with the holographic pattern inverted: the artwork is matte while the border and background are the ones that shimmer.

Pull rate: 1–2 guaranteed per pack since Scarlet & Violet.

Typical price: $0.10 – $1 USD. Reverse Holos of popular cards or with special patterns can surprise.

Eevee (Reverse Holo)

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.27

Now$0.13▼ 51.9%

Seaking (Reverse Holo)

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.24

Now$0.15▼ 37.5%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Advanced Rarities: Where the Serious Market Begins

Double Rare — two black stars (★★)

This is where the Pokémon ex territory starts. Double Rares are the standard versions of ex Pokémon — cards with basic full-art and a black border. They replaced the Rare Holo as the guaranteed rarity slot in the Scarlet & Violet era.

Pull rate: ~30% per pack (1 every 3–4 packs).

Typical price: $1 – $15 USD. Meta-relevant competitive cards can reach $20–30.

Pikachu ex

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$2.31

Now$2.47▲ 6.9%

Friends in Paldea

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$1.22

Now$1.00▼ 18%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Ultra Rare — two silver stars (★★)

Full Art Trainers — Supporters, Items, and Stadiums in extended-art borderless form. Same slot as the Double Rare but with alternate artwork. Frequent point of confusion: in the Japanese system, "Ultra Rare" means something entirely different.

Pull rate: ~8% per pack (1 every 12–13 packs).

Typical price: $3 – $25 USD.

Friends in Paldea

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$1.22

Now$1.00▼ 18%

Larry's Skill

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.95

Now$0.86▼ 9.5%

Eri

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$0.97

Now$0.86▼ 11.3%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Premium Rarities: The Collector's Territory

Illustration Rare (IR) — single gold star (★)

Introduced on March 31, 2023, with the Scarlet & Violet Base Set. These are reprints of standard cards with alternate full-art artwork — no border, the art fills the entire card. Typically Basic or mid-stage Pokémon illustrated in detailed narrative scenes.

Pull rate: ~7–8% per pack (1 every 12–15 packs).

Typical price: $8 – $80 USD. The most popular examples exceed $100.

Japanese equivalent: Art Rare (AR). Same concept, but guaranteed at 3 per box in Japan — which makes them less scarce there than in Western markets.

Meowth

Phantasmal Flames

At publish$28.16

Now$20.33▼ 27.8%

Drowzee

Scarlet & Violet Base

At publish$69.09

Now$64.48▼ 6.7%

Ralts

Scarlet & Violet Base

At publish$52.52

Now$52.74

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Special Illustration Rare (SIR) — two gold stars (★★)

The crown jewel of the modern English system. Full art with an additional glitter foil layer that creates a unique visual effect. These are ex Pokémon and Supporters in alternate versions with cinematic artwork — often the Pokémon alongside its Trainer in narrative scenes.

Introduced: March 31, 2023, Scarlet & Violet Base Set.

Pull rate: ~3% per pack (1 every 33–40 packs). For a specific SIR: 0.25–0.50%.

Typical price: $20 – $500+ USD. The most iconic examples exceed $400.

Japanese equivalent: Special Art Rare (SAR). Deeper embossed texture, finer-grain holographic pattern. Japanese SARs are typically worth 15–40% more than their English counterparts.

Counterintuitive fact: SIRs frequently command higher prices than Hyper Rares despite having fewer stars. The market values unique artwork over raw rarity numbers.

Gardevoir ex

Scarlet & Violet Base

At publish$89.70

Now$79.81▼ 11%

Koraidon ex

Scarlet & Violet Base

At publish$24.12

Now$23.24▼ 3.6%

Miraidon ex

Scarlet & Violet Base

At publish$26.30

Now$28.65▲ 8.9%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Hyper Rare — three gold stars (★★★)

Completely golden cards — border, text, artwork, and entire background in gold foil. These are alternate versions of ex Pokémon, Items, or Energies. The three-star symbol marks the highest rarity in the standard numeric system, but not always the most valuable.

Pull rate: ~1.85% per pack (1 every 54 packs).

Typical price: $10 – $150 USD. Rarely exceeds $200 except in special sets.

Pikachu ex

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$71.20

Now$75.21▲ 5.6%

Teal Mask Ogerpon ex

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$12.43

Now$10.71▼ 13.8%

Terapagos ex

Prismatic Evolutions

At publish$11.93

Now$10.80▼ 9.5%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

Mega Hyper Rare — four-pointed gold diamond (◆ sparkle)

The highest rarity of the current Mega Evolution era. Fully golden versions with embossed finish of the most powerful Mega Pokémon ex. The symbol is a four-pointed gold diamond — completely different from the stars in the rest of the system.

Pull rate: ~1 in 620 packs (verified data from Chaos Rising).

Typical price: $250 – $700+ USD. The Mega Charizard Y ex from Ascended Heroes is currently listed at $654.92 USD.

Mega Charizard Y ex

Ascended Heroes

At publish$654.92

Now$604.72▼ 7.7%

Mega Charizard X ex

Phantasmal Flames

At publish$354.37

Now$344.77▼ 2.7%

Mega Greninja ex

Chaos Rising

At publish$301.43

Now$205.66▼ 31.8%

Prices updated on July 11, 2026 · TCGPlayer via TCGdex

The Japanese System vs. the International System

This is the point that trips up new collectors the most: Japan and Western markets use different rarity systems with different names for similar cards.

The main divergence lies in the letter codes Japan uses versus the star symbols in English. A Japanese AR equals an English IR. A Japanese SAR equals an English SIR. A Japanese UR equals an English Hyper Rare.

Japan exclusives: The MUR (Mega Ultra Rare) is a golden finish with a rainbow shimmer effect that has no English equivalent. The Japanese ACE SPEC is more common than its English counterpart — guaranteed per box, which significantly lowers its secondary market price.

Production differences that affect price: A Japanese box of 30 packs at ¥6,000 ($40) guarantees at least one SAR or better. An English box of 36 packs at ~$150 MSRP offers similar odds at four times the cost. This is why serious collectors often prefer Japanese boxes when chasing alternate art.

What's Coming: the Futuristic Rare

On June 1, 2026, The Pokémon Company announced something the community did not expect to see so soon: a completely new rarity.

The artwork is by YOSHIROTTEN, a Japanese graphic artist known for his cyberpunk and futuristic aesthetic. The first revealed cards are Mew and Mewtwo with a visual style The Pokémon Company describes as "evoking hope toward an unknown future." The finish includes an opalescent effect — similar to a color-shifting pearl — that does not exist in any previous TCG rarity.

The set has every card in foil — including Basic Energies — and a different Pikachu on each of the 30 available pack designs, each illustrated by a different artist.

What does it mean for the market? Nobody knows yet. No confirmed pull rates, no established secondary market price, and an unprecedented simultaneous global launch.

The Quick Reference for Collectors

The symbol in the bottom-right corner tells you everything. A black circle is Common. A black diamond is Uncommon. A black star is Rare Holo. Two black stars is Double Rare. Two silver stars is Ultra Rare. A gold star is Illustration Rare. Two gold stars is Special Illustration Rare — the most hunted rarity of the modern system. Three gold stars is Hyper Rare. A four-pointed gold diamond is Mega Hyper Rare.

And from September 2026: something entirely new with an opalescent effect whose symbol has not yet been confirmed.

Prices: TCGPlayer (USD) via PokeTrace and TCGdex · Jun 6, 2026 · Pull rates based on TCGPlayer statistical data from 8,000+ verified openings · Rates vary by set