Pokémon card rarities
A Pokémon card's rarity is shown by the symbol in the bottom corner: a circle for Common, a diamond for Uncommon, and one or more stars for rare cards. In modern sets, one black star is a Rare, two black stars a Double Rare, two silver stars an Ultra Rare, one gold star an Illustration Rare, two gold stars a Special Illustration Rare, and three gold stars a Hyper Rare.
Modern rarity symbols (Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution)
| Symbol | Rarity | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Common | Regular card |
| ◆ | Uncommon | Regular card |
| ★ (black) | Rare | Regular or holo card |
| ★★ (black) | Double Rare | Regular-art Pokémon ex |
| ★★ (silver) | Ultra Rare | Full-art ex and Supporter cards |
| ★ (gold) | Illustration Rare | Full-card illustration of a regular Pokémon |
| ★★ (gold) | Special Illustration Rare | Alternate full artwork for an ex or Supporter |
| ★★★ (gold) | Hyper Rare | Gold-foil card |
The Mega Evolution series adds the Mega Hyper Rare as its highest rarity. Some sets also add special rarities, such as ACE SPEC Rares (one per deck) and the Shiny Rares of shiny sets.
Japanese rarity codes
Japanese cards print a letter code instead of stars:
- C, U, R Common, Uncommon, Rare
- RR Double Rare (regular-art ex)
- AR Art Rare, the Japanese Illustration Rare
- SR Super Rare, the Japanese full art (English Ultra Rare)
- SAR Special Art Rare, the Japanese Special Illustration Rare
- UR Ultra Rare, the Japanese gold card (English Hyper Rare)
Browse Japanese Pokémon cards to see them in practice.
Rainbow rares and older rarities
Rainbow Rares were the top rarity of the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras: secret rare versions of Pokémon-GX, V and VMAX and trainers printed in a rainbow-tinted foil, numbered past the end of the set. They were replaced by Special Illustration Rares in Scarlet & Violet. Other older rarities you will see in our Sword & Shield sets include Amazing Rares, Radiant Rares, alternate-art "secret" cards and Trainer Gallery cards.
Secret rares
A secret rare is any card numbered higher than the set's printed total, for example 201/165. They sit "past the end" of the set list and are almost always the hardest cards to pull.
What is the rarest Pokémon card rarity?
In current sets, Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares (and Mega Hyper Rares in the Mega Evolution series) are the hardest pulls. See the rarest Pokémon cards.
What does a black star mean on a Pokémon card?
One black star means Rare. Two black stars mean Double Rare, the rarity for regular-art Pokémon ex cards.
What are rainbow Pokémon cards?
Rainbow Rares are rainbow-foil secret rares from the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras, mostly Pokémon-GX, V, VMAX and Supporter cards.
