Pokémon card rarity guide
What the rarity symbols and names mean, from Common to Special Illustration Rare — and how many English cards of each rarity exist.
The rarity symbol
Look at the bottom of a Pokémon card, near the card number. A circle means Common, a diamond means Uncommon and a star means Rare. Modern Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution cards add more symbols: two black stars for Double Rare, two silver stars for Ultra Rare, a gold star for Illustration Rare, two gold stars for Special Illustration Rare and three gold stars for Hyper Rare.
Main rarities explained
- Common and Uncommon — the bulk of every pack. Usually worth little on their own, but needed to complete a set.
- Rare and Rare Holo — at least one per pack in most eras. Holographic rares from the early Wizards of the Coast sets are some of the most collected cards ever made.
- Secret Rare — numbered higher than the set's printed total, such as 112/108. Often full-art or gold.
- Double Rare and Ultra Rare — the modern “ex” cards and full-art Pokémon and Trainer cards.
- Illustration Rare — full-art cards that show a Pokémon in a detailed scene. Popular with collectors and often worth more than their rarity suggests.
- Special Illustration Rare — the main chase cards of modern sets, with full scenes for ex Pokémon and Trainers.
- Hyper Rare — gold-bordered cards, typically the rarest in a modern set.
Rarity isn't the same as value
A rare card isn't automatically valuable, and some uncommon cards are worth more than rares. Value comes from how hard a card is to pull, how popular the Pokémon is, how good the artwork is and the card's condition. Use each set's “most valuable cards” list to see which cards collectors actually pay for.
How many cards of each rarity?
| Rarity | English cards |
|---|---|
| Common | 5,407 |
| Uncommon | 4,889 |
| Rare | 2,583 |
| Rare Holo | 1,621 |
| Promo | 1,220 |
| Rare Ultra | 799 |
| Illustration Rare | 511 |
| Ultra Rare | 356 |
| Double Rare | 329 |
| Rare Secret | 327 |
| Rare Rainbow | 324 |
| Rare Holo EX | 321 |
| Unknown | 295 |
| Rare Holo V | 281 |
| Special Illustration Rare | 232 |
| Rare Holo GX | 168 |
| Rare Shiny | 149 |
| Shiny Rare | 120 |
| Rare Holo VMAX | 110 |
| Trainer Gallery Rare Holo | 80 |
| Hyper Rare | 74 |
| Rare Holo LV.X | 57 |
| Rare Holo VSTAR | 43 |
| Rare Shiny GX | 35 |
| ACE SPEC Rare | 33 |
| Pikachu Rare | 30 |
| Rare BREAK | 28 |
| Rare Prime | 27 |
| Rare Prism Star | 27 |
| Rare Holo Star | 25 |
| Classic Collection | 25 |
| LEGEND | 20 |
| Rare Shining | 16 |
| Radiant Rare | 15 |
| Rare ACE | 13 |
| Shiny Ultra Rare | 12 |
| Amazing Rare | 10 |
| Mega Hyper Rare | 8 |
| Mega Attack Rare | 7 |
| Black White Rare | 2 |
| Futuristic Rare | 2 |
| Rare Holo ex | 1 |
| Holo Rare V | 1 |
| Holo Rare VMAX | 1 |
| Holo Rare VSTAR | 1 |