Trying to figure out which sort of Pokemon card you just pulled? Here’s a complete breakdown of what an Ultra Rare Pokemon card is and how you can spot them.
Understanding the difference between Pokemoncard raritieslikeIllustration RaresandHyper Rarescan take some time and practice. There are a fair few different rarities out there, varying from era to era, and Ultra Rares are arguably some of the most underappreciated for their art and value.
Ultra Rares can be identified by their rarity set symbol, which is adouble white/silver star on the bottom left-hand corner of the card. You can see an example on the card below.
If you’re wondering what the closest thing to an Ultra Rare is forJapanese Pokemon cards,look for the Super Rare or ‘SR’ rarity symbol. The rarity classifications for English and Japanese cards fall under different names, but there’s usually an equivalent.
It is important to highlight that the Scarlet & Violet era of the TCG introduced a lot of changes to the rarity system in Pokemon. Older cards will not necessarily fall into the same categories.
How can you spot an Ultra Rare card?
Ultra Rares are easily confused with other types of Pokemon card rarities and categories. If you think you’ve pulled one, ask yourself the following questions to double-check:
You can always usethe Pokemon TCG databaseon the official Pokemon site to review your card and see what it’s listed as there, too. It’s a useful tool to have on hand.
If you’ve pulled an Ultra Rare or two, why not check out our price guides? We’ve got price guides up for themost expensive Temporal Forces cardsand themost expensive Paldean Fates cards, so you can review them and pick out your next Chase card.
Em Stonham was a Games Writer on Dexerto’s UK team, specializing in Pokemon coverage. They are a Pokemon TCG expert, and also covered Pokemon Go, and Pokemon Sword & Shield. Em is also a big fan of trading card games and World of Warcraft, with bylines at Only Greats, Sleeve No Card Behind, and Diamond Lobby.
