Pokémon card rarity chart & symbols
Every Pokémon card has a small rarity symbol next to its card number at the bottom. This chart shows what each symbol means, how often each rarity turns up in packs, and which card of each rarity is worth the most right now.
Rarity symbols in Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution sets
Since Scarlet & Violet (2023), English cards use a rarity scale with extra stars and colours. From the most common to the rarest:
| Symbol | Rarity | Cards since 2023 | Pull rate | Most valuable since 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Black circle | 1,533 | Every pack | Pikachu (30th Celebration: Classic Collection) $25.91 | |
| Uncommon Black diamond | 1,025 | Every pack | Archen (White Flare) $9.98 | |
| Rare One black star | 391 | Most packs | Dark Tyranitar (30th Celebration: Classic Collection) $14.54 | |
| Double Rare Two black stars | 329 | 1 in 5–8 packs | Charizard ex (151) $8.52 | |
| ACE SPEC Rare One magenta (pink) star | 33 | 1 in 20–21 packs | Hero's Cape (Temporal Forces) $29.90 | |
| Illustration Rare One gold star | 511 | 1 in 6–13 packs | Magikarp (Paldea Evolved) $372 | |
| Ultra Rare Two silver stars | 356 | 1 in 12–21 packs | Gengar ex (Temporal Forces) $52.73 | |
| Special Illustration Rare Two gold stars | 232 | 1 in 32–101 packs | Umbreon ex (Prismatic Evolutions) $1,327 | |
| Hyper Rare Three gold stars | 74 | 1 in 51–188 packs | Pikachu ex (Surging Sparks) $79.17 | |
| Mega Attack Rare Two pastel stars, one pink and one green | 7 | 1 in 29 packs | Mega Gengar ex (Ascended Heroes) $34.54 | |
| Mega Hyper Rare One gold star with a black border | 8 | 1 in 540–1,786 packs | Mega Charizard Y ex (Ascended Heroes) $319 |
Pull rates are ranges measured from samples of opened booster packs in recent sets; each set page has its own numbers. Card counts and prices come from our card lists and update daily.
Older rarities
Before 2023, cards used only three symbols: a circle for common, a diamond for uncommon and a star for every rare. Special rarities still carry the star, so you recognise them by the card itself (holo foil, full-art layout, a gold or rainbow finish) or by a card number above the set total, like 101/100, which marks a secret rare. These are the rarities in our card data, with the years they appear in:
| Rarity | Years | Cards | Most valuable right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare Holo | 1999–2026 | 1,621 | Umbreon (Aquapolis) $1,253 |
| Rare Secret | 2000–2026 | 327 | Lugia (Aquapolis) $4,500 |
| Rare Shining | 2001–2017 | 16 | Shining Celebi (Neo Destiny) $1,801 |
| Rare Holo EX | 2003–2026 | 321 | Lugia ex (Unseen Forces) $2,500 |
| Rare Holo Star | 2004–2007 | 25 | Pikachu ★ (Holon Phantoms) $1,900 |
| Rare Holo LV.X | 2007–2026 | 57 | Snorlax LV.X (Rising Rivals) $700 |
| Rare Prime | 2010–2026 | 27 | Gengar (30th Celebration: Classic Collection) $60.06 |
| LEGEND | 2010–2026 | 20 | Darkrai & Cresselia LEGEND (30th Celebration: Classic Collection) $23.77 |
| Rare Ultra | 2011–2026 | 799 | Latias & Latios-GX (Team Up) $3,914 |
| Rare ACE | 2012–2013 | 13 | Master Ball (Plasma Blast) $16.67 |
| Rare BREAK | 2015–2026 | 28 | Lugia BREAK (Fates Collide) $43.33 |
| Rare Rainbow | 2017–2022 | 324 | Umbreon VMAX (Evolving Skies) $2,293 |
| Rare Holo GX | 2017–2026 | 168 | Gengar & Mimikyu-GX (Team Up) $392 |
| Rare Prism Star | 2018–2019 | 27 | Giratina ◇ (Ultra Prism) $30.91 |
| Rare Shiny | 2019–2021 | 149 | Eevee (Hidden Fates Shiny Vault) $50.37 |
| Rare Shiny GX | 2019 | 35 | Charizard-GX (Hidden Fates Shiny Vault) $768 |
| Rare Holo V | 2020–2023 | 281 | Pikachu V (Lost Origin Trainer Gallery) $120 |
| Rare Holo VMAX | 2020–2023 | 110 | Rayquaza VMAX (Silver Tempest Trainer Gallery) $187 |
| Amazing Rare | 2020–2026 | 10 | Rayquaza (Vivid Voltage) $21.43 |
| Classic Collection | 2021 | 25 | Charizard (Celebrations: Classic Collection) $154 |
| Trainer Gallery Rare Holo | 2022–2023 | 80 | Mew (Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery) $66.06 |
| Rare Holo VSTAR | 2022–2023 | 43 | Mewtwo VSTAR (Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery) $246 |
| Radiant Rare | 2022–2023 | 15 | Radiant Charizard (Pokémon GO) $17.96 |
| Shiny Rare | 2024 | 120 | Pikachu (Paldean Fates) $73.79 |
| Shiny Ultra Rare | 2024 | 12 | Mew ex (Paldean Fates) $29.14 |
| Pikachu Rare | 2026 | 30 | Pikachu (30th Celebration) $2.73 |
Questions
What do the stars on a Pokémon card mean?
The stars are the rarity symbol, printed next to the card number at the bottom of the card. One black star is a Rare. Since Scarlet & Violet, more and coloured stars mean rarer cards: two black stars for Double Rare, two silver for Ultra Rare, and one, two or three gold stars for Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare and Hyper Rare.
What is the rarest Pokémon card rarity?
In our measured pack samples the rarest pull is the Mega Hyper Rare, at about 1 in 1,147 packs on average.
What did rarity symbols look like before Scarlet & Violet?
Older cards use just three symbols: a circle for common, a diamond for uncommon and a star for rare. Higher rarities such as holo, full art and rainbow rares still carry a star; you tell them apart by the card itself. Secret rares are numbered above the set total, for example 101/100.
See how often each rarity really shows up: open packs in the simulator, or browse the most valuable Pokémon cards.