People collect Pokemon cards for a variety of reasons. Some do so purely for nostalgia, while others are hoping to make a fortune by exploiting the huge demand for certain cards. There are some people who actually play the trading card game too, though these only make up only a small fraction of all collectors. Lately, however, there's a new type of collector: one that's looking to get their hands on the most beautiful Pokemon cards.
Thanks to the Pokemon TCG's talented team of illustrators, which includes the likes of Ken Sugimori and Kagemaru Himeno, there exist some truly gorgeous Pokemon Cards, many of which can be picked up for fairly reasonable prices. As a result, some see collecting Pokemon cards as the perfect way to combine their love of art with their love of Pokemon, while also potentially making a few bucks, in the long run, should the prices ever shoot up.
Updated January 9, 2023, by Tom Bowen: Pokemon cards can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For some, they're an investment in the future, with ever-increasing card values having allowed a handful of collectors to make an absolute killing over the past few years. Others like to play, with plenty of official and unofficial Pokemon TCG competitions still taking place across the globe each and every year. Then there are those who enjoy collecting the cards simply for their stunning artwork, with some of the cards boasting truly stunning designs. For anybody in the latter bracket or those who are just curious, these are some of the best-looking Pokemon cards from over the past few decades.
15 Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno Tag Team GX (Sun & Moon Promo)
When it comes to the best-looking Pokemon, the three Legendary birds from the first generation of Pokemon games seem like an unlikely pick. After all, their designs are all fairly basic, while their limited color palettes offer very little when it comes to helping the trio to stand out. Despite these limitations though, the artist behind the Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno Tag Team GX promo card somehow managed to find a way to make them pop.
Using the jagged lines from Zapdos as their inspiration, the artist created a stunning stained-glass style piece of artwork for the Legendary trio. In this style, their simple color schemes actually work to their advantage, while including all three of them in a single card provides some much-needed contrast. The background is stunning too and helps to make this one of the most beautiful Pokemon cards ever printed.
14 Arceus V (Brilliant Stars)
Some Pokemon are incredibly cute, while others try to be scary. Then there are the ones that leave a lasting impression due to how majestic they look, which is definitely the case when it comes to Arceus. The Pokemon's Brilliant Stars card perfectly captures its sublime status; picturing the God Pokemon high above the Sinnoh region in all of its brilliance.
What makes this card so impressive is Arceus' status as the creator Pokemon. Its dazzling radiance is clear for all to see, while the background gives fans a nice view of both the fruits of the Pokemon's labors and the cosmos from which it first appeared. The background also makes up for the Pokemon's lack of color, which might otherwise have left the artwork feeling a little flat.
13 Milotic (Supreme Victors)
There isn't really an equivalent for the word "photogenic" when it comes to fictional creatures that look good in drawings, but, if there were, that word would definitely apply to Milotic. It's one of the best-designed Pokemon in the entire series and has been treated to some of the most beautiful Pokemon cards ever printed.
Perhaps its best card comes courtesy of the Supreme Victors set and sees the aquatic serpent floating high above the clouds with the sun setting somewhere distantly on the horizon. The vibrant colors used for Milotic's accenting really stand out against the gray of the clouds in nearby clouds, while the fiery reds and yellows of the sunset make it seem as though the sky is somehow ablaze.
12 Sylveon EX (Generations: Radiant Collection)
Radiant Collection cards are all pretty special, but there are a handful that really set themselves apart due to the fantastic quality of their artwork. Sylveon EX is one such example, though, unusually, perhaps, most tend to prefer the regular version of the card over the full art one due to the way in which the loveable Eeveelution bursts out of the frame. It's a nice nod to some of the older X cards and helps it to outshine other cool-looking cards in the set like Flareon EX.
Unlike some of the other beautiful Pokemon cards that are out there, Sylveon EX also happens to be a pretty useful one when it comes to actually playing the TCG. Its Precious Ribbon attack, which — like the collection itself — is inspired by Pokemon Contests, allows players to dish out a massive 100 damage to the opposition, while also healing one of their benched Pokemon for 50 damage points. The fact that Eevee features in the background of the artwork also makes for a nice bonus.
11 Gengar (Skyridge)
If New Pokemon Snap has taught the world anything, it's that Gengar is an incredibly photogenic Pokemon due to its constant pranks and generally mischievous nature. Those with even a half-decent knowledge of the TCG should have already known this though, as there have been a few fantastic Gengar cards over the past few decades. The pick of the bunch is arguably the Pokemon's Skyridge card, however, which is quite different when compared to the rest.
The artwork shows Gengar from a somewhat unusual perspective, which makes the Pokemon look a lot more menacing than it usually does. The card's background also brings a lot to the table, with the legendary bird statues providing an air of mystery and the geometry of the mountains off in the distance complimenting the spines along Gengar's back. The crisp lines are a nice touch too and something that are rarely found in some of the more modern sets.
10 Mew (Japanese PLAY Promo 13)
Back in the early days of the Pokemon TCG, there were a lot of regional variations when it came to Japan and the west. These largely centered around promotional cards, with Japanese collectors often able to get their hands on promo cards that nobody else could. One such card is the Mew PLAY promo, which also happens to be one of the best-looking promotional cards ever printed.
Given how photogenic the Pokemon is, it's difficult to find a bad-looking Mew card. This one, however, is arguably the pick of the bunch, as not only does it do a wonderful job of capturing the mythical Pokemon's innocent nature, but it also makes excellent use of the background to ensure that the Pokemon really stands out. It's not the most colorful card in the world, but the artwork itself is so impressive that it really doesn't need to be.
9 Pikachu Full Art (Generations: Radiant Collection)
Pikachu is one of the most adorable Pokemon in the series. Four is greater than one. These two facts combined perfectly during the creation of Pikachu's full art card in the Generations: Radiant Collection, leading to one of the cutest Pokemon cards ever created. It even beats out Birthday Pikachu in this regard, which really is some achievement.
The cuteness overload is only strengthened by the looks of sheer joy that adorn the faces of each Pikachu. As a result, it's likely to evoke a reaction from even the most cold-hearted of collectors. Though tagged as rare in the bottom right-hand corner, it's actually a fairly common card, so those looking to get their hands on one can do so for a fairly reasonable price. For now, at least.
8 Reshiram Full Art (Legendary Treasures: Radiant Collection)
Full art cards can sometimes feel a little wasteful when compared to some of their regular counterparts, but that's definitely not the case with the Rewshiram full art from the Legendary Treasures: Radiant Collection. All eyes are immediately drawn to the Pokemon's unnerving glare, while the pink, cherry blossom-style background balances things out with its innately peaceful aura.
Despite there now being more than 900 species of Pokemon, the number of all-white creatures in the series remains surprisingly low. This perhaps works in Reshiram's favor though, as it's yet another thing that helps to differentiate the gen 5 Legendary from the rest of its powerful peers.
7 Zoroark (XY—BREAKthrough)
Zoroark is a pretty great Pokemon, both in the TCG and the video game series, and its XY BREAKthrough card serves as an excellent reminder of this. The fantastic use of color - both in terms of color selection and tone and vibrancy - really helps the card to stand out, as too does the pose that's being struck by the dark-type Pokemon.
For whatever reason, the combination of red and black always seems to pop and that's once again the case here. The use of white to outline the Pokemon further complements its existing color pallet and also prevents the Pokemon from clashing with the earthy greens being used to color the forested area in the background.
6 Dragonite (Diamond & Pearl—Legends Awakened)
There have been plenty of Dragonite cards over the years, many of which have featured beautiful artwork. It's arguably the Pokemon's Diamond & Pearl Legends Awakened card that stands out the most though, thanks largely to its excellent use of contrast and minimalistic surroundings.
The backgrounds of some Pokemon cards can sometimes detract quite a bit from their subjects, particularly when there are a lot of different colors or a lot of things going on. There's none of that here, however, with the artist instead opting to use the card's holo effect sparingly to ensure that the Pokemon really stands out.
5 Gyarados (Ancient Origins Promo)
Though the regular version of Gyarados from the Ancient Origins set also looks great, it's not quite as visually impressive as the Pokemon's promo card from the same set. When all's said and done, it just screams power, while also encapsulating the Pokemon's now-infamous rage.
Granted, the giant Ancient Origins logo does detract from the piece a little, but nowhere near enough to ruin the card. It may not be beautiful in the conventional sense, but is a great example of an artist really expressing themselves while also using the characteristics and nature of their subject to guide them as they draw.
4 Umbreon (Neo Discovery)
When it comes to actually playing the Pokemon trading card game, Umbreon's Neo Discovery card is nothing special. In fact, some might argue that it's downright bad. To look at though, it really is a thing of beauty and is arguably worth owning for that reason alone.
Like Mew, Umbreon is a very photogenic Pokemon and tends to look good however it's depicted. With a full moon and sparkling blue lights in the background, however, it looks particularly amazing and also seems quite fitting given the Pokemon's connection to darkness and the night.
3 Mewtwo & Mew GX Full Art Tag Team (Unified Minds Promo)
Thanks to the Pokemon's fairly regular appearances in the Pokemon movies, very few of the series' creatures have been explored in quite as much depth as Mewtwo. It's a Pokemon that despises humans for their role in its creation and also hates the fact that it's little more than a clone of Mew.
With that in mind, pairing the two Psychic-types together for the Unified Minds set was a stroke of genius, as it allowed the GX card's artists to capture their relationship in one still image. Mewtwo's glare makes it perfectly clear how it feels about the situation, while Mew's carefree nature is clear for all to see. It's also evident that a lot of time went into the artwork's creation, though the end result was definitely worth the effort.
2 Charizard (Sun and Moon: Team-Up)
Due to their inherently high value, Charizard cards have always been highly desirable with collectors, but the Pokemon's appearance in the Sun and Moon: Team-Up set is popular for another reason: it looks absolutely stunning. Of course, there have been plenty of great-looking Charizard cards over the years, but this one is particularly beautiful.
The attention to detail that went into creating the card's artwork is incredibly impressive and really captures the ferocious nature of the popular fire and flying-type Pokemon. Many cards rely on their backgrounds to really make them pop, but this one is all about the might and fury of Charizard, and rightfully so.
1 Hypno (XY—BREAKpoint)
It's often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that's definitely the case when it comes to Hypno's card from the XY BREAKpoint set. Like the Pokemon itself, the card is incredibly trippy, but, as a piece of art, few cards better exemplify the talent possessed by the team of illustrators who provide the artwork for the Pokemon TCG. In fact, to many fans, this is the coolest-looking Pokemon card of all time.
It's a visually striking image that makes excellent use of color to create contrast; both visual and tonal. The left side of the image, in particular, bears many of the hallmarks popularized by the expressionism movement of the early twentieth century, while also showing a great understanding of the lore surrounding the Pokemon and its unevolved form.