A Pokémon card’s rarity is shown by a small symbol in the bottom corner of the card. Below are the terms you will see most often, including on the stickers of TCG Hits surprise packs.
What do the rarity symbols mean?
- circle: common
- diamond: uncommon
- one star: rare
- two black stars: double rare, usually Pokémon ex cards
- two silver stars: ultra rare, cards with full-card artwork
- one gold star: illustration rare (IR)
- two gold stars: special illustration rare (SIR)
- three gold stars: hyper rare, the gold cards
What are ex, V and VMAX cards?
They are stronger Pokémon with more HP. V, VMAX and VSTAR cards come from the Sword & Shield era (2020–2023), and ex cards from the Scarlet & Violet era (from 2023).
What do AR, SR, SAR and UR mean on Japanese cards?
- AR (Art Rare): the equivalent of illustration rare
- SR (Super Rare): the equivalent of ultra rare
- SAR (Special Art Rare): the equivalent of special illustration rare
- UR (Ultra Rare): the gold cards, the equivalent of hyper rare
Holo and reverse holo
A holo card has a shiny illustration. A reverse holo is the opposite: the rest of the card shines and the illustration stays matte.
See the surprise packs in the machine and what kind of cards each one holds.