324 English cards · 30 sets · Prices Sep 28, 2026

Rainbow Rare Pokémon cards

The most valuable Rainbow Rare card is Umbreon VMAX 215/203 (Evolving Skies), worth about $2,200 ungraded. 324 English cards carry this rarity, from Sun & Moon (2017) to Silver Tempest (2022), across the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras.

Rainbow Rares are full-art cards printed in a rainbow-colored textured foil. They appeared in English sets from Sun & Moon in 2017 to Silver Tempest in 2022, covering GX, VMAX and VSTAR Pokémon as well as some Supporters. Each is numbered above the set total, making it a secret rare, and most sets carried several.

They are easy to recognize: the whole card, including the Pokémon, is covered in pastel rainbow colors, and the surface has a fine ridged texture you can feel. The text box and border share the same rainbow finish.

The style divides collectors. Many prefer the alternate-art cards of the same era, which show the Pokémon in its normal colors, so a Rainbow Rare is often cheaper than the alternate art of the same Pokémon. The exceptions are the most popular Pokémon. Umbreon VMAX (Evolving Skies) and Rayquaza VMAX (Evolving Skies) from Evolving Skies are the leading Sword & Shield examples, and Gengar VMAX (Fusion Strike) from Fusion Strike carries Gengar's appeal. From Sun & Moon, Charizard-GX (Burning Shadows) from Burning Shadows is the best-known Rainbow Rare Charizard.

Rainbow Rares are hard to grade well. The textured foil shows scratches, and the colored borders make centering and edge wear easy to see, so PSA 10 copies sell at a large premium over ungraded copies.

Every rarity and its symbol is explained in the Pokémon card rarity chart.

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