223 English cards · 23 sets · Prices Sep 28, 2026

Special Illustration Rare Pokémon cards

The most valuable Special Illustration Rare card is Umbreon ex 161/131 (Prismatic Evolutions), worth about $1,528 ungraded. 223 English cards carry this rarity, from Scarlet & Violet (2023) to 30th Celebration (2026), across the Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution eras.

A Special Illustration Rare (SIR) is the top artwork rarity of the Scarlet & Violet era, introduced in 2023 and still printed in current sets. The rarity symbol is two gold stars at the bottom left of the card. The card shows a full-bleed illustration with no art box, usually of an ex Pokémon or a Supporter, and often in a scene that tells a small story rather than a battle pose. Its collector number is above the set total, which makes it a secret rare.

Most sets have a handful of SIRs, and they are the cards collectors chase when a set is released. Pull odds are not published, but they are among the hardest cards to find in a pack.

What drives the price is the Pokémon and the artwork more than the rarity itself. Eeveelution and Pikachu SIRs tend to lead their sets. Umbreon ex (Prismatic Evolutions) from Prismatic Evolutions is the best-known modern chase card, and Charizard ex (151) from 151 remains one of the most traded. Mew ex (Paldean Fates) from Paldean Fates and Pikachu ex (Ascended Heroes) from Ascended Heroes show how strongly the market favors the most popular Pokémon.

Condition matters more than with older cards, because modern cards are printed in large numbers and many are graded. A PSA 10 of a popular SIR can sell for several times the ungraded price, while an off-center copy sells at a discount.

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

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