Pokémon Card Rarity Symbols and What They Mean

Circle, diamond and star

A circle means Common, a diamond means Uncommon and a star means Rare. When The Pokémon Company redesigned rarity symbols for the Scarlet & Violet series in 2023, it kept these three solid black symbols unchanged. They also mark parallel foil (reverse holo) versions of those cards, so a reverse holo common is still a common.

• A black star with the word PROMO marks a promo card, which comes from a product or event rather than a booster pack.
• On cards from before March 2023, one black star can mean Rare or Holo Rare depending on the foil, and one white star can mean several higher rarities, including Ultra Rare.
• Common Basic Energy cards and a few sets, such as Dragon Vault, have no rarity symbol at all. Look those cards up in a card database instead.

Scarlet & Violet rarities (2023 to 2025)

From the Scarlet & Violet series, which began in English in March 2023, the number and color of the stars name the rarity.

In a Scarlet & Violet booster pack, Double Rare and Ultra Rare cards turn up in the rare slot, while Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare and Hyper Rare cards take the place of a reverse holo.

Mega Evolution rarities (2025 onward)

The Mega Evolution series began in English with the Mega Evolution set on September 26, 2025. That set kept the familiar rarities from Common through Special Illustration Rare, and its gold cards use a new rarity instead of Hyper Rare.

• Mega Hyper Rare: an all gold card with its own rarity symbol. The first set has two, Mega Lucario ex 188/132 and Mega Gardevoir ex 187/132.
• Mega Attack Rare: added in Ascended Heroes in January 2026. These are full art Mega Evolution Pokémon ex with their attack written across the artwork, marked with two pastel stars, one pink and one green.

Where the set code, number and regulation mark are printed

On current cards, the details that identify a printing run along the bottom left. Mega Lucario ex 077/132 from Mega Evolution, for example, reads I, MEG EN, 077/132 and two black stars.

Bottom left, enlarged

1234

1. 1Regulation markI. It decides Standard format legality, not rarity
2. 2Expansion codeMEG EN. MEG is the code for the Mega Evolution set
3. 3Card number077 of the 132 cards in the printed set total
4. 4Rarity symbolTwo black stars: Double Rare

• Regulation mark: a single letter at the bottom left, printed on cards since 2020. It tells players whether a card is legal in the Standard tournament format. It is not a rarity mark.
• Expansion code: a short set code in a small box at the bottom left of Scarlet & Violet era and newer cards. On parallel foil (reverse holo) cards the box is white with black text instead of black with white text.
• Card number: the card's number over the set's printed total. A number above the total, such as 188/132, marks a secret rare.
• Rarity symbol: right next to the card number.
• Expansion symbol on older cards: Base Set has none. Before Expedition Base Set (2002) the symbol sits center right, just below the artwork. After that it is usually at the bottom right, or the bottom left on Trainer, Energy, EX, GX and promo cards.

1

Bottom right, enlarged

23

1. 1Expansion symbolJungle, center right just below the artwork
2. 2Card number10 of the 64 cards in Jungle
3. 3Rarity symbolOne black star. This copy is a Holo Rare

Rarity is not the same as value

Rarity tells you how a card sits within its own set, not what it is worth. TCGplayer's own pack openings suggest that cards of the same rarity in the same set are not always printed in equal numbers, and old commons such as Base Set Pikachu can sell for more than recent Ultra Rares.

In the Cardmatic card database, each card page shows the rarity name next to its printed symbol, and every set page has a rarity filter and shows TCGplayer prices on the cards, so you can see what a set's Special Illustration Rares are selling for before you open a pack.