Japanese Sword & Shield Pokémon Card Rarities List

Published on 1 February 2020 at 18:57

This is the current Japanese Card Rarity list that is updated with Sword & Shield TCG.

 

Also includes the Japanese wording of each rarity and how to pronounce these in Japanese.

Updated 30-09-2022.


Basic rarities:

  • R = Rare (レア - Rea) - This is a Holo card.
  • U = Uncommon (アンコモン - Ankomon)
  • C = Common (コモン - Komon)

Disclaimer: This list may have inaccuracies. This article's content is subject to change.

Please keep in mind that, aside from the promised 1 SR or better each box, there is no official information available about card ratios. Since 2021, they have also stopped mentioning the 1 SR or better every booster box.

These card ratios are merely projections and may change.


RR - Double Rare

ダブルレア - Dabururea

This is the most common rarity for V cards. You can recognize them by the glossy embossing effect. 

You can get up to 4-5 RR V cards per box.


RRR - Triple Rare

トリプルレア - Toripururea

This rarity has been introduced during S1H / S1W Sword & Shield and so far is only exclusive for VMAX, V-UNION and VSTAR Cards.

V-UNION cards have been introduced in Greninja / Mewtwo / Zacian V-UNION Special Collection and have gotten new cards in sets VMAX Climax and 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION.

VSTAR cards have been introduced during S9 Star Birth. Both of these are textured cards similar to SR cards.

You can get up to 1-3 RRR VMAX / VSTAR Cards per box.

 

Update 9-7-2020: With S3a Legendary Heartbeat, when you pull a VMAX Card, you also get the matching V card in the same pack. This was meant so you could build a (Pre-release style) deck in the Charizard VMAX HR competition, instead of having a VMAX card you couldn't use.


SR - Super Rare

スーパーレア- Sūpārea

This rarity is often mistaked with the term 'Secret Rare', technically they are secret rare cards in Japanese sets, since they exceed their set number, but it's officially called Super Rare. 

These are usually Pokémon V cards or Supporter cards and are textured.

You get 1 SR card or better per box guaranteed, and maybe 2 SR cards or better per box.

 

Special Art

スペシャルアート - Supesharuāto

Has no individual Rarity Symbol. Is a variant on SR Cards.

Also introduced since S5R/S5I Rapid Strike Master / Single Strike Master for SR Cards: Special Art cards. These feature alternative artwork of an V card in SR rarity. 


HR - Hyper Rare

ハイパーレア - Haipārea

Hyper Rare cards, SR or RRR cards with a rainbow colour and different texturing.

Starting from Sword & Shield, these cards contain a glitter effect and Supporter SR cards also have been added.

In the same slot as the guaranteed SR card in 1 box.

 

Special Art

スペシャルアート - Supesharuāto

Has no individual Rarity Symbol. Is a variant on HR Cards.

Also introduced since S5R/S5I Rapid Strike Master / Single Strike Master for HR Cards: Special Art VMAX HR cards. These feature alternative artwork of an VMAX card in HR rarity. 


UR - Ultra Rare

ウルトラレア- Urutorarea

These are Gold Cards. Starting from Sword & Shield, these also contain a glitter effect.

Usually these could contain Item, Tool, Stadium, Energy or Gold Pokémon V cards.

Starting from S1a VMAX Rising, Shiny Non-V Cards from sets also have been added to this rarity.

In the same slot as the guaranteed SR card in 1 box.

In S4a Shiny Star V, Black & Gold UR cards of Zacian V, Zamazenta V, Eternatus V and Eternatus VMAX were introduced. These are in the same alot as S cards outside of the guaranteed SSR V/VMAX cards.

VMAX Climax added Black & Gold UR VMAX cards.

Introduced since S9 Star Birth: UR Gold VSTAR Cards.


SSR - Unknown Name

Could be Shiny Super Rare, the official name is not confirmed yet.

Shiny Pokemon are appearing as SR cards. Not all Pokemon are available, nor are all Pokemon included in this pack. Only some selected Pokemon are included as SSR. There are various rumors about whether it is a double Super Rare or a Shiny Super Rare, but it is still unknown.

 

In SM8b GX Ultra Shiny you were guaranteed 1 GX SSR card per booster box, this is the same for S4a Shiny Star V.


S - Unknown Name

Could be Shiny or Secret, the official name is not confirmed yet.

Similar to SSR cards, Shiny Pokemon are also appearing in S4a Shiny Star V. Not all Pokemon are available, nor are all Pokemon included in this pack. 

 

Only some selected Pokemon are included as S cards. Since S cards lack the SR wording, we are curious what it will be called.

 

In SM8b GX Ultra Shiny you were unofficially getting around 2-3 S cards per booster box, this is the same for S4a Shiny Star V.


CHR - Character Rare

キャラクターレア - Kyarakutārea

Introduced in VMAX Climax. These are cards with special artwork that depict the relationship between the character and the Pokémon. You may get 3 (or sometimes 4) CHR guaranteed per booster box in VMAX Climax. CHR cards are also present in 2022 sets Battle Region, Dark Fantasma & Incandecent Arcana.


CSR - Character Super Rare

キャラクタースーパーレア - Kyarakutāsūpārea

Introduced in VMAX Climax. These are cards with special artwork that depict the relationship between the character and the Pokémon. You may get 1 CSR per booster box. 1 CSR is guaranteed in VMAX Climax. V CSR cards are also present in 2022 sets Battle Region, Dark Fantasma & Incandecent Arcana.


A - Amazing Rare

アメイジングレア - Ameijingurea

Introduced in S3a Legendary Heartbeat, these are also textured. 

You can get up to 1 Amazing Rare Card per box (unofficially confirmed).


K - Radiant Pokemon

かがやくポケモン - Kagayaku Pokemon

Introduced in S9a Battle Region, these are also textured and are Shiny Pokemon. These have their own 'K' rarity, it's very likely (not confirmed) the 'K' refers to Kagayaku Pokemon, it's how these Radiant Pokemon cards are called in Japanese.

 

Radiant Pokemon & Radiant Rare is the official English name and rarity given by The Pokemon Company International.

 

You can get up to 1 Radiant Pokemon per box (unofficially confirmed).

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Comments

Alex
3 years ago

THANK YOU. This is super helpful.

Kassy
a year ago

The best website in my opinion, that's also used by many card dealers is pricecharting.com
It gives you all the current prices of your card from ungraded to grade 10! It's amazing! It's not just for Pokémon either, it's for all collectible cards of all kinds AND comic books! (No I'm not sponsored by the company lol)

Justin
2 years ago

I got a card with a K rarity. Can you explain what that one is?

Lenny
2 years ago

Nice! You have a radiant card from battle region

It's said that the K rarity is apparantly derived from the japanese word >Kagayaku< which translates to radiant along with 10 other variants of the word for example glitter, shine, sparkle, glow

Rowan
2 years ago

Are UR cards more rare than SR at the end of the day or there's isn't a noticeable difference?

James
a year ago

UR is supposed to be more rare than the SR cards, for example the Zacian UR card are more rare than the Morpeko SR card. But it really depends on what the card is

Kabigon
2 years ago

What is the rarity of a Japanese card that doesn’t have anything next to the card number? E.g. A non-holo Eevee card simply has s8b [E] 125/184. Thanks!

Jason Le Roy
2 years ago

I got the same thing. I think it means that the card is fake, but I’m not sure.

pizzas
a year ago

your card is from the vmax climax high class booster pack that's why it doesnt have a rarity

Jason Le Roy
2 years ago

My Japanese Pokémon card does not have a rarity letter. Does that mean it’s fake?

pizzas
a year ago

its usually from a high class booster pack

pokefan
8 months ago

thoes it have any like symbols? like star,diamond,circle? if there is none yea its fake bro

Justin
2 years ago

So is a K card rare? I also just found one..

SupahCoopz
a year ago

What does the AR mean in the new V Star Universe set?

pizzas
a year ago

it's supposed to be Art Rare

Roysilvernail
a year ago

It's confirmed I got K Charizard in a box 011/071 k s10b illustrator shigenori negishi. The box was Japanese Pokemon go

Griffin
a year ago

Hi I was wondering if a CHR is rarer than a RRR

Ballooonzies
a year ago

Well technically not really, it just depends on the card

Chris
a year ago

What does an AR mean on card from Scarlet and violet expansion pack?

Aishik Dutta
a year ago

same q

Aishik Dutta
a year ago

just googled, means art rare

bob
a year ago

what does ar mean? i got a full art riolu from scarlet and violet 86/78

pokefan
8 months ago

YO YO WANNA TRADE IT FOR MY PALDEAN PALDEAN TAUROS?

Kassy
a year ago

The best website in my opinion, that's also used by many card dealers is pricecharting.com
It gives you all the current prices of your card from ungraded to grade 10! It's amazing!

pokefan
8 months ago

dang this is gonna leave me so many infos!! thankyou!

Carol Monroe
6 months ago

Yes sir I have a Pokémon Japanese card from 1995 it is a TRAINER card and at the bottom of the card right side the a symbol with GY,M I think . On the left bottom there’s a name “Ken Sugimori” I believe is right . Top of the card left under trainer is Japanese letters three of them . If you could tell me anything about this card I would appreciate it so much! Oh and it’s suppose to be one of three only ! Thank you for your time Carol Monroe

crazycrafter
3 months ago

Does anyone wanna trade for my Japanese pterodactyl V star?