The Yamato card from Romance Dawn [OP-01], the inaugural ONE PIECE Card Game set, is best known for its first Parallel Art form. That Parallel Art version of this Yamato card was awarded as a prize card at Treasure Cup tournaments in Europe, Oceania, North America, and Latin America in May and June 2024. However, although this particular Parallel Art version doesn’t have that level of prestige, it’s nonetheless a solid pull in its own right.

Though its illustration may seem simple, this Secret Rare Parallel (SEC-P) card clearly spotlights Yamato’s major role in the Wano Country Arc. The cherry blossom motif that lines the bottom-right corner references the fact that Wano is based on feudal Japan. Yamato is also shown holding Takeru, his massive kanabo which he wielded in combat against multiple notable antagonists including Ulti and Hatcha of the Beasts Pirates. The crackling lines around the edges of the illustration reinforce this, emphasizing that behind Yamato’s unassuming appearance lies a tremendously powerful warrior.

Not only is Yamato one of the most popular One Piece characters as proven by the results of character popularity polls; the card does benefit from the “female character value boost”—though not necessarily in the manner that one might think it does. This is because Yamato is a trans man; thus, buyers who aren’t aware of this fact might assume that he’s a woman, thus inadvertently handing the card that value boost. This also likely makes the card appeal to LGBTQ+ people, especially since Yamato is one of the most prominent forms of LGBTQ+ representation in One Piece.

This card is already out in English; however, the specific Parallel Art version shown here isn’t yet.

The price of a Yamato (Romance Dawn [OP-01] OP01-121) card of SEC-P rarity is 3,400 JPY (~US$22).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Abyssrhine the Atlantean Spirit card from Rage of the Abyss. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.