For many years, Poison Pokémon had been the punchline of the franchise—not only in the Pokémon TCG but in the video games, anime, and manga as well. Constantly derided as the weakest of all 17 (at the time) types due to their relative lack of advantageous matchups, the Poison type was especially regarded as a liability in the Pokémon video games.

The producers of the Pokémon anime even alluded to the general incompetence of the Poison type during Pokémon’s early days. After all, the ever-fumbling Team Rocket operatives Jessie and James were made Poison-type specialists for a reason.

However, the Poison type’s fortunes turned when Pokémon’s sixth generation introduced the Fairy type. Poison had a favorable matchup against Fairy, thus lifting it off the basement and making it somewhat viable after a decade and a half.

In the Pokémon TCG, the Poison type has a unique status as the only type to use three different Energy cards over the TCG’s history. Poison-type Pokémon used Grass Energy cards from Gen 1 to 3, Psychic Energy cards from Gen 4 to 7, and have used Dark Energy cards since Gen 8.

Now that we’ve given a quick backstory about the Poison type, let’s look at some of the best Poison-type Pokémon TCG cards of all time.

Crobat (Mysterious Mountains 090/088) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$2,025)

While some might not classify the Crobat depicted on this card as a Poison-type Pokémon due to its Poké-Body of Crystal Type, the base Pokémon which is depicted is indeed a Poison-type; as such, it will be included on this list. Although Crobat might not be the most popular Pokémon—especially considering the fact that it’s the final form of Zubat, one of the most divisive Pokémon ever—there are clear reasons why this is an epic card.

First off, almost every card from second-generation dual sets Mysterious Mountains and Split Earth carries an impressive price tag on account of the fact that the two sets were never reprinted. In addition, Crobat—like all the other Crystal Type cards—was one of the rarest cards of the entire dual set.

On top of all that, going back to the point about Crobat’s type, despite being a Poison/Flying-type Pokémon, Crobat’s Crystal Type Poké-Body ensures that it presents as a Normal-type card—and this gimmick makes the card unique because no other Crobat card is a Normal-type. Finally, the Crystal Pokémon mechanic was discontinued at the end of the Pokémon TCG’s second generation, making this card a “time capsule” of sorts.

Nidoking (Wind from the Sea 088/087) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$2,200)

On the topic of Crystal Pokémon, Nidoking from Wind from the Sea is another Poison-type Pokémon card in this category. Another Gen 2 card, Nidoking also has the Crystal Type Poké-Body. Nidoking and the aforementioned Crobat card are two of just nine Crystal Pokémon cards to ever have been released; this is the primary reason why this card’s value is as high as it is.

Just as is the case with Crobat, Nidoking’s Crystal form as shown on this card is presented as a Normal-type card that’s able to modify its type according to which Energy card is attached to it. Once again, it’s the only Nidoking card to show up as a Normal-type, making the card stand out.

Wind from the Sea was also the set in which Crystal Pokémon were introduced to the Pokémon TCG, making this Nidoking card one of the three inaugural Crystal Pokémon. This status has further elevated the card’s value and made it one of the second generation’s most iconic and desired cards.

Nidoqueen (Legendary Collection 32/110) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$472)

Nidoking’s female counterpart shows up with an impressive card in its own right. A card from the English-exclusive second-generation set Legendary Collection, this Nidoqueen card is actually a reprint of a card first released in Gen 1’s Pokémon Jungle set. There are several reasons why the Gen 2 version is generally regarded as the bigger pull.

As mentioned, the Legendary Collection was only ever released in English. For that reason, there are fewer copies of this card to go around when compared to those released in both English and Japanese. There’s also the fact that this card, like all others in the Legendary Collection, came in reverse holofoil—this version was substantially rarer and thus more valuable than the ordinary version of the card.

Finally, the cards from the Legendary Collection were among the first cards to ever cater to the “nostalgia factor”. It was the first-ever set to reprint sets from a prior generation. That’s right—more than two decades before Pokémon Card 151 [SV2a], Creatures Inc. had already released a set with a similar concept.

Venusaur (Expansion Pack) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,199)

Now we’ll go back to the actual first generation. As the final form of one of the three original Pokémon starters, Venusaur is unquestionably one of the best-known ‘mons there is. It’s therefore only to be expected that its very first card ever is quite the pull. Though overshadowed to an extent by the Expansion Pack’s original Charizard card, this Venusaur card deserves to be highlighted in its own right.

Every card from Expansion Pack has a permanent place in the history of the Pokémon TCG simply because it was the set that started it all. How much more so, then, this would apply if the Pokémon on the card in question were the same Pokémon that countless people all over the world started their journey into the Pokémon universe with. That, above all, is the factor that draws people to this card.

Although Venusaur isn’t quite as “glamorous” as its Gen 1 starter counterparts Charizard and Blastoise, this card nevertheless benefited from those two Pokémon’s reputations to become one of Expansion Pack’s biggest hits—even if it had to be the “third wheel” of the starter trio to be that way.

Gengar (Base Expansion Pack 117/128) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,382)

Cards from Gen 2 dominate this list—and the Gengar card from Base Expansion Pack (not to be confused with Gen 1’s Expansion Pack where the previously-mentioned Venusaur card was from) is another standout Poison-type get from the second generation.

While Gengar is indeed one of the most popular Pokémon, that isn’t the sole reason why this card is as coveted as it is. A lot of it has to do with its set; Base Expansion Pack was a set that at the time of its release changed the Pokémon TCG in many ways. For example, Base Expansion Pack introduced Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies—the predecessors to the Abilities of today. The set also featured all-new card designs and layouts as well as a revamped design for all holofoil cards—these were all elements present on this Gengar card.

Finally, cards from the Base Expansion Pack were the first to ever be compatible with the Nintendo e-Reader. Introduced at the end of Gen 2, it supported Pokémon TCG cards up until partway through the third generation. For this reason, this card’s value is partially propped up by its status as a “time capsule” of sorts.

Garbodor (Thunder Knuckle [BW8] 056/051) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,272)

Finally, we come to the newest of our six cards here—it’s from the fifth generation. A reprint of an earlier Gen 5 card from Dragon Blast [BW5], Garbodor was one of just three Ultra Rare (UR) cards in the set. The high value of this card was originally driven by the immense demand from both players and collectors.

In addition to its exceptional rarity, Garbodor was also one of the single most metagame-defining cards for the entirety of its legality in tournament play. This was due to its Ability of Garbotoxin. That Ability negated the effects of all other Abilities of any other Pokémon in play as long as Garbodor had a Pokémon Tool attached to it, ruining many an opponent’s strategy and taking decks built around Garbodor to countless tournament victories.

Furthermore, the Thunder Knuckle [BW8] UR reprint of this card depicts Garbodor in its Shiny form. Any card showcasing the Shiny form of a Pokémon is almost certain to yield an elevated level of demand owing to the prestige around them that stems from their extreme rarity in the Pokémon video games.

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