“Which character would you most want as your girlfriend/boyfriend?”

It’s unsurprisingly a question frequently asked in every fandom—including the Pokémon fandom; this includes not only the TCG, but the video games, manga, and anime as well.

Since the majority of the Pokémon TCG fanbase today consists of straight men, the above question typically ends in “girlfriend”—and this is where the “waifu” trope stems from.

Broadly speaking, the Pokémon TCG fandom in general refers to any card featuring a Full Art illustration of a female character as a “waifu” card. Due to the fandom’s general demographics, many of these cards end up ranking among the most coveted and valuable of their respective sets.

Considering how large the Pokémon TCG’s fanbase is, it should come as no surprise that a wide range of female characters have featured on various “waifu” cards over the years; after all, the question of which characters a fan would deem to have the most appeal in this area is a very subjective one.

That being said, we’ve compiled our own list of seven “waifu” cards which we’ve found to rank as our top picks. Have we chosen one of your favorites? Read on to find out!

Top Pokémon Waifu Cards

Professor Juniper SR :1ED [BW8-K 055/051](Expansion Pack “Thunder Knuckle”)

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Introduced in Gen 5 main-series video games Pokémon Black and White, Professor Juniper broke new ground in the Pokémon franchise as the first-ever female regional professor. Although her Pokémon TCG debut came in Black Collection [BW1], it was the reprint in Thunder Knuckle [BW8] that eventually became the definitive version for collectors.

As far as cards with Full Art illustrations go, this one’s actually pretty basic. This Super Rare (SR) card depicts Juniper holding the Unova region’s Pokédex in front of a generic background; the card is covered in holofoil as well. It really speaks to the impact that Juniper had on the fandom following her debut as at the time, many Pokémon fans had for years been awaiting a female regional professor.

Juniper belongs to a specific female character archetype known as the “genki girl”. This is a trope which refers to a female character who is easily excited, often becomes overly enthusiastic out of nowhere, and sometimes makes rash decisions; it’s an archetype which is popular with large portions of the fanbase. Finally, this card did see a significant amount of play in tournament decks as it could be used to reset the player’s hand and thus prevent the player from bricking.

Karen (The Best of XY [XY] 183/171)

Karen[XY-BEST 183/171](High Class Pack “The Best of XY”)

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“Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled Trainers should try to win with the Pokémon they love best.”

Indigo League Elite Four member Karen is far and away best known for that iconic (and often controversial) quote. However, it’s far from the only reason why she’s remained hugely popular among Pokémon fans for so many years. For one thing, Karen was among the characters specifically designed for “fanservice” purposes, often shown in revealing, figure-emphasizing clothing. Adding to her aura is the fact that she’s a Dark-type specialist—arguably the most popular of all Pokémon types and one which adds a sense of danger and edge to her.

This card from The Best of XY [XY], the “greatest hits” set of Gen 6, features a Full Art illustration which makes use of an angle which plays up the aforementioned “fanservice” element. She’s also shown holding a Poké Ball—and this Poké Ball actually elevates demand for the card because as is shown in the non-Full Art version, that Poké Ball is implied to contain Karen’s Umbreon—one of the most popular Pokémon in the entire franchise.

Erika’s Hospitality (Tag All Stars [SM12a] 190/173)

Erika’s Hospitality SR[SM12a 190/173](High Class Pack “Tag Team GX Tag All Stars”)

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Celadon Gym Leader Erika, a Grass-type specialist, has always ranked as one of the Pokémon fandom’s biggest heartthrobs ever since her debut all the way back in Gen 1 video games Pokémon Red and Blue. Among the cards that feature her, the standout is the SR Erika’s Hospitality card from Gen 7 set Tag All Stars [SM12a].

A reprint of a card from Tag Bolt [SM9], the Tag All Stars [SM12a] version has a Full Art illustration depicting Erika in the Celadon Gym holding a parasol. Erika belongs to two specific female character archetypes which many fans are particularly drawn to—the “ojou” and the “yamato nadeshiko”, which when put together create a somewhat stereotypical portrayal of a traditional upper-class Japanese woman.

Erika’s parasol also contains an additional detail worth noting; it has a floral pattern on it which reflects the Pokémon on Erika’s roster. It’s also worth noting that during this card’s time as a tournament-legal card, it featured in several notable decks of the era such as the Pikachu & Zekrom GX, Malamar, and Quagsire/Naganadel decks due to its utility as a draw engine.

Sightseer (Tag All Stars [SM12a] 192/173)

Sightseer SR[SM12a 192/173](High Class Pack “Tag Team GX Tag All Stars”)

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You probably weren’t expecting to see a generic NPC Trainer on this list, were you?

In the Pokémon video games, Sightseers can be either men or women; in this case it’s the woman who’s shown on this SR card. Sightseers typically own the Kantonian regional forms of Pokémon which have Alolan regional forms. As can be surmised by the name of their Trainer class, Sightseers are implied to be tourists in the Alola region.

This card’s Full Art imagery fully captures the idea that the Sightseer is just “an ordinary Pokémon Trainer on vacation”. She’s seen with her trademark hat on and sunglasses over it while holding a mass of seashells in the lower part of her dress—likely in position to have her picture taken by the male Sightseer. This card, a Tag All Stars [SM12a] reprint of a card originally from Thunderclap Spark [SM7a], carries an inherent level of intrigue because very little about NPC Trainers is revealed via canonical material from the video games. As such, this card provides a glimpse into a moment in the life of a character who’s so often easily overlooked.

Elesa’s Sparkle (VSTAR Universe [S12a] 246/172)

Elesa’s Sparkle SR[s12a 246/172](High Class Pack “VSTAR Universe”)

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Nimbasa Gym Leader Elesa is a character who the Pokémon fanbase has “shipped” with a wide range of characters—most notably the protagonist of Pokémon Black and White, as well as Mistralton Gym Leader Skyla. As such, it should come as no surprise that Elesa’s Sparkle card of SR rarity from Gen 8 set VSTAR Universe [S12a] is regarded as one of its era’s leading “thirst trap” cards.

This card’s Full Art illustration plays directly into this element of the Electric-type specialist’s fan appeal by depicting Elesa in the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City. In the video games, the Ferris wheel is only accessible to couples and has thus been used as shorthand for character shipping in Pokémon fan art, fan fiction, and other fan content. It’s clear that illustrator Megumi Mizutani was aware of this when choosing this setting.

Elesa herself was designed as something of a “fanservice” character, given her figure, wearing of form-fitting, often somewhat revealing clothing, and even her in-universe modeling career; in addition, her stoic, introverted personality provides a striking contrast with the image she portrays and further elevates her fan appeal. She’s also often deemed to be one of the toughest Gym Leaders to beat for new Pokémon players as many of them aren’t used to dealing with Volt Switch, her Pokémon’s signature attack.

Katy (Violet ex [SV1V] 097/078)

Katy SR[SV1V 097/078](Scarlet & Violet Expansion Pack “Violet ex”)

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Bug-type specialist Katy, the Cortondo Gym Leader, has appeared on just one Full Art card to date; however, this SR card from ninth-generation set Violet ex [SV1V] should by no means be dismissed for that reason.

The card’s Full Art illustration features Katy standing in front of the Grand Olive Orchard just north of Cortondo—the site where in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games, the player must push a large olive-shaped ball through an obstacle course to earn the right to challenge Katy for the Bug Badge. This connection to the video games adds a narrative element which has driven up interest in the card.

As far as characterization is concerned, Katy’s gentle exterior that hides a passionate and spirited competitor has endeared her to many fans. In the video games, her backstory reveals that the authorities of the Pokémon League of Paldea had recommended for her to go easy on the Trainers who challenge her as she’s often the first to be taken on. However, in the post-credits portion of the game, it’s revealed that moving forward, she intends to no longer do so and go all out. It’s this duality which has made her one of the more compelling female characters of Scarlet and Violet.

Geeta (Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3] 137/108)

Geeta SAR[SV3 137/108](Expansion Pack “Ruler of the Black Flame”)

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Although Geeta is a rather divisive character within the Pokémon fanbase with many citing the player’s battle against her in Scarlet and Violet as rather underwhelming, her Special Art Rare (SAR) card from Gen 9 set Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3] has nonetheless garnered immense fan appeal.

The chairwoman of Paldea’s Pokémon League, “La Primera” serves as the final test for Trainers of the Paldea region to obtain Champion status—and the air of mystique and prestige inherent to that status has enhanced Geeta’s status as a heartthrob in the eyes of many Pokémon fans.

The Full Art illustration of this SAR card plays to that same element of mystique. Geeta is seen thumbing through an unidentified book; however, those who are well-versed in Pokémon lore will know that it’s implied to be either the Scarlet Book or Violet Book (depending on the version being played) which contains much information about the Paradox Pokémon of the mysterious Area Zero. While never outright mentioned, it’s implied that Geeta knows more about Area Zero and the Paradox Pokémon than she openly lets on—indicated by the fact that she owns a Glimmora, a Pokémon most commonly found in Area Zero.

Bonus Content: Grusha (Snow Hazard [SV2P] 095/071)

Grusha SAR[SV2P 095/071](Expansion Pack “Snow hazard”)

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If you thought all of the Pokémon universe’s heartthrobs had to be women… think again!

Glaseado Gym Leader Grusha is among the most popular of the male characters of Scarlet and Violet; it’s not difficult to understand why. Male characters who have somewhat androgynous looks—known as “bishōnen” characters—such as Grusha are often extremely popular among the fandom. On top of that, another factor adding to Grusha’s fan appeal is the fact that he has a tragic backstory; before he became the Glaseado Gym Leader, Grusha was a professional snowboarder who was forced into early retirement due to a severe injury.

On the Full Art illustration of this SAR card from the Gen 9 set Snow Hazard [SV2P], Grusha’s past is clearly referenced. The Ice-type specialist is depicted wistfully looking through a window at the falling snow outside, likely thinking of the life he once had; in Scarlet and Violet, Grusha is shown to be still bitter about losing what he once had all at once. The card’s narrative, when combined with the detailed imagery, makes it one of its set’s biggest hits.

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