Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon have been a mainstay of the Pokémon franchise—and by extension, the Pokémon TCG—ever since their introduction back in the first generation. Today, there are a total of 10 pseudo-Legendary Pokémon; many of the earlier ones have remained fan favorites to this day while newer ones have rapidly gained popularity among the Pokémon fanbase.

A pseudo-Legendary Pokémon is defined as a Pokémon which meets all of the following criteria: being the final stage of a three-stage evolutionary line, having a base stat total of 600, requires a total of 1.25 million EXP to reach level 100, and evolves into its final form at a relatively high level. In the Pokémon video games, pseudo-Legendary Pokémon are notable for their immense power.

Over the years, many pseudo-Legendary Pokémon have appeared on some seriously impressive Pokémon TCG cards. To create this list, we’ve selected one for each of the 10 pseudo-Legendaries—the card we consider the best of all which that particular pseudo-Legendary has appeared on.

Dragonite (Legends Awakened 2/146) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,264)

The OG pseudo-Legendary occupies a unique position on this list: it’s the only one of these 10 cards for which it’s specifically the English version that’s the bigger pickup. This is because the version in question here was distributed to staff members at selected National Championship tournaments outside Japan in the 2008-09 Pokémon TCG tournament season.

On the left side of the card, the National Championship logo can be seen while on the right side, the word “STAFF” is printed in all-caps. Since this version of the Dragonite card from fourth-generation set Legends Awakened was a card only issued to staff members at selected tournaments during a limited time period, only a limited number of copies of this card are in existence. It’s this scarcity which is the main driving force behind its sizable price tag.

Shining Tyranitar (Darkness, and to Light…) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$3,700)

The priciest of the cards being profiled here came out all the way back in Gen 2. At the time, Shiny Pokémon were new to both the Pokémon video games and TCG. These exceptionally rare, alternate-colored Pokémon elevate the value of any card they’re on—this Shining Tyranitar card is a perfect example of this. One of eight Shiny Pokémon cards in Darkness, and to Light…, Shining Tyranitar is shown in all its glory—glowing after likely having been just sent out into combat. It’s no surprise that this card was one of the most coveted of its set immediately as soon as it was released.

All cards depicting Shiny Pokémon in Darkness, and to Light… made use of a special type of reflective holofoil which has never been used since in the Pokémon TCG. In addition, all Gen 2 Shiny Pokémon cards featured a unique rarity symbol of three stars; this has also never been brought back. Due to the multiple characteristics that this card has which are specific to Shiny Pokémon cards of its time, this Shining Tyranitar card’s value has continued to grow over time to reach the massive figure that it has.

Salamence ex δ (Offense and Defense of the Furthest Ends 022/068) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,000)

Delta Species Pokémon were the predecessors to today’s Terastallized Pokémon by taking on a type different from its usual. This novelty factor has made many Delta Species cards such as this third-generation Salamence ex δ card true classics. The now Water-type Salamence ex δ takes this a step further with its Poké-Power of Type Shift which temporarily makes it a Fire-type Pokémon.

The card’s illustration shows Salamence ex δ surrounded by the mysterious energy that stems from the Holon Research Tower as it faces forward with a menacing look on its face. A pattern referencing this same power can be seen on the abdomen of Salamence ex δ. Rounding things off are the card’s multi-colored border referencing the multiple types of Salamence ex δ as well as the replacement of the usual circle that indicates a Pokémon’s pre-evolution with a lowercase delta symbol, creating a truly spectacular visual card—especially so for its time.

Metagross ☆ (Holon Research Tower 075/086) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$3,300)

This third-generation card featuring the Shiny form of the only non-reptilian pseudo-Legendary is a majorly impressive pull. For starters, the card’s artwork features Metagross ☆ appearing to burst out of the illustration box’s boundaries—a striking depiction of the sheer power of a pseudo-Legendary Pokémon. The background holofoil gives this card a cosmic vibe which may even indirectly allude to Meteor Mash, the attack which in the Pokémon video games is most commonly associated with Metagross.

Like all other Pokémon ☆ cards, Metagross ☆ was to be played as a Basic Pokémon. Why is this fact relevant? Well, it’s because before Metagross ☆, all other Pokémon Star cards released had been those of Pokémon which ordinarily would be Basic Pokémon anyway. Metagross ☆, however, became the first exception as it would’ve otherwise been a Stage 2 Pokémon. That’s a big part of why this card goes for as much as it does—when it was first launched, it was a landmark card.

Garchomp (Thunder Knuckle [BW8] 057/051) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,825)

Alongside Spiral Force [BW8], Thunder Knuckle [BW8] makes up half of the dual set which many regard as the best fifth-generation Pokémon TCG set; this Garchomp card is among the key reasons why. Coming in the Ultra Rare (UR) rarity, this card’s appeal is further driven by its status as a Dragon-type Pokémon in Gen 5; that was when Dragon-type Pokémon received their own type icon for the very first time.

The dynamic visual shows Garchomp slicing an off-screen opponent with its Dragonblade attack. Additionally, it’s once again the Shiny version of the Pokémon on the card, adding visual appeal as well as inherent prestige. The card’s flavor text even alludes to the fact that this is a Shiny Pokémon; this flavor text replaces the usual which would ordinarily be taken from one of the Pokémon video games’ Pokédex entries.

Hydreigon (Psycho Drive [BW3] 057/052) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,350)

This fifth-generation card depicting the Shiny form (notice a pattern yet?) of the Dark/Dragon-type pseudo-Legendary truly captures Hydreigon’s sheer ferocity. Hydreigon can be seen gearing up to use its Berserker Blade attack, its three heads placed front and center in a way that makes it appear to be emerging from the dark. The background immediately behind Hydreigon is multicolored, possibly referencing the visual effect from the video games that takes place when a Shiny Pokémon enters the battlefield.

Across the dual set of Psycho Drive [BW3] and Hail Blizzard [BW3], there are just four cards with the rarity of UR; this card is one. This card’s general appeal was also high upon its initial release due to the Pokémon’s role as the strongest Pokémon owned by Ghetsis, the final boss of Pokémon Black and White—the Pokémon video games which had been most recently released at the time of the set’s launch.

Hisuian Goodra VSTAR (Dark Phantasma [S10a] 091/071) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$40)

At this point, card values fall off a cliff compared to the prior examples; nevertheless, it’s more than possible that in the future, the figures around cards such as this eighth-generation Hisuian Goodra VSTAR card—the pick of the Goodra cards to date—will climb.

Goodra’s Hisuian regional form was introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the Gen 8 prequel to Gen 4 main series video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Being a card of the Hyper Rare (HR) rarity, the card is covered in rainbow holofoil. Hisuian Goodra VSTAR is also shown in-character; the expression on its face evidently portrays its timid and meek nature that belies the tremendous power of a pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.

The card’s Full Art illustration brings the massive shell on Hisuian Goodra VSTAR’s tail into clear view. This was a deliberate aesthetic choice because it’s the defining physical feature of the Dragon-type Pokémon’s Hisuian regional form. Goodra found in other regions of the Pokémon world do not have this shell; it’s also the reason why Hisuian Goodra is actually a Steel/Dragon-type Pokémon instead of solely being a Dragon-type.

Kommo-o GX (Islands Await You [SM2K] 059/050) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$60)

Once again, we have a card of the HR rarity that comes in rainbow holofoil. This time around, it’s Kommo-o GX from seventh-generation set Islands Await You [SM2K]. The Full Art illustration depicts the Dragon/Fighting-type Pokémon standing resolutely—likely against a foe not depicted on the card. There were three versions of this card released as part of Islands Await You [SM2K]; this HR version was the rarest and most valuable of the trio.

What’s interesting about this card is the fact that although an English-only promotional reprint of it was later released as part of the Kommo-o-GX box, that promotional version which was one of the SM Black Star Promos didn’t match the value or general desirability of this card. It’s also worth noting that Kommo-o has not been featured on any new cards since the end of Gen 7; as such, the next Kommo-o card of significant rarity might end up being the most coveted of the lot.

Dragapult VMAX (Rebellion Crash [S2] 108/096) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$43)

Many Pokémon VMAX cards, exclusive to Pokémon’s eighth generation, which feature Pokémon in their Dynamaxed or Gigantamaxed forms rank as some of the rarest and most expensive cards of all time. Though the Dragapult VMAX card from Rebellion Crash [S2] might not yet have ascended to such heights, it’s nevertheless one of the set’s standouts.

Once again, this card comes in the rainbow holofoil typical of a card of HR rarity. The cloud of Dynamax energy over Dragapult VMAX’s head is in full view, emphasizing the fact that the pseudo-Legendary Pokémon is indeed in its mega-sized Dynamaxed form. The pair of Dreepy inside the holes in Dragapult VMAX’s horns are also shown poking their heads out—understandably so as this is what Dragapult is likely best known for.

Baxcalibur (Snow Hazard [SV2P] 077/071) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$95)

The last and newest entry on this list, the Baxcalibur card from ninth-generation set Snow Hazard [SV2P] is notable as much for its gameplay utility as it is for its rarity and value. A crucial component of the Chien-Pao ex deck, Baxcalibur’s Ability of Super Cold is just the thing to load up Chien-Pao ex with the Water Energy cards it needs to deal serious damage and give the player the upper hand.

The card itself is quite the get in its own right as well. The somewhat eclectic art style on this Art Rare (AR) card’s Full Art illustration combines colors, lines, and patterns in ways that are almost never seen on any other Pokémon TCG card. It’s also worth mentioning that in a somewhat unexpected turn of events, although a Shiny Baxcalibur card was released as part of Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a], the Shiny version’s value doesn’t stack up to this one’s.

The pseudo-Legendary Pokémon TCG cards we’ve highlighted here showcase the overwhelming forces that these Pokémon exhibit in the Pokémon canon while combining this striking imagery with remarkable rarity, creating major value in this way and establishing themselves as obvious highlights of their respective sets. These cards are just some of the reasons behind the continuing appeal of pseudo-Legendary Pokémon across the generations—and surely going forward as well.

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