Terastallization was first introduced to the Pokémon franchise in the ninth-generation main series of video games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. When a Pokémon uses the power of the Tera Orb and Tera Shards to initiate the Terastallization process, it will either change its type or grant additional power to the corresponding type’s attacks if it Terastallizes into a type it already belongs to.

Terastallized Pokémon can be identified by the crystalline appearance they take on after undergoing this process. In addition, Tera Jewels will float over a Pokémon’s head after it has Terastallized; the appearance of the Tera Jewels depends on what type the Pokémon in question has Terastallized into.

In the Pokémon TCG, Terastallized Pokémon are all Pokémon-ex cards and were introduced in the dual set that kicked off Gen 9: Scarlet ex [SV1S] and Violet ex [SV1V]. Thus far, a total of 50 Terastallized Pokémon-ex cards have been released.

The following are the Terastallized Pokémon-ex cards which rank as the pick of the bunch:

Sylveon ex (Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] 212/187) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$180)

We’re kicking off our list with a card from, aptly enough, Terastal Festival ex [SV8a]—the set named after Terastallization itself. Unsurprisingly, Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] brought with it a whopping eight new Terastallized Pokémon-ex. However, somewhat surprisingly, Sylveon ex wasn’t one of them; this card is a Special Art Rare (SAR) reprint of a card originally from Stellar Tera Type Starter Set Sylveon ex [SVLN].

This card depicts the ordinarily Fairy-type Eeveelution as having Terastallized into the Stellar type—a type which is only accessible by way of Terastallization. The Full Art illustration uses a crystalline pattern that matches the Terastallized Sylveon ex; the background color scheme, as well as the floral and butterfly patterns across the crystals, fit Sylveon ex perfectly.

Being the second-most popular of the eight Eeveelutions, any card of such rarity that depicts Sylveon will always be a major draw. In addition, when not Terastallized, Sylveon is a Fairy-type Pokémon; Fairy ranks among the most popular Pokémon types. There’s no question that this card is an ultra-impressive pull; however, it nevertheless ranks a distant second in its own set behind another Terastallized Pokémon card (more on that later, but you’ve probably already guessed what it is by now).

Terapagos ex (Stellar Miracle [SV7] 130/102) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$202)

Why, you might ask, is it even called “Terastallization” in the first place? Well, in the Pokémon universe, Terastal energy—the mysterious force that enables Terastallization to take place—was created by and named after Terapagos, the Legendary Pokémon that lies dormant at the bottom of the Great Crater of Paldea. For that reason, it was always expected that the Terastallized Terapagos ex from Stellar Miracle [SV7] would rank among its set’s most coveted pulls.

True to the name of its set, Terapagos ex is shown to have Terastallized into the Stellar type—the only type that Terapagos can Terastallize into in video games. The card’s spectacular Full Art illustration shows Terapagos ex encircled by Tera Jewels in front of a prism-like background featuring a design resembling ornate stained glass. Rounding out the imagery is the Terapagos-shaped Tera Jewel on top of all the other jewels, showing that Terapagos ex has indeed Terastallized into the Stellar type.

This card has significant gameplay viability as well. With the assistance of Double Turbo Energy from Star Birth [S9] and Area Zero Underdepths from Stellar Miracle [SV7], Terapagos ex can unleash massive amounts of damage with just one Energy card attached. For this reason, it’s become a key piece in several different decks.

Charizard ex (Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3] 134/108) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$329)

Unsurprisingly, the Terastallized Charizard ex card from Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3] proved to be a massive hit. Being one of the most iconic Pokémon from day one, just about any SAR Charizard card is a mortal lock to become a major draw. However, the identity of the Pokémon alone isn’t all there is to this epic card.

Just like the Terapagos ex card, this card’s Full Art illustration uses a stained glass-esque aesthetic. The Dark-type Tera Jewel can be clearly seen over Charizard ex’s head while its power and ferocity is evident as it’s depicted about to launch its Burning Darkness attack. Finally, the fact that Charizard ex has Terastallized into a Fire-type Pokémon and its attack’s name of “Burning Darkness” implies that it is the set’s titular “Ruler of the Black Flame”.

Gameplay-wise, this card has already been crafted—and is still in the midst of crafting—a legacy as one of the greatest cards of all time. It’s the centerpiece of the Charizard ex deck—a deck that reigned as the undisputed Best Deck in Format (BDIF) for almost a year. While no longer the BDIF, the Charizard ex deck remains a major force in tournament play and has continued to register impressive results even amidst a rapidly shifting metagame.

Greninja ex (Crimson Haze [SV5a] 090/066) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$700)

The most recent Pokémon popularity poll was topped by Greninja; as such, when a Terastallized Greninja ex card was released as part of Crimson Haze [SV5a], the folks at Creatures Inc. pulled out all the stops to deliver a card befitting of “the most popular Pokémon of them all”. Needless to say, they delivered—Greninja ex is far and away the biggest pull of Crimson Haze [SV5a].

Greninja ex is shown as having Terastallized into the Fighting type; the Tera Jewel showing this Terastallized state is visible across the top of the card’s Full Art illustration. The illustration also shows Greninja ex standing against a mass of sharp crystals with several supersized versions of its trademark shuriken in the background—almost as though Greninja ex is atop a crystalline throne befitting of any Terastallized Pokémon-ex.

To capitalize on Greninja’s immense popularity, a sneak preview of this card was shown in the run-up to Pokémon Day 2024. The card was also intended to be parallel to Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX from Rapid Strike Master [S5R]; its Mirage Barrage attack is meant to parallel Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX’s attack of G-Max Rapid Flow.

Umbreon ex (Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] 217/187) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$749)

While Terastal Festival ex [SV8a] was ostensibly intended to spotlight Eevee and all eight of its evolutions, there was never going to be even a shred of doubt that the Umbreon ex card would be the most coveted pickup among the lot. Since Umbreon is far and away the most popular of the Eeveelutions, many had already started eagerly pursuing this epic card well in advance of its set’s official launch.

Like the rest of the Terastallized Pokémon-ex cards in Terastal Festival ex [SV8a], this card depicts Umbreon ex as having Terastallized into the Stellar type. The Full Art illustration by YASHIRO Nanaco has a spectacular crystalline motif mimicking that of Terastallization, with the Tera Jewels over Umbreon’s head taking the spotlight. This latest addition further contributes to the storied TCG legacy of the Dark-type Eeveelution.

On the topic of Umbreon’s TCG legacy, the card’s illustration also includes a shout-out to one of the most iconic Pokémon TCG cards in history: the Hyper Rare (HR) Umbreon VMAX card from Eevee Heroes [S6a] known to the community as “Moonbreon”. The bright yellow circle behind Umbreon ex not only provides a visual contrast to Umbreon ex’s own dark color scheme while spotlighting the Tera Jewels; it also resembles a full moon. Not only is Umbreon the Moonlight Pokémon; the full moon-like imagery resembles that seen in the memorable Full Art illustration of the Moonbreon card.

Pikachu ex (Super Electric Breaker [SV8] 132/106) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,345)

The rise of the Pikachu ex from Super Electric Breaker [SV8] was truly meteoric—its opening price of around US$200 looks like an absolute bargain these days. Recently, a sale of this card made history as the first Terastallized Pokémon-ex card to break the US$1,000 barrier. And it’s no wonder—after all, Pikachu is the face of the entire Pokémon franchise. Thus, the card depicting its Terastallized form has already become a modern-day TCG icon in just a few short months.

Pikachu ex is shown to have Terastallized into the Stellar type; the angle of the Full Art illustration focuses on part of Pikachu ex’s Stellar-type Tera Jewels to play up this element. The card’s holofoil enhances its visual impact, giving the image the impression of sunlight streaming down and reflecting off the Tera Jewels over Pikachu ex’s head.

This card has also become metagame-viable (though mercifully for serious players who might not want to shell out all that money; it doesn’t have to be this SAR version). It’s now a key part of the Miraidon ex deck in large part thanks to its Ability of Resolute Heart, which makes Pikachu ex immune to being one-shotted, as well as its Topaz Bolt attack, which dishes out a massive 300 damage, allowing Pikachu ex to pose a significant offensive threat.

As the ninth generation of the Pokémon TCG continues, there’s no doubt that Terastallization will feature on many more occasions. Its impressive, striking visuals, coupled with the type-shifting capabilities it provides, make these Terastallized Pokémon-ex stand out and cause their respective cards to generate serious demand and often sell for major money as well.

Or why not browse the entire selection of ninth-generation Pokémon TCG cards, booster packs, and booster boxes available on the SNKRDUNK App? There’s much more than just the Terastallized Pokémon-ex cards—so scroll through as many as you like and pick some of your favorites!

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