Best Japanese Pokémon Booster Packs to Buy for Rare Cards, by Generation: A Guide to Big Pulls

26th March 2025 EDT FEATURES

Best Japanese Pokémon Booster Packs to Buy for Rare Cards, by Generation: A Guide to Big Pulls

In the words of Suzanne Collins: "may the odds be ever in your favor".

Regarding the chances of pulling a mega-rare card from a Pokémon TCG booster pack, not all sets are equal. There are some sets which, when buyers purchase a booster pack, they can reasonably expect it to be chock-full of impressive cards. On the other hand, others are likely to be full of duds, only very occasionally containing a card of notable rarity.

We’ve crunched the numbers to determine which Pokémon TCG sets have the highest proportion of cards with rarities beyond the basic three of Common (C), Uncommon (U), and Rare (R). We then ranked every set in Pokémon TCG by these figures, then selected the set with the highest percentage in each of the nine generations to date.

While this might not be an exact method to determine which set’s booster packs yield the best chances of containing rare cards, the correlation is nevertheless strong enough that our selections should prove to be viable picks for the people seeking those epic pulls.

Here are the sets that, in their respective generations, contain the highest proportion of rare cards.

Do note that these figures specifically pertain to the Japanese versions of the sets. The English versions have different card rarity statistics altogether. We’ve also mentioned the most expensive card from each set.

Gen 1: Rocket Gang (1997) (17/65 – 26.2%)

Best Japanese Pokémon TCG Booster Packs to Buy for Rare Cards: Your Guide to Big Pulls

Rocket Gang Booster Pack

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The set that introduced Team Rocket to the Pokémon TCG was also the set with the largest share of rare cards among Gen 1 sets. Rocket Gang was notable for introducing Dark Pokémon—later renamed “Rocket’s Pokémon” sometime after the Dark type was introduced to the Pokémon TCG—as well as several standout Trainer cards and, on top of those, one of the earliest Special Energy cards in Pokémon TCG history.

The rarest card in the set is the Here Comes Team Rocket! Card depicting Jessie and James from the Pokémon anime alongside their iconic Meowth companion. It was the first-ever card Pokémon TCG with the rarity of Super Rare Holo. Rocket Gang also included a slew of highly sought-after Rare Holo cards such as Rainbow Energy, Rocket’s Sneak Attack, Dark Gyarados, Dark Blastoise, Dark Dragonite, and most excitingly of all, Dark Charizard.

Today, a PSA 10 copy of a Dark Charizard card from Rocket Gang sells for around US$700.

Gen 2: Crossing the Ruins… (2000) (20/56 – 35.7%)

Crossing the Ruins… Booster Pack

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Crossing the Ruins…, the second Pokémon TCG set of Gen 2, was themed around the Ruins of Alph—hence its name. Many of the cards in the set featured illustrations related to the mysterious ruins in central Johto. Somewhat fittingly for a set with such a theme, Crossing the Ruins… was loaded with rare cards and topped the Gen 2 rankings by a significant margin.

Once again, there was just one card that came in the rarity of Super Rare Holo. This time, it was a Dark Raichu. Other standout cards in Crossing the Ruins… came in Rare Holo. Notable pickups included Tyranitar, Kabutops, Houndoom, and above the rest of them: the Pokémon TCG debuts of two of the most iconic Pokémon of all time: Psychic-type Eeveelution Espeon and its Dark-type counterpart Umbreon.

A PSA 10 Umbreon card from Crossing the Ruins… today carries a value of about US$625.

Gen 3: Rocket Gang Strikes Back (2004) (31/85 – 36.5%)

Pokémon TCG Best Booster Packs for Rare Cards

Rocket Gang Strikes Back Booster Pack

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For the second time in the first three generations, the gen’s set with the highest percentage of rare cards was a Team Rocket-centric set. With regard to these rare cards, the sequel topped the original with over a third of its cards coming in at rarities beyond the basic three; thus, Rocket Gang Strikes Back further cemented the reputation of Team Rocket-related cards and sets among the Pokémon TCG fandom.

The rarest cards in Rocket Gang Strikes Back were three Shiny Rare Holo cards that depicted Shiny versions of each of the Gen 3 starters: Treecko ☆, Torchic ☆, and Mudkip ☆. These cards’ PSA 10 versions today sell for thousands of dollars per copy. Among the other top picks from the set were nine Rocket’s Pokémon-ex which came in the rarity of Rare Holo ex; some of these were Rocket’s Entei ex, Rocket’s Zapdos ex, Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, and Rocket’s Snorlax ex.

A PSA 10 copy of a Torchic ☆ card today goes for approximately US$4,350.

Gen 4: Reviving Legends [L2] (2010) (21/81 – 25.9%)

Reviving Legends Booster Pack

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A set based on Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Gen 4 remakes of Gen 2 main-series video games Gold and Silver, Reviving Legends [L2] was highlighted by six Pokémon LEGEND cards—cards which were intended to be collected and used in pairs to make two halves of a whole card. Featuring spectacular, extra-large Full Art illustrations when put together, it’s unsurprising that Pokémon LEGEND cards remain some of the most coveted fourth-generation cards.

The six cards that formed the three Pokémon LEGEND pairs in Reviving Legends were two Entei & Raikou LEGEND cards, two Suicune & Entei LEGEND cards, and two Raikou & Suicune LEGEND cards. All six cards had the rarity of Rare Holo LEGEND. The set also contained many other rare cards such as the following notable Super Rare Holo cards: Tyranitar, Lanturn, Kingdra, and Steelix. The many big pickups in Reviving Legends [L2] made the set a rare bright spot in what’s generally regarded as the Pokémon TCG’s rock-bottom era (Gens 4-5).

Today, the price of a PSA 10 copy of the Suicune & Entei LEGEND card with the serial number of 066/080 is around US$600.

Gen 5: Spiral Force [BW8] / Thunder Knuckle [BW8] (2012) (7/58 – 12.1%)

Pokemon Card Game Black & White Expansion Pack Spiral Force 1ED Pack

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Pokemon Card Game Black & White Expansion Pack Laiden Knuckle 1ED Pack

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Speaking of “rock-bottom era”, that number at the end speaks for itself.

Gen 5’s most “stacked” set somehow ended up having less than an eighth of its cards having a rarity that exceeded the basic ones. Yet, it’s absolutely true that dual set Spiral Force [BW8] and Thunder Knuckle [BW8] topped the rare card charts among all fifth-generation sets. That being said, Spiral Force [BW8] and Thunder Knuckle [BW8] shouldn’t be completely dismissed—there are some seriously epic pulls lurking within.

Each half of the dual set contained three cards of the Ultra Rare (UR) rarity; Spiral Force [BW8] had Empoleon, Sigilyph, and Ultra Ball, while Thunder Knuckle [BW8] had Garbodor, Garchomp, and Max Potion. In addition, Spiral Force [BW8] and Thunder Knuckle [BW8] included multiple Super Rare (SR) cards such as Professor Juniper, Latias ex, Deoxys ex, and Latios ex.

The price of a PSA 10 copy of an Empoleon card from Spiral Force [BW8] today is approximately US$739.

Gen 6: Bandit Ring [XY7] (2015) (27/97 – 27.8%)

Pokemon Card Game XY Expansion Pack Bandit Ring 1ED Pack

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Released right after the critically-acclaimed Emerald Break [XY6], often regarded as a contender for the title of “greatest Pokémon TCG set of all time”, Bandit Ring [XY7] certainly had a tough act to follow. As things turned out, Bandit Ring [XY7] built off the hype that Emerald Break [XY6] generated with its large number of rare cards. This set, based on Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the Gen 6 remakes of Gen 3 games Ruby and Sapphire, certainly delivered as far as rarity was concerned.

Leading the rarity charts of Bandit Ring [XY7] were five UR cards, including Primal Kyogre ex, Primal Groudon ex, and Mega Rayquaza ex—the three Legendaries around which the major storyline of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire revolve. The set also featured multiple standout Pokémon-ex cards with the SR rarity, including Hoopa ex, Tyranitar ex, Giratina ex, and topping them all—Lugia ex.

As of right now, a Lugia ex card from Bandit Ring [XY7] costs around US$481.

Gen 7: Dream League [SM11b] (2019) (30/75 – 40.0%)

Pokemon Card Game Sun & Moon Enhanced Expansion Pack Dream League Pack

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Dream League [SM11b] was a truly groundbreaking set. It was most notable for featuring a bevy of cards depicting a Pokémon alongside its Trainer; these cards were given the new rarity of Character Rare (CHR). In fact, these CHR cards weren’t even the rarest of the set, as it contained multiple UR and Hyper Rare (HR) cards as well. To sum it up, Dream League [SM11b] was a set loaded to the brim with rare cards.

The rarest cards in Dream League [SM11b] were the three UR cards: Lana’s Fishing Rod, Lillie’s Poké Doll, and Power Plant. Other highlights of the set include HR cards like Reshiram & Zekrom GX and Solgaleo & Lunala GX, as well as CHR cards including Pikachu and Piplup. Somewhat surprisingly, the most expensive card of this set is one of the Super Rare (SR) rarity—just the fourth-highest in the set. The card in question? Lillie’s Full Force.

A PSA 10 copy of a Lillie’s Full Force card from Dream League [SM11b] has a current sale price of about US$507.

Gen 8: VSTAR Universe [S12a] (2022) (142/262 – 54.2%)

Pokemon Card Game Sword & Shield High Class Pack VSTAR Universe Pack

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Creatures Inc. brought down the curtain on Gen 8 in spectacular style. VSTAR Universe [S12a], the generation’s final set, wasn’t just the Japanese Gen 8 set with the highest proportion of rare cards. With 54.2% of the cards in VSTAR Universe [S12a] being rare cards, VSTAR Universe [S12a] has a larger rare card proportion than any other Japanese Pokémon TCG set in history.

VSTAR Universe [S12a] was the set that introduced the Special Art Rare (SAR) rarity—the current highest rarity in the TCG. A total of 35 VSTAR Universe [S12a] cards were SARs; the picks of the bunch included Pikachu, Mewtwo, Charizard, and Cynthia’s Aspiration. The set’s four UR cards were all connected to the Pokémon Legends: Arceus video game: Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR, Arceus VSTAR, and the set’s most valuable card—Giratina VSTAR.

A Giratina VSTAR card from VSTAR Universe [S12a] now sells for around US$190.

Gen 9: Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a] (2023) (194/360 – 53.9%)

Pokemon Card Game Scarlet & Violet High Class Pack “Shiny Treasure ex” Pack

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A set in which the vast majority of cards were reprints of existing cards, Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a] holds the record for the most cards beyond the basic rarities in a single Japanese Pokémon TCG set with a whopping 194 of its 360 cards being such cards. As its name implies, Shiny Pokémon were intended to be the focus of the set; for that reason, many of the set’s most desired cards do indeed depict Pokémon in their alternate colors.

The rarest Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a] cards are eight SARs; the top pulls among these are Gardevoir ex, Charizard ex, Iono, and Mew ex. Also in the set are six UR cards as well as 18 cards of a rarity specifically created for certain Shiny Pokémon cards—Shiny Secret Rare (SSR). The aforementioned Gardevoir ex, Charizard ex, and Mew ex cards were among those cards; their SSR versions today rank among the set’s most valuable cards as well.

A PSA 10 copy of the SAR Mew ex card from Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a] today sells for around US$234.

Do stay tuned—the version of this article detailing English sets will be on its way soon. Also, since you’ve read this far, why not scroll back up and pick your favorite among the sets we just mentioned? Without any doubt, their booster packs are likely to be stacked with rare cards that’ll make any Pokémon TCG collection more impressive.

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