{"id":451795,"date":"2025-05-02T13:38:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T05:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/?p=451795"},"modified":"2025-05-02T16:41:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T08:41:47","slug":"no-level-grinding-necessary-snkrdunks-selection-of-the-pokemon-tcgs-best-magikarp-and-gyarados-cards-by-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snkrdunk.com\/en\/magazine\/2025\/05\/02\/no-level-grinding-necessary-snkrdunks-selection-of-the-pokemon-tcgs-best-magikarp-and-gyarados-cards-by-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"No Level-Grinding Necessary: SNKRDUNK’s Selection of the Pok\u00e9mon TCG’s Best Magikarp and Gyarados Cards by Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Japan, the carp is the symbol of Children\u2019s Day. It represents the ideas of resilience and success, especially in relation to the legend of the Dragon Gate. According to the legend, a carp that leaps over the Dragon Gate will turn into a mighty dragon upon landing. For that reason, every year during Golden Week in late April and early May\u2014a week of various holidays capped off by Children’s Day on 5 May\u2014carp-shaped windsocks known as \u201ckoinobori\u201d are hung up and flown at residences and other buildings all over Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This same story made its way into the Pok\u00e9mon franchise in the form of Magikarp and Gyarados; in the video games, the dismally weak Magikarp evolves into the fearsome Gyarados upon reaching level 20. It\u2019s one of the most iconic evolution sequences in Pok\u00e9mon history not only for the dramatic difference in appearance and power between the two Pok\u00e9mon, but also for the tedious \u201cgrind\u201d needed to evolve Magikarp finally paying off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Golden Week, let\u2019s take a look at the Pok\u00e9mon TCG\u2019s greatest Magikarp and Gyarados cards throughout the generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 1: Magikarp (Unnumbered Promotional Cards) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$15,509)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Magikarp Tamamushi University: Old Back\/PROMO[PMCG-P No.129](PMCG-P Promotional cards)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Starting off our list is one of the most valuable Pok\u00e9mon TCG cards ever\u2014a promotional Magikarp of which only 1,000 copies were ever released. To obtain a copy of this card, one first had to correctly answer every question on four separate quizzes as part of the Shogakukan Celadon University Campaign: the Entrance Test, Professor Test, Super Professor Test, and Hyper Professor Test. These tests were found in the May 1998, August 1998, October 1998, and December 1998 issues, respectively, of each of the six Shogakukan Learning Magazines; only elementary school students in Japan during the 1998-99 academic year were eligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the conclusion of the Hyper Professor Test, 1,000 winners from all eligible entrants with correct submissions would be selected via lottery. Though the card would later be reprinted as part of Gen 2 set Pok\u00e9mon Web, the new print didn\u2019t detract from the original\u2019s value in any way due to the highly exclusive nature of the card as well as the difficulty of obtaining it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 2: Shining Gyarados (Awakening Legends) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$5,908)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Cal Gyarados : Old Back [neo3 No.130](Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Awakening Legends”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Awakening Legends introduced Shiny Pok\u00e9mon to the Pok\u00e9mon TCG\u2014and not surprisingly, one of the two Shinies introduced and easily the more expensive depicted the most iconic Shiny of all time: the Shiny Gyarados colloquially referred to as the \u201cRed Gyarados\u201d. Needless to say, the Red Gyarados\u2019 TCG debut lived up to the hype and then some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scene depicted in the card\u2019s illustration takes place at the Lake of Rage where Shining Gyarados is shown unleashing a ferocious storm, its eyes glowing red with sheer fury. The holofoil across the illustration enhances the card\u2019s visual impact, making the clouds in the dark sky stand out while at the same time emphasizing the overwhelming power of Shining Gyarados. Finally, the card\u2019s rarity of Shining Holo, new to the TCG at the time of its release, was one specifically introduced for Shiny Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 3: Gyarados \u2606 \u03b4 (Holon Phantom 008\/052) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$2,508)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Gyarados Delta Species: 1ED[PCG7 008\/052](Expansion Pack “Holon Phantom”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cRed Gyarados\u201d made a return in Gen 3\u2014but this time as a Fire-type Pok\u00e9mon long before Terastallization was a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gyarados \u2606 \u03b4 card from Holon Phantom was the first-ever type-shifted Pok\u00e9mon \u03b4 to also be a Pok\u00e9mon \u2606\u2014the TCG\u2019s new term for Shiny Pok\u00e9mon. Coated in flames as it\u2019s shown gearing up to unleash its All-out Blast attack, this Gyarados \u2606 \u03b4 card has a truly spectacular illustration that remains among the TCG\u2019s most memorable almost two decades later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This card came in the rarity of Shiny Rare Holo\u2014the rebranded name of Shining Holo. In addition, only three Pok\u00e9mon \u2606 \u03b4 cards, including this one, would ever be released. This therefore gives Gyarados \u2606 \u03b4 a special place in the history of the Pok\u00e9mon TCG. It\u2019s thus understandable why this card commands the huge price tag that it does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n


Gen 4: Gyarados (Pok\u00e9mon Rumble x Pok\u00e9mon Card Game 006\/016) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,500)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Gyarados[Pt-R 006\/016](Melee! Pokemon Scramble Pokemon Card Game)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As cursed as this card\u2019s illustration might look, it\u2019s nonetheless a majorly impressive get for collectors. This card was part of a special 19-card set released in conjunction with 2009 Nintendo Wii video game Pok\u00e9mon Rumble. All illustrations of Pok\u00e9mon on the set\u2019s cards were taken directly from Pok\u00e9mon Rumble\u2014which is why they look the way they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is, in fact, the card\u2019s illustration that\u2019s its main attraction as it\u2019s one of just 19 cards with imagery from Pok\u00e9mon Rumble ever released; these cards were also only in circulation for a relatively short time. The Pok\u00e9mon Rumble logo has also been placed on the right side of the card to certify its connections to the WiiWare video game while the card\u2019s illustrator is listed as \u201cPok\u00e9mon Rumble\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 5: Gyarados (EX Battle Boost [EBB] 023\/093) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$81)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Gyarados :Mirror :1ED [EBB 023\/093](Concept Pack “EX Battle Boost”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the Pok\u00e9mon TCG\u2019s fifth generation, Magikarp and Gyarados generally took a back seat\u2014there aren\u2019t any obvious standouts. That said, if one had to be chosen, it would have to be the Gyarados card from EX Battle Boost [EBB]. It\u2019s a card highlighted by a simple yet striking illustration that depicts the Water\/Flying-type Pok\u00e9mon underwater and about to attack with Howling Rampage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to this card\u2019s appeal is the fact that it represents the second part of a two-part illustration. The Magikarp card from the same set has an illustration that depicts Magikarp mid-evolution, eventually turning into the Gyarados shown on this card. This narrative element adds further interest for many, especially since it features perhaps the most dramatic of all Pok\u00e9mon evolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 6: Gyarados (XY-P Promotional Cards) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$1,915)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Gyarados: PROMO[XY-P](XY-P Promotional cards)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The original Pok\u00e9mon Center Hiroshima opened in June 2015 in Sogo Hiroshima where it remained until March 2025 when it was relocated to ekie Hiroshima. In honor of its opening, an in-store Pok\u00e9mon TCG tournament known as the Gyarados Battle tournament was held on 22-23 August 2015; it was so named because Gyarados was and still is the mascot of Pok\u00e9mon Center Hiroshima.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This card, a promotional reprint of a card from Bandit Ring [XY7], features a spectacular Full Art illustration depicting Gyarados emerging from the water with tremendous force. The card\u2019s holofoil adds to the illustration\u2019s visual impact by providing a spectrum-like effect to the splash that Gyarados makes as it arises from the water and thus making the imagery look even more life-like. The Pok\u00e9mon Center Hiroshima logo featuring a Shiny Gyarados and a Pikachu can be seen on the card\u2019s left side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 7: Magikarp & Wailord GX (Tag Bolt [SM9]) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$430)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Magikarp & GX SR: SA[SM9 099\/095](Expansion Pack “Tag Bolt”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Magikarp & Wailord GX is one of the best-known TAG TEAM GX cards\u2014and for good reason. For one thing, the card\u2019s cartoonish Full Art illustration gives this card a whimsical, light-hearted feel that contrasts this card to those of most other TAG TEAM GX cards. Depicting Wailord catapulting Magikarp skyward with the water arising from its blowhole, this Super Rare (SR) card is one of the most coveted cards of not only Tag Bolt [SM9], but the seventh Pok\u00e9mon TCG generation as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further elevating this card\u2019s profile was its role in one of the most memorable finishes to a tournament game ever. In the quarterfinals of the 2019 Greensboro Regionals, Azul Garcia Griego used Magikarp & Wailord GX\u2019s Towering Splash GX attack to overturn a 5-0 Prize deficit in one turn to claim six Prize cards all at once, defeat Alex Schemanske, and advance to the semifinals. To this day, this is regarded as one of the greatest plays in Pok\u00e9mon TCG tournament history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 8: Gyarados VMAX (Blue Sky Stream [S7R]) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$49)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Gyarados VMAX HR[S7R 081\/067](Expansion Pack”Blue Sky Stream”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While Gen 8, like Gen 5, didn\u2019t see much in the way of standout Magikarp and Gyarados cards, one which deserves mention is the Hyper Rare (HR) Gyarados VMAX card from Blue Sky Stream [S7R]. Featuring the Dynamaxed version of Gyarados, this card comes in the rainbow holofoil that typifies many cards of the HR rarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This card is the rarer of the two versions of Gyarados VMAX in Blue Sky Stream [S7R]; the other came in the rarity of Triple Rare (RRR). It\u2019s also the only Pok\u00e9mon TCG card to ever feature Gyarados in its Dynamaxed form, further driving up general interest in the card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gen 9: Magikarp (Triplet Beat [SV1a]) (PSA 10 Price: ~US$125)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pok\u00e9mon<\/figure>
\n

Magikarp AR[SV1a 080\/073](Scarlet & Violet Enhanced Expansion Pack “Triplet Beat”)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Check Price \/ Add to Favorites<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is perhaps the card which had the most unexpected rise to its status as a modern-day Pok\u00e9mon TCG icon\u2014not least because of its rarity of Art Rare (AR) which is only the TCG\u2019s fourth-highest rarity. Yet, this Magikarp card\u2019s value continued to climb well after those of the Special Art Rare (SAR) cards from Triplet Beat [SV1a] had plateaued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This card features a stunning illustration with an art style giving off pseudo-cosmic vibes; it depicts Magikarp climbing a waterfall on its quest to evolve into Gyarados. This latter idea is conveyed by the Gyarados head in the top-right corner of the card\u2014it isn\u2019t actually a Gyarados head, but the projection of one to represent the reward that awaits Magikarp at the top of the waterfall. Notably, the Gyarados head was a late addition to the card as was revealed by an exhibit at the 2025 Pok\u00e9mon Europe International Championships (EUIC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now that you’ve seen this selection of cards, why not go even further and browse our complete selection of Magikarp<\/a> and Gyarados<\/a> cards? They’re not just great collectibles\u2014the story behind the Pok\u00e9mon they depict is one that should resonate with anyone, not just Pok\u00e9mon fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow us on:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n