Japanese Pokémon card rarities explained (AR, SAR, CHR and more)
Japanese Pokémon cards print their rarity as letters in the bottom corner, such as C, U, R, RR, AR, SR, SAR and UR. English cards use symbols instead. Bulbapedia notes that Japanese sets have used letter codes since Black Collection and White Collection, and that the English scale was aligned with the Japanese one from Scarlet & Violet onwards (source).
The modern rarity ladder (Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution)
| Japanese code | English name (since Scarlet & Violet) | What it usually is |
|---|---|---|
| C / U / R | Common / Uncommon / Rare | Regular cards |
| RR | Double Rare | Regular Pokémon ex |
| AR | Illustration Rare | Full-art Pokémon illustration, numbered beyond the set size |
| SR | Ultra Rare | Full-art Pokémon ex or Supporter |
| SAR | Special Illustration Rare | Full-art Pokémon ex or Supporter with special artwork |
| UR | Hyper Rare | Gold cards |
| MA | Mega Attack Rare | Introduced in MEGA Dream ex (M2a), pop-art style Mega Evolution ex (source) |
Reading the card number
A number such as 242/193 means the card sits beyond the set's 193 regular cards. That makes it a "secret" card, which is typical of AR, SR, SAR and UR. Examples from our shop: - N's Zoroark ex 242/193: Special Art Rare (SAR), MEGA Dream ex (M2a) - Alakazam 071/063: Art Rare (AR), Mega Symphonia (M1S) - Minun 066/062: Art Rare (AR), Raging Surf (SV3a)
Character Rare (CHR)
In Sword & Shield era sets such as Dark Phantasma (S10a), CHR (Character Rare) cards are full-art cards that typically show a Pokémon together with a trainer or character. An example is Spiritomb 076/071 CHR.
Vintage cards
Very old Japanese cards, such as the Vending Machine series, Neo era and Team Rocket, use rarity symbols rather than letter codes. Our listings give the rarity, where known, together with a condition grade. Rarity and condition are two different things. See Pokémon card conditions explained.
Rarity alone does not set the price. Demand for the Pokémon and the set matters too. Browse all single cards, or start from 30th Celebration (M6a) or MEGA Dream ex (M2a). Singles ship from Luxembourg within 1–2 business days, with no EU customs.
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