The most valuable Pikachu cards in the Pokemon TCG

The Pokemon Trading Card Game has seen its ups and downs in popularity over the years, but even its downs have kept it safely in the stratosphere of the world's most popular five- or six-card games. And when it's hot, it is heat – the Sword and Shield era has seen a serious resurgence and Scarlet & Violet doesn't seem to be slowing things down.

The little electric mouse has captured our hearts, just as we have captured them by the millions throughout Pokemon's 30+ year journey. If you've collected Pikachu cards over the years, you may be lucky enough to have some of these high-value trading card game cards.

These prices are derived from the market value of TCGplayer.com and do not take into account private sales or graded cards.

Updated December 13, 2024 by Andrew Scariati: The Most Expensive Pikachu Card is a hotly contested title that features an incredible group of rare Pikachu cards to choose from. We've updated the best Pikachu cards with three new entries, including Surging Sparks' most expensive Pikachu card.

Market price: $170.11

One very specific Japanese promotional card, the Mega Tokyo Pikachu promotional card, has only been available in Japan for about four weeks. The 98/XY promotional card was created to celebrate the relocation of Pokemon Center Tokyo from its original location in Hamamatsucho to its new location in Ikebukuro.

You could only get this card if you visited the new location and it also has the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo logo in the bottom right corner of the art box. If you weren't visiting the Tokyo Pokemon Center during that limited time, you missed out on this exclusive card.

12

Pikachu ex: Surging Sparks (Hyper Rare)

Market price: $182.38

Hyper Rare and Gold Secret Rare cards typically draw the ire of many as their color patterns usually overwhelm the Pokemon's design. However, Surging Sparks' ex-Hyper Rare Pikachu stands as one of the best-looking Pikachu cards you can find, with the gold background accentuating Pikachu rather than drowning it out.

This card began its TCG career hovering around the $100 mark, but once its attraction rate proved to be much lower than that of Surging Sparks' former Special Illustration Rare Pikachu, this card began to skyrocket. It reached a high above $200, but has moved away from that high for now.

Market price: $188.82

This might be one of the most infamous Pikachu promotions of all time, considering the sheer volume of press covering the scalping and theft of this card en masse. While this is indicative of attitudes towards Pokemon cards shifting more towards business than hobby for some, this card could have been a positive touchstone if it had been embraced for the art style it emulates.

As things currently stand, the value of this Pikachu has seen huge fluctuations since its release as it ended 2023 contracting at around $140, dropping to $80 before a massive rally has pushed this card into the $200 range.

10

Pikachu V: Prize Pack Series (Ultra Rare)

Market price: $221.56

This series of promotional cards arrived during the Sword and Shield expansions and is only available through small expansion packs that you could obtain by participating in Pokemon Organized Play events.

The Pikachu V card has alternate artwork to the original card, although it is mechanically the same as the Pikachu V from the Vivid Volt expansion. Featuring the image of PLANETA Tsuji, this card also features the Organized Play logo.

Market price: $248.03

Another poncho-wearing Pikachu promo card, this one featuring three Pikachu, one in a Mega Audino poncho, another in a Mega Lucario poncho, and the last in a Mega Slowbro poncho.

Continuing the trend of surprisingly hard-to-get cards, this Pikachu promotional card was only available to those who spent a certain amount of money at specific Pokemon Centers in Japan. If you weren't there and didn't spend enough money on Pokemon TCG merchandise, you missed out on this promotional card.

Market Price: $270.00

Despite wearing an Alolan Vulpix poncho, this poncho-wearing Pikachu is an Electric-type card with an interesting attack. His first attack is Power Snow?, question mark and all.

This promotional card was one of two available in a special package that came with sleeves, deck cases, and more. Of the two, the Alolan Pikachu Poncho is the more valuable and probably the more visually stunning.

Market Price: $275.00

What happens when you accidentally attack Jungle Pikachu (the very first Pikachu card ever made, mind you) in a field of ivy instead of the grassier terrain the card is known for featuring? You get an expensive, expensive Pikachu, that's what happens.

At least, that's the conventional story. In truth, it takes one more step before your “Ivy Misprint” Pikachu is worth thousands. This little anecdote about how easy it is to make a few lucky individuals much richer overnight seems like an appropriate way to kick off the list.

6

Pikachu (Red Cheeks): First Edition Core Set

Market Price: $320.00

How about a few hundred dollars more right now? Probably sweet, even if you're quite wealthy. If so, check to see if you still have a high-quality 1st Edition Jungle Pikachu with red cheeks lying around. If you're unsure, it's unlikely to be in particularly solid condition, but you might be able to pick up a hundred or so even if it has some visible blemishes.

There's not a lot of exact science involved in this. First Edition Jungle Pikachu is the first Pikachu card to hit the market, dating back to the TCG's inaugural expansion. First Edition Pikachu is the guardian of all the others.

Market price: $350.46

This gorgeous card is a bit of an oddity when it comes to collecting, even for a Pokemon card. This promo was born as a collaboration between the Pokemon Company and the Japanese Postal Service, where a collection of Pokemon-themed stamps was printed.

The illustration on this full-art card is an homage to a style of 17th-century woodblock prints called nikuhitsu-ga in the style of ukiyo-e, specifically the work “Beauty Looking Back” by Hishikawa Moronobu.

As time passes and demand for this card continues to increase, it is likely to regain much of the value lost when this card dropped in 2023.

4

Pikachu ex: Surging Sparks (Rare Special Art)

Market price: $488.80

Surging Sparks' former SIR Pikachu has already taken first place in the set and is back to establish itself as one of the best Pikachu cards of the modern era. This card debuted with incredible support, crossing the $400 mark with relative ease.

This card also appears in the Japanese set, super electric switch, where it sells for about half the value of the English version.

While this card is currently finished double the price of the all-gold Hyper Rare version, there is a strong probability that the gap between these two cards will continue to narrow over time. However, there is no doubt that this card boasts an impressive advantage that will be difficult to grasp.

3

Star Pikachu: Holon Phantoms (Ultra Rare)

Market price: $999.99

The Pikachu Star from Holon Phantoms can rock your bank account, largely due to its rarity, especially in NM condition. This card features Pikachu in his iconic arms-crossed pose and a bright color palette, a stunning combination that makes it one of the best Pikachu cards on the market.

Holon Phantoms, a late expansion during the EX era of the Pokemon TCG, advertises a brilliant variation on its Pikachu card. And it just so happens to be one of the most beloved Pikachu cards of all time. Ergo, it appears to be incredibly expensive.

Market price: $1,200.00

The Mega Charizard Y Pikachu with poncho was another Japanese exclusive, this time coming from a special box only available for a limited time. Pikachu can also be found in a Charizard X poncho, though the Y one is the only one with a listing at the time of writing.

The card's rarity increases its price, but so does the Charizard Tax, a somewhat infamous phenomenon where any Charizard card is a little more expensive than you'd expect thanks to the popularity of Pokemon.

Market price: $1,2500.00

Just a few months after the release of the Charizard Special Box, The Pokemon Company released a version of Rayquaza, this time Pikachu wearing a Shiny Rayquaza Poncho.

The only way to get this special card was to go to the opening of the Skytree Town Pokémon Center in Tokyo on July 6, 2016. If you were lucky enough to snag one of these packs, you've bagged yourself one of the most valuable Pikachu. cards around.