Pokémon Card Rarity Symbols Explained
Every Pokémon card carries a tiny symbol in its bottom corner that tells you exactly how rare it is. Here is the full ladder, from common circles to gold-stamped hyper rares.
The core three: circle, diamond, star
A black circle means common, a black diamond means uncommon, and a black star means rare. These three have been printed on cards since Base Set in 1999 and are still the foundation of every set today. Holo rares carry the same star — the shine is in the artwork, not the symbol.
Modern tiers: double and beyond
Modern sets add two black stars for Double Rares (ex cards), two silver stars for Ultra Rares (full-art cards), one gold star for Illustration Rares, two gold stars for Special Illustration Rares, and three gold stars for Hyper Rares — the gold-everything cards. The count and the colour together tell the tier: black is the base ladder, silver is premium, gold is chase.
Secret rares: the number gives it away
A card whose collector number is HIGHER than the printed set total (like 215/203) is a secret rare — it exists outside the official count. Any rarity symbol can appear on one, but the out-of-range number is the real tell.
The fastest way to check
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