At a Glance
The Scarlet & Violet era has produced some of the most valuable cards in the history of the modern Pokémon TCG. Spanning from the base Scarlet & Violet set in March 2023 through to Destined Rivals in early 2026, the era introduced the new ex mechanic, Special Illustration Rares, and some of the most visually striking artwork the hobby has ever seen.
We pulled NM/M (Near Mint/Mint) values for the top two cards from each of the 14 mainline Scarlet & Violet era sets, plus the special Paldean Fates subset. All prices are in GBP, sourced from PokeCardValues.co.uk as of 24 March 2026.
Top 5 Most Expensive Cards
Before digging into the set-by-set breakdown, here are the five most expensive individual cards from across the Scarlet & Violet era.
- Umbreon ex (161/131)Prismatic Evolutions · Special Illustration Rare£960.96
- Mew ex (232/091)Paldean Fates · Special Illustration Rare£518.89
- Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (231/182)Destined Rivals · Special Illustration Rare£388.37
- Charizard ex (199/165)151 · Special Illustration Rare£316.44
- Sylveon ex (156/131)Prismatic Evolutions · Special Illustration Rare£238.74
Every single card in the top five is a Special Illustration Rare — the SIR treatment has become the definitive marker of value in the Scarlet & Violet era. Prismatic Evolutions claims two of the five spots, while Charizard remains a constant presence but no longer dominates. Eeveelutions (Umbreon, Sylveon) and mythicals (Mew) are the real market movers.
Price by Set — Visual Breakdown
The chart below shows the most expensive card from each Scarlet & Violet era set, ordered by release date. Colour-coding indicates price tiers, making it easy to spot which sets command the highest premiums.
Prismatic Evolutions sits in a league of its own. Paldean Fates (Mew ex, £518.89) and Destined Rivals (Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, £388.37) make up the next tier, with 151’s Charizard ex (£316.44) close behind. At the other end, Shrouded Fable, Scarlet & Violet base, and Paradox Rift all sit below the £70 mark.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Here’s a closer look at what’s driving value in each set, grouped into tiers based on their top card’s market ceiling.
Tier 1 — The £300+ Club
Prismatic Evolutions is the crown jewel of the entire Scarlet & Violet era. Umbreon ex at £960.96 and Sylveon ex at £238.74 mean even the set’s second-most-expensive card would rank in the top ten across all other sets. The Eeveelution-themed subset, limited early supply, and gorgeous artwork have made this the most collectible set since Hidden Fates.
Paldean Fates benefits from being a special set with a smaller card pool, making its SIRs harder to pull. Mew ex at £518.89 is the standout — Mew’s mythical status and the card’s ethereal artwork make it an iconic piece. Charizard ex at £192.94 adds a second strong anchor.
Destined Rivals launched strong off the back of the Team Rocket nostalgia wave. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex at £388.37 captures both the villain theming and one of the most iconic Pokémon in the franchise. Cynthia’s Garchomp ex at £155.54 shows that trainer-linked cards can carry real weight too.
151 thrives on Gen 1 nostalgia. Charizard ex (199/165) at £316.44 is the obvious headliner, but the Charmander EB Games Stamp promo at £139.52 proves that even a basic-stage Pokémon can command serious money with the right scarcity factor.
Tier 2 — The £150–300 Range
Paldea Evolved is a quiet achiever. Magikarp’s Illustration Rare at £231.11 is a surprise entry at this price point — the artwork depicting Magikarp’s journey has resonated deeply with collectors, and its value has climbed steadily since launch.
Twilight Masquerade placed Greninja ex at £232.12, making it one of the era’s most valuable non-Eeveelution, non-Charizard cards. Greninja’s popularity as a competitive and fan-favourite Pokémon sustains demand.
Surging Sparks delivers with Pikachu ex at £191.52 and Latias ex at £126.71 — the Pikachu carrying the mascot premium that always guarantees collector interest.
Tier 3 — The Sub-£100 Sets
Journey Together sees Lillie’s Clefairy ex at £98.76 — a trainer-themed card that benefits from Lillie’s popularity as a character. Stellar Crown leans on the Kanto starters with Squirtle at £82.06 and Bulbasaur at £70.06, both Illustration Rares. Obsidian Flames has two Charizard ex variants but neither breaks £80, reflecting market saturation for the lizard in this particular set.
Temporal Forces (Gastly, £68.18), Paradox Rift (Groudon, £67.24), Scarlet & Violet base (Gardevoir ex, £60.06), and Shrouded Fable (Duskull, £37.52) round out the bottom tier. These are functional sets with strong gameplay cards, but their lack of iconic Pokémon or standout artwork keeps secondary market values modest.
Complete Price Table
The full dataset: two cards per set, covering the highest-value pulls from each Scarlet & Violet era release. Sets are listed in release order.
| Card | Number | Set | Rarity | NM/M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gardevoir ex | 245/198 | Scarlet & Violet | Special Illustration Rare | £60.06 |
 Drowzee | 210/198 | Scarlet & Violet | Illustration Rare | £34.47 |
 Magikarp | 203/193 | Paldea Evolved | Illustration Rare | £231.11 |
 Raichu | 211/193 | Paldea Evolved | Illustration Rare | £65.42 |
 Charizard ex | 223/197 | Obsidian Flames | Special Illustration Rare | £79.92 |
 Charizard ex | 228/197 | Obsidian Flames | Hyper Rare | £27.36 |
 Charizard ex | 199/165 | 151 | Special Illustration Rare | £316.44 |
 Charmander | 004/165 | 151 | Promo (EB Games Stamp) | £139.52 |
 Groudon | 199/182 | Paradox Rift | Illustration Rare | £67.24 |
 Altaria ex | 253/182 | Paradox Rift | Special Illustration Rare | £34.43 |
 Mew ex | 232/091 | Paldean Fates | Special Illustration Rare | £518.89 |
 Charizard ex | 234/091 | Paldean Fates | Special Illustration Rare | £192.94 |
 Gastly | 177/162 | Temporal Forces | Illustration Rare | £68.18 |
 Raging Bolt ex | 208/162 | Temporal Forces | Special Illustration Rare | £45.95 |
 Greninja ex | 214/167 | Twilight Masquerade | Special Illustration Rare | £232.12 |
 Perrin | 220/167 | Twilight Masquerade | Special Illustration Rare | £89.27 |
 Duskull | 068/064 | Shrouded Fable | Illustration Rare | £37.52 |
 Fezandipiti ex | 092/064 | Shrouded Fable | Special Illustration Rare | £34.38 |
 Squirtle | 148/142 | Stellar Crown | Illustration Rare | £82.06 |
 Bulbasaur | 143/142 | Stellar Crown | Illustration Rare | £70.06 |
 Pikachu ex | 238/191 | Surging Sparks | Special Illustration Rare | £191.52 |
 Latias ex | 239/191 | Surging Sparks | Special Illustration Rare | £126.71 |
 Umbreon ex | 161/131 | Prismatic Evolutions | Special Illustration Rare | £960.96 |
 Sylveon ex | 156/131 | Prismatic Evolutions | Special Illustration Rare | £238.74 |
 Lillie’s Clefairy ex | 184/159 | Journey Together | Special Illustration Rare | £98.76 |
 Salamence ex | 187/159 | Journey Together | Special Illustration Rare | £42.43 |
 Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex | 231/182 | Destined Rivals | Special Illustration Rare | £388.37 |
 Cynthia’s Garchomp ex | 232/182 | Destined Rivals | Special Illustration Rare | £155.54 |
Key Takeaways
The Eeveelution Effect
Prismatic Evolutions has become the most sought-after set in the Scarlet & Violet era, and the Umbreon ex SIR is its crown jewel. Eeveelutions have always commanded a loyal collector base, but the combination of limited early print runs, stunning full-art treatment, and Umbreon’s longstanding status as the most popular Eeveelution has created a perfect storm. Even the set’s second card, Sylveon ex at £238.74, would rank in the top ten across all SV sets.
Charizard Is No Longer Alone at the Top
For years, any “most expensive” list was dominated by Charizard variants. While Charizard ex from 151 (£316.44) still ranks in the top five, the top two spots belong to Umbreon and Mew. The market has diversified — collectors are chasing artwork quality and Pokémon popularity rather than defaulting to Charizard. The Obsidian Flames Charizard ex SIR at just £79.92 shows that not every Charizard is guaranteed to be the most expensive card in its set.
Artwork Quality Drives Premiums
The Magikarp Illustration Rare from Paldea Evolved at £231.11 is one of the era’s most surprising entries. It’s not an ex, not a SIR, and not a fan-favourite Pokémon in the traditional sense — but the card’s beautiful artwork depicting Magikarp’s journey has turned it into a genuine collector piece. Similarly, the Gastly IR from Temporal Forces and Squirtle IR from Stellar Crown show that Illustration Rares with exceptional art can outperform some SIRs.
The Gap Between Sets Is Enormous
There’s a 25x difference between the most expensive card overall (Umbreon ex, £960.96) and the cheapest set’s top card (Shrouded Fable’s Duskull at £37.52). The Scarlet & Violet era hasn’t been a rising tide that lifts all boats — certain sets have become hyper-collectible while others remain primarily valued for gameplay.
Methodology & Sources
All prices were sourced from PokeCardValues.co.uk on 24 March 2026. Values represent NM/M (Near Mint/Mint) condition for Unlimited print runs unless otherwise noted. We selected the two highest-value cards from each mainline set to give a representative snapshot of each set’s market ceiling.
Prices fluctuate daily based on supply, demand, and new listings. This article is a point-in-time snapshot and should not be taken as investment advice. Always check current market prices before buying or selling.