Set Overview
Dark Explorers arrived in May 2012 and leaned on Darkness types. It carries Pokémon-EX and Full Art Pokémon-EX, with Darkrai-EX among its most sought pulls, and closes with secret rares including Pokémon Catcher.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | May 9, 2012 (English) |
| Publisher | Nintendo / The Pokémon Company |
| Total Cards | 108 numbered + 3 secret rares |
| Full Art | 6 cards |
| Pokémon-EX | 6 cards |
| Secret Rares | 3 cards (109–111) |
| Key Chase Card | Entei-EX 103/108, Kyogre-EX 104/108 |
About the Set
Dark Explorers arrived in May 2012 and leaned on Darkness types. It carries Pokémon-EX and Full Art Pokémon-EX, with Darkrai-EX among its most sought pulls, and closes with secret rares including Pokémon Catcher.
How to identify it: numbered cards read N/108. Secret rares read above the total (109/108 onward).
Rarities & Chase Cards
Dark Explorers had a single print run. Its structure breaks down as follows.
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Main set (1–108) | Commons, uncommons, rares and holo rares that make up the bulk of the set. |
| Pokémon-EX | High-HP Pokémon-EX, each also printed as a Full Art within the numbered set. |
| Secret rares (109–111) | Numbered beyond the set total of 108. |
Complete Card Gallery
All 111 cards from Dark Explorers. Click any card to view it full size — use the arrow keys (or swipe) to move through the set.
1
2
3Holo
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13ex
14
15
16
17Holo
18
19
20
21
22Holo
23
24
25
26ex
27
28
29Holo
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38ex
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47Holo
48
49
50
51
52
53
54ex
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63ex
64
65
66Holo
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77Holo
78
79
80
81
82Holo
83
84
85
86
87
88
89Holo
90ex
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103Full Art
104Full Art
105Full Art
106Full Art
107Full Art
108Full Art
109Secret
110Secret
111SecretKey Cards
The cards below lead Dark Explorers on the secondary market.
| Card | Name | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
 |
Entei-EX 103/108 Full Art | A full art card and one of Dark Explorers’s headline pulls. |
 |
Kyogre-EX 104/108 Full Art | A full art card and one of Dark Explorers’s headline pulls. |
 |
Raikou-EX 105/108 Full Art | A full art card and one of Dark Explorers’s headline pulls. |
Promo Cards
The BW Black Star Promos ran alongside the era’s expansions.
#BW73Promo
#BW01Promo
#BW02PromoBW Black Star Promos use their own numbering (BW01 onward) and carry a black star where a set symbol would be.
Collecting & Where to Buy
Dark Explorers is out of print and trades on the secondary market. Common singles are inexpensive, while the Pokémon-EX cards and secret rares carry the strongest premiums.
Collector tip: the Full Art and secret cards are the prize — check borders and edges closely on any graded copy.
Note: external links are provided for reference only. Always confirm a card's printing, condition and authenticity before purchasing.