# Pokémon Card Rarity Symbols Explained > What every symbol on a Pokémon card means — circle, diamond and star, the Double Rare to Hyper Rare ladder, and the Japanese AR and SAR letter codes. The little symbol in the bottom corner of a Pokémon card tells you its rarity. The classic system is simple — a circle is common, a diamond is uncommon, a star is rare — but modern Scarlet & Violet cards added a whole ladder of star symbols for the chase cards. Here's how to read every one, old and new. ## Where is the rarity symbol on a Pokémon card? Look at the bottom corner of the card, alongside the set symbol and the collector number. The rarity symbol is the small shape — a circle, diamond or star (or, on modern chase cards, a cluster of stars) — that grades how hard the card is to pull. One quirk to know: a secret rare isn't marked by a special symbol but by a collector number higher than the set total — for example 199/198. So always read the symbol and the number together. ## Every Pokémon rarity symbol at a glance This is the whole ladder in one place, classic and modern. Find the shape that matches the symbol beside your card's collector number, then read across. _Pokémon card rarity symbols: what each shape means, which era it belongs to, and how to recognise the card._ | Symbol | Rarity | Era | How to recognise it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Black circle | Common | All eras | No foil. The bulk of any pack. | | Black diamond | Uncommon | All eras | No foil. Roughly three per pack. | | Black star | Rare | All eras | One per pack in the classic era. Holo rares used this same star. | | Black star + PROMO | Promo | All eras | A black star promo: tins, boxes, events and magazine inserts. | | Gold star beside the name | Gold Star | EX era, roughly 2004 to 2007 | An ultra-rare Shiny version with special artwork, seeded a few per box. | | Two black stars | Double Rare | Scarlet & Violet, 2023 onward | The basic ex cards. | | Two silver stars | Ultra Rare | Scarlet & Violet, 2023 onward | Full-art and special full-art ex and trainer cards. | | One gold star | Illustration Rare | Scarlet & Violet, 2023 onward | A special full-body artwork of the Pokémon in a scene. | | Two gold stars | Special Illustration Rare | Scarlet & Violet, 2023 onward | The premium full-art version. Among the most chased in any set. | | Three gold stars | Hyper Rare | Scarlet & Violet, 2023 onward | The gold-bordered cards at the very top of a set. | | No special symbol | Secret rare | All modern eras | Identified by a collector number higher than the set total, e.g. 199/198. | Two collector-number quirks sit outside the symbol system entirely. In the e-Card sets (Expedition, Aquapolis and Skyridge, 2002 to 2003) holo versions took an "H" number, so a card reads H1/H32 rather than 1/147. And in the Sword & Shield era, Trainer Gallery cards took a "TG" number such as TG01/TG30, which marks the subset rather than the rarity. ## The classic symbols: circle, diamond and star The original system, in use since the first sets, has just three symbols, and they still appear on cards today: - Black circle — Common. - Black diamond — Uncommon. - Black star — Rare. - Black star with "PROMO" — a promotional card (the "black star promo"). ## What about holo and older special rarities? In the classic era the black star did a lot of work. A Rare Holo — like the Base Set Charizard — used the same black star as an ordinary rare, with its holofoil the only visible sign of the upgrade. There was no separate "holo" symbol. Two older wrinkles are worth knowing if you collect vintage. In the e-Card sets (Expedition, Aquapolis and Skyridge, 2002–03), holo versions were given a separate "H" collector number — so a card might be H1/H32 rather than 1/147. And in the EX era (roughly 2004–2007), Gold Star cards carried a gold star next to the Pokémon's name to mark an ultra-rare Shiny version with special artwork; these were seeded only a few per box, so treat any pull-rate figures you see as rough. ## Modern Scarlet & Violet rarity symbols (2023 onward) From the Scarlet & Violet era, Pokémon added a clearer ladder of star symbols for the higher rarities. From most common to rarest: - Two black stars — Double Rare (the basic ex cards). - Two silver/foil stars — Ultra Rare (full-art and special full-art ex and trainer cards). - One gold star — Illustration Rare (a special full-body artwork of a Pokémon). - Two gold stars — Special Illustration Rare (the premium full-art version; among the most chased). - Three gold stars — Hyper Rare (the gold-bordered "gold" cards at the top of a set). ## What do the letters on a Japanese Pokémon card mean? Japanese cards don't use the shape system at all. They print a letter code beside the collector number instead, and it reads as a ladder of its own. If you've bought singles from Japan or pulled from a Japanese set, this is the column you're reading. - C — Common. - U — Uncommon. - R — Rare. - RR — Double Rare, the Japanese equivalent of the two-black-stars ex cards. - RRR — Triple Rare. - AR — Art Rare, the Japanese counterpart of the Illustration Rare. - SAR — Special Art Rare, the counterpart of the Special Illustration Rare. - SR — Super Rare. - UR — Ultra Rare, which covers the gold cards. The English and Japanese ladders line up roughly but not exactly, and the two markets price differently: a Japanese card and its English twin are separate markets with separate prices, so always note which one you have before comparing to a listing. ## Do rarer symbols mean a more valuable card? Usually, but not always. As a rule, the further up the rarity ladder a card sits, the more it's worth — a Special Illustration Rare typically beats a Double Rare of the same Pokémon. But rarity is only one lever. Condition, the popularity of the Pokémon, the specific artwork and how many were printed all matter, and a pristine, sought-after rare can outsell a beaten-up higher rarity. So use the symbol as a starting point, not the final word. The [how much is your Pokémon card worth guide](https://cardloft.app/guides/how-much-is-my-pokemon-card-worth) covers the full picture, and old printings carry their own premium — see [1st Edition, shadowless and unlimited cards](https://cardloft.app/guides/first-edition-vs-unlimited-pokemon-cards). ## How do I check a specific card's value? Once you've read the symbol, [check your Pokémon card's price from a photo](https://cardloft.app/value-card): CardLoft identifies the exact set and card and shows what it's worth against current eBay Australia listings. It reads the set symbol, number and rarity for you, so you don't have to memorise the ladder. It's free and works across vintage and modern cards alike. ## FAQ ### What do the symbols on Pokémon cards mean? The symbol in the bottom corner shows rarity: a black circle is common, a black diamond is uncommon and a black star is rare. Modern Scarlet & Violet cards add a star ladder — two black stars (Double Rare), two silver stars (Ultra Rare), one gold star (Illustration Rare), two gold stars (Special Illustration Rare) and three gold stars (Hyper Rare). ### What does a star mean on a Pokémon card? A single black star means the card is Rare. Historically the same black star also covered holo rares, with the foil being the only visible difference. On modern cards, clusters of silver or gold stars indicate the higher chase rarities, and a black star with "PROMO" marks a promotional card. ### What is the rarest Pokémon card rarity? On modern Scarlet & Violet cards, the Hyper Rare (three gold stars, gold-bordered) and Special Illustration Rare (two gold stars) sit at the top of a set's rarity ladder. Secret rares — marked by a collector number higher than the set total rather than a symbol — are also among the hardest to pull. Rarity tier alone doesn't set value, though. ### What does AR mean on a Pokémon card? AR is Art Rare, a rarity code printed on Japanese Pokémon cards beside the collector number. It is the Japanese counterpart of the English Illustration Rare, and SAR (Special Art Rare) is the counterpart of the Special Illustration Rare. Japanese cards use letter codes (C, U, R, RR, RRR, AR, SAR, SR, UR) instead of the circle, diamond and star symbols. ### What does a TG or H number mean on a Pokémon card? Neither is a rarity symbol. A TG number (TG01/TG30) marks a Trainer Gallery card from the Sword & Shield era, a subset printed alongside the main set. An H number (H1/H32) marks a holo card from the e-Card sets of 2002 to 2003, which numbered their holos separately from the base run. ### How can I tell if my Pokémon card is rare? Check the rarity symbol next to the collector number: a star (or modern silver/gold stars) indicates a rare or chase card, while a circle or diamond is common or uncommon. A collector number higher than the set total means a secret rare. Holo, full-art and early-edition cards are also more sought-after. ## Related guides - [How Much Is Your Pokémon Card Worth?](https://cardloft.app/guides/how-much-is-my-pokemon-card-worth) — The five things that decide a Pokémon card's value, and a free photo check. - [1st Edition, Shadowless & Unlimited Pokémon Cards](https://cardloft.app/guides/first-edition-vs-unlimited-pokemon-cards) — How the early WOTC printings differ and why they cost more. - [How to Spot a Fake Trading Card](https://cardloft.app/guides/how-to-spot-fake-cards) — Authenticate a Pokémon card — fakes often get the rarity details wrong. - [How to Trade Cards Safely](https://cardloft.app/guides/safe-trading-cards) — Avoid fakes, fake slabs and scams when you trade. --- Source: https://cardloft.app/guides/pokemon-card-rarity-symbols Author: The CardLoft Team Published: 2026-06-19 · Updated: 2026-09-13