The Pokemon Trading Card Game's newest expansion has been out in the open for a few days now, and Brilliant Stars is shaping up to be quite special indeed. Between the introduction of new VSTAR cards, a larger percentage of big, splashy cards to pull, and some of the best art the game has ever had, it feels like a fresh start for the game as we head towards the new generation later this year.
With people opening their packs, booster boxes, and Elite Trainer Boxes, it's time to take a look at which cards are the most valuable. These prices have been taken from the TCGPlayer's market prices as of Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – about four days after the expansion launched. Prices can sometimes fluctuate in the weeks after launch, but we have a rough idea of which cards will be the big ones by now. No prizes for guessing Charizard will still be super valuable in a month, though.
10 Ultra Ball (Gold Secret Rare) – $30.58
One of this expansion's handful of Golden Rares is Ultra Ball, a staple in the game that lets you discard two cards from your hand to search your deck for a Pokemon. Ultra Ball has been reprinted lots and lots of times since it first debuted in Black & White: Dark Explorers, but this is the first time it's appeared in the current Sword & Shield era.
9 Marnie's Pride (Full Art) – $34.96
Marnie is one of Sword & Shield's most popular characters, and in Brilliant Stars she gets her second Supporter card with Marnie's Pride. This is the first time Marnie has appeared in the TCG in her Gym Trainer attire that she wears in tournaments, which is neat. The ability isn't bad either, being able to put a basic energy card from your discard pile onto a benched Pokemon.
8 Arceus VSTAR (Rainbow Secret Rare) – $36.15
VSTAR is the new mechanic of Brilliant Stars, offered as an alternative evolution path for your V Pokemon. VSTAR Pokemon have powerful 'VSTAR Powers', which you can only use one of in an entire game. Each of the VSTAR Pokemon in the expansion has a rainbow rare version available, but oddly it isn't the version of this card that's the most valuable.
7 Arceus VSTAR – $36.95
Instead, it's the bog-standard Arceus VSTAR that is evaluated slightly higher. It's only eighty cents mind, so as the market settles in the coming weeks that could change. Arceus is one of those Pokemon that tends to always do well when printed, and as Brilliant Stars is effectively the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl-themed expansion, it makes sense for it to show up here.
6 Charizard V (Full Art) – $39.88
Charizard is one of the most commonly-printed Pokemon in the TCG, and it's purely because any expansion it's in sells like gangbusters. Since Sword & Shield's base set it's appeared in 16 different printings, and appears three times on this list alone. This version is definitely the least interesting of the three, as it just shows Charizard on a bland background with a white outline.
5 Umbreon VMAX – $48.13
Umbreon VMAX is one of the only cards on this list to be part of the Trainer Collection, a sub-series of cards in Brilliant Stars to showcase Pokemon alongside trainers famously associated with them. This is the same card that was introduced in Evolving Skies, but this time shows Umbreon with the Johto Elite Four member Karen in a nighttime city scape. It looks fantastic, although it isn't anywhere near as valuable as the Evolving Skies Alternate Secret Rare, which still sits at a whopping $238.43.
4 Arceus VSTAR (Gold Secret Rare) – $58.51
Arceus VSTAR is back, with the Gold Secret Rare worth almost $20 more than the basic version. It's a shame to see two of the four VSTAR Pokemon in the expansion not get a look-in to this list, but when you compare a Shaymin or a Whimsicott to Arceus and Charizard, it was never going to be any other way.
3 Arceus V (Alternate Full Art) – $66.59
Our fourth Arceus on this list isn't even the strongest one. But Arceus V's alternate art is simply incredible, showcasing Arceus flighting high above the Sinnoh Region. Arceus has the double whammy of being the mascot for the expansion and a popular Pokemon for collectors anyway, which explains why it appears four times on the list.
2 Charizard V (Alternate Full Art) – $165.45
Brilliant Stars is full of awesome art, but easily one of the best is Charizard V's alternate full art. A dramatic fight between a Charizard and a Venusaur, with a cinematic angle and slightly-muted colouring, this is potentially one of the most visually impressive Charizards to have ever been launched. It's the same card as the standard full-art, but the new art helps pump up the value by $125.
1 Charizard VSTAR (Rainbow Secret Rare) – $183.08
Of course, any expansion with Charizard in is going to have it as its most valuable card. Charizard is so highly sought-after that it pumps up the value of not just itself but of the entire expansion as people try and find those rainbow secret rares. Charizard VSTAR also has the Star Blaze VSTAR Power, which deals 320 damage to your opponent's Active Pokemon. It's a big, flashy move on an immensely popular Pokemon, which is why it's easily secured the top spot by almost $20.