Pokemon TCG first started releasing in the late '90s, spreading from Japan to the rest of the world. At the time, there were not that many cards due to the fact that there were not many Pokemon. Now, over 20 years later, we have thousands of cards, covering over 900 Pokemon.
With this many cards, some Pokemon are bound to have more appearances than others. In this list, we are going to take a look at the Pokemon with the most amount of cards. This is based on unique cards rather than reprints. First, let's take a look at two Pokemon that tie for last place.
10 Ninetales And Rayquaza
- Cards: 37
Ninetales and Rayquaza are tied for last place, with 37 unique cards each. The English version of the Base Set released in 1999 and introduced us to Ninetales. Since then, Ninetales has made 37 appearances, which includes cards of Alolan Ninetales. While this isn’t as many as other original Pokemon that appear on our list, it’s still a hefty amount.
Rayquaza is a bit newer, debuting in 2003 as part of the EX Dragon expansion. As a legendary Pokemon, Rayquaza is quite popular, earning a spot alongside Ninetales.
9 Vulpix
- Cards: 39
Next up, we have Vulpix. Like Ninetails, this is another Pokemon that was introduced in the Base Set. In general, Vulpix is a fan-favorite, due to its cute appearance. This also includes cards of Alolan Vulpix, the icy white and blue version of this Fox Pokemon.
You can also find two variations of this card introduced in the Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge expansions, where Vulpix belongs to Blaine and Brock.
8 Lucario
- Cards: 41
Lucario comes in eighth place, with 41 unique cards released since the PCG-P Promotional cards in 2005. Interestingly, this first appearance was part of a promotion with Meiji Chocolate, which is a Japanese chocolate brand.
As part of the Unbroken Bonds release in 2019, you can also find a card that has both Lucario and Melmetal. Unfortunately, Melmetal does not make it onto our list, as this Pokemon only has eight unique cards.
7 Mewtwo
- Cards: 44
Mewtwo needs no introduction; this iconic Pokemon was at the center of Pokemon: The First Movie, which, as its name suggests, was the first Pokemon movie to come out. Additionally, Mewtwo played an important part in the 2019 Detective Pikachu movie.
Like Ninetails and Vulpix, Mewtwo was introduced in the Base Set. Mewtwo’s existence is thanks to the DNA of Mew, but this ancient Pokemon only has 36 cards.
6 Charizard
- Cards: 46
Charizard is a classic Pokemon, often used to represent the franchise. Since its debut in the base set, there have been 46 unique Charizard cards. Based on its appearance in the games, it's no surprise that Charizard is on this list.
This fiery dragon is in nearly every Pokemon game and has several different versions in both the video games and TCG. With the release of Pokemon X and Y, there are also Mega Charizard cards, giving the Pokemon a blue and black appearance.
5 Meowth
- Cards: 47
Meowth may be an unexpected addition to our list, especially since it beats out Charizard. This Pokemon was introduced in the Jungle Expansion, which released a few months after the Base Set in 1999.
With three forms (Galarian, Alolan, and Gigantamax), it’s no wonder that Meowth has 47 cards. Additionally, Meowth is a member of Team Rocket, which comes with it’s own card versions.
4 Raichu
- Cards: 51
Although Raichu may not be as popular as Pikachu, this evolution has the fourth highest amount of cards out of all Pokemon. This Base Set Pokemon only has one form for the Alolan region, but due to its popularity and longevity, it’s earned a spot on our list.
Interestingly, Raichu is a popular choice among rivals as well. Because of this, you can find cards such as “Lt. Surge’s Raichu” and “Jasmine’s Raichu”.
3 Eevee
- Cards: 60
In third place, we have Eevee. Debuting alongside Meowth in the Jungle expansion, we have 60 Eevee cards. This is no surprise, due to Eevee’s popularity. When people think of Pokemon, they often think of both Eevee and Pikachu. Eevee is even the central Pokemon in Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
Eevee has basic cards depicting just the Pokemon, as well as a team card with Snorlax. You can even find several special cards of Eevee wearing a Poncho, which released as part of the SM-P Promotional cards in 2017.
2 Unown
- Cards: 92
The runner-up on our list is Unown, with a whopping total of 92 cards. If you were to guess who had the most amount of cards, you may not have thought about Unown, but it makes sense when you take into account the 28 variations of this Pokemon.
The 28 variations represent each letter in the alphabet, along with a question mark and exclamation point. Each of these variations count as one card, so it’s no wonder why there are 92 versions of Unown.
1 Pikachu
- Cards: 197
The Pokemon with the most amount of cards is Pikachu, with 197 variations. This is over 100 more than Unown, who came in second on our list. If you know anything about Pokemon though, then this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Pikachu is quite literally the face of Pokémon. This mouse Pokemon is Ash’s companion, appearing in every game, as well as every Pokemon anime. Whenever The Pokemon Company is promoting something, Pikachu is usually involved. Pikachu has several special cards in cute outfits; you can even find a Mario Pikachu card released in 2016 as part of a crossover campaign with Mario.