Niche Pokémon Play

Niche Pokemon Card Symbols Explained

Pokemon card symbols are not one system. The circle, diamond, and star are rarities. The set icon names the expansion. PROMO marks cards outside the main sets. These are 13 marks you can actually see on a card.

Crop of the original cliff illustration, meadow and red-and-white balls

Rarity marks versus set marks

Bulbapedia’s rarity page is the source for the classic three: a circle for Common, about four or five in an English pack; a diamond for Uncommon, about three in a pack, often an evolution or a Trainer; a black star for Rare, at least one in a pack. A holofoil rare uses the same star with foil on the picture, and it is not promised in every pack. From Legendary Collection onward, packs also include a reverse holo.

Scarlet & Violet added more stars. Double Rare is the ex with two black stars. Ultra Rare is the full-art ex or Supporter with two silver stars. Illustration Rare is one gold star on a full-art card that is not an ex. Special Illustration Rare is two gold stars. Hyper Rare is a gold secret card whose collector number sits above the set size. ACE SPEC Rare uses a pink star, and a deck may include only one. Shiny Rare started as an “SH” star in Shining Fates; Paldean Fates prints it as a hollow gold star. I am not ranking these by price. Prices live on niche pokemon cards.

The expansion symbol is not a rarity. It identifies the set. A black star plus the word PROMO marks a card from outside the main expansions. Japanese letter grades such as C, U, R, and RR are a separate system. I mention them so you do not confuse them with the English stars, and I do not draw a full Japanese chart because I do not have one symbol-by-symbol source for every era.

SymbolMarkMeaningStatus
CommoncircleCircle rarity mark for a Common card; it does not determine whether the Pokemon is basic or evolved.1 source
UncommondiamondDiamond rarity mark for an Uncommon card; it is separate from the card’s evolution stage.1 source
RarestarStar rarity mark for a Rare card. Pack collation varies by product and set.1 source
Holofoil Rarestar + holofoil artA Rare card with a holofoil treatment in the artwork; the star remains the rarity mark.1 source
Double Raretwo black starsTwo black diamond-shaped stars identify Double Rare ex cards in the Scarlet & Violet era.1 source
Ultra Raretwo silver starsTwo silver stars identify Ultra Rare cards in the Scarlet & Violet rarity system.1 source
Illustration Rareone gold starOne gold star identifies an Illustration Rare card in the Scarlet & Violet rarity system.1 source
Special Illustration Raretwo gold starsTwo gold stars identify a Special Illustration Rare card in the Scarlet & Violet rarity system.1 source
Hyper Raregold secret rareThree gold stars identify a Hyper Rare card in the Scarlet & Violet rarity system.1 source
ACE SPEC Rarepink starACE SPEC is a special rarity/category for powerful Trainer or Energy cards; deck rules limit ACE SPEC copies.1 source
Shiny Rarestar + SH / hollow gold starShiny Rare marks identify shiny Pokemon cards in special sets; the printed mark varies by set.1 source
Expansion symbolset-specific iconThe set or expansion icon identifies the expansion; it is separate from rarity.1 source
Promoblack star with PROMOPROMO identifies cards distributed outside a main expansion, such as products or events.1 source
Crop of the original cliff illustration, castle and meadow

FAQ

What do the symbols on a Pokemon card mean?

Circle, diamond, and star are rarity. A separate icon is the set. PROMO means the card was printed outside a main expansion.

What is a gold star on a Pokemon card?

On Scarlet & Violet cards, one gold star is an Illustration Rare and two gold stars are a Special Illustration Rare, according to Bulbapedia’s rarity page.

Related

Sources

Sources for individual table entries

Page updated 2026-11-05. Published by Niche Pokemon.