Pikachu is one of the most iconic characters in thePokémonfranchise, transcending the games and animations and becoming firmly lodged in mainstream media consciousness. Anything featuring the adorable red-cheeked electric mouse is bound to make a big splash, andPokémon Trading Card Gamecards are no exception.
To say that Pikachu is popular would be an understatement: According toBulbapedia, Pikachu appears on 218 cards, starting with the very first “Base” set ever printed. Naturally, some of the cards thatfeature the electric Pokémonare worth a lot, with the value often increasing in conjunction with rarity, and withthe most valuable Pikachu card reaching well into the millions.
10Pikachu Gold Star EX Holon Phantoms #104/110 (2006)
Sold For $23,499.99 In 2025
The dynamic crossed-arm pose of the Gold Star Ex Holon Phantoms Pikachu made it a must-have for Pikachu fans in 2006, but there was just one problem: it was extremely rare.The shiny Pokémon only appeared about once every six boxes, which made the Gold Star cards of the era popular among collectors.
In recent years, the value of the cards has increased,fetching up to $8000, depending on the condition. Several PSA 10 cards sold in 2025 for more than ever before, with oneeBayauction closing at $23,499.99.The card’s price is expected to increase even more as fans begin to seek out the rare Gold Star cards for their collections.
9Japanese XY #175 Pikachu Battle Festa (2015)
Sold For $24,827 In 2024
You’ll quickly notice that some of the most valuable Pikachu cards (andPokémoncards, in general) are promo cards that had limited-run printings. This is the case with this Japanesepromotional card from the 2015 Battle Festa tournament, which was issued to winners of the card battle events.
The card uses the distinct 3-dimensional style of thedivisive but prolific illustrator, 5ban Graphics, and features Pikachu with Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Mewtwo X, Hoopa, and Zoroark behind it. Although it’s a fairly new card from 2015, aPSA GEM MT 10 version fetched a neat $24,827at auction atGoldin.
8Japanese Black Label Pretend Gyarados Pikachu Promo 151/XY-P (2015)
Sold For $22,000 In 2025
Pikachu is pretty cute, but the series of 14 poncho-wearing Pikachu proves it can be even cuter. The cards weregiven out as various bonuses for special events, launches, and collectible boxesduring theX & YandSun & Mooneras in Japan and never made it to the West, making the cute collectibles more valuable.
The cards all have the same style: one or a few Pikachu face forward while wearing ponchos resembling fan-favorite Pokémon like Rayquaza, Magikarp, and Lucario. Many of the cards can be found for sale for a few thousand dollars, but the most expensive sale I could find was a 2025eBaylisting for aBlack Label Gyarados-poncho-wearing Pikachu promo that sold for $22,000.
7Japanese 20th Anniversary Ginza Tanaka 24-Karat Gold Premium (2016)
Sold For $35,000 In 2025
Pokémon celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016, and to celebrate, it issued this extra-special Pikachu card. The card was a reprinting of the orignal Base set Pikachu,made of 24K gold in collaboration with famed Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka.Fans had to go through a lottery for the honor of being able to buy it for about $2,000 over a limited window of only 20 days, increasing its rarity and making iteven more appealing to collectors.
The card was bundled with a special commemorative case, and weighs 11 grams, or about the weight of three quarters or one metal key—about five times as much as a standardTCGcard. Today,the rare collectible sells for up to $35,000,like the one sold onHeritage Auctionsin 2025.
6Japanese XY #279/XY-P Pikachu 20th Anniversary Festa Participation Prize (2016)
Sold For $32,520 In 2023
Another Festa promotional card shows up as one of the most expensive PikachuPokémoncards, this time from the 20th Anniversary Festa. This special card wasgiven out to participants at the 2016 Nagoya and Niigata festivals, celebrating the franchise’s beginnings.
Fittingly, the full art holofoil card has a smiling chibi-looking Pikachu hanging out with the first three starters of the game series, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. ABlack Label-quality Battle Festa card was sold in 2023 for $32,520atGoldin, making this delightful illustration card one of the most valuable PikachuTCGcards.
5Pokémon Art Academy Pikachu Xime (2015)
Sold For $30,000 In 2025
Pokémon Art Academywas a 3DS game published in 2014 that taught fans to draw their favorite Pokémon using the console’s stylus. In 2015, The Pokémon Company held a contest whereparticipants created their own Pikachu dress-up card designs. Winners received 100 copies of their card, and at the time of this writing, some aren’t available for purchase.
According to the online museumPokumon, the Pikachu Xime winning design was given this commentary from the judges:“It meticulously expresses the flavor of a tropical island with its colors. The costume is drawn well and is cute and pretty. It’s a high-quality work.”
As a result, when one of these special cards does make it into an auction, it tends to pull in a large sum due to its rarity. The most expensiveArt AcademyPikachu card to date has been the delightfully whimsical hula-dancing Pikachu card illustrated by a contest winner known only as Xime. APSA 10 GEM MINT was sold in 2025 for $30,000oneBay, while lower-graded cards tend to sell for closer to $7,000.
4Pokémon World Championship No.3 Trainer (2024)
Sold For $41,481 In 2025
Generally, the older the card is, the more valuable it is. As time goes on, it becomes harder to find classic cards in good condition, bumping the price for those rare instances way up. The 2024 World Championship No.3 Trainer is one of the rare instances of avery recent card fetching a high price at auction.
A GEM MT 10 sold onGoldinfor$41,481 in 2025,bypassing several other valuable Pikachu cards. Part of the card’s high price comes from its scarcity: the trophy-holding Pikachu card was given out as a prize to the third-place winner at the2024 Pokémon World Championshipsin Hawaii, andonly eight are thought to exist.
3Japanese Pikachu Bronze 3rd-2nd Tournament #3 Trophy (1998)
Sold For $216,000 In 2023
Winners of the 1997-8Pokémon TCGtournament got to go home with bragging rights and a special card that has become extremely valuable with time. Third-place winners got a card illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita thatdepicts an adorably round Pikachu happily holding a bronze trophy.
The 2024 Pikachu trophy card might have netted a nice price, but this classic 1998 trophy card eclipses it in price. One of these cards wasauctioned off for $216,000 in 2023onGoldin, making this promo card one of the most expensive Pikachu cards in thePokémon TCG.
2Japanese Pikachu Silver 2nd-2nd Tournament #2 Trophy (1998)
Sold For $444,000 In 2023
Second-place winners of the 1997-8 also got a unique card, this timefeaturing the rotund Pikachu holding up a silver trophy. This card has become even more valuable over time than the bronze version, as only about 14 are estimated to exist. A mint-condition GEM MT 10 Silver Tournament Trophy was sold in 2023 for a jaw-dropping $444,000 onGoldin.
What about the first place trophy card?The gold version of this card has proven the most elusiveof the three, with only about 11 in existence according toPSA. A few are currently listed on eBay for $2 million, but no sold listings confirm that this is the correct price. A complete set of all three trophy cards sold for $794,220 in 2023 onGoldin, but the lone gold trophy card’s value remains uncertain.
1Pikachu Illustrator (1998)
Sold For $5.3 Million In 2022
The most valuable Pikachu card isn’t just expensive—it’s the most expensivePokémon TCGcard of all time across the entire collectible card game. The highest price ever paid for this card was therecord-breaking $5.3 million purchase made in 2022by YouTuberLogan Paul, but the card was selling for incredibly high prices even before he made the very public purchase.
The special promo card depicts an artistic Pikachu and was given out as a prize to winners of the CoroCoro Comic artist contests held in 1997. Only about 35 are thought to exist today, with even fewer making it nearly three decades in pristine or near-pristine condition. For this reason, this incredibly rarePokémon Trading Card Gamecard frequently fetches upward to half a million dollars, even when it’s not being bought to be included as part of a Wrestlemania outfit (seen here in Logan Paul’sInstagram).
