Pokémon 30th Celebration set explained
What a 30th Celebration pack holds, how the set's cards split by rarity, which 30 classic cards it reprints, and which products carry its packs.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
30th Celebration is the Pokémon anniversary expansion, released on September 16, 2026, on the same day worldwide. Every card in its booster packs is foil. An English pack holds five foil cards and a foil Basic Energy, and one of the five is always a Pikachu rare, from 30 different designs. Rip.fan’s price pages count 161 cards in the set, plus a separate Classic Collection of 30 reprinted cards from 1999 to 2023. The packs come only inside other products, such as Elite Trainer Boxes and collections, and Pokémon lists no booster display box in the US.
What is in a 30th Celebration pack?
Five foil cards and one foil Basic Energy card. Three details set the pack apart:
- One Pikachu rare in every pack. Pokémon made 30 of them, each in a different art style. Each of the 30 designs has its own illustrator.
- A special Basic Energy. The Energy card in each pack is designed by the artist YOSHIROTTEN.
- Half the usual card count. A Pitch Black pack from July 2026 holds 10 cards plus a Basic Energy, so a 30th Celebration pack has half as many cards, all of them foil.
In Japan, a pack holds six foil cards and a Basic Energy card, for ¥360 with tax. Our guide to Japanese and English Pokémon cards compares the two formats.
How many cards are in 30th Celebration?
It depends on who is counting, and on whether the reprints count:
- Pokémon said at launch that there are over 150 cards to discover.
- TCGplayer’s list of August 26, 2026, written before release, gave a main set of 128, a Classic Collection of 30 and about 30 secret rares still to be announced.
- Rip.fan’s price pages count 161: a numbered set of 128, plus 33 cards numbered above it. The Classic Collection has a price page of its own, with 30 cards.
Rip.fan’s set page splits the 161 like this:
| Rarity | Cards | Where they sit in the numbering |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 68 | Inside the numbered set |
| Rare | 18 | Inside the numbered set |
| Double rare (Pokémon ex) | 12 | Inside the numbered set |
| Pikachu rare | 30 | 023 to 052 |
| Illustration rare | 18 | 129 to 146 |
| Special illustration rare | 10 | 147 to 156 |
| Futuristic rare | 2 | 157 and 158 |
| RGB rare | 3 | R/RGB, G/RGB and B/RGB |
Two things stand out. The list has no uncommons at all. And the four tiers inside the numbered set fill it exactly: 68, 18, 12 and 30 make 128.
Where do the Pikachu rares sit?
At 023 to 052 of the numbered set. Every one of them is named plain Pikachu, which makes the number the only quick way to tell them apart.
Which Pokémon ex are in the set?
The 12 double rares are Fuecoco ex, Greninja ex, two Pikachu ex, Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Espeon ex, Sylveon ex, Gengar ex, Umbreon ex, Jirachi ex and Salamence ex. Ten of them also appear as special illustration rares; Espeon ex and Umbreon ex do not. None of the 12 is a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, though the set belongs to the Mega Evolution series. Our guide to Mega Evolution cards covers those.
What are futuristic rares?
A new tier with two cards: Mewtwo ex at 157 and Mew ex at 158. They are designed by YOSHIROTTEN, the same artist behind the pack’s Basic Energy.
What are the RGB Mew cards?
Three more Mew cards, numbered R/RGB, G/RGB and B/RGB in place of a number out of 128. As of September 13, 2026, the three share one YOSHIROTTEN illustration in red, green and blue foil, carry no anniversary stamp, and appear on no official list, with no entry in the Elite Trainer Box’s booklet of the set’s cards either. If a listing offers one, check its photos against the set’s price page before you trust the description.
What is the Classic Collection?
Thirty reprints of well-known cards from the past, with a new foil treatment. The reprints sit outside the numbered set.
The name is not new. There is also a 25-card Celebrations: Classic Collection, dated October 8, 2021.
Where do the reprints come from?
Two places. Classic cards can turn up as you open the set’s booster packs. And the Ultra-Premium Collection, Day and Night, due November 6, 2026, holds one Classic Collection booster pack beside its 29 regular packs, according to TCGplayer’s August 26 list.
Which cards are reprinted?
The table groups the 30 by when the original came out, with each row in alphabetical order. Dark Tyranitar, from EX Team Rocket Returns, goes in the row of the other EX-series cards.
| Original years | Reprinted cards (original set, number on Rip.fan’s list) |
|---|---|
| 1999 to 2003 | Charizard (Base Set, 4/102), Erika’s Jigglypuff (Gym Challenge, 69/132), Lugia (Aquapolis, 149/147), Misty (Gym Heroes, 18/132), Pikachu (Base Set, 58/102), Shining Celebi (Neo Destiny, 106/105), Sneasel (Neo Genesis, 25/111) |
| 2003 to 2009 | Crobat G (Platinum, 47/127), Dark Tyranitar (EX Team Rocket Returns, 19/109), Delcatty (EX Ruby & Sapphire, 5/109), Metagross (EX Delta Species, 11/113), Palkia LV.X (Great Encounters, 106/106), Scizor ex (EX Unseen Forces, 108/115), Uxie (Legends Awakened, 43/146) |
| 2010 to 2016 | Both halves of Darkrai & Cresselia LEGEND (HS Triumphant, 99/102 and 100/102), Genesect-EX (Plasma Blast, 11/101), Gengar (HS Triumphant, 94/102), Greninja BREAK (BREAKpoint, 41/122), M Gardevoir-EX (Primal Clash, 106/160), N (Noble Victories, 101/101), Rayquaza-EX (Dragons Exalted, 85/124) |
| 2017 to 2023 | Arceus VSTAR (Brilliant Stars, 123/172), Buzzwole-GX (Crimson Invasion, 57/111), Magikarp (Paldea Evolved, 203/193), Mew VMAX (Fusion Strike, 114/264), Pikachu & Zekrom-GX (Team Up, 33/181), Raikou (Vivid Voltage, 050/185), Solgaleo-GX (Sun & Moon, 89/149), Zacian V (Sword & Shield, 138/202) |
The Noble Victories N is the ultra rare version, the first full-art Supporter card. Among the originals, Gengar dates to 2010, Rayquaza to 2012, Pikachu & Zekrom to 2019, Zacian V to 2020 and Mew to 2021.
30th Celebration
30th Celebration: Classic Collection
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
How do you tell a reprint from the original?
Not by the number alone. Each English reprint carries the original card’s number, so the Charizard reads 4/102, the same as the 1999 Base Set card. The same holds for the Lugia at 149/147, and the Japanese prints number the same 30 cards from 136/103 to 165/103. On an English card, check for:
- The 30th anniversary stamp, which TCGplayer says each reprint carries.
- The foil. The reprints’ foil treatment is new, so compare with a photo of the original before you buy either.
- The listing’s set name. Rip.fan’s price pages list the Classic Collection as a set of its own, apart from Base Set, so pick the right set when you search the card price lookup.
For the originals, our guides to vintage Pokémon sets and 1st Edition and Shadowless cards cover the marks of each print run.
Which products carry 30th Celebration packs?
In September, Pokémon said the set’s packs come only inside products like the ones below, and neither its September nor its October list has a booster display box. In Japan, Pokémon lists a separate FUTURISTIC BOX.
| Product | Release date | Packs |
|---|---|---|
| Mini Tin (10 designs) | October 2 | 2 |
| Tech Sticker Collection | September 16 | 3 |
| Poster Collection | September 16 | 3 |
| Pokémon ex Box, Sylveon ex or Greninja ex | September 16 | 4 |
| Binder Collection | October 2 | 5 |
| Figure Collection, Mew or Mewtwo | November 6 | 5 |
| Booster Bundle | October 2 | 6 |
| Ditto Premium Collection | November 6 | 8 |
| Elite Trainer Box | September 16 | 9 |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | September 16 | 11 |
| Ultra-Premium Collection, Day and Night | November 6 | 29, plus one Classic Collection pack |
The Elite Trainer Box adds a Nidorina promo, 65 sleeves and 16 foil Basic Energy cards, and the Pokémon Center edition adds two more packs and a second Nidorina with the Pokémon Center logo. Our guide to Pokémon sealed products lists each product’s extras and the prices one store showed. Our guide to Pokémon booster boxes explains which recent sets have a booster display and which do not.
What should you check before buying a card from the set?
- The number and the stamp together. A Classic Collection card shares its number with an older card, and the 30 Pikachu rares share a name.
- The format. A sealed “30th Celebration booster box” is not in Pokémon’s US product articles, so ask the seller what it really is. Our guide to resealed Pokémon packs covers the seal checks.
- The price page. Rip.fan’s Pokémon card price pages list both the set and its Classic Collection, card by card, with each card’s rarity. Our guide to looking up a Pokémon card’s value walks through a search.
Release dates for the rest of the year are in our guide to Pokémon set release dates, and the Pokémon hub collects the rest of our Pokémon coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive 30th Celebration card?
It was Mew (R/RGB), at a Near Mint market price of $5,250.63 on October 21, 2026. Mew (B/RGB) was second, at $3,746.75.
Which regular-numbered 30th Celebration card costs the most?
Of the cards numbered 1 to 128, Mew ex (066/128), a Double Rare, cost the most on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $2.50.
Which Special Illustration Rare in 30th Celebration has the highest price?
Mew ex (152/128) had the highest Near Mint market price among the 30th Celebration cards marked Special Illustration Rare on October 21, 2026, at $87.34.
How much is Mew from 30th Celebration?
On October 21, 2026, the 4 Mew cards in 30th Celebration had Near Mint market prices of $0.43 for 065/128 (Rare), $3,738.75 for G/RGB (RGB Rare), $3,746.75 for B/RGB (RGB Rare) and $5,250.63 for R/RGB (RGB Rare).
What is the most valuable card in 30th Celebration: Classic Collection?
On October 21, 2026, Lugia (149/147) had the highest Near Mint market price in 30th Celebration: Classic Collection, at $202.04.