Unbroken Bonds: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon's Unbroken Bonds from May 2019: its 234 cards block by block, its seven TAG TEAM cards and where Reshiram & Charizard-GX sits.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 6 min read
Released May 3, 2019, Unbroken Bonds is a Sun & Moon series expansion built around seven new TAG TEAM cards, each pairing two Pokémon on one card. Pokémon promised more than 210 cards, led by those TAG TEAM cards, Reshiram & Charizard-GX among them, plus seven more Pokémon-GX. The set holds 234 cards: 214 numbered up to the printed total and 20 above it.
When did Unbroken Bonds come out?
Unbroken Bonds came out on May 3, 2019. Pokémon announced on March 7, 2019 that the set would be released around the world on May 3.
Team Up, which our guide covers as the set where TAG TEAM cards began, came out February 1, 2019, and Unified Minds arrived on August 2, 2019. On Rip.fan’s price pages the set is listed as UNB in the Sun & Moon group, and our Pokémon card eras guide explains how that series fits with the rest.
How many cards are in Unbroken Bonds?
- The number blocks run like this:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 163 | 163 | Pokémon, including 7 TAG TEAM cards and 7 other Pokémon-GX |
| 164 to 189 | 26 | Trainer cards: 10 Supporters, 8 Items, 5 Tools and 3 Stadiums |
| 190 | 1 | A Special Energy card, Triple Acceleration Energy |
| 191 to 208 | 18 | More versions of the TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX cards, 12 and 6, labeled Rare Ultra on Rip.fan’s page |
| 209 to 214 | 6 | Supporters, also labeled Rare Ultra |
| 215 to 228 | 14 | All 14 TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX names again, labeled Rare Rainbow |
| 229 to 234 | 6 | Labeled Rare Secret: three Items, two Tools and Triple Acceleration Energy |
Cards 215 to 234 carry numbers above the printed total, which CGC treats as the mark of a secret rare.
How many cards of each rarity?
Grouped by tier:
| Tier | Cards | Where they sit |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 62 | Within 2 to 159 |
| Uncommon | 53 | Within 3 to 190 |
| Rare | 61 | Within 4 to 184; on Rip.fan’s price pages 22 of them are labeled Rare Holo |
| Ultra Rare | 38 | The 14 TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX cards at 1 to 163, plus 191 to 214 |
| Secret Rare | 20 | 215 to 234 |
CGC’s guide explains the printed symbol beside the number: a black circle means common, a black diamond uncommon and a black star rare. The same guide says Pokémon-GX cards began in the Sun & Moon expansion, and it names Tag Team among its other Pokémon card types.
Where does each TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX card sit?
The 14 names fall into three blocks:
| Name | 1 to 163 | Rare Ultra, 191 to 208 | Rare Rainbow, 215 to 228 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pheromosa & Buzzwole-GX | 1 | 191 and 192 | 215 |
| Reshiram & Charizard-GX | 20 | 194 | 217 |
| Muk & Alolan Muk-GX | 61 | 196 and 197 | 220 |
| Marshadow & Machamp-GX | 82 | 198 and 199 | 221 |
| Greninja & Zoroark-GX | 107 | 200 and 201 | 222 |
| Lucario & Melmetal-GX | 120 | 203 | 224 |
| Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX | 130 | 204 and 205 | 225 |
| Venomoth-GX | 12 | 193 | 216 |
| Blastoise-GX | 35 | None | 218 |
| Dedenne-GX | 57 | 195 | 219 |
| Honchkrow-GX | 109 | 202 | 223 |
| Whimsicott-GX | 140 | 206 | 226 |
| Persian-GX | 149 | 207 | 227 |
| Celesteela-GX | 163 | 208 | 228 |
What stands out:
- One illustrator for the seven main-run TAG TEAM cards. All seven, at 1 to 130, are credited to Mitsuhiro Arita.
- Five TAG TEAM cards have two Rare Ultra versions. Pheromosa & Buzzwole-GX, Muk & Alolan Muk-GX, Marshadow & Machamp-GX, Greninja & Zoroark-GX and Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX each have a pair, and the two cards of each pair are credited to different illustrators. Reshiram & Charizard-GX and Lucario & Melmetal-GX have one each.
- Blastoise-GX skips the Rare Ultra block. Its only cards are at 35 and 218, both credited to sadaji, who is also credited with all three Honchkrow-GX cards.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
How does Unbroken Bonds compare with Team Up, Unified Minds and Cosmic Eclipse?
Here are the same figures for four Sun & Moon sets, with release dates:
| Set | Released | Printed total | Cards in all | TAG TEAM names inside the total | Other Pokémon-GX names inside the total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Up | February 1, 2019 | 181 | 196 | 6 | 6 |
| Unbroken Bonds | May 3, 2019 | 214 | 234 | 7 | 7 |
| Unified Minds | August 2, 2019 | 236 | 258 | 8 | 9 |
| Cosmic Eclipse | November 1, 2019 | 236 | 271 | 9 | 7 |
Each set added one more TAG TEAM name than the set before it, and each held more cards in all than the one before. The count above the printed total rose too, by Rip.fan’s arithmetic: 15 in Team Up, 20 here, 22 in Unified Minds and 35 in Cosmic Eclipse.
Which other cards repeat?
- Supporters. Six of the 10 in the Trainer run come back at 209 to 214, Janine, Molayne and Welder among them. The other four have only their Trainer-run card.
- Basic pairs. Oddish, Venonat, Litten, Poliwag, Gastly, Rhyhorn, Sandile and Porygon each have two cards side by side.
- The cards above 214. Every one of the 20 has a lower-numbered card of the same name, the usual secret-rare pattern. They are the 14 TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX names, five Trainer cards and Triple Acceleration Energy.
How do you check Unbroken Bonds card prices?
Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages include an Unbroken Bonds page listing each priced card’s number, rarity label and NM market price. Rare Holo GX brings up the 14 TAG TEAM and Pokémon-GX cards at 1 to 163, Rare Rainbow the 14 at 215 to 228, and Rare Secret the 6 at 229 to 234. Sorting by number puts Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX’s four cards, 130, 204, 205 and 225, in order.
Searching the card price lookup by name, set or number brings up a single card’s price and the printing it belongs to. The price changes page lists notable moves between Rip.fan’s weekly checks. Neither page forecasts anything: both show past raw-card prices. Grading costs are covered in our guide to whether a card is worth grading.
What should you check before buying an Unbroken Bonds card?
- The set name with the total. Lost Thunder also has a printed total of 214, so a number such as 194/214 could belong to either set.
- Which Rare Ultra version. Five TAG TEAM cards have two, so 191 and 192, or 204 and 205, are different cards. Match the card number.
- TAG TEAM or plain. Lucario has a card of its own at 126 and Melmetal at 129, apart from Lucario & Melmetal-GX at 120, so read the full name.
- Foil type and genuineness. Our guides to Pokémon card finishes, rarity symbols and spotting fake Pokémon cards go through these checks.
Three earlier Sun & Moon sets, Crimson Invasion, Forbidden Light and Celestial Storm, have guides too; the Pokémon hub has everything else.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive Unbroken Bonds card?
It was Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX (205/214), at a Near Mint market price of $700.80 on October 21, 2026. Greninja & Zoroark-GX (201/214) was second, at $354.92.
Which Rare Rainbow in Unbroken Bonds has the highest price?
Reshiram & Charizard-GX (217/214) had the highest Near Mint market price among the Unbroken Bonds cards marked Rare Rainbow on October 21, 2026, at $244.36.
What is the top-priced Rare Holo card in Unbroken Bonds?
On October 21, 2026, Snorlax (158/214) led the Rare Holo cards of Unbroken Bonds, with a Near Mint market price of $83.33.
What do the Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX cards in Unbroken Bonds cost?
Unbroken Bonds has 4 Gardevoir & Sylveon-GX cards, and on October 21, 2026, their Near Mint market prices were $82.81 for 130/214 (Rare Holo GX), $119.93 for 204/214 (Rare Ultra), $186.56 for 225/214 (Rare Rainbow) and $700.80 for 205/214 (Rare Ultra).