As the character designer and art director of the original Pokémon video games, Ken Sugimori is also responsible for designing the majority of the original 151 Pokémon. One of the co-founders of Pokémon developers Game Freak, Sugimori has been unquestionably instrumental in Pokémon’s popularity and enduring success. You can find Sugimori’s art on Pokémon cards too, but which ones are the most valuable? Let’s find out, as we check out the most valuable Ken Sugimori Pokémon cards!
10. Poliwrath (Shadowless, Holo Rare) – Base Set, 13/102
I’m a big fan of water type Pokémon. Having played the Pokémon video games since the very first one was released in the 90s, one of my favorite water Pokémon overall is Poliwag. Which evolves into Poliwhirl, then the imposing Poliwrath! This is a classic, iconic Pokémon, so it’s no surprise to see it on the list of the most valuable Ken Sugimori Pokémon cards!
9. Raikou (Holo Rare) – Neo Revelation, 13/64
Though not one of the original 151 Pokémon, Raikou appeared in the second generation of Pokémon games. Raikou is one of the three Legendary Pokémon from the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. It’s quite amusing to see the HP and other stats of Legendary Pokémon such as this Raikou now, given how high Pokémon HP can be in the modern Pokémon Trading Card Game!
8. Shining Gyarados (Secret Rare) – Neo Revelation, 65/64
Speaking of the classic cards and their lack of power compared to contemporary Pokémon, this Shining Gyarados was hugely impressive in its day. Just look at those attacks, the associated text and its 100 HP! Of course, it couldn’t hold its own against modern decks, but this alternate colored Gyarados is still a cool card, and you can see why collectors are so keen to get their hands on it!
7. Shining Magikarp (Secret Rare) – Neo Revelation, 66/64
Well, we didn’t expect to go from Shining Gyarados to Shining Magikarp, did we? With the normally useless Magikarp evolving into Gyarados, we’d not normally see the silly, splashing fish Pokémon on a list of this nature. However, the alternate colored Shining Magikarp and its Ken Sugimori artwork are clearly sought after by fans, despite its characteristically unthreatening nature.
6. Zapdos (Shadowless, Holo Rare) – Base Set, 016/102
Another Legendary Pokémon, Zapdos is one of the three Legendaries from Pokémon Red and Blue. Which, if you know your Pokémon, you’ll know is the first ever pair of Pokémon games! The other two Legendary Pokémon from those games are Articuno and Moltres, and we have a fun fact about them all. Did you know that Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres hide the Spanish words for one, two and three at the end of each their names: uno, dos and tres?
5. Sabrina’s Gengar (Holo Rare) – Gym Heroes, 014/132
Owner’s Pokémon have made a comeback in recent Pokémon sets, but appeared very early on in the trading card game’s history. This Sabrina’s Gengar, with its oddly off-centered artwork, appeared in the sixth Pokémon set, Gym Heroes, which released in the year 2000.
4. Dark Charizard (Holo Rare) – Team Rocket, 04/82
It’s almost always the case that we see Charizard on lists of the most valuable cards in any given set, so we’re not surprised to see this variant of the fire type Pokémon here! Appearing in the fifth Pokémon set, Team Rocket, this Dark Charizard features a Ken Sugimori illustration that won’t necessarily be that familiar, even to long term Pokémon fans.
3. Blaine’s Charizard (Holo Rare) – Gym Challenge, 002/132
Given that Ken Sugimori was so heavily involved in early Pokémon design across the video games and cards, it’s not surprising that so many of these cards hail from the earlier days of the card game. Gym Challenge was the seventh Pokémon set, and was another which launched in the year 2000. This Owner’s Pokémon variant of Charizard is another which feels unique for its time, so we’re not shocked that it holds such high value now.
2. Blastoise (Shadowless, Holo Rare) – Base Set, 002/132
Notice the lack of shadow around the art box on this Blastoise card? That’s why this is known as a shadowless card, a variant which has always been incredibly valuable to fans. Given that this card also hails from the Base Set of Pokémon, and features one of the most iconic, beloved Pokémon of all time, the only surprise here is that it didn’t make it to the top spot of the list.
1. Shining Tyranitar (Secret Rare) – Neo Destiny, 113/105
Finally, the most valuable Ken Sugimori illustrated card is this Tyranitar variant. The eagle-eyed among you may spot a spelling error; check out the Pokédex entry at the bottom of the card, which says “hust” instead of “just”!
So there you have it; those are the most valuable cards featuring artwork by Ken Sugimori. Many cards by the Pokémon co-founder are incredibly valuable these days, so it’s well worth checking out sites such as TCGplayer to see if any of the cards in your collection could make you rich!
