Pokémon TCG Rainbow Rares: What They Are, Why They Ended, and Which Cards to Buy in 2026
By Dexhaul Team · September 10, 2026
Rainbow Rares were retired from the Pokémon TCG after Silver Tempest in 2022.
If you have been searching for a Rainbow Rare from a Scarlet and Violet set and coming up empty, that is not a gap in your searching. The mechanic does not exist in the SV era.
Everything labeled "Special Illustration Rare" in the current format is a different card type, printed on different foil stock with different art treatments. SIRs and Rainbow Rares are not the same rarity.
Here is the full picture: what Rainbow Rares are, which sets have them, and how to approach buying them in 2026.
What is a Rainbow Rare?
A Rainbow Rare is a Secret Rare card printed on prismatic, multi-color holographic foil stock. The card number always exceeds the set's official print run total.
The mechanic was first introduced in the Sun and Moon era. It covered GX Pokémon and select Trainer cards, each rendered in a desaturated, stylized treatment layered over a full-spectrum shimmer base. In the Sword and Shield era, the format expanded further: most major sets included Rainbow Rares for every VMAX and VSTAR card in the set, plus a handful of Trainer Rainbow Rares numbered alongside them.
The defining visual is the spectrum shimmer. Unlike gold Secret Rares, which use a metallic monochrome finish, Rainbow Rares cycle through the full visible color spectrum across the card face. That foil treatment is what the SV era replaced entirely.
Price range across the mechanic runs from under $5 for Trainer Rainbow Rares in lower-demand sets to $235 or more for the most sought-after VMAX cards. The rarity tier is roughly consistent across all its appearances. What drives the spread is which Pokémon or Trainer is on the card, not pull difficulty.
Which sets have Rainbow Rares?
The short answer: Sun and Moon era sets from Guardians Rising onward, and every Sword and Shield era set through Silver Tempest.
The mechanic debuted in May 2017 with Sun and Moon: Guardians Rising. Every main Sun and Moon set from that point through Cosmic Eclipse (November 2019) included Rainbow Rares. The Sun and Moon Base Set and the XY-era Evolutions predate the mechanic entirely and have no Rainbow Rares in their card list.
Sword and Shield expanded the format significantly. The SWSH Base Set (February 2020) introduced VMAX Rainbow Rares, and most major releases from that point included several Pokémon and Trainer Rainbow Rares in the same set. Silver Tempest (November 4, 2022) was the final English TCG set to include them.
Scarlet and Violet (March 31, 2023) introduced a new format. The SV era uses Special Illustration Rares with illustrated alternate art on textured foil stock, plus Hyper Rares with a gold holofoil finish.
Neither is a Rainbow Rare. The prismatic spectrum shimmer is not part of the current print format.
Candice 204/195 from Silver Tempest is representative of the mechanic's final chapter: a Trainer Rainbow Rare from the last SWSH set, priced under $6. Collectors completing a Rainbow Rare run through SWSH12 will need it. Those targeting only Pokémon Rainbow Rares can skip it entirely.
The Trainer Rainbow Rare price gap
Pull odds for Trainer Rainbow Rares and Pokémon VMAX Rainbow Rares within the same set are identical. Both are Secret Rares numbered above the set total, occupying the same slot in the pack's hit distribution.
The market does not price them that way.
Trainer Rainbow Rares consistently trade at a steep discount to Pokémon Rainbow Rares from the same set. Roseanne's Backup 180/172 from Brilliant Stars sells for around $3 raw. Arceus VSTAR 176/172 from the same set sells for $13 or more.
Both are equally difficult to pull. The gap is demand: collectors want Pokémon art, not Trainer art.
This gap creates a specific situation for buyers. Collectors building a full-set Rainbow Rare run need the Trainer cards regardless. Collectors who only want Pokémon or VMAX Rainbow Rares can ignore Trainer Rainbow Rares and concentrate their budget on Pokémon art.
Five Rainbow Rares worth owning in 2026
These five cover the main price tiers and strategic entry points across the mechanic's run.
Charizard VMAX, Champion's Path 074/073: $235
The most valuable SWSH Rainbow Rare by a clear margin. Champion's Path was never sold as a standalone booster box: the only way to open packs was through Champion's Path ETBs or Premium Collections, both of which had constrained print runs. That supply cap, not the Rainbow rarity alone, drives the premium.
Raw copies trade at $235 or more. Graded PSA or CGC 10 copies push substantially higher.
Mew VMAX, Fusion Strike 268/264: $103.99
Fusion Strike is one of the largest SWSH sets by card count, and Mew VMAX is its marquee card. The Rainbow at $103.99 sits between the standard VMAX (around $14–$20 raw) and the Alternate Art ($270 or more), giving collectors a mid-market entry point for one of the strongest-performing SWSH cards.
Arceus VSTAR, Brilliant Stars 176/172: $13.99
Arceus VSTAR was one of the most-played competitive cards in the SWSH era and remains widely recognized. Brilliant Stars (February 2022) is a high-print-run set, which keeps raw prices accessible. At $13.99 raw, this is the most practical entry point for a VSTAR Rainbow Rare from a flagship set and a straightforward starting point for someone buying into the mechanic for the first time.
Dragonite VSTAR, Pokemon GO 081/078: $50.99
The Pokémon GO set (July 2022) was a crossover release tied to the mobile game, which makes it a distinct collection point for GO fans who also collect the TCG. Dragonite is the set's most visually striking VSTAR, and its Rainbow Rare at $50.99 sits in the mid-tier between Arceus ($13.99) and the premium end. The GO set's crossover audience keeps search interest for this card above what pure TCG demand alone would generate.
Regieleki VMAX, Silver Tempest 198/195: $7.99
Silver Tempest is the last SWSH set, which gives every card in it a specific kind of collector framing. Regieleki VMAX 198/195 at $7.99 is the budget Rainbow Rare from that final chapter. For under $8, a collector gets a Rainbow Rare from the closing release of a two-mechanic era: both VMAX and Rainbow Rares ended with this set.
Rainbow Rares are a closed chapter in the TCG: every card in the mechanic already exists, and no new ones will be printed. Search DexHaul for rainbow rare to compare current listings across independent shops, from $3 Trainer Rainbow Rares to mid-market VSTAR and VMAX cards. Dexhaul is independent and not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or any retailer listed here.