VSTAR Universe (S12a, 2022) English Equivalent: Crown Zenith
By Dexhaul Team · October 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Japanese VSTAR Universe (S12a) released December 2, 2022, and its English counterpart, Crown Zenith (SWSH12.5), followed 49 days later on January 20, 2023. The two sets are closely linked but not identical: the premium alt-art and special illustration rare cards from VSTAR Universe appear in Crown Zenith's dedicated 70-card Galarian Gallery subset, while Crown Zenith's 159 standard cards draw from reprints across the full Sword & Shield era.
If you pulled a Charizard VSTAR, Arceus VSTAR, or Giratina VSTAR full art from a VSTAR Universe booster, you were opening what became a Galarian Gallery card in Crown Zenith. The English set created the Galarian Gallery specifically to house that content.
This guide covers the JP-to-EN mapping, what each format gives you, and when importing S12a makes sense over buying Crown Zenith packs.
On this page 7 sections
Set at a glance
| Detail | VSTAR Universe (JP) | Crown Zenith (EN) |
|---|---|---|
| Set code | S12a | SWSH12.5 |
| Release date | Dec 2, 2022 | Jan 20, 2023 |
| Card count | 262 cards | 159 + 70 Galarian Gallery |
| Booster box? | Yes (10 packs x 10 cards) | No standard booster box |
| Pack composition | 10 cards per pack | 10 cards per pack; 1 GG card guaranteed |
| MSRP (booster box) | 6,600 yen (official JP) | No booster box sold |
| Premium subset | Secret Rare, SIR, CHR, full art | Galarian Gallery (70 cards) |
| Available at DexHaul | Yes, multiple sellers | Yes, packs and bundles |
What the Galarian Gallery maps to
Crown Zenith's Galarian Gallery is the English packaging of the cards that drove VSTAR Universe's value. Each Crown Zenith booster pack guaranteed one Galarian Gallery card. In VSTAR Universe, those same cards appeared across the set's higher rarity tiers: Character Rare (CHR), Special Illustration Rare (SIR), and Gold (Hyper Rare).
Notable VSTAR Universe cards with Galarian Gallery counterparts in Crown Zenith include Charizard VSTAR, Arceus VSTAR, Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR, Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR, and Giratina VSTAR. Crown Zenith's full Galarian Gallery checklist and card-by-card JP equivalents are documented on Limitless TCG's S12a card list, cross-referenced to their English Crown Zenith numbers.
The 159 "standard" Crown Zenith cards are a different matter. They draw from reprints across the Sword & Shield era (S1 through S12), including VSTAR and VMAX cards that had already appeared in English Silver Tempest, Lost Origin, and earlier sets. These reprints are not cards unique to VSTAR Universe: they are EN printings of JP cards that predated S12a.
Serebii's VSTAR Universe set listing details which S12a cards are first prints versus reprints of earlier Japanese sets.
Card-number crosswalk: where the top cards landed
| Card (character) | VSTAR Universe (S12a) rarity tier | Crown Zenith counterpart |
|---|---|---|
| Charizard VSTAR | Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Galarian Gallery |
| Arceus VSTAR | Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Galarian Gallery |
| Giratina VSTAR | Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Galarian Gallery |
| Origin Forme Dialga VSTAR | Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Galarian Gallery |
| Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR | Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Galarian Gallery |
| Eevee (Character Rare) | Character Rare (CHR) | Galarian Gallery |
Card numbers differ between the JP and EN versions. VSTAR Universe uses S12a numbering (e.g., 196/172 for a card beyond the set number). Crown Zenith's Galarian Gallery cards use a GG prefix (e.g., GG60/GG70).
Use Limitless TCG's S12a card list to match any specific card across both sets by searching the Pokémon name and filtering by S12a (JP) and SWSH12.5 (EN).
What's different in the box
The most practical difference is the pack structure. VSTAR Universe comes as a booster box of 10 packs, each containing 10 cards, for 100 cards per box. There is no Crown Zenith booster box: English product arrived as Elite Trainer Boxes, Booster Bundles (6 packs), and individual packs sold separately.
Crown Zenith packs guaranteed one Galarian Gallery card per pack. VSTAR Universe packs do not separate the premium tier by guarantee: SIR and alt-art cards hit at set rates across all 10 cards in a pack, as with standard Japanese booster product. VSTAR Universe can produce multiple premium cards in one box, but there is no guaranteed floor per pack.
For the sealed collector or display binder audience, the VSTAR Universe booster box remains the format-accurate Japanese version of the set.
Japanese or English Four questions to answer first
Price per pack
VSTAR Universe boxes are currently available from independent sellers at roughly $150–$280 USD depending on seller and condition, observed on Dexhaul on October 12, 2026. Crown Zenith individual packs run $26–$34 USD each. A VSTAR Universe box works out to $15–$28 USD per pack at those seller prices, compared to $26–$34 for Crown Zenith packs bought individually.
The Japanese booster box has a lower effective pack price once you account for the full box quantity.
Play legality
Neither set is currently legal in Standard (the rotation has moved past the Sword & Shield era). Both are legal in Expanded format. For Expanded play, English Crown Zenith cards are required in sanctioned events in most regions.
Japanese cards are only legal at events that explicitly permit them. Check your local tournament organizer's rules before buying for play.
Language and collecting
VSTAR Universe cards are Japanese-only. The artwork is identical to the Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery counterpart, but the card text is in Japanese.
Collectors who want the Japanese presentation of a Charizard VSTAR SIR or an Arceus VSTAR full art will prefer S12a. Collectors who want English text on the same artwork buy Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery instead.
Grading
Both PSA and CGC grade Japanese Pokémon cards under the same standards as English cards. Japanese holofoil print quality for S12a is consistent with the Crown Zenith print run.
Verify condition from seller photos before purchasing any raw card for grading.
Why this mapping is unusual in the SWSH era
Most Japanese High Class Packs from the Sword & Shield era did not have a clean, dedicated English counterpart. VMAX Climax (S8b, December 2021) had its few new cards absorbed into Crown Zenith, but the bulk of S8b reprinted SWSH cards that had already appeared in English sets as far back as Chilling Reign and Battle Styles.
VSTAR Universe is different. It released in December 2022, near the end of the SWSH era, and Crown Zenith launched 49 days later as the final SWSH English release. That timing reflects coordinated design: TPCi created Crown Zenith as a bookend to the era, with the Galarian Gallery as its mechanism for packaging S12a's premium content in English.
No other SWSH-era High Class Pack received a companion set structured this way.
That means collectors searching for VSTAR Universe's alt-arts have exactly one English destination: Crown Zenith's Galarian Gallery. And collectors building a complete S12a Japanese set have no English equivalent they can swap card for card. The two sets cover similar content but are not interchangeable collections.
Frequently asked questions
Is VSTAR Universe the same as Crown Zenith?
No. VSTAR Universe (S12a) is a Japanese High Class Pack with 262 cards, released December 2, 2022. Crown Zenith (SWSH12.5) is its English counterpart with 159 standard cards plus a 70-card Galarian Gallery subset, released January 20, 2023.
The Galarian Gallery carries the same alt-art content as S12a's premium rarities, but the two sets have different card counts, numbering, and languages.
Does VSTAR Universe have a booster box?
Yes. VSTAR Universe came as a standard Japanese booster box: 10 packs, 10 cards each, 100 cards per box. Crown Zenith did not have a standard booster box in English; it was sold as individual packs, Booster Bundles (6 packs), and Elite Trainer Boxes.
Which set has Charizard VSTAR?
Both. The Special Illustration Rare version of Charizard VSTAR appears in VSTAR Universe (S12a) and its English equivalent appears in Crown Zenith's Galarian Gallery. The artwork is the same; the language and card numbering differ.
Are VSTAR Universe cards legal in Standard?
No. VSTAR Universe is a Sword & Shield era set that has rotated out of Standard. Both VSTAR Universe and Crown Zenith are Expanded-legal.
English cards are required for most sanctioned tournament play. Check your event's specific rules before buying for competitive use.
What is the Galarian Gallery in Crown Zenith?
The Galarian Gallery is a 70-card subset within Crown Zenith containing special illustration rares, character rares, and gold cards. Each Crown Zenith booster pack guaranteed at least one Galarian Gallery card. It is the English equivalent of the premium alt-art tier from VSTAR Universe.
Browse in-stock VSTAR Universe booster boxes, Crown Zenith packs, and other Japanese Pokémon TCG imports at DexHaul, sourced from independent sellers worldwide. DexHaul is independent and unofficial, and is not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.
Catch 'em all
More VSTAR Universe and Crown Zenith finds from independent shops.