Dark Hole

Why collectors notice it

Dark Hole is a good card for seeing how rarity labels like Super Rare appeared in early sets.

It is the foundation of the English Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Read more about Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon.

A closer look

Reading this card

Dark Hole has the green frame of a Spell and the type line Normal Spell, with no stars and no attack number. What sets it apart is the finish. The featured print is a Super Rare, meaning the image area is holographic while the name is not in gold foil. If you hold it and tilt it in the light, the shine should sit in the picture and not on the title.

That makes it a handy teaching card for rarity. Of the first-set cards featured on this site, it is the one that shows the Super Rare style, between the silver-foil name of a Rare and the gold-and-holographic look of an Ultra Rare. Open the rarities page to see the whole Yu-Gi-Oh! list.

How it compares

Against Pot of Greed, the difference is direction. Pot of Greed gives you more cards. Dark Hole removes monsters, and it does so on both sides of the field, including yours. Timing is what you learn from it.

Against Mirror Force, both clear away monsters, but in different ways. Dark Hole is played on your own turn and hits everything. Mirror Force is a Trap that waits face down and reacts to an attack, aimed at the attacker's side. See Spell and Trap cards for how Spells and Traps differ.

Questions readers ask

Will it destroy my own monsters too?

Yes. It hits the field on both sides, so you check your own board before you play it.

Does Super Rare mean the card is stronger?

No. Rarity is the label the publisher gives to a print. It does not measure how good a card is in play, and this site does not give prices.

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