Library

Rarities

Rarity tells you how often a card is printed within a set. Each game uses its own system, so the same word can mean different things.

Rarity by game

Pokémon TCG

Common
Printed in the largest numbers. Marked with a circle symbol on most cards from the original era onward.
Uncommon
Printed in smaller numbers than Commons. Marked with a diamond symbol.
Rare
A star symbol marks a Rare. In older sets many Rare cards also come as holographic versions.
Holo Rare
A Rare with a holographic, shiny area, usually over the artwork. The Base Set Charizard is a famous example.
Double Rare
A modern rarity used for Pokémon ex in the Scarlet & Violet era, marked with two stars.
Rare Shiny
A card showing a shiny, alternate-color Pokémon. Hidden Fates Shiny Vault cards use this idea and are listed as shiny rares in card databases, such as Rare Shiny GX. Later sets use names such as Shiny Rare.
Illustration Rare and Special Illustration Rare
Modern styles where the artwork stretches across much of the card. They put the illustrator's scene first.

Magic: The Gathering

Common
The most frequent cards in a pack. Often simple, and good for learning the game.
Uncommon
Less frequent than Commons, usually with more interesting effects.
Rare
The main rarity for powerful or complex cards.
Mythic Rare
A top rarity tier introduced in 2008 with Shards of Alara, used for the most striking cards in a set.
Special and promotional
Cards printed outside regular boosters, including promotional versions and special reprints.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG

Common
The standard version of a card with no special foil on the name or art.
Rare
A card whose name is printed in silver foil.
Super Rare
A card with a holographic image area.
Ultra Rare
A card with a gold-foil name and a holographic image. Many famous monsters were first printed as Ultra Rares.
Secret Rare
A rarity that uses a rainbow-style foil pattern and a different look from the standard ones.
Ghost Rare, Starlight Rare and others
Premium rarities that use special finishes. They change from product to product, so always check the product page of the set.

Rarity is not the same as finish

A foil, holographic or full-art card is not automatically rare. Finish describes how a card looks, while rarity describes how often it is printed. Read Rarity and Finishes Explained to learn the difference. This page does not list prices or values.

Cards by rarity

Common

Double Rare

Holo Rare

Mythic Rare

Rare

Rare Shiny GX

Super Rare

Ultra Rare

Uncommon