The Best Full Art Pokemon Cards, Ranked By Artwork

Summary

• Full art cards showcase Pokemon creatively with detailed illustrations, capturing unique aspects of each character.
• Talented illustrators bring Pokemon to life with vibrant colors, intricate backgrounds, and imaginative compositions.
• The artistry in full art cards adds value to the Pokemon TCG, making these cards sought-after for their visual storytelling.

Throughout the Pokemon TCG’s history, there have been many talented illustrators that have used their skills to depict the Pokemon series’ hundreds of Pokemon. Full art cards, a type of card where the artwork takes up the whole card, allow these illustrators to make the most of their creative abilities, giving them more space to work with.

The use of color, the composition of the Pokemon, and the background of the illustration all help to make a card stand out from the rest, culminating in a new interpretation of the Pokemon. While these full art cards might run on the expensive side if you want a specific one, the distinctive artwork makes them worth seeking out.

These full art cards have been selected based on how they represent the respective Pokemon, the artistic skill used, and the small details that take the cards to the next level.

Updated on March 16, 2025 by Casey Foot: There are many skilled artists for the Pokemon TCG, and full art cards allow them to show off their expertise. The bigger canvas size allows the illustrators to create a full scene and show us the Pokemon like we’ve never seen before. As a few new sets have come out since we last updated this list, we’ve added some excellent full art cards that were included in them.

Kecleon – Surging Sparks #213

How Many Kecleons Do You See?

When you first look at this card, you might think there’s just one Kecleon in the illustration, but when you take a closer look, you’ll find that there are several other Kecleon blending into the background, matching the colors of the flowers and clinging to the branches.

Mori Yuu’s illustration contrasts flat colors with texture, creating an eye-catching effect. This approach is perfect for depicting Kecleon’s ability to camouflage itself in its environment and allowing the central Pokemon to stand out. It’s easy to imagine a group of Kecleon behaving like this in the wild.

Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex – Prismatic Evolutions #168

The Bloodmoon Rises Once Again…

Yano Keiji’s depiction of Bloodmoon Ursaluna, a Pokemon first introduced in Scarlet & Violet’s DLC, captures its fearsome nature. In Keiji’s illustration, Bloodmoon Ursaluna is hunched over and breathing heavily with the backdrop of a blood moon.

The Pokemon’s breath is used to add another layer to the illustration, as it spreads across Bloodmoon Ursaluna’s body and pools at its feet like clouds. The composition also makes it seem as though the Pokemon has whipped around at the sound of motion behind it, ready to attack.

Hydrapple ex – Stellar Crown #167

Worthy Of A Tapestry

Teeziro is one of the most prolific TCG artists, and this Hydrapple ex is one of the best they’ve illustrated. Hydrapple was introduced in Gen 9’s The Indigo Disk and is inspired by both hydras and candied apples.

This card of Hydrapple resembles an ancient mural, harkening back to the Pokemon’s mythological inspirations. The Hydrapple is surrounded by Applin, its first evolution, and the entire illustration has a worn effect, as if the mural has existed for years and years. Teeziro’s use of the Pokemon’s inspirations takes this card to the next level and gives us a glimpse into how the Pokemon world records mythology.

Houndoom · Shrouded Fable #066

All Bark And All Bite

This Houndoom full art card is one of Taiga Kasai’s first cards for the Pokemon TCG after making his debut as a runner-up in 2022’s illustration contest. Houndoom is an intimidating Pokemon, with its Pokedex entry in X describing its howls as being like “the call of the grim reaper”, which isn’t difficult to imagine thanks to this card.

The card has a largely monotone color scheme except for the stark red glow of the Houndoom’s eye. The silhouettes of other Houndooms help to paint the picture of the Pokemon running in a pack, alluding to the frightening hellhounds they’re based on.

Froslass · Twilight Masquerade #174

Cold As Ice

Ghost-type Pokemon often have eerie lore associated with them, and Froslass is no exception. Its Pokedex entries say that it’s possible that Froslass may be a woman lost in the snow reborn as the Pokemon and that it freezes its prey to display them. Matazo’s full art card definitely evokes Frosslass’ creepy nature.

The card shows Froslass slipping into a house on the night of a full moon with a strange look in its eye. The muted color scheme and backdrop Matazo chose makes it seem like it’s the dead of the night, and you’ve just woken up to this terrifying sight…

Tatsugiri · Twilight Masquerade #186

Anyone Else Suddenly Want Sushi?

Osare was the perfect choice for a full art of Tatsugiri thanks to their vibrant and colorful art style with bold black outlines that capture the Pokemon’s signature color palette. Tatsugiri is a different color depending on its form – Curly, Droopy, or Stretchy – all of which are depicted on this card.

The pink, yellow, and orange Tatsugiri complement each other well, especially against the bright blue background of the ocean. The white patterns throughout the piece also evoke a pop art style. It’s a fun display of a different kind of art style that you don’t normally see in the Pokemon TCG.

Pawmi – Paldean Fates #226

Snoozing Cuties

Generation 9’s Pikachu clone, Pawmi is an Electric mouse (as you would have guessed) with a quiff-like tuft of fur on its head, round yellow cheeks, and adorable shiny eyes, as featured on this card. There’s also a literally shiny Pawmi, just waking up from a nap among its Pawmi family.

The shiny Pawmi’s pink fur complements the flowers in the foreground, bringing the piece together. The sunlight dappling through the trees and sparkling against the foliage creates a relaxing scene – oh to be a Pawmi sleeping in the forest.

Grotle – Temporal Forces #164

Off On An Adventure

Illustrated by Oswaldo Kato, this card depicts Grotle walking through long grass with a Marill on its back and a Starly and another Marill trailing behind them. As the card says that Grotle leaves the forest to sunbathe, it’s likely that the group of Pokemon are looking for a place in the sun.

It’s always charming when Pokemon illustrators showcase friendships between Pokemon in their work, and this card is the perfect example of this. You can just imagine a special episode of the anime following this group of unlikely Pokemon pals.

Drampa – Temporal Forces #184

A Friendly Dragon

This is Mékayu’s first full art card for the Pokemon TCG, and it has certainly left an impression thanks to its whimsical representation of Drampa. According to multiple Pokedex entries, Drampa makes friends with local children, which can be seen on this card, as two children ride on its back as it soars across the town.

The card highlights how magical the world of Pokemon can be, as the fairytale-like Drampa contrasts with the regular townhouses below. It’s almost as if the card was taken right out of a children’s book.

Mantyke – Paradox Rift #189

Deep Sea Research

Compared to veteran artists in the Pokemon TCG, Rika is a relatively new Pokemon card illustrator; however, their talent and skill is already on par with others showcased in the TCG. Rika’s attention to detail, which is seen in this Mantyke card, immediately immerses you into the scene.

The card shows a marine biologist in a submarine, with a grinning Mantyke swimming by the window, all bathed in a blue hue from the reflection of the water. A neat detail is the research on the marine biologist’s screen, where you can see an image of a Mantyke, so it must be the subject of his research.

Cyclizar – Paradox Rift #215

Time To Go For A Ride

Paldea’s Cyclizar is known for its resemblance to bikes and its ability to allow people to ride it, which is showcased in Mina Nakai’s Cyclizar card. The card depicts four Cyclizar in parking spaces, equipped with items that make them look like Vespas. One Cyclizar is having a well-earned nap after traveling with luggage on its back, while the others chat.

Nakai’s card expands on Cyclizar’s main characteristic and gives it a slice-of-life spin — you can just imagine how Cyclizar is used in everyday life in Paldea.

Iron Jugulis – Paradox Rift #216

The Future Is Neon

In this card, Gidora makes use of a neon future aesthetic set in a city’s nightlife, with Iron Jugulis flying through the starry night sky. Iron Jugulis’ bright pink accents and metallic appearance make it fit in perfectly with this atmosphere. Gidora’s use of color is particularly impressive, as if light is really emitting from the card.

Not many Pokemon cards opt for this vaporwave-like approach, so it easily stands out in the thousands of cards that have been printed, and Iron Jugulis is the ideal Pokemon to represent this style.

Maushold – Paldea Evolved #226

Adorable Households

Known as the Family Pokemon, Maushold is a collection of mouse Pokemon that can either appear as a family of three or four. Maushold’s family-oriented nature is endearing and Mizue has chosen to highlight this in their full art card, which depicts multiple Maushold cozy in their nest, eating delicious berries and mushrooms.

In the bottom right of the card, a Maushold family sleeps soundly, using leaves to keep themselves warm. Mizue’s colorful illustration captures the warmth of the environment, not only through the Maushold themselves, but also through the idyllic forest setting that’s abundant with greenery.

Eiscue – Paldea Evolved #205

Ice Cold

In Eiscue’s Pokedex entry in Pokemon Sword, it says that it prefers to be “nice and cold,” likely to maintain its ice-covered face. Though Scarlet says Eiscue can cool each other down by “press[ing] their ice cube heads together,” Nelnal’s full art card depicts another humorous solution.

In the card, an Eiscue uses a footstool to climb into the fridge, sticking its face inside of it while another Eisue watches on, waiting for its turn. Nelnal brilliantly uses Eiscue’s main characteristic to show us the Pokemon’s personality when it’s at home with its trainer, which the incredibly detailed environment helps to show, giving realism to the scene depicted.

Palafin – Obsidian Flames #200

Zero To Hero

The Dolphin Pokemon Palafin has two forms – in its Zero Form, it resembles a regular dolphin, but in its Hero Form it stands on its tailfins and is more heroic and muscular, like a superhero. Akira Komayama depicts its Hero Form in the center of this card with its fins crossed, while Finizen leap out of the waves surrounding it.

The way that Komayama has positioned Palafin is similar to a water fountain, with the Pokemon being the central statue. Although there are a lot of colors and patterns used in the card, the illustration isn’t too busy, with its vibrancy instead adding to the theatrical nature of the card.

Dondozo – Scarlet & Violet #207

King Of The Sea

In the Dondozo full art card, Akira Egawa showcases the titanic size and majesty of this catfish Pokemon. This card shows Dondozo leaping out of the ocean, causing a gigantic wave of water to swirl around it.

Dondozo’s Tatsugiri followers surround it, with one in the bottom left-hand corner looking at Dondozo with awe. Egawa’s use of color is masterful, as Dondozo is encompassed by hues of blue, pink, yellow, and green, reflecting the light of the sunset. This full art card perfectly depicts how colossal Dondozo is, which is difficult to grasp in the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet games.

New Wave Legendary

Akira Komayama did an excellent job of depicting Pokemon Violet’s legendary Pokemon, Miraidon, by highlighting its futuristic nature through well-chosen colors and effective framing. In this full art card, Miraidon is shown outside of an apartment window with an enormous pink moon behind it bathing it in a white glow.

Komayama’s illustration is reminiscent of new wave aesthetics, which use a similar color palette, and this works perfectly with Miraidon’s robotic appearance. The cityscape backdrop only elevates this modern and vibrant atmosphere, showcasing Miraidon’s Paradox origins.

Fidough – Scarlet & Violet #213

Adoughrable

The Puppy Pokemon Fidough has an adorably doughy appearance, which is something that Tika Matsuno decided to highlight in this endearing illustration. In this card, Fidough stands on its hind legs to peer into a bakery window, looking at the delicious pastries inside.

Matsuno’s full art card shows Fidough’s curious expression in the reflection of the bakery window, making it one of the cutest cards of the Scarlet & Violet set. Perhaps Fidough is thinking about which pastry it wants to eat or why they look so familiar…

Wiglett – Scarlet & Violet #206

Under The Sea

In their full art card of Wiglett, You Iribi showcases the liveliness of the Pokemon world’s seas. Although Wiglett is the primary focus of the illustration, this card also depicts many other aquatic Pokemon species, as though it’s presenting a microcosm of the Pokemon world’s underwater biomes.

Iribi’s use of color helps to highlight the wide array of life thriving beneath the surface of the sea – Luvdisc swims past Wiglett and through coral, Psyduck dives towards the seabed, and Mareanie relaxes on a rock. It’s a colorful scene that shows Pokemon living in their natural habitat.

Smeargle – Silver Tempest #TG10

Creative Soul

This card, illustrated by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, shows Smeargle tapping into its artistic abilities, as it’s painting a canvas with bright colors. This artwork might be an abstract rendition of the artist trainer NPC opposite Smeargle, as he has a similar wild expression. At the same time, the artist carves Smeargle’s likeness out of wood.

Both Smeargle and the artist seem to be having fun, though, as the entire studio is filled with paint splatters and wood carvings. Oshiyama did an excellent job of capturing the frenetic energy of the scene depicted, as the artist has a wide grin on his face as he chips away at the sculpture while Smeargle uses its tail as a paintbrush, leaping off the floor to reach its canvas.