Two boxes, one release date, and the same 174-card structure built around two legendary dragons: the Black Bolt and White Flare booster box pair is one of the cleanest head-to-head comparisons in the modern Scarlet & Violet lineup. The two sets landed in Japan on the same day, and they mirror each other card slot for card slot right down to the final secret rare.
Black Bolt (SV11B) and White Flare (SV11W) released the same day — June 6, 2025 — with 174 cards apiece and an identical secret rare structure: seven SAR cards at slots 167–173, capped by one UR at slot 174. Both sealed boxes have product pages: Black Bolt (SV11B) and White Flare (SV11W). The real decision usually comes down to one thing: do you want Zekrom ex or Reshiram ex chasing you out of the pack?
- Full checklists for the pair: the Black Bolt (SV11B) card list page and the White Flare (SV11W) card list page.
- Card-by-card detail for each set: Black Bolt pull rates & best cards and White Flare pull rates & best cards.
Card counts and secret rare listings per Limitless (limitlesstcg.com/cards/jp/SV11B and /SV11W). USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
Two Sets, One Release Day
Black Bolt (SV11B) and White Flare (SV11W) are a paired release built around the Unova region — the setting of Pokemon Black and White. Both sets went on sale in Japan on the same day, June 6, 2025, and both carry 174 cards according to Limitless’s card database, which is the clearest sign that they were designed as a matched pair rather than a main set with a smaller companion.
The split between the two is thematic rather than mechanical. Black Bolt leans on Zekrom, the black dragon associated with the original Pokemon Black version; White Flare leans on Reshiram, the white dragon from Pokemon White. Beyond the headline legendary, each set fills out its own roster of Unova-region Pokemon at the SAR (Special Art Rare) level, and both cap off with a single UR (Ultra Rare) at card 174 — a full-set-artwork treatment of the box’s signature dragon.
That symmetry is what makes this pairing different from most “vs” comparisons on this site. It’s not two unrelated sets competing for your money — it’s the same design, executed twice, with a different dragon on the cover.
The Secret Rare Rosters, Side by Side
Here’s where the parity really shows. Both sets run their SAR tier across the same seven card numbers — 167 through 173 — before the single UR closes out the set at 174.
| Slot | Black Bolt (SV11B) | White Flare (SV11W) |
|---|---|---|
| 167 SAR | Serperior ex | Whimsicott ex |
| 168 SAR | Kyurem ex | Reshiram ex |
| 169 SAR | Zekrom ex | Keldeo ex |
| 170 SAR | Meloetta ex | Jellicent ex |
| 171 SAR | Excadrill ex | Hydreigon ex |
| 172 SAR | Genesect ex | Bouffalant ex |
| 173 SAR | N (supporter card) | Hilda (supporter card) |
| 174 UR | Zekrom ex | Reshiram ex |
Two things stand out in this table. First, the trainer slot at 173 mirrors the set’s cover characters — Black Bolt closes its SAR run with a Supporter card featuring N, White Flare with one featuring Hilda — the two characters most closely associated with the Black and White games. Second, each set’s headline dragon shows up twice: once at SAR (169 for Zekrom ex, 168 for Reshiram ex) and again at the very top as the UR.
Slot for slot, each set runs seven SARs (167–173) with the same slot structure, and each closes with its cover dragon as the single UR at 174 — Zekrom ex in Black Bolt, Reshiram ex in White Flare. Black Bolt’s SAR run is Serperior ex (167), Kyurem ex (168), Zekrom ex (169), Meloetta ex (170), Excadrill ex (171), Genesect ex (172) and N (173); White Flare’s is Whimsicott ex (167), Reshiram ex (168), Keldeo ex (169), Jellicent ex (170), Hydreigon ex (171), Bouffalant ex (172) and Hilda (173).
The Two Dragons: Zekrom ex vs Reshiram ex
If there’s one card driving demand for each box, it’s the UR at 174 — the full-treatment version of the set’s signature legendary.
Both URs sit at the same slot number, in the same position in their respective checklists, which is about as direct a comparison as two chase cards can get. The choice between them is almost entirely aesthetic and personal — Zekrom’s black-and-lightning design for Black Bolt, Reshiram’s white-and-flame design for White Flare — since the sets otherwise share the same rarity structure.
Below the UR, each dragon also has an SAR printing one slot away from its trainer companion — Zekrom ex at 169 in Black Bolt, Reshiram ex at 168 in White Flare. So each set’s dragon has two premium prints, SAR and UR.
For a deeper breakdown of each set individually — full checklist notes and card-by-card detail beyond the top secret tier — see our Black Bolt pull rates & best cards guide and White Flare pull rates & best cards guide.
Box Price Comparison
Each box has a Sealed option (shrink-wrapped) and a No Shrink option (shrink removed, box and contents otherwise unopened).
| Box | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bolt (SV11B) | Sealed | listed at ¥26,390 (~$171) on October 22, 2026 |
| White Flare (SV11W) | Sealed | listed at ¥23,752 (~$154) on October 22, 2026 |
The Sealed Black Bolt box was listed above the Sealed White Flare box on October 22, 2026. Requests for a specific product go through Quick Order.
Black Bolt or White Flare: Which Box to Buy
Given how closely the two sets mirror each other, the decision tends to come down to a handful of practical questions rather than one set being the objectively stronger box.
- You want Zekrom ex specifically. Black Bolt is the only place either printing — SAR 169 or UR 174 — appears. The Sealed Black Bolt box is the place to start.
- You want Reshiram ex specifically. White Flare is the set to buy, and its Sealed box was listed below the Sealed Black Bolt box on October 22, 2026.
- You collect Unova as a region, not just one dragon. Because the SAR rosters at 167–172 don’t overlap — Serperior ex, Kyurem ex, Meloetta ex, and Excadrill ex only appear in Black Bolt, while Whimsicott ex, Keldeo ex, Jellicent ex, and Hydreigon ex only appear in White Flare — a complete Unova SAR run realistically means boxes of both sets rather than either one alone.
Where to Buy Black Bolt and White Flare from Japan
We ship both sets sealed from Tokyo with tracked delivery.
For the direct product pages: Black Bolt (SV11B) Booster Box and White Flare (SV11W) Booster Box. Both listings show the current options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Black Bolt and White Flare the same set with different covers?
No, they’re two separate sets that share a release date and a matching structure. Both carry 174 cards, both run their SAR tier across slots 167–173, and both close with a single UR at slot 174 — but the specific Pokemon at those slots differ between the two, aside from each set’s own dragon appearing at both SAR and UR.
Which box has Zekrom ex, and which has Reshiram ex?
Zekrom ex is exclusive to Black Bolt (SV11B), appearing as SAR 169 and UR 174. Reshiram ex is exclusive to White Flare (SV11W), appearing as SAR 168 and UR 174.
Which is cheaper, the Black Bolt or the White Flare booster box?
White Flare’s Sealed box was listed at ¥23,752 (~$154) on October 22, 2026, below Black Bolt’s Sealed box.
Do I need both boxes to complete the Unova SAR lineup?
If your goal is the full set of SAR cards, yes — the SAR rosters at slots 167–172 don’t overlap between the two sets, so cards like Serperior ex (Black Bolt only) and Whimsicott ex (White Flare only) each require a box of their respective set.
What’s the difference between the Sealed and No Shrink listings?
Sealed means the box retains its original shrink wrap. No Shrink means the shrink wrap has been removed while the box and its contents remain unopened. Black Bolt and White Flare each have a Sealed and a No Shrink listing option.
Picked for this article
📩 Get member-only sale alerts & coupons
Sale alerts, coupons and restock notices by email — straight from Tokyo.
