Two boxes, one release date, and the same 174-card structure built around two legendary dragons. Black Bolt and White Flare landed in Japan on the same day, and the two sets mirror each other card slot for card slot right down to the final secret rare — which makes them one of the cleanest head-to-head comparisons in the modern Scarlet & Violet lineup.
If you’re deciding between the two, this guide lines them up directly: what’s actually inside each box, how the top secret tiers compare, what each box is currently listed at, and which one makes sense depending on whether you’re chasing a specific dragon, building out an Unova collection, or just trying to get the most box for your budget.
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. Black Bolt’s sealed box is currently listed at ¥26,000; White Flare’s sealed box is currently listed at ¥24,128. The real decision usually comes down to one thing: do you want Zekrom ex or Reshiram ex chasing you out of the pack?
Card counts and secret rare listings are verified against Limitless (limitlesstcg.com/cards/jp/SV11B and /SV11W). Prices reflect our own catalog listings as of August 12, 2026, and can change — check the linked product pages for the current figure before ordering.
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. (The English print title for the Black Bolt card hasn’t been independently confirmed; we’re using the character’s well-known franchise name here.) 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. There’s no version of either set where you can pull a box and not have your dragon represented somewhere on the secret rare list — it just depends which rarity you land on.
Neither set has published official pull rates, and we haven’t independently verified per-box odds for either title — treat any specific pull-rate figures you see elsewhere as unofficial community estimates, not confirmed numbers.
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 a box of either set gives you two separate opportunities to land your dragon in a premium finish, not just one.
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
Both sets are sold in two formats in our catalog — sealed (shrink-wrapped) and No Shrink (shrink removed, box and contents otherwise unopened). Here’s how they line up as of our latest catalog check:
| Box | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bolt (SV11B) | Sealed | currently listed at ¥26,000 |
| Black Bolt (SV11B) | No Shrink | currently listed at ¥24,128 |
| White Flare (SV11W) | Sealed | currently listed at ¥24,128 |
| White Flare (SV11W) | No Shrink | currently listed at ¥20,800 |
A sealed Black Bolt box currently runs ¥1,872 above a sealed White Flare box. Interestingly, Black Bolt’s No Shrink price (¥24,128) matches White Flare’s sealed price exactly — so if Zekrom is your priority but you’re working from a White-Flare-sized budget, the No Shrink format closes that gap. White Flare’s No Shrink listing, at ¥20,800, is the lowest entry point across all four options.
These are catalog listings, not a guarantee of availability at the moment you read this — confirm current stock and price on the product page before ordering.
Which Box Should You 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 box is currently listed at ¥26,000.
- You want Reshiram ex specifically. White Flare is the set to buy, and it’s the cheaper sealed option of the two at currently listed at ¥24,128.
- You’re working to a tighter budget but still want the Black Bolt roster. The No Shrink format at ¥24,128 gets you the same cards as sealed, minus the shrink wrap, at White Flare’s sealed price point.
- Price is the deciding factor above all else. White Flare No Shrink, at ¥20,800, is the lowest-cost route into either checklist.
- 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.
This guide compares the two sets as they’re currently listed in our catalog. Prices move, and live stock is not reflected in this article — check the product page for the live figure and availability before checking out.
Where to Buy Black Bolt and White Flare from Japan
We ship both sets sealed from Tokyo with tracked delivery, in Sealed and No Shrink formats depending on the set. If you’re ordering both boxes together, or mixing in singles alongside a box, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to build a combined order in one checkout.
For the direct product pages: Black Bolt (SV11B) Booster Box and White Flare (SV11W) Booster Box. Both listings show current pricing across the sealed and No Shrink formats covered in this guide.
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.
Is Black Bolt or White Flare cheaper right now?
As of our latest catalog check, White Flare’s sealed box is currently listed at ¥24,128, about ¥1,872 below Black Bolt’s sealed box at ¥26,000. White Flare’s No Shrink listing at ¥20,800 is the lowest price point across either set.
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. Both formats are sold for Black Bolt and White Flare in our catalog at different price points.
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