One trio card, three different Japanese sets, two different rarity tiers — and a Galarian variant that never uses the word “GX” at all. Articuno full art cards sit inside a Japanese card history that is smaller than most Legendary birds, but also more tangled, because the same artwork keeps reappearing under different card numbers.
The Japanese Articuno prints run from the original Tag Bolt solo card through the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX trio’s three releases, and into the separate Galarian Articuno line; フリーザー (Freezer) is the native name. We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA-graded singles out of Tokyo.
Seven verified Japanese Articuno printings exist across 2018–2022, split between the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX trio card (three releases, two rarity tiers) and the separate Galarian Articuno line.
- New section: Articuno full art cards, a table of the Secret Rare, Character Super Rare and Art Rare prints with set mark, number and rarity.
- The VMAX Climax booster box links to its product page.
- More Japanese singles and sets are on the Japanese Pokemon card list page.
USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate. Prices checked Oct 22, 2026.
Articuno Full Art Cards: Japanese Secret Rare, Character Super Rare and Art Rare Prints
Collectors use “full art” for prints whose artwork fills the whole card face. Japanese sets do not print those words: the official card database prints only a rarity code, and the full-art treatments are the SR (full-art ex and Supporter cards), SAR (Special Art Rare), AR (Art Rare), CHR / CSR (Character Rare) and the gold UR and rainbow HR printings.
| Card | Set mark · number | Rarity | Our listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Sky Legend (SM10b) · #59 | Secret Rare | not listed |
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Sky Legend (SM10b) · #60 | Secret Rare | not listed |
| Galarian Articuno V | VMAX Climax (S8b) · #230 | Character Super Rare | not listed |
| Galarian Articuno | VSTAR Universe (S12a) · #182 | Art Rare | not listed |
For how the treatments compare across species, see our full art Pokemon cards guide.
Articuno’s Japanese Identity: フリーザー and the Solo Tag Bolt Print
In Japanese, Articuno is フリーザー (Freezer). The Galarian form carries the same base name with a regional prefix: ガラルフリーザー (Galarian Freezer). That naming pattern matters when you’re cross-referencing Japanese secondary-market listings or set databases, since “Freezer” won’t show up under an English search.
A plain Rare-rarity solo Articuno card comes from Tag Bolt (SM9), numbered #30, released 7 December 2018. It’s a standalone Articuno card — no GX, no Tag Team partner. Tag Bolt is the same expansion that introduced the Latias & Latios GX Secret Rare, covered in our Tag Bolt (SM9) card list if you want the full set checklist.
If you’re searching Japanese listings directly, search フリーザー for the standard bird and ガラルフリーザー for the Galarian form — not a Pokedex-style romanisation.
The Trio Card: Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX Across Three Releases
Articuno’s biggest Japanese footprint isn’t a solo card — it’s a Tag Team GX shared with the other two Legendary birds: ファイヤー&サンダー&フリーザーGX (Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX). The same Tag Team GX matchup was printed four separate times across two sets, split between two rarity tiers.
| Card | Set (JP code) | No. | Rarity | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Sky Legend (SM10b) | #35 | Double Rare | 26 Apr 2019 |
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Sky Legend (SM10b) | #59 | Secret Rare | 26 Apr 2019 |
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Sky Legend (SM10b) | #60 | Secret Rare | 26 Apr 2019 |
| Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX | Tag All Stars (SM12a) | #102 | Double Rare | 4 Oct 2019 |
Sky Legend (SM10b) is the busiest release for this card: one Double Rare print at #35, plus two separate Secret Rare prints at #59 and #60. That’s unusual — most Tag Team GX cards get one Secret Rare slot per set, not two — and it means a Sky Legend Secret Rare copy needs its card number checked before assuming which of the two prints you’re holding.
Five months later, Tag All Stars (SM12a) reprinted the same trio at #102, again as a Double Rare. See our Tag Team GX cards guide for how this card compares to other Tag Team pulls from the same era.
The Galarian Articuno Line: V and the VSTAR Universe Art Rare
Galarian Articuno runs on a separate track from the trio GX card, with its own two verified Japanese prints. Galarian Articuno V (ガラルフリーザーV) appeared in VMAX Climax (S8b) at #230, carrying the set’s Character Super Rare treatment — the same alternate-art tier used across VMAX Climax’s headline chase cards. It released 3 December 2021.
A year later, the non-V Galarian Articuno (ガラルフリーザー) appeared in VSTAR Universe (S12a) at #182, this time as an Art Rare. VSTAR Universe is the same set that carries the solo Latios reprint covered in our sibling Latios guide, and its Art Rare tier sits alongside SR and SAR as one of the alternate-art slots collectors chase from that release.
Neither Galarian print shares a set or number with the trio GX card, so the two lines don’t overlap — a Galarian Articuno collection and a Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX collection are two separate want-lists. For the Galarian side of the other two birds, our Galarian Moltres full art cards guide covers that line’s own printings, and our VMAX Climax booster box buying guide covers the set that carries the Galarian Articuno V. Our Galarian Articuno V card guide covers that card on its own.
Our PSA 10 Listings: Rarity and Numbering
Two PSA 10 Articuno-trio slabs have store listings.
| Listing title | Grade | Rarity and numbering | Store listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno GX 102/173 RR | PSA 10 | Matches Tag All Stars (SM12a) #102, Double Rare | sold out at the time of this update |
| Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno GX SR 060/054 SA | PSA 10 | Secret Rare parallel of the trio card; numbering as the listing gives it | sold out at the time of this update |
The 102/173 RR listing lines up with the Tag All Stars (SM12a) #102 Double Rare print — “RR” on the listing title and “Double Rare” in the set data refer to the same rarity tier, just labelled with different shorthand.
The 060/054 SA listing is a Secret Rare parallel of the trio card; the listing title’s 060/054 is the store’s own description.
Which Articuno Print Fits Your Collecting Focus
Each line is its own want-list.
- Trio GX collectors — the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX card gives you four printings to chase across two sets: the Sky Legend Double Rare (#35), two separate Sky Legend Secret Rares (#59, #60), and the Tag All Stars Double Rare (#102).
- Secret Rare specialists — the two Sky Legend Secret Rares (#59, #60) are the Secret Rare tier trio prints.
- Galarian-focused collectors — the Galarian Articuno line runs separately, with Character Super Rare (VMAX Climax S8b #230) and Art Rare (VSTAR Universe S12a #182) as the two verified prints. Start with our VMAX Climax booster box guide if you’re hunting one.
- Solo-card purists — the plain Rare-rarity Articuno from Tag Bolt (SM9 #30) is a solo, non-Galarian Japanese print.
Where to Buy Articuno Cards from Japan
We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA-graded singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. The PSA 10 Articuno-trio slabs are sold out at the time of this update — sourcing requests go through Quick Order, which also takes Galarian Articuno singles. Browse our wider PSA 10 graded cards collection for other Legendary bird slabs, or see our Legendary Birds value guide for how Articuno compares to Zapdos and Moltres printings across the same eras.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Articuno called in Japanese Pokemon cards?
Articuno is フリーザー (Freezer) in Japanese. The Galarian form is ガラルフリーザー (Galarian Freezer). Searching Japanese secondary-market listings works best with these names rather than an English romanisation.
How many Japanese Articuno printings are there?
Seven verified Japanese printings across 2018–2022: a solo Tag Bolt (SM9) Rare, four printings of the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX trio card split across Sky Legend (SM10b) and Tag All Stars (SM12a), and two Galarian Articuno prints — a VMAX Climax (S8b) Character Super Rare V and a VSTAR Universe (S12a) Art Rare.
Why does the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX card have two Secret Rare printings in the same set?
Sky Legend (SM10b) printed the trio card as a Double Rare at #35 and then as two separate Secret Rares at #59 and #60 — an unusual double allocation for one Tag Team GX card within a single set. Most Tag Team GX cards get a single Secret Rare slot per release.
Is a PSA 10 Articuno trio card listed?
Two PSA 10 Articuno-trio slabs have store listings, a Tag All Stars (SM12a) #102 Double Rare and a Secret Rare parallel, and both are sold out at the time of this update. Sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
Is Galarian Articuno the same card as the Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno GX trio?
No. Galarian Articuno runs on a separate line with its own two verified Japanese prints — a VMAX Climax (S8b) Character Super Rare V and a VSTAR Universe (S12a) Art Rare — and neither shares a set or card number with the trio GX card.
Which Articuno cards are full art?
The full art prints in this guide are the Moltres, Zapdos & Articuno GX Secret Rares at Sky Legend #59 and #60, Galarian Articuno V Character Super Rare #230 from VMAX Climax, and Galarian Articuno Art Rare #182 from VSTAR Universe.
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