Friends in Galar is a draw-3 Supporter — on paper, one of the simplest effects in the Sword & Shield era. In its Japanese Secret Rare print it’s also an early Sword & Shield-era entry in a naming pattern Pokemon has since reused several times.
Our anchor is the Japanese Secret Rare, S8b 258/184, from VMAX Climax — the December 2021 set that closed out the base Sword & Shield block with one of the largest chase-rarity gauntlets the game had produced to that point. This guide covers the card itself, its print history inside VMAX Climax, how the set fits into the “Friends in [Region]” family that followed it, and where the print sits among the set’s rarity tiers.
The PSA 10 Friends in Galar SR (S8b 258/184) is not currently listed on our site; sourcing requests go through Quick Order. For live stock from the same set, the VMAX Climax Japanese booster box and the PSA 10 Professor’s Research SR (S8b 266/184) — the same Secret Rare Supporter tier — are both listed now.
The Card: Friends in Galar 258/184 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) SR
Friends in Galar (ガラルの仲間たち) is a Trainer-Supporter card. Its effect is simple: draw 3 cards from your deck. There’s no attached Pokemon, no HP, no attack — the entire value of the card is the card-advantage effect, which is why the Secret Rare treatment on this particular print is the interesting part.
The Secret Rare art was illustrated by Sanosuke Sakuma and sits at number 258 in a set whose nominal size is 184 — meaning it’s printed well outside the base numbering run, in the chase-rarity block that VMAX Climax stacked on top of its main set.
Print History: Common vs Secret Rare in VMAX Climax
Friends in Galar has two confirmed Japanese prints inside VMAX Climax — a Common at the card’s “home” number in the base set, and the Secret Rare that most collectors mean when they say the card’s name.
| Set | Number | Rarity | Illustrator | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VMAX Climax (S8b) | 149/184 | Common | Yuu Nishida | 3 Dec 2021 |
| VMAX Climax (S8b) | 258/184 | Secret Rare (SR) | Sanosuke Sakuma | 3 Dec 2021 |
Both prints share the exact same effect text — draw 3 cards — and the same release date. The difference is entirely presentation: the 149/184 Common carries a conventional Supporter layout, while the 258/184 Secret Rare gives the same effect a full alternate-art treatment by a different illustrator, at a print number that places it in VMAX Climax’s chase-rarity range rather than its base set.
The Set: VMAX Climax (S8b)
VMAX Climax (S8b) released in Japan on 3 December 2021. Its nominal set size is 184 cards, but the full set — once every VMAX, VSTAR, Character Rare, Character Super Rare and Secret Rare chase print is counted — totals 285 cards. That gap between the “/184” printed on every card and the 285-card total is the set’s defining feature: VMAX Climax was built as a capstone set stacking multiple chase-rarity tiers on top of a comparatively small base list.
It closed out the Sword & Shield block’s main Japanese numbered-set run before the game moved into its next era, and its Secret Rare Supporters — including Friends in Galar — are among the full-art chase Trainer cards from that closing stretch.
Friends in Galar and the “Friends in Region” Series
Friends in Galar is a Sword & Shield-era entry in a recurring naming pattern: a draw-3 Secret Rare Supporter named “Friends in/of [Region]”. An earlier predecessor with the same draw-3 effect, Alola Friends, was released as a Sun & Moon-era Japanese promo, so Friends in Galar is not the first card to use this effect — but Pokemon has reused the “Friends in/of [Region]” Secret Rare Supporter format three more times since Friends in Galar:
We’ve covered the later trio — Friends in Hisui, Friends in Sinnoh and Friends of Paldea — together in our Friends in Region combo SR series guide. That hub deliberately scopes itself to those three VSTAR Universe/Scarlet & Violet-era cards and does not include Friends in Galar in its coverage. This article is the dedicated single-card write-up for the Sword & Shield-era member of the pattern that the later trio followed.
For the standalone Hisui and Sinnoh entries specifically, see our Friends in Hisui SR card guide and Friends in Sinnoh SR card guide.
Where the SR Sits in VMAX Climax’s Rarity Tiers
VMAX Climax’s chase-rarity block runs well above its nominal 184-card base set, and Friends in Galar’s Secret Rare sits partway up that block rather than at the very top. Working from confirmed cards in the set:
- Common / base-set numbers (1–184) — standard prints, including Friends in Galar’s own 149/184 Common.
- Secret Rare Supporters (200s) — full-art alternate treatments of Trainer cards, including Friends in Galar at 258/184 and Professor’s Research at 266/184.
- Character Super Rare (CSR, mid-200s) — full-scene character illustrations built around a Pokemon, such as Umbreon VMAX CSR (245/184) and Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX CSR (236/184).
Within that structure, Friends in Galar’s SR sits alongside VMAX Climax’s other Secret Rare Trainer cards, distinct from the set’s Character Super Rares, which build a full illustrated scene around a named Pokemon rather than a Trainer effect — we’re not ranking one tier above the other, since VMAX Climax’s own materials don’t publish that ordering.
Where to Buy Friends in Galar from Tokyo
The PSA 10 Friends in Galar SR (S8b 258/184) is not currently listed on our site; that listing page (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) remains live for reference, and sourcing requests for a graded copy go through Quick Order.
For live stock from VMAX Climax and its rarity tiers, these are currently listed:
- VMAX Climax Japanese booster box — ¥39,900 (~$251), source packs for both Friends in Galar prints.
- PSA 10 Professor’s Research SR (S8b 266/184) — ¥8,800 (~$55), same SR Supporter tier as Friends in Galar.
- PSA 10 Umbreon VMAX CSR (S8b 245/184) — ¥34,676 (~$218), same-set Character Super Rare.
- PSA 10 Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX CSR (S8b 236/184) — ¥9,020 (~$57), same-set Character Super Rare.
- PSA 10 Friends of Paldea SR (SV8a 195/187) — ¥7,150 (~$45), the same “Friends in/of Region” family.
Browse more graded singles in our PSA 10 graded card collection, or send a mixed want-list — sealed and singles — through Quick Order. For the full VMAX Climax picture, see our VMAX Climax pull-rate and best-cards guide, full VMAX Climax card list, booster box buying guide, and Brilliant Stars Japanese card list for the English-set context.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Friends in Galar do?
Friends in Galar is a Trainer-Supporter card. Its effect is to draw 3 cards from your deck — there’s no attached Pokemon or attack.
What set is Friends in Galar from, and when did it release?
Friends in Galar is from VMAX Climax (S8b), a Japan-only set released 3 December 2021. Its nominal set size is 184 cards, with a full set of 285 once every chase-rarity tier is counted.
Is there an English print of Friends in Galar?
Yes, in two separate English sets. The 149/184 Common corresponds to Brilliant Stars #140/172. The 258/184 Secret Rare, our anchor, corresponds to a different English print released later, in Silver Tempest’s Trainer Gallery subset (#TG23/TG30) — not to Brilliant Stars.
Is Friends in Galar part of the “Friends in Region” series?
It’s a Sword & Shield-era member of the naming pattern that the later Hisui, Sinnoh and Paldea trio followed. An earlier predecessor with the same draw-3 effect, Alola Friends, was released as a Sun & Moon-era Japanese promo, so Friends in Galar isn’t the first card to use the effect. Our Friends in Region combo SR series guide covers only the later Hisui, Sinnoh and Paldea trio; this article is the dedicated write-up for the Galar card.
What’s the difference between the 149/184 and 258/184 prints?
Both carry the same draw-3 effect and the same release date. The 149/184 is a Common in VMAX Climax’s base numbering; the 258/184 is a Secret Rare with a full alternate-art treatment by a different illustrator (Sanosuke Sakuma versus Yuu Nishida for the Common).
Where can I buy PSA 10 Friends in Galar?
The PSA 10 Secret Rare is currently out of stock; sourcing requests go through Quick Order. For live stock from the same set, the VMAX Climax booster box and the PSA 10 Professor’s Research SR (same rarity tier) are both listed now.
Free and discounted shipping, by delivery country
- Each delivery country has its own qualifying amount and its own coupon code.
- Each paid campaign order unlocks the next step for your account.
- Sign in, or choose "Create account: Yes" at checkout, to use a campaign code.
The coupon code, the minimum order and the shipping benefit all depend on your delivery country — open the campaign page for the terms that apply to you. The minimum is the product subtotal only: shipping, tax and any other discount are not counted towards it. The campaign ends September 10, 2026 23:59 Japan time (September 10, 2026 14:59 UTC); the codes stop working at that moment. Coupons cannot be applied to pre-order items. Add an in-stock item to use a coupon. Import duties, taxes and customs charges are not included in the price and are collected on delivery, except for destinations we ship duty-paid.
Picked for this article
📩 Get member-only sale alerts & coupons
Sale alerts, coupons and restock notices by email — straight from Tokyo.
