A Brilliant Stars booster box comparison starts with the English Elite Trainer Box: pokemon.com lists its contents and no promo card.
The official set page gives a release date of February 25, 2022 and “Over 170 cards” (as of September 29, 2026). The Japanese set most often placed beside it is S9 Star Birth, released on January 14, 2022 according to the official pokemon-card.com product page. No official page says the two sets are equal, and the set-level pairing is covered in its own section below, so the card matches are labelled with their source.
We sell Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
The English ETB contents are the ones pokemon.com prints. The Japanese route is the S9 Star Birth box, currently listed at ¥18,612 (~$121). Card by card, Limitless TCG lists English prints for the Star Birth cards.
- ETB contents are exactly what the pokemon.com product page prints (as of September 29, 2026).
- Every marketplace figure is the lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 — an asking price, not a sale.
- The chase table lists twelve Star Birth cards with a raw ask, a PSA 10 ask and the number of listings.
What pokemon.com Prints for Brilliant Stars
The set page and the product gallery on pokemon.com are the official sources for the English side. The table separates what they print from what they leave out.
| Fact | What the official page prints | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Set name | Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars | Official |
| Release date | February 25, 2022 | Official |
| Set size | “Over 170 cards” | Official |
| Elite Trainer Box launch | February 25, 2022 | Official |
| ETB promo card | None listed on the page | Official (absence) |
| ETB code card | None listed on the page | Official (absence) |
| Booster Display or Booster Bundle contents | Not stated on the ETB page or the set page | Not stated officially |
| MSRP of any product | No price printed | Not stated officially |
The Brilliant Stars ETB: Contents
The product page for Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars Elite Trainer Box lists the following, with a launch date of February 25, 2022:
- 8 booster packs
- 65 card sleeves featuring Arceus
- 45 Energy cards
- A player’s guide and a rulebook
- 6 damage-counter dice and 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
- 2 acrylic condition markers and 1 acrylic VSTAR marker
- A collector’s box with 4 dividers
The acrylic VSTAR marker is listed on ETB pages from Brilliant Stars onward. The page lists no promo card and no online code card.
The Japanese Star Birth Box: Spec Compared
The Japanese product is a box of sealed booster packs. The official pokemon-card.com page for S9 prints the pack price and the cards per pack (as of September 29, 2026).
| Spec | English Brilliant Stars ETB | Japanese S9 Star Birth box |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Elite Trainer Box | Expansion pack booster box |
| Release date | February 25, 2022 (official) | January 14, 2022 (official) |
| Packs per box | See the contents list above | Not printed on the official page |
| Box price | MSRP not stated officially | Not printed on the official page |
| Set size | “Over 170 cards” | /100 printed on the cards; SNKRDUNK’s singles list runs to 127/100 |
| Accessories | Sleeves, Energy cards, guide, rulebook, dice, markers, divided box | Booster packs |
| Our listing | Not sold (we sell Japanese product) | ¥18,612 (~$121); Damaged Box ¥18,605 (~$121) |
| SNKRDUNK box ask | – | ¥19,000 (~$123), 85 listings (lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026) |
The figures in the last two rows are our listing price and a marketplace ask, not an MSRP.
How the Two Sets Are Linked
Bulbapedia’s Japanese set list (as of September 15, 2026) names Brilliant Stars as the English counterpart of S9 Star Birth. The same list also ties a second Japanese product, S8b VMAX Climax, currently listed at ¥31,181 (~$202), to Brilliant Stars: it describes S8b’s Trainer Galleries as spread across Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Lost Origin and Silver Tempest.
| Japanese set | Release date | Pack price | Cards per pack | Bulbapedia mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S9 Star Birth | January 14, 2022 | ¥165 | 5 | Brilliant Stars |
| S8b VMAX Climax | December 3, 2021 | ¥550 | 11 | Trainer Galleries of Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Lost Origin and Silver Tempest |
That is a set-level mapping reported by Bulbapedia, not an official statement.
Card by Card: English Prints of Star Birth Cards
Limitless TCG lists English prints under each Star Birth card page, matched by card name and text. The site does not say which English print shares an illustrator or artwork with the Japanese card.
| Star Birth card | Rarity | Illustrator (official database) | English prints Limitless lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charizard V 103/100 | SR: SA | Ryota Murayama | Sword & Shield Promos #260; Brilliant Stars #17, #153, #154; Crown Zenith #18 |
| Charizard V 102/100 | SR | N-DESIGN Inc. | Sword & Shield Promos #260; Brilliant Stars #17, #153, #154; Crown Zenith #18 |
| Charizard VSTAR 118/100 | HR | 5ban Graphics | Sword & Shield Promos #262; Brilliant Stars #18, #174; Crown Zenith #19 |
| Arceus V 112/100 | SR: SA | kawayoo | Sword & Shield Promos #204, #306; Brilliant Stars #122, #165, #166 |
| Arceus VSTAR 120/100 | HR | 5ban Graphics | Sword & Shield Promos #307; Brilliant Stars #123, #176, #184; Crown Zenith #GG70; 30th Celebration #CC29 |
| Arceus VSTAR 125/100 | UR | 5ban Graphics | Sword & Shield Promos #307; Brilliant Stars #123, #176, #184; Crown Zenith #GG70; 30th Celebration #CC29 |
| Cynthia’s Ambition 114/100 | SR | Megumi Mizutani | Brilliant Stars #138, #169, #178; Crown Zenith #GG60 |
| Lumineon V 105/100 | SR | Ligton | Sword & Shield Promos #250; Brilliant Stars #40, #155, #156; Crown Zenith #GG39 |
Two patterns show in the table. Several Star Birth cards list more than one Brilliant Stars number. And two Arceus VSTAR rows share one English list, because Limitless pairs the HR and UR by name and text alone.
Six Star Birth Chase Cards in Detail
Six of the twelve chase cards get their own block: number, rarity code, official image, official illustrator, dated asks and our listing.
Charizard V 103/100 (SR: SA)
Limitless lists English prints under this card name and text (see the card-match table above). The official card database credits Ryota Murayama. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥35,000 (~$227) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥43,000 (~$279) for a PSA 10 copy, with 91 listings across all conditions. It is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥45,288 (~$294) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms (see how PSA 10 back orders work).
Charizard VSTAR 118/100 (HR)
This is the VSTAR counterpart of the Charizard V above, numbered in the secret range. The official card database credits 5ban Graphics. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥17,000 (~$110) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥19,200 (~$125) for a PSA 10 copy, with 61 listings across all conditions. It is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥20,716 (~$135) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
Arceus V 112/100 (SR: SA)
The English ETB sleeves feature Arceus; this is the Star Birth special-art Arceus V. The official card database credits kawayoo. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥12,000 (~$78) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥16,800 (~$109) for a PSA 10 copy, with 62 listings across all conditions. It is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥17,881 (~$116) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
Arceus VSTAR 120/100 (HR)
The hyper rare Arceus VSTAR also appears as UR 125/100. The official card database credits 5ban Graphics. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥3,400 (~$22) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥11,400 (~$74) for a PSA 10 copy, with 20 listings across all conditions. This card is not listed in our store.
Arceus VSTAR 125/100 (UR)
The ultra rare Arceus VSTAR shares its card name with the HR version above. The official card database credits 5ban Graphics. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥5,000 (~$32) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥7,500 (~$49) for a PSA 10 copy, with 26 listings across all conditions. It is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥7,810 (~$51) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
Ultra Ball 126/100 (UR)
The Trainer ultra rare is the only non-Pokémon card among the six. The official card database credits sadaji. The lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026 was ¥6,000 (~$39) for a raw copy (grade A) and ¥10,000 (~$65) for a PSA 10 copy, with 6 listings across all conditions. It is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥10,200 (~$66) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
All Twelve Chase Cards: Dated SNKRDUNK Asks
The table gives the lowest ask on SNKRDUNK, September 29, 2026, for a raw copy (grade A) and for a PSA 10 copy, plus the number of listings across all conditions. These are asking prices as of September 29, 2026; the table contains no sold prices.
| Number | Card | Rarity | Raw ask | PSA 10 ask | Listings | Our PSA 10 listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103/100 | Charizard V | SR: SA | ¥35,000 (~$227) | ¥43,000 (~$279) | 91 | PSA 10 back order ¥45,288 (~$294) |
| 112/100 | Arceus V | SR: SA | ¥12,000 (~$78) | ¥16,800 (~$109) | 62 | PSA 10 back order ¥17,881 (~$116) |
| 126/100 | Ultra Ball | UR | ¥6,000 (~$39) | ¥10,000 (~$65) | 6 | PSA 10 back order ¥10,200 (~$66) |
| 118/100 | Charizard VSTAR | HR | ¥17,000 (~$110) | ¥19,200 (~$125) | 61 | PSA 10 back order ¥20,716 (~$135) |
| 102/100 | Charizard V | SR | ¥5,999 (~$39) | ¥9,190 (~$60) | 56 | PSA 10 back order ¥10,522 (~$68) |
| 120/100 | Arceus VSTAR | HR | ¥3,400 (~$22) | ¥11,400 (~$74) | 20 | Not listed |
| 125/100 | Arceus VSTAR | UR | ¥5,000 (~$32) | ¥7,500 (~$49) | 26 | PSA 10 back order ¥7,810 (~$51) |
| 114/100 | Cynthia’s Ambition | SR | ¥2,900 (~$19) | ¥16,000 (~$104) | 56 | PSA 10 ¥11,357 (~$74); PSA 10 back order ¥11,138 (~$72) |
| 104/100 | Lumineon V | SR | No listing | ¥6,800 (~$44) | 3 | Not listed |
| 105/100 | Lumineon V | SR | ¥5,000 (~$32) | ¥6,400 (~$42) | 13 | PSA 10 back order ¥6,528 (~$42) |
| 109/100 | Honchkrow V | SR: SA | ¥5,000 (~$32) | ¥6,666 (~$43) | 4 | PSA 10 back order ¥6,799 (~$44) |
| 122/100 | Cynthia’s Ambition | HR | ¥3,000 (~$19) | No listing | 6 | Not listed |
Where SNKRDUNK shows only a handful of listings, as for Lumineon V 104/100 and Honchkrow V 109/100, one ask is a thin data point.
What Is Still Not Stated
- English booster display and bundle. Contents and pack counts are not stated on the ETB page or the set page.
- Pull rates. No official pull rate is published for either set.
For a complete Japanese card list and the S9 versus S9a box comparison, see our Star Birth (S9) card list and S9 vs S9A box guide.
English ETB or Japanese Box: A Checklist
- You want an ETB with accessories. Only the English product carries sleeves, Energy cards, dice, markers and a divided box. The Japanese Star Birth product is a box of sealed packs.
- You want the Japanese printing of a card. Star Birth cards carry the /100 numbering and Japanese text. Compare our Brilliant Stars chase cards article before choosing a card.
- You want a graded copy. Most PSA 10 cards above are back-order listings sourced to order, while Cynthia’s Ambition 114/100 also has a physical PSA 10 at ¥11,357 (~$74); the Japanese vs English Pokemon cards article explains what changes with language.
- You want a box that is not perfectly presented. The Damaged Box listing (¥18,605 (~$121)) is a separate listing from the standard box; check its product page for the details.
- You are comparing S9 with its companion set. Read the S9 vs S9A box guide first, then decide.
Where to Buy Star Birth from Japan
Both Star Birth box listings ship from Tokyo: the standard S9 box at ¥18,612 (~$121) and the Damaged Box at ¥18,605 (~$121). Graded singles from the set are collected on the PSA 10 card list and in the PSA 10 collection. Sourcing requests for a specific card go through Quick Order. New to buying from Japan? Our how-to-buy article covers the steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many packs are in the Brilliant Stars Elite Trainer Box?
Eight. The pokemon.com product page for the Brilliant Stars ETB lists 8 booster packs, 65 Arceus sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a guide, a rulebook, 6 dice, a coin-flip die, two acrylic condition markers, an acrylic VSTAR marker and a box with 4 dividers. It lists no promo card.
How many cards are in Brilliant Stars?
The official set page for Sword & Shield—Brilliant Stars says “Over 170 cards” and gives no exact total. The Japanese Star Birth cards are numbered out of 100, and SNKRDUNK’s singles list runs up to 127/100; the official page does not print a full list.
When did Brilliant Stars release in English and in Japan?
The English Brilliant Stars set released on February 25, 2022, according to the official pokemon.com set page. The Japanese Star Birth (S9) expansion released on January 14, 2022, according to the official pokemon-card.com product page. Both dates are printed by the companies themselves.
How much does a Brilliant Stars booster box cost?
The official pages print no USD price for any Brilliant Stars product, so no English MSRP is quoted. No Japanese box price is printed either. Our S9 Star Birth box is currently listed at ¥18,612 (~$121), and it is a Japanese product.
How many packs are in a Star Birth box?
The official pokemon-card.com page for S9 prints ¥165 per pack and five cards per pack, but it does not print the number of packs in a box or a box price, so the publisher gives no pack count for the Star Birth box.
Is Star Birth the same as Brilliant Stars?
No official page says so. The set-level pairing comes from Bulbapedia, not the publisher (see the linking section above), and Limitless TCG lists English prints for the Star Birth cards, without marking which print shares an illustrator or artwork. Treat the link as reported, not official.
How does a PSA 10 back order for a Star Birth card work?
A back-order listing is a PSA 10 copy sourced to order rather than held on a shelf. The product page shows the current terms, including the price, and our PSA 10 back-orders article explains the process. Each back-order price above is the listed price on its product page.
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