The earliest Lapras print on record is a 1999 Fossil holo drawn by Ken Sugimori — but the Japanese-language original behind that card has never been verified in this research, so this guide starts its dated record with 2019 instead. From there, Lapras reappears through a Sword-era VMAX, a shiny V/VMAX pair, a VSTAR Universe alternate art, a Stellar Miracle ex, and a 2025 trainer’s-Pokemon AR tied to Misty. Seven cards in all, counting rarity variants together, across six Japanese sets.
This guide walks through every one of them: what set each came from, what the card actually does, and which Japanese sealed boxes still carry a shot at pulling one. We don’t hold single Lapras cards in our own stock right now, so instead of pointing you at singles that don’t exist, this guide points you at the sealed product and sourcing route that actually gets you one. We ship Japanese sealed product out of Tokyo every week, and you can request a quote via our Quick Order page for specific-card sourcing.
Lapras’s card history tracks its role as a Water-type mainstay rather than a single evolution line — every print below is Lapras itself, with no pre-evolution to chase. That keeps the lineup simple: what changes from print to print is the mechanic (plain Pokemon, VMAX, V, ex) and the rarity tier stamped on it, from a Sword-era Triple Rare to a 2025 alternate art.
Lapras has appeared on seven main Japanese cards since 2019 (counting rarity variants together), spanning a Sword-era VMAX, a shiny V/VMAX pair, a VSTAR Universe AR, a Stellar Miracle ex, and the 2025 Misty’s Lapras AR. We don’t currently hold single Lapras cards in stock — the direct route is sealed product. The Stellar Miracle Booster Box is currently listed at ¥10,400 and up and the Heat Wave Arena Booster Box at ¥16,640 and up, both carrying a Lapras print. You can request a quote via our Quick Order page for restock requests or specific-card sourcing.
Every Japanese Lapras Card and Where It’s From
Seven Lapras cards across six Japanese sets, counting rarity variants (like the Stellar Miracle RR/SR pair and the Shiny Star V shiny V/VMAX pair) together — the table below breaks each of those variants out into its own row, from a Sword-era VMAX through the newest trainer’s-Pokemon AR:
| Card | Number | Rarity | Set | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapras VMAX | S1W #15 | RRR | Sword | 2019 |
| Lapras VMAX (shiny) | S4a #312 | SSR | Shiny Star V | 2020 |
| Lapras V (shiny) | S4a #311 | SSR | Shiny Star V | 2020 |
| Lapras VMAX | S4a #32 | — | Shiny Star V | 2020 |
| Lapras AR | S12a 177/172 | AR | VSTAR Universe | 2022 |
| Lapras | SV2a 131/165 | Uncommon | Pokemon Card 151 | 2023 |
| Lapras ex | SV7 #19 | RR | Stellar Miracle | 2024 |
| Lapras ex (SR) | SV7 #117 | SR | Stellar Miracle | 2024 |
| Misty’s Lapras AR | SV9a #72 | AR | Heat Wave Arena | 2025 |
Three eras stand out. Sword and Shiny Star V, both from 2019–2020, cover Lapras’s first VMAX era — one plain, one in a dedicated shiny pairing. VSTAR Universe and Pokemon Card 151 sit in between as single-card releases at opposite ends of the rarity scale, an alternate art and a set-filler Uncommon. Stellar Miracle and Heat Wave Arena are the two most recent prints, an ex-era Lapras and a 2025 trainer’s-Pokemon AR tied to Misty.
The mechanic printed on the card — plain Pokemon, VMAX, V, or ex — tells you the era. The rarity tier then tells you how far up the chase-card ladder that specific copy sits within its own set; for the wider Japanese rarity system, our CHR character rare cards guide covers how alternate-art and character tiers like AR fit together.
The 1999 Original: Fossil
The earliest Lapras print on record is Fossil #10, released in English in 1999 and illustrated by Ken Sugimori — a first-generation holo with the attacks Water Gun and Confuse Ray. Whether a Japanese-language original of this exact print exists could not be verified in this research, so we’re not dating a Japanese release here or showing an image for it; the card sits in this guide only as historical context for how far back the Lapras line goes. For the broader vintage-era landscape this print belongs to, see our Japanese old-back Pokemon cards guide.
Lapras VMAX: Sword
Lapras’s first VMAX print comes from Sword (S1W), one of the earliest sets of the Sword & Shield era, released December 6, 2019. Card #15 is a Triple Rare illustrated by 5ban Graphics, with an attack called Kyodai Pump that adds 30 damage for each Water Energy attached to Lapras VMAX. It’s the starting point for the rest of this lineup covered below.
Shiny Lapras V and VMAX: Shiny Star V
Shiny Star V (S4a), released November 20, 2020, gave Lapras its shiny treatment. Cards #311 and #312 pair a shiny Lapras V with a shiny Lapras VMAX, both Shiny Ultra Rare — the dedicated color-variant tier this set is built around. Alongside that pair sits a standard, non-shiny Lapras VMAX at #32, illustrated by 5ban Graphics, giving the set three Lapras prints at three different points on the rarity scale.
Lapras AR: VSTAR Universe
VSTAR Universe (S12a), released December 2, 2022, moved Lapras into the Alternate Art tier for the first time in this guide’s lineup. Card #177 of 172 is illustrated by zig and carries the attack Raging Freeze, which inflicts paralysis if the opponent’s Pokemon knocked one of yours out on their previous turn. It’s a plain (non-V, non-ex) Lapras printed at AR — a rarity jump that has nothing to do with the mechanic on the card and everything to do with the artwork treatment VSTAR Universe applied across its whole alternate-art gallery.
The Uncommon: Pokemon Card 151
Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a), released June 16, 2023, slotted Lapras in at its Kanto Pokedex number — No. 131 — as a plain Uncommon illustrated by LINNE. The attack Carry on Back searches two Pokemon from the deck to hand, a support-oriented tool rather than a straight attacker. It’s the lowest rarity tier in this lineup, and a reminder that not every Lapras print is a chase card.
Lapras ex: Stellar Miracle
Stellar Miracle (SV7), released July 19, 2024, is where Lapras picked up the ex mechanic as a Terastal (Tera-type) Pokemon. Card #19, illustrated by 5ban Graphics, carries the attack Larimar Rain, which accelerates as much basic Energy as you like from the top 20 cards of your deck straight onto your Pokemon. It was printed at both Double Rare (#19) and Secret Rare (#117) in the same set, giving Stellar Miracle two Lapras copies at two rarity levels.
Misty’s Lapras: Heat Wave Arena
The newest print in this lineup is Misty’s Lapras, from Heat Wave Arena (SV9a), released March 14, 2025. It belongs to the set’s trainer’s-Pokemon subline, printed at both standard rarity (#27) and Alternate Art (#72, illustrated by Orca). The AR carries the attack Swim Together, which searches three of Misty’s Pokemon from the deck to hand — a name-matched support tool built specifically for decks running the rest of the Misty’s-branded cards in the set.
Sourcing Lapras Through Sealed Japanese Boxes
None of the seven Lapras prints above are currently in our single-card stock. What we do carry is sealed product from four of the six sets Lapras appears in, and that’s the direct route to pulling one yourself. Each box below is tied to a specific era covered earlier in this guide, so match the box to the print you’re after rather than assuming any Japanese Pokemon box carries a shot at all seven:
- Shiny Star V Booster Box (Japanese) — currently listed at ¥23,415, carries the shiny Lapras V/VMAX pair and the standard Lapras VMAX
- VSTAR Universe Booster Box (Japanese) — currently listed at ¥33,280, carries the Lapras AR (also available as No Shrink packaging (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) at ¥29,120)
- Pokemon Card 151 Booster Box (Japanese) — currently listed at ¥45,900 and up, carries the Lapras Uncommon
- Heat Wave Arena Booster Box (Japanese) — currently listed at ¥16,640 and up, carries Misty’s Lapras at standard rarity and Alternate Art
Sword doesn’t have a matching booster box in current sealed inventory, and the 1999 Fossil print sits outside this sourcing model entirely. For those two, request a quote via our Quick Order page for restock requests or specific-card sourcing.
Where to Buy Japanese Lapras Cards
We ship Japanese sealed product worldwide out of Tokyo with tracked delivery. For Lapras specifically, Stellar Miracle and Heat Wave Arena are the two most recent boxes and each carries a current-era Lapras ex or AR, while Shiny Star V and VSTAR Universe cover the shiny-V/VMAX and alternate-art eras respectively, and Pokemon Card 151 rounds out the lineup at Uncommon. Browse the Stellar Miracle Booster Box directly, check the wider Japanese Pokemon booster box collection for what else is currently available, or request a quote via our Quick Order page for any of the other prints in this guide. For raw-versus-graded context on Lapras singles, see our PSA10 vs raw Japanese Pokemon cards guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Japanese Lapras Pokemon card prints are there?
Seven main cards across six Japanese sets with a verified release date, counting rarity variants like the Stellar Miracle RR/SR pair together, from the 2019 Sword VMAX through the 2025 Misty’s Lapras AR. A 1999 Fossil holo predates all of them, but its Japanese-language original could not be verified in this research.
What is the oldest verified Japanese Lapras print?
Lapras VMAX from Sword (S1W #15), released December 6, 2019 — a Triple Rare illustrated by 5ban Graphics. It’s the earliest print in this guide with a confirmed Japanese release.
What does Lapras ex do in the Stellar Miracle print?
The SV7 Lapras ex carries the attack Larimar Rain, which accelerates as much basic Energy as you like from the top 20 cards of your deck onto your Pokemon. It was printed as Double Rare (#19) and Secret Rare (#117) in the same set.
Where can I buy Japanese Lapras Pokemon cards?
We ship Japanese sealed product from Tokyo with tracked delivery. The Stellar Miracle, Heat Wave Arena, Shiny Star V, VSTAR Universe, and Pokemon Card 151 booster boxes each carry a different Lapras print, and you can request a quote via our Quick Order page for the Sword-era VMAX, which doesn’t currently have a matching box in stock.
Picked for this article
📩 Get member-only sale alerts & coupons
Sale alerts, coupons and restock notices by email — straight from Tokyo.
![How to Buy Japanese Pokemon Cards Wholesale from Japan [2026 Guide]](https://samuraiswordtokyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/featured-how-to-buy-japanese-pokemon-cards-wholesale-1-768x403.webp)
