Three Pokemon that revived from a single fire, reborn as fire, lightning, and rain. Entei, Raikou, and Suicune — the Legendary Beasts — have been printed together and separately across more than 25 years of the Japanese Pokemon TCG, and their card histories rarely move in step with each other. One of the trio has a 2005 Gold Star printing that remains a long-standing collector chase. Another just got its newest printing a few weeks ago.
This guide tracks all three beasts era by era — from their 2000–2001 debut through the newest Scarlet & Violet-era single — and flags exactly where the Japanese card record is thin instead of guessing. Two of the three currently have graded PSA 10 singles in our listings.
We currently list two Legendary Beast PSA 10 singles: Entei V SAR (213/172, VSTAR Universe) at ¥17,320 and Suicune GX RR (028/095, Super-Burst Impact) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) at ¥12,360. Both are graded singles that move one holder at a time — once sold, it’s gone until we source another. Raikou doesn’t currently have a graded single in our listings; the newest Raikou printing (Storm Emeralda ex) is available as a set pull or through Quick Order.
Card numbers, sets, and dates below are sourced from official listings and card databases as cited throughout. Where a detail couldn’t be confirmed against a primary source, we’ve said so rather than guessing.
Every Major Legendary Beast Printing, In Order
The printings covered in this guide, oldest to newest:
| Card | Set / Number | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entei / Raikou / Suicune | Neo Revelation 6–27/64 | 2000–2001 | Not currently stocked |
| Entei★ / Raikou★ / Suicune★ | EX Unseen Forces 113–115/115 | 2005 | Not currently stocked (mention only) |
| Rocket’s Entei ex / Entei ex / Rocket’s Suicune ex | EX Team Rocket Returns & Team Magma vs Team Aqua | 2003–2005 | Not currently stocked |
| Entei / Raikou / Suicune | Secret Wonders 4–19/132 | 2007 | Not currently stocked |
| Entei & Raikou / Raikou & Suicune / Suicune & Entei LEGEND | Unleashed 90–95/95 | 2010 | Not currently stocked |
| Entei | Ancient Origins 15/98 (Bandit Ring, XY7) | 2015 | Not currently stocked |
| Suicune | BREAKpoint 30/122 (Rage of the Broken Heaven(s), XY9) | 2015–2016 | Not currently stocked |
| Suicune GX RR | Super-Burst Impact (SM8) 028/095 | 2018 | Currently listed at ¥12,360 (PSA 10) |
| Entei / Raikou V | Start Deck 100 (Brilliant Stars) | Not currently stocked | |
| Entei V SAR | VSTAR Universe (S12a) 213/172 | 2022 | Currently listed at ¥17,320 (PSA 10) |
| Raikou ex RR | Storm Emeralda (M6) 024/076 | 2026 | Sealed M6 boxes currently listed from ¥16,800 |
The sections below cover each era, what makes the card worth knowing about, and where we currently stand on stock.
The Burned Tower Origin
All three beasts share one origin story from Pokemon Gold & Silver (1999): lightning struck the Brass Tower 150 years before the games’ events, killing three unnamed Pokemon sheltering inside, until Ho-Oh gave them new life while fleeing the blaze. The renamed Burned Tower ties the fire’s three elements — flame, thunder, torrential rain — to the beasts it produced: Entei (Fire), Raikou (Lightning), Suicune (Water). That shared backstory is why the trio so often appears together on TCG cards, from the original Neo Revelation artwork to the combo-mechanic LEGEND cards of 2010 that pair two of the three on one card.
2000–2001: The Neo Revelation Debut
The Legendary Beasts didn’t appear in Neo Genesis. Their TCG debut came one set later, in Neo Revelation (English, 2001) — known in Japan as Awakening Legends, released November 23, 2000.
Entei printed as #6/64 (Rare Holo) and #17/64 (Rare), HP 80, Fire type. Raikou printed as #13/64 (Rare Holo) and #22/64 (Rare), HP 80, Lightning type — its artwork shares the same illustrated scene as the Entei and Suicune Rare Holos from the same set. Suicune printed as #14/64 (Rare Holo) and #27/64 (Rare), HP 70, Water type. All three were illustrated by Ken Sugimori. We couldn’t confirm the Japanese Awakening Legends card numbers against a primary source, and the card database we checked has no artwork on file for this era, so neither appears here.
2005: The Gold Star Trio
We don’t currently stock any Gold Star Legendary Beasts, so this section is background only. 2005 brought Entei★, Raikou★, and Suicune★ — the “Gold Star” shiny-colored treatment, in EX Unseen Forces (English, August 22, 2005) and its Japanese counterpart, Golden Sky, Silvery Ocean (April 8, 2005). Card numbers ran Entei★ 113/115 (JP 019/106), Raikou★ 114/115 (JP 039/106), and Suicune★ 115/115 (JP 032/106), each HP 80, illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda — collector targets two decades on.
2003–2005: The EX-Era Singles
The mid-2000s EX era gave Entei and Suicune ex-suffix singles. Rocket’s Entei ex appeared in EX Team Rocket Returns at #97/109 (Rare Holo ex), with a Japanese counterpart in Rocket Gang Strikes Back at #068/084. A separate Entei ex printed in EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua at #91/95, with a Japanese Magma Deck Kit counterpart at #001/033. Rocket’s Suicune ex appeared in the same EX Team Rocket Returns set at #105/109. Raikou is the gap: we checked Bulbapedia’s full Raikou card index for an equivalent ex-suffix single from this era and didn’t find one — a “not found in the sources we checked” result, not confirmation none was ever printed.
2007: Secret Wonders / Shining Darkness
The Diamond & Pearl era reprinted all three beasts as Rare Holos in Secret Wonders (English), Japanese counterpart Shining Darkness: Entei #4/132, Raikou #16/132, Suicune #19/132 (English numbering). We couldn’t confirm this printing on the card database we use for images, so no artwork is shown.
2010: The HGSS LEGEND Combo Cards
2010’s Unleashed set (English) — Japanese counterpart Reviving Legends, released February 11, 2010 — paired the three beasts into three two-card LEGEND combinations: Entei & Raikou LEGEND (#90–91/95, combined HP 140, Fire/Lightning), Raikou & Suicune LEGEND (#92–93/95, combined HP 160, Lightning/Water), and Suicune & Entei LEGEND (#94–95/95, combined HP 160, Water/Fire), each with a Japanese Reviving Legends counterpart in the #063–068/080 range. LEGEND was a short-lived mechanic: both halves of a pair had to sit on the bench together before the combined card could be used, and knocking one out gave the opponent two Prize cards instead of one. Each pairing credits Shinji Higuchi alongside Sachiko Eba or Noriko Takaya.
2013–2016: BW–XY Era Singles
The Black & White through XY era spread the three beasts across several sets rather than printing them together. Suicune appeared in Plasma Blast (English) at #20/101, Rare; we couldn’t confirm the Japanese original title or release date for that specific printing against a primary source.
Entei printed in Japan’s Bandit Ring (XY7, June 20, 2015) as #015/081 — HP 130, Fire type, Rare, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita — reprinted in English as Ancient Origins #15/98. Raikou printed in BREAKthrough (English) at #55/162, with a Japanese counterpart in Red Flash at #026/059; we couldn’t identify the correct card-database entry for it, so no image is shown. Suicune returned as #020/080 in Rage of the Broken Heaven(s) (XY9, December 11, 2015) — HP 120, Water type, Rare, also illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, with the ability “Wind Veil” shielding Pokemon in play from an opponent’s attack side-effects. Its English counterpart is BREAKpoint #30/122.
2018: Suicune GX (Super-Burst Impact)
The Sun & Moon era gave Suicune its GX treatment in Japan’s Super-Burst Impact (SM8), released September 7, 2018 as a 111-card set. Suicune GX printed at 028/095, a Double Rare (RR), HP 180, Water type. It carries the ability “Phantom Wind,” the attack “Cure Stream” for 120 damage, and the GX attack “Brinicle GX” for 150 — with a Grass weakness and a retreat cost of 2. Its English structural counterpart is Suicune-GX from Lost Thunder, #60/214, an Ultra-Rare.
This is a graded single that moves one holder at a time — once sold, it’s gone until we source another PSA 10 copy of the same card. If you’re building a broader budget-friendly graded lineup, our PSA 10 cards under ¥30,000 guide covers this Suicune alongside other accessible chase cards.
2022: Entei V SAR (VSTAR Universe)
The Sword & Shield era’s V mechanic reached the beasts through Start Deck 100 (Brilliant Stars structural counterpart), including Entei V (JP #056/414) and Raikou V (JP #137/414). The era’s standout beast printing, though, is the Special Art Rare treatment: Entei V SAR, card 213/172 in VSTAR Universe (S12a), a 262-card high-class pack released December 2, 2022 — the same artwork later reached English collectors in Crown Zenith, January 20, 2023. At HP 230, Fire type, illustrated by Shigenori Negishi, it carries the ability “Fleet-Footed” (once per turn, if this Pokemon is in the Active Spot, draw a card) and the attack “Burning Rondo,” dealing 20 damage plus 20 to every Pokemon on both benches. The regular, non-SAR Entei from the same S12a set (#021/159) is a separate, lower-rarity card — don’t confuse the two when checking a listing.
Same rule applies here: graded singles like this move one holder at a time — once sold, it’s gone until we source another. For the full VSTAR Universe pull-rate breakdown — where this SAR sits among the set’s ninety secret rares — see our VSTAR Universe pull rates guide. Entei V SAR at ¥17,320 also fits inside our PSA 10 cards under ¥30,000 guide. And for more on how the Sword & Shield era treated legendaries generally, our Sword & Shield era guide covers the wider set landscape this card comes from.
2026: Raikou ex (Storm Emeralda)
Raikou’s newest printing is Raikou ex, card 024/076 in Storm Emeralda (M6), released July 31, 2026. It’s a Double Rare (RR), HP 200, Lightning type, illustrated by aky CG Works, with an ability (Ikazuchi o Matou, unofficial translation: Lightning Cloak) usable even on the first turn, searching the deck for an Energy to attach, and the attack “Power Rush” for 200 damage, with a coin-flip downside that can lock out your next attack on tails. It’s also the first ex-suffix Raikou single we could confirm in this guide — the EX-era gap noted above appears to close here.
We don’t currently carry Raikou ex as a graded single. It comes packed in sealed Storm Emeralda boosters, so sealed product is the direct route to pulling one yourself.
For the complete Storm Emeralda checklist, see our M6 card list, and for how often the set’s chase cards actually hit, our M6 pull rates guide covers Raikou ex alongside the rest of the set’s rarity tiers. Looking for a specific graded Raikou copy instead of a box? Our Quick Order page is the fastest way to request one.
Collecting All Three Beasts
Entei, Raikou, and Suicune have rarely been printed as a matched set at the same rarity tier, so most complete-trio collections mix eras rather than chasing one release.
- Entering the collection: Suicune GX RR (¥12,360) and Entei V SAR (¥17,320) are both currently graded PSA 10 in our listings, and both sit under our ¥30,000 PSA 10 threshold.
- The Raikou gap: until a graded Raikou single comes into our inventory, sealed Storm Emeralda product is the most direct path to the newest Raikou ex.
- Chase-level targets: the Gold Star trio (2005) and the HGSS LEGEND combo cards (2010) are two of the scarcest — useful context when evaluating a listing elsewhere, even though we don’t currently stock either.
Match the exact set and card number first — Entei alone has close to a dozen distinct Japanese printings across 25 years, and the gap between a common-era reprint and a Special Art Rare is the gap in the price columns above.
Where to Buy Legendary Beast Cards from Japan
We ship graded Japanese singles and sealed product out of Tokyo with tracked delivery worldwide. For the cards and sets covered in this guide:
- PSA 10 Entei V SAR (213/172, VSTAR Universe) — currently listed at ¥17,320 (a graded single that moves one holder at a time)
- PSA 10 Suicune GX RR (028/095, Super-Burst Impact) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — currently listed at ¥12,360 (a graded single that moves one holder at a time)
- Storm Emeralda Booster Box (M6) — currently listed from ¥16,800, source of the new Raikou ex
- Browse the full graded lineup on our PSA 10 collection or the visual PSA 10 card list
- Browse current sealed Japanese boosters on our booster box collection
Looking for a specific Legendary Beast printing not listed here — including a graded Raikou — or want to build a mixed order across sets? Our Quick Order page is the fastest way to request it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Legendary Beasts in the Pokemon TCG?
Entei, Raikou, and Suicune — three Johto-region legendaries from Pokemon Gold & Silver (1999), revived by Ho-Oh from a fire at the Burned Tower in the games’ backstory. They’ve appeared across Japanese TCG sets since their 2000–2001 debut in Neo Revelation (Awakening Legends).
What is the most valuable Legendary Beast card we currently stock?
Entei V SAR (213/172, VSTAR Universe/S12a), currently listed at ¥17,320 in PSA 10. It’s a Special Art Rare illustrated by Shigenori Negishi.
Do you have a graded Raikou card in stock?
Not currently. Raikou’s newest printing, Raikou ex RR (024/076) from Storm Emeralda (M6, 2026), is available through sealed booster boxes currently listed from ¥16,800, or by request through our Quick Order page.
What is the Gold Star Entei, Raikou, and Suicune?
Entei★, Raikou★, and Suicune★ are the shiny-colored “Gold Star” printings from 2005’s EX Unseen Forces (English) and Golden Sky, Silvery Ocean (Japanese). We don’t currently stock any of the three — they’re covered here for background only.
What were the HGSS LEGEND cards?
A 2010 mechanic from Unleashed (English) / Reviving Legends (Japanese) that paired two of the three beasts — Entei & Raikou, Raikou & Suicune, and Suicune & Entei — onto combined two-card LEGEND printings. Both halves had to be on the bench together to use the combined card, and losing one gave the opponent two Prize cards instead of one.
Where can I buy Legendary Beast cards from Japan?
We currently stock two graded PSA 10 singles — Entei V SAR at ¥17,320 and Suicune GX RR at ¥12,360 — plus sealed Storm Emeralda boxes that contain the newest Raikou ex. All ship from Tokyo with tracked delivery; use our Quick Order page for anything not listed directly, including a graded Raikou.
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