Obsidian Flames (OBF) is the English Scarlet & Violet set that closed out summer 2023, and its 230-card checklist includes several Charizard chase cards. Almost none of that artwork started in English, though — it was printed first in Japan, on a set with a different name, different numbers, and a different rarity system entirely.
Obsidian Flames is built from the Japanese expansion Ruler of the Black Flame (SV3) together with the July ex Starter Decks, the May ex Special Sets and cards cut from Paldea Evolved (composition as reported by PokeBeach / Pokellector). SV3 released in Japan on 28th July 2023, two weeks ahead of Obsidian Flames’ 11th August 2023 English release. We’ve already mapped the full checklist in our Obsidian Flames Japanese card list and our Ruler of the Black Flame (SV3) checklist; this guide ranks the ten chase cards worth knowing and shows exactly which Japanese print each one traces back to.
Every chase card in this list — the gold-secret Charizard ex, Artazon, and the Special Art Rare trainers — is a reprint of a Japanese SV3 card. We currently list the SV3 Ruler of the Black Flame Japanese Booster Box at ¥18,620 (~$117) and our current SV3 PSA 10 listing, PSA 10 Ortega (SV3 130/108) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), at ¥4,950 (~$31).
All prices below are our own listed prices as of September 2026, converted at ¥159/USD. We don’t quote third-party market prices anywhere in this article.
How We Ranked These
We ranked this list two ways. First, any card with a current graded PSA 10 listing goes to the top, ordered by our listed price — that’s why Ortega opens the list even though it isn’t the top-rarity print here. Everything else is then ordered by the rarity printed on the Japanese card itself: UR (Ultra Rare) first, then SAR (Special Art Rare), then SR (Secret Rare). We don’t use third-party market values anywhere in this ranking.
On the printed SV3 checklist, those top tiers sit in fixed number blocks: SR runs 121–132, SAR runs 133–138, and UR takes the final three slots, 139–141. Limitless TCG’s card database labels these tiers with fuller English names (“Secret Rare”, “Special Art Rare”, “Ultra Rare”) — our Japanese rarity symbols guide explains how those labels map onto what’s actually printed on the card. For pack odds and estimated pull rates for SV3 boxes, see our Ruler of the Black Flame pull rates and best cards guide — we don’t restate pull-rate figures here.
The Top 10 Chase Cards
All ten cards below are Japanese SV3 prints. Where a graded copy is currently listed, the price and link go straight to our listing; otherwise sourcing runs through Quick Order.
1. Ortega 219/197 (Ultra Rare, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 130/108, printed SR. Naoki Saito illustrates both the English and Japanese prints — same illustrator, not a repainted card.
This is the one card on the list with a current graded listing: PSA 10 Ortega, currently listed at ¥4,950 (~$31) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
2. Charizard ex 228/197 (gold Secret, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 139/108, printed UR. 5ban Graphics illustrates both the Japanese UR and the English gold secret — same illustrator. This is one of three Charizard ex chases from this set; see #5 below for the Special Art Rare version. For the wider Charizard picture across Scarlet & Violet, our Top 10 Charizard Japanese cards ranked and PSA 10 Charizard buying guide cover both prints in more depth.
No graded copy of this print is currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
3. Artazon 229/197 (gold Secret, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 140/108, printed UR. Oswaldo KATO illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
4. Fire Energy 230/197 (gold Secret, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 141/108, Basic Fire Energy, printed UR — the final slot on the SV3 checklist. Neither print carries an illustrator credit.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
5. Charizard ex 223/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 134/108 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), printed SAR. AKIRA EGAWA illustrates both prints — same illustrator, and a different artist from the UR pair in #2 above.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
6. Pidgeot ex 225/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 136/108, printed SAR. Jerky illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
7. Geeta 226/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 137/108, printed SAR. DOM illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
8. Poppy 227/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 138/108, printed SAR. Ryota Murayama illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
9. Eiscue ex 222/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 133/108, printed SAR — the first card in the SAR run. Toshinao Aoki illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
10. Revavroom ex 224/197 (SIR, English)
Japanese equivalent: SV3 135/108, printed SAR. Souichirou Gunjima illustrates both prints — same illustrator.
No graded copy currently listed — sourcing runs through Quick Order.
Where to Buy the Japanese Versions from Tokyo
We ship Japanese sealed product and singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For the chases above, the direct route is a sealed SV3 Ruler of the Black Flame Japanese Booster Box, currently listed at ¥18,620 (~$117) — every UR, SAR and SR on this list comes out of that same box.
If you’d rather go straight for a graded copy, PSA 10 Ortega is currently listed at ¥4,950 (~$31) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). For the other nine cards, or for raw SV3 singles generally, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to request them individually. If you’re deciding between SV3 and its sister release, our SV3 vs SV3a box guide compares the two sets side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Japanese set is Obsidian Flames based on?
Mainly SV3 Ruler of the Black Flame, which released in Japan on 28th July 2023. Obsidian Flames also folds in cards from the July ex Starter Decks, the May ex Special Sets and material cut from Paldea Evolved, per PokeBeach and Pokellector’s composition reporting.
How many chase cards are in Obsidian Flames?
The English checklist runs 197 cards plus 33 secret rares (230 total). On the Japanese side, Limitless TCG’s database catalogues 141 SV3 entries, including 3 Ultra Rare secrets: the gold Charizard ex (139/108), Artazon (140/108) and the Basic Fire Energy secret (141/108).
How many Charizard ex cards does this set have?
This list covers two Charizard ex chases traced to SV3: the gold-secret 228/197 (Japanese equivalent SV3 139/108, UR, illustrated by 5ban Graphics) and the Special Illustration Rare 223/197 (Japanese equivalent SV3 134/108, SAR, illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA). A third Charizard ex full art exists in the set as well — see our Charizard round-ups linked above for the wider picture.
Do the Japanese cards use different rarity names to the English ones?
Yes. What’s printed on the Japanese card is a short code — UR, SAR or SR — while Limitless TCG’s database labels the same tiers with fuller English names (“Ultra Rare”, “Special Art Rare”, “Secret Rare”). Our Japanese rarity symbols guide breaks down how the two line up.
When did Ruler of the Black Flame (SV3) release compared to Obsidian Flames?
SV3 released in Japan on 28th July 2023. Obsidian Flames followed in English on 11th August 2023, about two weeks later.
Where can I buy Ruler of the Black Flame product from Japan?
We ship the SV3 Japanese Booster Box and graded SV3 singles from Tokyo with tracked delivery. The box is currently listed at ¥18,620 (~$117); PSA 10 Ortega is currently listed at ¥4,950 (~$31). Other SV3 singles can be requested through our Quick Order page.
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