SIR stands for Special Illustration Rare, an English/international Pokémon TCG rarity that debuted with the Scarlet & Violet base set in March 2023 — a full-art alternate-artwork reprint of a Pokémon ex with an added glitter-foil layer, marked by a double gold star. Its Japanese cognate is SAR (Special Art Rare), but the two terms are not a clean one-to-one match: Bulbapedia is explicit that “these rarities don’t completely overlap.”
That last point trips up a lot of buyers, so this guide works through it directly — what SIR means, what SAR means, where they diverge, how AR and IR fit one tier below, and where the whole naming system actually started. We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA 10 singles out of Tokyo, so the anchors below are all currently listed prints you can check against the definitions as you read.
SIR (English) and SAR (Japanese) are parallel terms, but per Bulbapedia they “don’t completely overlap,” so the specific card and set must be checked rather than assuming a guaranteed 1:1 match. AR/SAR debuted together in the Japanese high-class pack VSTAR Universe (s12a), home to the PSA10 Grant SAR, currently listed at ¥9,350 (~$59). For the sealed side of that same set, the VSTAR Universe booster box is currently listed at ¥30,870 (~$194).
Yen figures below convert at ¥159/USD (September 2026). Prices shown are our own listed prices on samuraiswordtokyo.com, not third-party market prices — check the linked listing for the current number before ordering.
What Does SIR Mean? Special Illustration Rare Explained
SIR (Special Illustration Rare) is an English/international-only Pokémon TCG rarity, introduced by The Pokémon Company International with the Scarlet & Violet base set in March 2023. Per Bulbapedia’s Special Illustration Rare page, SIR cards are full-art alternate-artwork reprints of Pokémon ex — and, per the same source, “some supporter cards” can also carry the tier — with an added glitter-foil layer over the card face, typically showing the Pokémon in a natural setting rather than in battle. The symbol printed on English cards at this tier is a double gold star.
That symbol is the important part. SIR is a print-tier label describing a specific visual treatment (full art, glitter foil, natural-setting illustration) applied to a specific category of card (Pokémon ex, occasionally Supporters) — it is not a description of how many were printed, and this guide won’t make that claim.
SAR: The Japanese Cognate — Not a Perfect Match
SAR (Special Art Rare / スペシャルアートレア) is the Japanese cognate, but Bulbapedia is explicit that “these rarities don’t completely overlap” between the two markets. Check the specific card and set rather than treating SAR and SIR as guaranteed interchangeable labels.
In practice, that means you can’t assume every Japanese full-art Pokémon ex card with a glitter-foil, natural-setting illustration is stamped SAR. The label depends on which set era it came from, and on the Pokémon’s game mechanic, not purely on how the card looks. Our Miriam card guide and N’s Zoroark ex card guide both work through this exact SIR-vs-SAR distinction on individual cards, if you want to see it applied to a specific print.
Treat “SIR” and “SAR” as parallel terms in two different markets — not as a guaranteed 1:1 translation. Check the specific card and set before applying either label.
AR vs IR: The One-Star Tier Beneath SIR/SAR
One tier below SIR/SAR sits AR (Art Rare / アートレア), the Japanese cognate of the English IR (Illustration Rare). AR/IR cards are full-art holographic reprints of Common, Uncommon or Rare Pokémon — not ex Pokémon — often illustrating a full evolutionary line in one continuous piece of art by a single illustrator. The English-market symbol for this tier is a single gold star, one star short of SIR’s double.
The distinction is made at the individual card level: AR/IR applies to the Common, Uncommon or Rare Pokémon treatments described above, while SIR/SAR applies to Pokémon ex or, on some cards, Supporters. It is not determined by whether the final stage of an illustrated evolution line is a Pokémon ex.
| English term | Japanese cognate | English symbol | What it depicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| IR (Illustration Rare) | AR (Art Rare / アートレア) | Single gold star | Full-art holo reprint of a Common/Uncommon/Rare Pokémon, often a full evolution line, one artist |
| SIR (Special Illustration Rare) | SAR (Special Art Rare / スペシャルアートレア) — not a full 1:1 match, see above | Double gold star | Full-art alt-art reprint of a Pokémon ex (or some Supporter cards), added glitter-foil layer, natural setting |
Where AR and SAR Began: VSTAR Universe (s12a)
AR and SAR were both introduced together in the Japanese high-class pack VSTAR Universe (set code s12a). Per secondary trade press (PokeGuardian, citing PokéBeach), the reported release date is 2 December 2022 — flagged here as reported/secondary rather than independently confirmed against an official pokemon-card.com page, since that direct confirmation wasn’t available in this pass.
This guide does not state a rarity-by-rarity total for VSTAR Universe. Our VSTAR Universe (s12a) card list covers the full set breakdown if you’re trying to identify a specific print. As a live example from that set, the PSA10 Grant SAR shown at the top of this article is 238/172, currently listed at ¥9,350 (~$59).
Do Full-Art Supporter Cards Get SAR? It Depends on the Card
There’s one more nuance worth knowing before you try to slot a full-art Trainer/Supporter card into AR/IR or SAR/SIR by eye: the tier isn’t fixed by card type alone. Grant, Penny, and Morty’s Conviction — full-art Supporter cards currently listed in PSA 10 — are each designated Special Art Rare (SAR). Per Bulbapedia, Pokémon ex cards “also can appear as special illustration rares as well as some supporter cards,” and a Supporter reaching the SIR/SAR tier is a documented pattern.
Friends of Paldea, the Supporter card pictured above, shows the other side of that same pattern: it’s a full-art Supporter card from the same broader Scarlet & Violet era, and its printed designation is SR (Secret Rare), not SAR. So a given full-art Supporter card’s tier depends on the individual card and set — there isn’t a single blanket rule you can apply from “it’s a Trainer card” alone.
Where to Buy SIR, SAR and AR Cards from Tokyo
We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA 10 graded singles worldwide out of Tokyo with tracked delivery. If you want to see the terms from this guide on real cards rather than just in a table, these are currently listed:
- PSA10 Grant SAR [s12a 238/172], VSTAR Universe — currently listed at ¥9,350 (~$59)
- PSA10 Latios 070/064 AR (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — currently listed at ¥10,571 (~$66)
- PSA10 Friends of Paldea SR [SV8a 195/187], Terastal Festival ex — currently listed at ¥7,986 (~$50)
- PSA10 Penny SAR [SV4a 354/190], Shiny Treasure ex — currently listed at ¥15,070 (~$95)
- PSA10 Morty’s Conviction 097/071 SAR — currently listed at ¥28,578 (~$180)
- S12A VSTAR Universe Japanese Pokemon Booster Box — the set AR and SAR debuted in, currently listed at ¥30,870 (~$194)
Prints not listed in the links above aren’t currently on our site — sourcing requests for a specific SIR, SAR or AR card go through Quick Order. You can also browse the full PSA 10 graded card collection or the Japanese Pokémon booster box collection to see what’s currently available across other sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between SIR and SAR?
SIR (Special Illustration Rare) is the English/international term, introduced with the Scarlet & Violet base set in March 2023. SAR (Special Art Rare) is the Japanese cognate, but per Bulbapedia the two rarities “don’t completely overlap.” Check the specific card and set rather than assuming a guaranteed 1:1 match.
What does SIR stand for on a Pokémon card?
Special Illustration Rare. It marks a full-art alternate-artwork reprint of a Pokémon ex (or, on some cards, a Supporter) with an added glitter-foil layer, usually showing the Pokémon in a natural setting. The symbol is a double gold star.
What is the difference between AR and IR cards?
AR (Art Rare) is the Japanese cognate of English IR (Illustration Rare). Both apply to full-art holo reprints of a Common, Uncommon or Rare Pokémon and use a single gold star in English. The classification is made card by card, not by the final stage of an illustrated evolution line.
Which set introduced AR and SAR in Japan?
VSTAR Universe (set code s12a). Per secondary trade press, its reported release date is 2 December 2022. This guide does not state a rarity-by-rarity total for the set.
Do full-art Trainer cards count as AR or SAR in Japan?
It depends on the card. Some full-art Supporter cards — Grant, Penny, and Morty’s Conviction among them — are designated Special Art Rare (SAR). Others, like Friends of Paldea, carry the SR (Secret Rare) designation instead. There isn’t a single rule that applies to every full-art Trainer/Supporter card by type alone.
Is a Japanese SAR card the same as an English SIR card?
Usually the same underlying concept — a full-art glitter-foil ex reprint — but not a guaranteed 1:1 match across every era. Check the specific set and Pokémon rather than assuming the two labels always line up.
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