S9 Star Birth Pull Rates, Best Cards & Box Guide (2026)

What Is S9 Star Birth? Set Overview

S9 Star Birth (スターバース) is the Japanese regular expansion pack released on January 14, 2022, and the most significant Sword & Shield set by one measure: it introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Every VSTAR card — Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR, Shaymin VSTAR, and 24 others — traces its debut to this set.

Set Specs

VSTAR Mechanic Introduction

VSTAR cards were the Sword & Shield era’s final evolution of the V mechanic. Each VSTAR Pokémon comes with a once-per-game VSTAR Power — either a powerful attack or an ability. Arceus VSTAR’s Starbirth ability (search your deck for any two cards) became immediately relevant in competitive play, and Charizard VSTAR’s Blaze VSTAR attack set the template for high-damage VSTAR builds. The debut of this mechanic in S9 makes it a historically significant set regardless of secondary market prices.

JPN vs English Brilliant Stars

The international Brilliant Stars (February 2022) combined S9’s main set cards with the Brilliant Stars-specific rarity treatment: Alternate Art (AA) and Rainbow Rare designs replaced the JPN SR and SA cards entirely. The Charizard V SA (103/100) from S9 does not appear in Brilliant Stars — the English version has a Charizard V Alternate Art with different artwork. Collectors who specifically want the JPN Charizard V SA (103/100) or Arceus V SA (112/100) must buy the Japanese S9 set.

Top 10 Most Valuable S9 Star Birth Cards

Charizard V SA leads S9’s value structure by a significant margin — at ~¥42,800, it is nearly 3× the second-place Charizard VSTAR HR. This Charizard-heavy structure means the SA pull in a box is more likely to be Arceus, Lumineon, or Honchkrow (the other three SA cards) than the set’s crown jewel. Prices below from altema.jp, April 2026.

Prices in JPY from altema.jp secondary market, April 2026. 1 USD ≈ ¥141.

#1 — Charizard V SA (103/100) — ~$303

The defining card of S9 and one of the most valuable individual cards in the entire Sword & Shield era. Charizard V SA (103/100) depicts Charizard mid-flight in a dynamic full-bleed illustration that fills the entire card face. Charizard’s universal collector appeal — maintained across every generation of the TCG since Base Set — means this card has held a premium that other set-specific SAs rarely match. At ¥42,800 sell / ¥35,000 buy (April 2026), it is the anchor card that defines S9’s overall box price floor.

#2 — Charizard VSTAR HR (118/100) — ~$105

The rainbow hyper rare version of Charizard VSTAR trades at ¥14,800 (~$105), making it the second most valuable pull in the set. As an HR card, Charizard VSTAR is significantly rarer than the guaranteed SR slot — estimated at roughly 1 per 5 boxes — and the Charizard premium on the HR treatment pushes it well above the set’s other HR cards. For buyers targeting two Charizard pulls in one box, both the SA (103) and HR (118) are in play.

#3 — Hyper Ball UR (126/100) — ~$64

The Hyper Ball UR (126/100) at ¥8,980 (~$64) is one of the highest-value item UR cards in the Sword & Shield era. Its value comes from two sources: Hyper Ball is a mechanically useful trainer card that saw competitive play, and the gold UR treatment on a universally recognizable item card (the standard PokéBall throw animation) has strong cross-audience appeal. It trades higher than the Arceus VSTAR UR at ¥2,380 — unusual for a trainer item to outperform a Pokémon VSTAR in gold treatment.

#4 — Arceus V SA (112/100) — ~$64

Arceus V SA (112/100) is the thematic centerpiece of the set — Arceus is literally in the set name — but it trades at ¥8,980 (~$64), significantly less than the Charizard V SA. This gap reflects the Charizard premium that runs across the entire TCG: Charizard cards consistently outperform equivalent non-Charizard cards in secondary market value. For Arceus collectors, the SA provides excellent value at its current price; for pure value chasing, the Charizard SA is the target.

#5 — Arceus VSTAR UR (125/100) — ~$17

Arceus VSTAR in gold UR treatment (125/100) at ¥2,380 (~$17) is the set’s fourth-highest value card beyond the top tier. It also appears as an HR version at a similar price (¥2,480). For Arceus master collectors, both the SA (112) and the UR (125) are must-haves alongside the set’s SR full art at 111/100.

Cards #6–10: Supporting Value

Cynthia’s Ambition SR is the set’s top Trainer SR at ¥3,280. Cynthia (シロナ) is the Sinnoh region Champion from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl — her SR card in any set consistently draws premium demand from Sinnoh fans, and S9 is her SA debut in the VSTAR era. Charizard V SR (102/100) at ¥5,980 is the “consolation prize” version of the top SA card, with the same subject but regular full art treatment rather than the dynamic SA illustration. Shaymin VSTAR HR completes the set’s notable rainbow holo pulls alongside Charizard VSTAR.

Should You Buy an S9 Star Birth Box?

For Charizard Collectors

S9 is one of three Sword & Shield era sets with a Charizard SA or equivalent, alongside S7D (Charizard V SA) and S8B VMAX Climax. The S9 Charizard V SA (103/100) is widely regarded as the best Charizard illustration in the era. At ~$156/box with a ~25% chance per box of any SA, opening for it requires patience — statistical expectation is one SA per four boxes, but it’s one of four SA variants. Buying the single directly at ~$303 is more cost-efficient if Charizard V SA is the only goal.

For VSTAR Completionists

S9 is the only set that can complete a VSTAR debut collection. All three premiere VSTAR cards (Arceus, Charizard, Shaymin) have HR rainbow holo versions here. If building a first-edition VSTAR collection is the goal, S9 is a required set with no substitute.

For Arceus Collectors

Arceus V SA (112/100) at ¥8,980 (~$64) is accessible as a single and a reasonable opening target given the 25% SA chance per box. The Arceus VSTAR UR (125/100) at ¥2,380 and HR version add further depth. S9 is the best single set for building an Arceus V/VSTAR collection.

For Box Openers and Casual Collectors

S9 is a 30-pack, 150-card box. At ~$156, it sits in the upper-mid range of Sword & Shield OOP boxes — more expensive than S10P (~$92) but less than S8A 25th Anniversary (~$200+). The opening experience has clear chase targets (Charizard SA and Arceus SA for different collector profiles) and the HR/UR slots carry strong supporting value. The negative EV is offset by the experience.

For Investors

S9’s Charizard V SA is the most reliable long-term appreciator in the set — Charizard cards have historically maintained value better than other Pokémon across market cycles. The overall box has appreciated from ~¥5,500 to ~¥22,000 (+300%) in four years. Whether this trajectory continues depends on new VSTAR-era nostalgia and Charizard demand, both of which have strong fundamentals.

S9 Star Birth Pull Rates & Box EV Breakdown

S9 is a regular expansion pack (30 packs × 5 cards = 150 cards/box). It guarantees at least 3 V cards, 2 VSTAR cards, and 1 SR per box. Pull rates below are estimated from Japanese community opening data.

Estimates from Japanese community opening data. Not officially confirmed by The Pokémon Company.

Box EV Breakdown

Box cost: ~¥22,000 (~$156). Expected value uses April 2026 altema.jp prices.

SA Distribution: The Charizard Problem

S9 has four SA cards: Charizard V (¥42,800), Arceus V (¥8,980), Lumineon V (¥1,380), and Honchkrow V (¥680). If you pull an SA in a box (~25% chance), the expected value of that pull is the average of all four: approximately (¥42,800 + ¥8,980 + ¥1,380 + ¥680) / 4 = ~¥13,460. But the distribution is extremely skewed — three of four SA pulls return under ¥9,000, while only one returns ¥42,800. This variance is what makes S9 one of the most “lottery-like” regular expansion boxes in the Sword & Shield era.

S9 Star Birth BOX Price History (2022–2026)

S9 has appreciated from ~¥5,500 at launch to ~¥22,000 over four years — a 300% increase. The appreciation has accelerated since late 2023 as the Charizard V SA’s value climbed and OOP supply tightened.

JPN secondary market prices (altema.jp / SNKRDUNK estimates). Prices as of April 2026.

Why S9 Has Outperformed Other Regular Expansions

Three factors separate S9’s trajectory from comparable regular expansion boxes. First, the Charizard V SA floor: as long as Charizard V SA holds ¥35,000+ (its buy price), the box has a strong value anchor that other sets lack. Second, the VSTAR debut: S9 is the only set where Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR, and Shaymin VSTAR all appear for the first time — this creates completionist demand that doesn’t fade with time. Third, the 27-card secret rare pool provides more variety in pulls than smaller sets, which sustains opening interest and keeps boxes moving through the secondary market.

Where to Buy S9 Star Birth

S9 is out of print and only available through secondary market channels. We ship from Japan directly.

Bottom Line: Is S9 Star Birth Worth Buying in 2026?

S9 Star Birth offers something no other Sword & Shield set provides: the combination of the Charizard V SA (103/100) at ¥42,800, the first-ever Arceus VSTAR debut, and 27 total secret rares providing the widest pull variety in any regular expansion of the era. The box is now priced at ~$156, which is steep — but the Charizard V SA alone at ~$303 means a single lucky pull returns double the box cost.

The negative EV is substantial on average (-¥15,065 per box), but the SA variance makes S9 one of the most exciting regular expansion boxes to open. For collectors who want Charizard, Arceus, or the first VSTAR cards in Japanese, there is no substitute set.

Buy it if: You collect Charizard cards, want the Arceus VSTAR debut in Japanese, or are building a Sword & Shield era VSTAR collection.

Related Guides

• S1A VMAX Rising
• S12A VSTAR Universe
• S8B VMAX Climax
• S4A Shiny Star V

Frequently Asked Questions