Zygarde has never been the flashiest Legendary in the Pokemon TCG lineup, but it has quietly picked up a printing in nearly every generation since its 2016 debut — and the 2026 Mega era just gave it its biggest card yet.
Zygarde first appeared as a Trainer-battle staple in the X&Y era before graduating to a Pokemon-GX in Sun & Moon and, most recently, a Mega Evolution ex in the current Mega era’s Nihil Zero (M3) set. Eight confirmed Japanese printings span five sets and ten years. This guide walks through each one, with the card numbers and rarities you need to identify what you’re holding, plus where to find the current chase print — the Mega Zygarde ex Special Art Rare — in our Tokyo stock.
Unlike Pokemon that pick up a new chase card in nearly every set, Zygarde’s print history is narrow and easy to map in full: one debut Uncommon, one GX pair, two more Uncommon reprints, and one modern ex trio. That makes it a manageable target whether you’re chasing a single graded copy of the newest print or trying to track down all eight for a complete run.
Eight Japanese Zygarde printings are confirmed across five sets from 2016’s Awakening Psychic King (XY10) to 2026’s Nihil Zero (M3). The newest and highest-rarity print, Mega Zygarde ex SAR 113/080, is currently listed at ¥8,533 (~$54) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) as a PSA 10 in our shop. The Nihil Zero booster box that contains the full Mega Zygarde ex trio is currently listed at ¥8,343–¥9,486 (~$52–$60).
Card data verified against Limitless TCG’s Japanese card database as of August 2026. Prices convert at ¥159/USD.
Every Zygarde Card and Where It’s From
Here are all eight confirmed Japanese Zygarde printings, in release order:
| # | Carta | Set | Released | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zygarde 040/078 U | Awakening Psychic King (XY10) | 2016-03-18 | Not in current stock — request via Quick Order |
| 2 | Zygarde GX 050/094 RR | Forbidden Light (SM6) | 2018 | Not in current stock — request via Quick Order |
| 3 | Zygarde GX 096/094 SR | Forbidden Light (SM6) | 2018 | Not in current stock — request via Quick Order |
| 4 | Zygarde 036/053 U | Dragon Storm (SM6a) | 2018-04-06 | Not in current stock — request via Quick Order |
| 5 | Zygarde 028/054 U | GG End (SM10a) | SM10a era | Not in current stock — request via Quick Order |
| 6 | Mega Zygarde ex 046/080 RR | Nihil Zero (M3) | 2026-01-23 | In sealed boxes, currently listed at ¥8,343–¥9,486 (~$52–$60) |
| 7 | Mega Zygarde ex 113/080 SAR | Nihil Zero (M3) | 2026-01-23 | PSA 10 currently listed at ¥8,533 (~$54) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| 8 | Mega Zygarde ex 117/080 UR | Nihil Zero (M3) | 2026-01-23 | In sealed boxes, currently listed at ¥8,343–¥9,486 (~$52–$60) |
As catalogued by Limitless TCG as of August 2026, all eight prints trace back to a Legendary that started as a Basic Pokemon in the X&Y era, became a Pokemon-GX for one set in Sun & Moon, and returned as a full Mega Evolution ex a decade later. The sections below cover each era in order.
The 2016 Debut: Awakening Psychic King
Zygarde’s first Japanese TCG appearance was in Awakening Psychic King (XY10), released on 2016-03-18, as an Uncommon at 040/078. This is a straightforward Basic Pokemon print from the tail end of the XY block — no alternate art, no special foiling, just the standard holofoil treatment XY10’s Uncommon slots received. If you’re trying to identify an older Zygarde pulled from a binder, this is the print to check for first, since it’s the earliest confirmed Japanese release.
The card number tells the story here: 040 out of a 078-card set puts it comfortably inside the main numbered run, well below any secret-rare threshold. That positioning — ordinary card number, ordinary rarity symbol — is consistent across most of Zygarde’s early prints, and it’s part of why the character’s pre-2026 cards haven’t drawn the kind of attention its Mega ex trio has.
The Forbidden Light GX Pair (2018)
Zygarde’s only Pokemon-GX printing came in 2018’s Forbidden Light (SM6), a 94-card base set. It shipped in two rarity slots within the same set: a Rare Rare (RR) at 050/094, sitting inside the set’s numbered print run, and a Secret Rare (SR) at 096/094. The SR’s card number exceeding the set’s stated 94-card total is the tell that it’s a secret slot — a full-art treatment of the same GX card, printed in far smaller numbers than the RR. The English-language equivalent set is Forbidden Light, released the same year.
This is the only GX-era Zygarde card that exists, which makes the RR/SR pair a useful anchor point if you’re building a printing-by-printing collection: everything before it is a Basic Pokemon EX-less print, and everything after moves into the Mega era’s ex mechanic.
Pokemon-GX cards typically shipped in exactly this pattern — a numbered rarity for players building decks and a secret full-art version for collectors — and Forbidden Light’s Zygarde GX followed the format precisely. If you already own the RR and are hunting the SR, look for the 096 card number; nothing else about the card layout changes between an ordinary RR and its secret-slot counterpart except the artwork treatment and the number printed on the card itself.
Two More Standard Prints: Dragon Storm and GG End
Two more standard Basic Pokemon prints followed the GX pair. Dragon Storm (SM6a), released 2018-04-06, carried Zygarde at 036/053 as an Uncommon — a companion set to Forbidden Light within the same SM6 wave. Later, GG End (SM10a) added Zygarde at 028/054, also Uncommon; the English-language counterpart to that print is Unified Minds 124.
Neither of these is a chase card — they’re the kind of set-filler Uncommon that shows up in most Legendary Pokemon’s print history — but they round out the pre-Mega era lineup and are worth knowing if you’re cataloguing a full Zygarde run.
Both cards also give you a language cross-check if you’re comparing a Japanese binder to an English-language collection: the GG End print lines up with Unified Minds 124 on the English side, which is useful if you’re trying to figure out whether a card you already own in English has a Japanese counterpart worth tracking down. Dragon Storm’s Zygarde does not have a confirmed English-set match in this guide’s sourcing, so treat it as a Japan-specific print until otherwise confirmed.
Any Zygarde card with a plain Basic Pokemon layout, no GX text box, and no «ex» marker is one of the four pre-2026 prints: XY10, SM6a, or SM10a. If it says «GX,» it’s the 2018 Forbidden Light pair. If it says «ex» with a Mega Evolution frame, it’s the 2026 Nihil Zero print.
The 2026 Chase: Mega Zygarde ex from Nihil Zero
Zygarde’s biggest TCG moment arrived on 2026-01-23 with the release of Nihil Zero (M3), the current Mega era’s set that gave the character its first Mega Evolution ex printing — and a trio of rarity tiers to go with it.
The set-numbered Rare Rare at 046/080 is the standard pull within Nihil Zero’s 80-card print run. Above it sit two secret-numbered tiers: the Special Art Rare at 113/080, illustrated by kantaro, and the Ultra Rare at 117/080. As with the Forbidden Light SR, both secret tiers carry card numbers past the set’s stated total, marking them as the harder pulls.
The jump from a Basic Pokemon to a Mega Evolution ex is the biggest structural change in Zygarde’s print history. Every earlier card — the XY10 debut, the GX pair, the two standard reprints — used a conventional card frame. The Nihil Zero trio uses the Mega era’s ex format instead, which is why this set marks a clean break between «vintage Zygarde» and «current Zygarde» for collecting purposes. Between the three 2026 tiers, the SAR is the one built for display: full alternate art across the panel, kantaro’s illustration work, and the secret-numbered slot that collectors specifically hunt boxes for.
The SAR is the print we currently carry as a graded card: a PSA 10 copy, currently listed at ¥8,533 (~$54) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). PSA independently determines authenticity and grade, so a 10 on the slab reflects PSA’s own grading standard rather than any claim we make about the card. If you’d rather chase your own copy from sealed product, the Nihil Zero booster box, currently listed at ¥8,343–¥9,486 (~$52–$60), is the source for all three Mega Zygarde ex tiers in this set. For the full 80-card breakdown, see our Nihil Zero (M3) complete card list and the set’s best chase cards guide — both cover every chase card in the set, not just Zygarde.
How to Collect Zygarde Cards
Zygarde’s print history splits cleanly into two collecting strategies depending on which era you’re after.
- Pre-Mega prints (XY10, SM6, SM6a, SM10a). These four sets are not part of our current stock. If you’re after the XY10 debut, the Forbidden Light GX pair, or either of the standard Uncommon reprints, request a quote via our Quick Order page and we’ll check current availability.
- The 2026 Mega Zygarde ex trio. This is where our current stock sits. The PSA 10 SAR is a straightforward single-card purchase, while the RR and UR are pulled from sealed Nihil Zero boxes — buying a box also gets you a shot at every other chase card in the 80-card set.
Collectors approaching Zygarde tend to fall into one of two groups. The first wants a single display-quality piece and goes straight for the graded SAR — it’s the newest, highest-rarity print, it’s already been through PSA’s grading process, and it doesn’t require opening any product. The second wants to build the printing history in full, which means working through the pre-2026 sets one at a time via Quick Order alongside a Nihil Zero box for the modern trio.
If you’re building toward a graded set rather than a single card, our PSA 10 card list hub is the fastest way to see what else we currently carry in graded condition alongside the Mega Zygarde ex SAR.
Where to Buy Zygarde Cards from Japan
We ship Japanese sealed product and graded singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery.
For the sealed route, the Nihil Zero (M3) booster box contains the full Mega Zygarde ex trio alongside the rest of the set’s chase cards. For any of the earlier printings — the XY10 debut, the Forbidden Light GX pair, or the Dragon Storm and GG End reprints — our Quick Order page is the fastest way to request current availability and build a mixed order.
If you collect other Mega Evolution ex chase cards alongside Zygarde, our Mega Dragonite cards guide and shiny Mega Rayquaza cards guide cover two other Legendary-adjacent Mega lines, and our Mega Evolution chase card guide rounds up the format’s top pulls across every set. For the full Nihil Zero set context, see the M3 Nihil Zero complete guide, the M3 vs M4 box comparison, or the set hub at /pages/m3-card-list.
Preguntas frecuentes
How many Zygarde cards exist in the Japanese Pokemon TCG?
This guide covers eight confirmed Japanese Zygarde printings across five sets, from the 2016 debut in Awakening Psychic King (XY10) to the 2026 Mega Zygarde ex trio in Nihil Zero (M3), as catalogued by Limitless TCG as of August 2026.
What is the newest Zygarde card, and where can I find it?
The newest print is Mega Zygarde ex 113/080 SAR from Nihil Zero (M3), released 2026-01-23. We currently carry a PSA 10 copy, listed at ¥8,533 (about $54), plus sealed Nihil Zero boxes that contain the full Mega Zygarde ex trio.
What’s the difference between the Nihil Zero Mega Zygarde ex RR, SAR, and UR?
All three are the same card in different rarity treatments from the same 80-card set. The RR (046/080) sits within the set’s standard numbered print run. The SAR (113/080) and UR (117/080) both carry secret card numbers past the stated 80-card total, marking them as the harder-to-pull tiers — the SAR is illustrated by kantaro.
Is there a Zygarde Complete Forme or 50% Forme card in Japanese?
This guide has not confirmed a form-specific (10%, 50%, or Complete Forme) Zygarde card in the Japanese TCG catalog. Every printing verified here uses the standard Zygarde form.
Did Zygarde ever get a Pokemon-GX card?
Yes, and only one: Zygarde GX from Forbidden Light (SM6), released in 2018. It came in two rarities — a Rare Rare at 050/094 and a full-art Secret Rare at 096/094 — and no other GX-era Zygarde card exists.
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