Same card, three corners of a Japanese set, three different collector prices. Skeledirge ex 097/073 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — the Special Art Rare from Triplet Beat — is one of the more commonly mixed-up modern Pokemon prints, because the card sitting three numbers away and the one sitting five numbers away both look similar to a quick glance in a binder.
This guide sets out exactly what 097/073 is, how it differs from the other two Skeledirge ex prints in the same Japanese release, what the card actually does in play, and where a PSA10-graded copy is currently listed.
Skeledirge ex 097/073 is the SAR print from Japan’s Triplet Beat (SV1a), released March 10, 2023. It sits alongside a Double Rare (020/073) and a gold Ultra Rare (102/073) from the same set — all three share identical HP and attack text; only the illustration and border differ. A PSA10-graded copy is currently listed at ¥10,176 (~$64) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
Prices in this guide are converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026).
What Is Skeledirge ex SAR (097/073)?
Skeledirge ex, card number 097/073, rarity SAR (Special Art Rare), comes from the Japanese 확장팩 Triplet Beat (SV1a), released in Japan on March 10, 2023 as a 103-card set. Skeledirge is the final-evolution Fire-type starter introduced in the Scarlet & Violet video games — the last stage of the Fuecoco line — and Triplet Beat is built around all three Paldea starter final evolutions: Skeledirge, Meowscarada, and Quaquaval.
The main-print card is a Fire-type ex with 340 HP. The SAR illustration specifically is credited to kantaro, while the set’s regular Double Rare print and its gold Ultra Rare parallel are both illustrated by 5ban Graphics. For the full set context, see our Triplet Beat (SV1a) card list.
The Three Prints in Triplet Beat: DR, SAR, UR
Triplet Beat printed Skeledirge ex across three rarity tiers in the same release — not as later reprints, but as parallel versions issued together on March 10, 2023.
| Card number | Rarity | Illustrator | Role in set |
|---|---|---|---|
| 020/073 | Double Rare | 5ban Graphics | First appearance / standard print |
| 097/073 | SAR | kantaro | Special Art Rare parallel |
| 102/073 | Ultra Rare | 5ban Graphics | Gold parallel |
The card’s HP, type, and both attacks are identical across all three — the Double Rare, the SAR, and the Ultra Rare are the same card mechanically. What separates them is entirely the illustration and border treatment: 020/073 is the standard Double Rare frame, 097/073 is kantaro’s full-art Special Art Rare treatment, and 102/073 is the gold-bordered Ultra Rare parallel. If you’re checking which one is in front of you, the card number in the bottom corner is the fastest way to confirm it.
097/073 is not a later reprint of 020/073 — both released together on March 10, 2023 as part of the same Triplet Beat print run, just in different rarity slots.
Vitality Song and Burning Voice: The Attacks
Skeledirge ex carries two attacks, and the text is the same across the Double Rare, SAR, and Ultra Rare prints — only the artwork changes between them:
- Vitality Song — 1 Fire Energy, 50 damage. Heals 30 damage from each of your Pokemon.
- Burning Voice — 2 Fire Energy, 270 damage minus 10 damage for each damage counter already on this Pokemon.
Vitality Song is a cheap, wide-healing attack that keeps a board topped up for one Energy, and Burning Voice scales down as the card takes damage — it hits hardest while Skeledirge ex is still fresh off the bench. For more on how this fits into the wider Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese card pool, see our Scarlet & Violet Japanese card list.
What Makes a SAR a SAR?
Special Art Rare (SAR) is a rarity tier used across the modern Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese sets: a full-illustration alternate-art treatment sitting above the set’s standard rares. Skeledirge ex 097/073 is one example from Triplet Beat; the same tier appears in later sets under different card numbers and artists.
Both of the cards above are unrelated to Skeledirge and come from different, later Japanese sets — they’re shown here purely to illustrate what the SAR treatment looks like across the format: full-bleed artwork, no white border, and a card number that sits well past the set’s main numbered run.
Japanese Triplet Beat vs English Paldea Evolved
Skeledirge ex’s English-market equivalent comes from Paldea Evolved, card 37/193, where the SAR-equivalent tier is branded internationally as a “Special Illustration Rare” (SIR). The underlying card is the same starter-evolution ex; the naming convention for the top illustration tier differs between the Japanese and English print lines.
Triplet Beat sits early in the Scarlet & Violet Japanese print era, alongside sets like Violet ex (SV1V) shown above. Import buyers generally choose the Japanese Triplet Beat print of Skeledirge ex specifically for kantaro’s SAR illustration, which is exclusive to the Japanese numbering (097/073) rather than shared with the English Paldea Evolved release.
Buying This Card PSA10 Graded
A PSA10-graded Skeledirge ex 097/073 SAR is currently listed at ¥10,176 (~$64) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). At that price point, it sits comfortably within our best PSA10 Japanese cards under ¥30,000 range — for a broader view of how we approach grading on Japanese prints, see our Japanese Pokemon cards PSA grading guide.
View Product → (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
Where to Buy Skeledirge ex SAR from Japan
Our single listing for this card is the PSA10-graded Skeledirge ex 097/073 SAR at ¥10,176 (~$64) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. If you’re after the Double Rare (020/073) or Ultra Rare (102/073) prints from the same set, or want to check current stock on other Triplet Beat singles, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to submit a request.
자주 묻는 질문
What is Skeledirge ex 097/073 SAR from Triplet Beat?
It’s the Special Art Rare print of Skeledirge ex from Japan’s Triplet Beat (SV1a) expansion, released March 10, 2023. The illustration is by kantaro, and the card is a 340 HP Fire-type ex.
What’s the difference between the Double Rare, SAR, and Ultra Rare Skeledirge ex prints in Triplet Beat?
All three — 020/073 (Double Rare), 097/073 (SAR), and 102/073 (Ultra Rare) — released together in the same set and share identical HP and attack text. Only the illustration and border differ: the Double Rare and Ultra Rare are illustrated by 5ban Graphics, and the SAR is illustrated by kantaro.
What are Skeledirge ex’s attacks?
Vitality Song (1 Fire Energy, 50 damage, heals 30 damage from each of your Pokemon) and Burning Voice (2 Fire Energy, 270 damage minus 10 for each damage counter already on this Pokemon).
Is the Japanese Triplet Beat print different from the English Paldea Evolved print?
The underlying card is the same starter-evolution ex, released in English as Paldea Evolved 37/193 with the top illustration tier branded as a Special Illustration Rare (SIR). The Japanese SAR illustration by kantaro (097/073) is specific to the Japanese Triplet Beat numbering.
Where can I buy a PSA10 Skeledirge ex 097/073 SAR?
A PSA10-graded copy is currently listed at ¥10,176 (about $64), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery.
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