Brilliant Stars Chase Cards: Top 10 & the Japanese S9 Star Birth / S8b VMAX Climax Versions

Q: Can I buy the Japanese sealed boxes these cards come from?

Yes. We list the S9 Star Birth Booster Box at ¥22,575 (about $142) and the S8b VMAX Climax Booster Box at ¥39,900 (about $251), both shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For singles or a mixed order, use our Quick Order page.

9월 2, 2026 SamuraiSwordTokyo

Brilliant Stars chase cards Top 10 guide showing Japanese S9 Star Birth and S8b VMAX Climax originals

Brilliant Stars is the English set collectors remember for Umbreon VMAX, Charizard VSTAR, and a Trainer Gallery full of Eeveelutions. Almost none of that art started life in English. It was assembled from two Japanese releases — S8b VMAX Climax and S9 Star Birth — that came out months earlier.

Brilliant Stars released in English on 25th February 2022 with 151 cards plus 35 secret rares and a 30-card Trainer Gallery. On the Japanese side, S8b VMAX Climax (a 하이클래스팩) launched 3rd December 2021 with 277 cards, and S9 Star Birth (an 확장팩) followed on 14th January 2022 with 127 cards. Between them, those two Japanese sets supplied the chase cards English collectors know as Brilliant Stars. We’ve already mapped the full card lists in our Brilliant Stars Japanese card list; this guide ranks the ten chase cards that matter most and shows the exact Japanese printing behind each one.

Key Takeaway

Brilliant Stars (EN, Feb 2022) draws its chase cards from two earlier Japanese sets — S8b VMAX Climax (Dec 2021) and S9 Star Birth (Jan 2022). Our top listed PSA 10 from this pool is the Umbreon VMAX Character Super Rare, currently listed at ¥36,029 (~$227), and we currently list the S9 Star Birth Booster Box at ¥22,575 (~$142) for anyone chasing the Star Birth side of the set.

Brilliant Stars

English Set (Feb 2022)

S8b + S9

JP Source Sets (Dec & Jan ‘22)

Chase Cards Covered

¥22,575

S9 Box, Currently Listed

Prices convert at ¥159/USD (September 2026). Where we have a live PSA 10 listing, the link goes straight to it; where we don’t, sourcing runs through Quick Order.

How We Ranked These

We don’t quote third-party market prices for this list. Instead we rank by two things we can actually stand behind: first, the cards with a live PSA 10 listing on our site, ordered from our highest listed price down; then the remaining cards by Japanese printed rarity tier — UR and HR alt-art slots first, then SR alt-art, then standard SR. That’s a ranking built from our own inventory and Limitless TCG’s card data, not from auction history or a grading population report.

The Top 10 Chase Cards

Each entry gives the English Brilliant Stars printing first, then the Japanese card it was scanned from.

1. Umbreon VMAX — TG23 “Character Super Rare”

English: Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery TG23, illustrated by kawayoo. Japanese: S8b VMAX Climax 245/184, Character Super Rare, same illustrator. This is the trainer-scene Umbreon VMAX — a different illustration from the alt-art “Moonbreon” VMAX, which comes from a separate Japanese printing covered in our Moonbreon value guide.

Umbreon VMAX 245/184 Character Super Rare, S8b VMAX Climax — Umbreon VMAX 245/184, CSR — S8b VMAX Climax

We currently list this card as a PSA 10 at ¥36,029 (~$227).

2. Dedenne — TG7 “Character Holo Rare”

English: Brilliant Stars TG7, illustrated by kurumitsu. Japanese: S8b VMAX Climax 200/184 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), Character Holo Rare, same illustrator.

Dedenne 200/184 Character Holo Rare, S8b VMAX Climax — Dedenne 200/184, CHR — S8b VMAX Climax

We currently list this card as a PSA 10 at ¥15,730 (~$99) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).

3. Vaporeon — TG2 Character Holo Rare

English: Brilliant Stars TG2, illustrated by Jiro Sasumo. Japanese: S8b VMAX Climax 189/184 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), Character Holo Rare, same illustrator.

Vaporeon 189/184 Character Holo Rare, S8b VMAX Climax — Vaporeon 189/184, CHR — S8b VMAX Climax

We currently list this card as a PSA 10 at ¥11,836 (~$74) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).

4. Flareon — TG1 Character Holo Rare

English: Brilliant Stars TG1, illustrated by You Iribi. Japanese: S8b VMAX Climax 188/184 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), Character Holo Rare, same illustrator.

Flareon 188/184 Character Holo Rare, S8b VMAX Climax — Flareon 188/184, CHR — S8b VMAX Climax

We currently list this card as a PSA 10 at ¥10,978 (~$69) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).

5. Arceus VSTAR — 184/172 Gold Secret Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 184/172, gold “Secret Rare,” illustrated by 5ban Graphics. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 125/100, printed Ultra Rare, same illustrator.

Arceus VSTAR 125/100 Ultra Rare, S9 Star Birth — Arceus VSTAR 125/100, UR — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문.

6. Charizard VSTAR — 174/172 Rainbow Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 174/172, rainbow rare, illustrated by 5ban Graphics. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 118/100, printed HR, same illustrator.

Charizard VSTAR 118/100 HR rainbow rare, S9 Star Birth — Charizard VSTAR 118/100 *(update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)*, HR — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문.

7. Charizard V (alt art) — 154/172 Ultra Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 154/172, alt-art Ultra Rare, illustrated by Ryota Murayama. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 103/100, printed SR (alt art), same illustrator.

Charizard V 103/100 SR alt art, S9 Star Birth — Charizard V 103/100 *(update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)*, SR (alt art) — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문.

8. Arceus V (alt art) — 166/172 Ultra Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 166/172, alt-art Ultra Rare, illustrated by kawayoo. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 112/100, printed SR (alt art), same illustrator.

Arceus V 112/100 SR alt art, S9 Star Birth — Arceus V 112/100 *(update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)*, SR (alt art) — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문. For more on this card family, see our Arceus cards guide.

9. Lumineon V (alt art) — 156/172 Ultra Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 156/172, alt-art Ultra Rare, illustrated by Ligton. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 105/100, printed SR (alt art), same illustrator.

Lumineon V 105/100 SR alt art, S9 Star Birth — Lumineon V 105/100, SR (alt art) — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문.

10. Honchkrow V (alt art) — 162/172 Ultra Rare

English: Brilliant Stars 162/172, alt-art Ultra Rare, illustrated by zig. Japanese: S9 Star Birth 109/100, printed SR (alt art), same illustrator.

Honchkrow V 109/100 SR alt art, S9 Star Birth — Honchkrow V 109/100, SR (alt art) — S9 Star Birth

There’s no PSA 10 listing on our site for this printing — sourcing runs through 빠른 주문.

Japanese vs English: What Changes

Numbering is the biggest practical difference. Japan keeps each set on its own printed numbering — S8b VMAX Climax runs to 277/184 for its Character Rares and CSRs plus supporter SRs beyond that, and S9 Star Birth runs 001–127 with its own SR/HR/UR secret tier stacked from 101 upward. Brilliant Stars folds selections from both into a single continuous English run: 151 main-set cards, then Ultra Rare alt-art secrets from 152–172 (still inside the set’s printed “/172” denominator), then Rainbow Rare secrets 173–180 and gold Secret Rares 181–186 — both of which keep printing against that same /172 denominator even though their own numbers run past it — plus a separate 30-card Trainer Gallery (TG1–TG30) pulling specifically from S8b’s Character Rare and Character Super Rare slots. That’s why cards like Arceus VSTAR or Charizard VSTAR carry numbers such as 184/172 or 174/172: the fraction’s denominator is the set’s fixed printed total, not the card’s own position in the 152–186 secret run.

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Card counts also don’t map one to one. S8b VMAX Climax alone has 277 cataloged entries and S9 Star Birth has 127 — a combined Japanese pool far larger than the 216 cards (151 + 35 secrets + 30 Trainer Gallery) that make up English Brilliant Stars. Most Star Birth and VMAX Climax cards never got an English Brilliant Stars printing at all; the set drew a curated selection, not a full port.

Release dates run in Japan’s favour. S8b VMAX Climax launched 3rd December 2021 and S9 Star Birth followed 14th January 2022 — both well ahead of the English Brilliant Stars release on 25th February 2022. Our Brilliant Stars Japanese card list covers the full set mapping if you want every card cross-referenced, and our dedicated S9 Star Birth card list and S8b VMAX Climax card list break down each source set on its own.

이 세트 구매하기S9-Star Birth Japanese Pokemon Booster Box

¥22,575재고 있음

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상품 보기

Where to Buy the Japanese Versions from Tokyo

We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA 10 singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For the Trainer Gallery chase cards (Umbreon VMAX CSR, Dedenne, Vaporeon, Flareon), the source box is S8b VMAX Climax, currently listed at ¥39,900 (~$251). For the Arceus and Charizard VSTAR chase cards plus the alt-art Vs, it’s the S9 Star Birth Booster Box, currently listed at ¥22,575 (~$142).

Our four PSA 10 listings from this pool — Umbreon VMAX CSR, Dedenne CHR (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), Vaporeon CHR (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) and Flareon CHR (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — are graded singles, not sealed product. For anything else on this list, or a mixed order of sealed and singles, use our Quick Order page and we’ll source it.

자주 묻는 질문

What Japanese sets is Brilliant Stars built from?

Two of them: S8b VMAX Climax, a 하이클래스팩 released 3rd December 2021 (277 cards), and S9 Star Birth, an 확장팩 released 14th January 2022 (127 cards). English Brilliant Stars, released 25th February 2022, combined a curated selection from both into one 216-card set including its Trainer Gallery.

Is the Umbreon VMAX in Brilliant Stars the same card as “Moonbreon”?

No. Brilliant Stars Trainer Gallery TG23 is the Character Super Rare Umbreon VMAX (S8b VMAX Climax 245/184), a trainer-scene illustration by kawayoo. The alt-art VMAX collectors call “Moonbreon” is a different Japanese printing — see our Moonbreon value guide for that card specifically.

Which Brilliant Stars chase cards do you currently list as PSA 10?

Four from the Trainer Gallery/S8b side: Umbreon VMAX CSR at ¥36,029 (~$227), Dedenne CHR at ¥15,730 (~$99), Vaporeon CHR at ¥11,836 (~$74), and Flareon CHR at ¥10,978 (~$69). There are no PSA 10 listings on our site for the S9 Star Birth chase cards on this list; those run through Quick Order.

Do the Japanese and English versions of these cards use the same artwork?

For every card on this list, yes — each English Brilliant Stars printing shares its illustrator and artwork with the specific Japanese S8b or S9 card it was scanned from, per Limitless TCG’s card records.

Why do the Japanese and English numbers not match?

Japan keeps each set on its own printed numbering system, while English Brilliant Stars combines selections from two Japanese sets into one continuous run with its own secret-rare tier and a separate Trainer Gallery. The card counts differ too — the Japanese source sets total over 400 cards between them, while Brilliant Stars is 216.

Can I buy the Japanese sealed boxes these cards come from?

Yes. We list the S9 Star Birth Booster Box at ¥22,575 (~$142) and the S8b VMAX Climax Booster Box at ¥39,900 (~$251), both shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. For singles or a mixed order, use our Quick Order page.

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