Darkrai EX 107 Full Art
Quick take
- Full Art version (107/108) of the format-defining Darkrai EX, distinct from the playable 63/108
- Darkness engine behind Darkrai/Hydreigon, one of the dominant decks of 2012 and 2013
- Black and White era full art with edge-to-edge holo and no white border
- A required slot for any Dark Explorers master set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Dark Explorers
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 107/108 · $789.99 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe face of a format, in full art
Dark Explorers landed in May 2012 and changed the competitive game fast. Darkrai EX gave Darkness decks free retreat across the board through Dark Cloak, then hit for spread damage with Night Spear. Pair that with Hydreigon's energy shuffling and you had Darkrai/Hydreigon, a deck that ran the format. Players bought this set in volume just to chase the regular 63/108 copies they needed for tournament play.
“Full Art version (107/108) of the format-defining Darkrai EX, distinct from the playable 63/108”
The 107/108 Full Art is the collector trophy of that story. Same Pokemon, same era, but the art runs to the edge of the card with no white border and the holo pattern covers the whole face. For a master set builder this is a required slot, and it carries weight beyond its own set because Darkrai is one of the most recognizable Pokemon of the BW years.
It is worth keeping the two numbers straight. 63/108 is the standard EX that saw play. 107/108 is the Full Art copy that sits at the top of the Dark Explorers checklist alongside the other full arts.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits near the top of the Dark Explorers chase list, in the company of the set's other full arts. It trades as a solid mid-tier BW-era full art rather than a runaway grail, but the Darkrai name keeps a steady floor under it that most 2012 ultra rares do not get.
Demand has been durable for years. Darkrai's competitive legacy and broad name recognition mean copies move steadily rather than sitting, and the BW full arts as a group have firmed up as that era ages into vintage-adjacent territory.
A sensible long-term hold for a recognizable name from a respected set, not a speculative flip. The supply is fixed and the Pokemon carries its own gravity. Condition is the real lever here, since clean BW full arts are getting harder to find.
Gem-mint graded copies command a clear premium over raw, and the gap widens because the era's full arts are prone to edge and surface wear that knocks centering and grade. A high-grade copy is meaningfully scarcer than the raw market suggests.
Dark Explorers predates the Scarlet and Violet rarity ladder, so there is no Double Rare or Special Illustration Rare structure here. It is a Black and White era set where the full arts sit at the very top of the rarity chart, well below the regular EX and reverse copies in pull frequency. Pulling this specific Full Art from sealed product was a genuine box-or-better event. With the era long out of print, sealed Dark Explorers is now scarce and expensive in its own right. For most collectors the singles market, not pack opening, is the realistic path to this card.
Within Dark Explorers, the full arts including Darkrai form the top of the checklist alongside the set's other secret-style cards. Darkrai's name keeps its Full Art in higher demand than several of its peers from the same set.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
5ban Graphics is the digital illustration studio behind a large share of the Black and White era's full art and secret rare cards. It is a CG-focused outfit rather than a single painter, and it built the polished, rendered look that defined EX-style full arts of that period. If you collected BW full arts, you have a stack of 5ban work whether you noticed the credit or not.
Darkrai is rendered in 5ban's clean CG style, set against a moody dark backdrop that fits the Pokemon and the set name. The art runs edge to edge with no white border, and the holo treatment covers the whole face, which is what separates this Full Art from the standard 63/108 printing.
Full Art Ultra Rare layout from the Black and White era. Full-bleed artwork, textured full-card holo, and the EX-style frame typical of 2012 ultra rares. Basic Darkness Pokemon with 180 HP, the Dark Cloak ability, and the Night Spear attack.
It pairs a top-tier competitive Pokemon with the full-bleed treatment. Plenty of cards got a full art in this era. Few of them were also the best card in the format, which is why this one carries both player and collector weight.
BackgroundAbout Darkrai EX 107 Full Art
Darkrai is the Pitch-Black Pokemon, a Mythical introduced in Generation 4 that lulls people into nightmares. It has stayed a fan favorite across games and the animated movie The Rise of Darkrai, which keeps its name recognition high among casual fans who never touched the TCG. In cards, the Dark Explorers EX is its signature competitive appearance.
- ›Mythical status and a starring movie role give it reach beyond the card game
- ›Sleek all-black design that reads instantly even to non-collectors
- ›Defined a championship-level archetype during the BW years
- ›One of the standout Darkness-type cards of the era
- ›Headlined the Darkrai/Hydreigon deck, a top contender across 2012 and 2013 events
- ›Featured in the movie The Rise of Darkrai, boosting mainstream recognition
Format-defining in its day. The 63/108 copy was the workhorse, while this 107/108 Full Art is the collector showcase of that same card. It is long out of Standard rotation now and lives as a nostalgia and collection piece.
Own it wellCollector guide
Black and White full arts are notorious for showing wear. Check the edges and corners closely, since the dark borders make whitening jump out, and look across the surface for print lines and holo scratching under angled light. Centering on this era runs inconsistent, so inspect the framing before you commit.
Worth grading if the copy is clean, particularly for the centering and edge quality that this era struggles with. A high grade carries a real premium over raw. If you are buying for serious money, buying already-graded removes the condition guesswork and the counterfeit risk that comes with older chase cards. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a penny sleeve plus a toploader or one-touch at minimum, and keep it out of direct light and humidity. The full-card holo on these scratches easily, so handle by the edges and avoid sliding it in and out of pages repeatedly. See the storage guide →
Confirm you are buying 107/108, the Full Art, not the 63/108 playable copy, since listings sometimes blur the two and the price gap is large. Ask for clear photos of all four corners and the surface under light. For higher-grade or higher-value copies, lean on graded examples from reputable sellers. See the singles buying guide →
BW-era chase cards get faked, so handle the basics. Compare the back swirl gradient and the texture of the holo against a known-genuine card, check the front and back coloring under good light, and weigh the card if you can. Fakes often miss the right surface texture and feel slightly off in thickness. For anything at real money, buy graded from a trusted source.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Long respected. Older players remember Darkrai as the deck to beat, and that goodwill carries straight into how the Full Art is regarded. It is treated as a staple master set piece rather than a hype card, which is part of why its demand has stayed steady.
Comes up regularly in BW-era nostalgia threads and Dark Explorers master set discussions. Less viral churn than modern chase cards, more of a quiet, consistent want among people who collect that era.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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