Entei Star
Quick take
- First of three Gold Stars (Entei 113, Raikou 114, Suicune 115) that headline EX Unseen Forces
- Shiny coloring with green flame, not Entei's standard palette
- Illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda, who drew many of the era's Gold Stars
- Heavily counterfeited, so authentication matters before any serious purchase
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Unseen Forces
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 113/115 · $1067.00 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyA blue-chip Gold Star from the trio everyone wants
Entei Star sits at 113/115 in EX Unseen Forces, the first of three Gold Star legendary beasts that close out the main set. Raikou is 114, Suicune is 115. Together they are the headline chase for the whole release, and most master-set builders treat the trio as one goal rather than three separate cards.
“First of three Gold Stars (Entei 113, Raikou 114, Suicune 115) that headline EX Unseen Forces”
Gold Stars were the rarest pull of the EX era. Each one shows a Pokemon in its shiny coloring, so Entei drops its usual dark brown and red for a green-tinted body and green flames. The card carries the small gold star next to the name, the marker that tells you this is the top tier of the set.
Demand stays high because of the trio, a clean Fukuda illustration, and the scarcity of 2005 Gold Stars in high grade. You do not complete a binder page with this card by accident. It usually comes last, and it usually comes graded.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Entei Star is a strong vintage chase. Raw copies command real money, and high-grade graded examples sit well into four figures, with the very top grades pushing toward five. Inside the trio, Suicune usually leads on price, with Entei and Raikou close behind.
Vintage Gold Stars have held up as a blue-chip vintage category. Demand is steady from master-set builders and trio collectors, and clean graded supply is thin, which supports prices over time rather than spiking and fading like modern hits.
Treat it as a long-hold vintage piece, not a flip. The value rests on fixed vintage supply and durable nostalgia, both of which favor patient holders. Condition and authentication drive most of the spread, so buying the right copy matters more than timing.
The jump from raw to top grade is large, the kind of multiple you expect from a 2005 holo where centering and surface are hard to find clean. Mid grades sell for a fraction of gem copies.
Gold Stars were brutal to pull from packs. In the EX era they landed at roughly one per two booster boxes, on the order of 1 in 72 packs, for any Gold Star in a set. Unseen Forces had three Gold Stars sharing that already-thin slot, so pulling Entei specifically rather than Raikou or Suicune was a long shot stacked on a long shot. For context, EX Power Keepers later seeded Gold Stars more generously at around one to two per box. Unseen Forces was not that generous. Most collectors today buy this card as a single rather than chase it from sealed product.
Against modern chase cards, the math works differently. In Scarlet and Violet sets, any Special Illustration Rare pulls around 1 in 90 packs as a category and a Hyper Rare runs 1 in 300 to 700, but those sets print many cards per rarity, so a specific modern hit can still take hundreds of packs. Vintage Gold Stars are rarer in absolute surviving supply, because far less product was opened and far fewer cards were preserved in grade-worthy condition.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Masakazu Fukuda is one of the names most tied to the Gold Star subset. He illustrated a run of EX-era Gold Stars, and collectors associate his work with the shiny, frame-breaking style those cards used. His art is a big part of why the subset reads as premium rather than just rare.
Entei is shown in its shiny coloring, the body shifted toward green with green flame around the mane. The pose is aggressive and part of the figure breaks past the art box for a slight 3D effect, a signature trait of the Gold Star look. The holo pattern sits behind the figure so the shiny palette stays the focus.
Standard EX-era holofoil with the small gold star symbol printed next to the name, the marker that designates the subset. The card sits in the 113-115 run at the back of the numbered main set checklist.
Gold Stars render a Pokemon in full shiny coloring, and this was the first time the legendary beasts appeared shiny in the TCG. Pair that with Fukuda's name and you get a card collectors want for the art, separate from its rarity.
BackgroundAbout Entei Star
Entei is one of the three legendary beasts from Gold and Silver, alongside Raikou and Suicune. The trio has been a fan favorite since Generation II, and Entei in particular got a boost from the third movie. That long-running popularity is a big reason the Unseen Forces Gold Star trio carries the weight it does.
- ›Member of the beloved Gen II legendary beast trio
- ›Strong movie and anime presence for Entei
- ›Fire-type legendaries are perennially collected
- ›The trio format gives builders a clear three-card goal
- ›Pokemon TCG EX Unseen Forces Gold Star trio (2005)
- ›Featured legendary in the third Pokemon film
- ›Recurring legendary across multiple TCG eras
Own it wellCollector guide
2005 holos are tough. Watch centering, holo scratches, and edge whitening on the dark border, which shows wear easily. Surface print lines and the corners are the usual grader downgrades on this card.
For any serious money, buy it already graded by a major company. If you own a strong raw copy, grading is usually worth it given the size of the gem premium. Do not crack a graded slab to save fees on a card this faked. Read the grading guide →
Keep graded copies in the slab, out of direct light and away from heat and humidity. Raw copies belong in a sleeve plus a top loader or a sealed magnetic holder, stored upright. Do not leave one loose in a binder page where the dark border can rub. See the storage guide →
This is one of the most counterfeited vintage cards, so source carefully. Prefer graded copies from reputable sellers, or buy raw only from sellers who allow close inspection and returns. If you are completing the trio, price all three before buying so you do not overpay on one to plug a hole. See the singles buying guide →
Check the back swirl gradient against a known genuine card; the swirl should be smooth and correctly colored. Do a light test for the black core layer that real cards have between the front and back. Feel for the correct surface texture and watch how the holo moves under light. Fakes often holo wrong or feel too glossy. When in doubt, only trust a slab from a major grader.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
The Unseen Forces Gold Star trio is widely regarded as one of the iconic EX-era chase sets. Collectors talk about Entei, Raikou, and Suicune together, and finishing all three is treated as a real milestone in vintage collecting circles.
Discussion tends to cluster around grade quality and authentication rather than hype cycles. Because the card is old and heavily faked, community advice leans hard on buying graded and learning the tells. The trio shows up often in vintage binder showcases.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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Plan your Other EX Unseen Forces master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
