Kyogre Star
Quick take
- Shiny Kyogre Gold Star, one of the two legendary Gold Stars in EX Delta Species (Groudon is the other, at 111; Metagross 113 rounds out the trio)
- Illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda with the frame-breaking Gold Star art treatment
- English #112/113, originally from the Japanese Holon Research Tower set as #028/086
- A cornerstone chase card for anyone building a Delta Species master set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Delta Species
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 112/113 · $1602.99 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyA shiny legendary Gold Star from the set that made Gold Stars famous
Kyogre Gold Star sits in the small club of vintage cards that almost every serious collector knows by name. It came out of EX Delta Species in 2005, the English release of the Japanese Holon Research Tower set, and it carries the gold star next to Kyogre's name that marks it as one of the era's hardest pulls. The card shows the shiny color version of Kyogre, so instead of the usual deep blue you get the alternate palette that shiny hunters chase in the video games.
“Shiny Kyogre Gold Star, one of the two legendary Gold Stars in EX Delta Species (Groudon is the other, at 111; Metagross 113 rounds out the trio)”
Masakazu Fukuda handled the art. The Gold Star treatment let illustrators break the card frame and lean into a single dramatic pose, and Kyogre's bulk works well with that. The result reads as a centerpiece even at a glance across a binder page.
Delta Species is one of the most collected EX-era sets. It has three Gold Stars, Groudon at 111, Kyogre at 112, and Metagross at 113, and the two legendaries are the cards people build the set around. If you are assembling a Delta Species master set, Kyogre is one of the cards that decides how long the project takes and how much it costs.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This card lives at the top of the Delta Species set, in the higher reaches of vintage Gold Star territory. Raw played copies are the entry point. Prices climb steeply through clean ungraded examples into the strong graded numbers. Treat the live price on this page as the real number, since Gold Stars from this era swing a lot based on grade and centering.
Vintage Gold Stars have trended up over the long run as the EX era keeps drawing collectors who grew up with it. Expect movement tied to broad vintage demand and to graded population growth rather than to any single set event.
As a recognized vintage Gold Star of a legendary Pokemon, this card has the kind of name recognition that holds value better than most. High-grade copies are the scarce part of the equation. Centering and surface are the usual sticking points, so graded examples carry a clear premium over raw.
The jump from raw to graded is significant here, and the gap widens sharply at the top grades because clean centering is hard to find on Gold Stars. A gem copy commands a large multiple over a played one. For meaningful money, buy it already graded.
Gold Stars from the EX era were brutal to pull. Across most sets they showed up at roughly one per two booster boxes, in the neighborhood of one in 72 packs, and that is for any Gold Star in the set, not this specific one. Delta Species had three Gold Stars, so the odds of hitting Kyogre in particular ran far longer than that. For context, EX Power Keepers later loosened things up with closer to one or two Gold Stars per box, but Delta Species was the harder grind. Almost nobody completed a Gold Star run from packs alone. The singles market is how these cards actually move.
Among Gold Stars, Kyogre sits in the upper tier of demand alongside the other legendaries and headline names like Rayquaza and Charizard. Within Delta Species, Kyogre and Groudon are the two cards that define the set's ceiling.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Masakazu Fukuda is a longtime Pokemon TCG illustrator whose work spans the EX era and beyond. He illustrated several Gold Stars and other high-end cards, and his name carries weight with collectors who track artist credits.
The card shows the shiny color version of Kyogre rather than the standard blue, set against the holographic Gold Star background. The Gold Star format gave artists room to break the usual card frame, so the Pokemon reads as the clear focal point.
This is a Pokemon Star card, marked by the gold star next to Kyogre's name. In play it was a Basic Water Pokemon, and old rules limited a deck to a single Pokemon Star. English copies are numbered 112/113. The Japanese print came from Holon Research Tower as 028/086.
Gold Stars use shiny artwork and frame-breaking illustration to set themselves apart from every other card in the set. Pairing that treatment with a legendary like Kyogre is exactly the combination collectors chase, which is why this card anchors the Delta Species set.
BackgroundAbout Kyogre Star
Kyogre is the cover legendary of Pokemon Sapphire and a centerpiece of the Hoenn region, known as the Pokemon said to have expanded the sea. It has stayed a fan favorite across generations, which keeps demand steady for its standout cards. The shiny version shown here ties directly into the shiny-hunting culture that grew up around the games.
- ›Cover legendary status from the Hoenn games gives it broad recognition
- ›Shiny coloring appeals to collectors who chase alternate-color Pokemon
- ›Long-running fan favorite that never really cooled off
- ›The Kyogre and Groudon pairing makes both legendary Gold Stars desirable as a set
- ›Cover legendary of Pokemon Sapphire
- ›Featured throughout the Hoenn-era games and anime as the legendary of the sea
Own it wellCollector guide
Centering is the usual problem on Delta Species Gold Stars, followed by surface scratches on the holo and edge whitening from twenty years of handling. Inspect the holo under angled light and check all four borders for even centering before paying up.
For any copy you intend to hold or resell at value, buy it already graded from PSA, CGC, or BGS. The premium for a verified high grade is large, and grading also settles the authenticity question that follows every vintage Gold Star. Read the grading guide →
Keep raw copies in a penny sleeve inside a top loader or a sealed magnetic holder, away from sunlight and humidity. The holo layer on these is the part that suffers, so avoid anything that lets the surface rub. Store graded slabs upright and out of direct light. See the storage guide →
At this price level, lean toward graded copies from a reputable seller with clear photos of the front, back, and edges. Gold Stars are among the most counterfeited vintage cards, so a raw deal that looks too cheap almost always is. See the singles buying guide →
Gold Stars are heavily counterfeited, so verify before you buy. Do a light test, since a real card has a black core layer between the front and back that blocks light where a thin fake lets it through. Feel the surface texture, because genuine holos have a finish that flat reprints miss. Check how the holo moves and catches light. Inspect the back swirl gradient for correct color and pattern. When real money is on the line, buy it slabbed by PSA, CGC, or BGS.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Kyogre Gold Star is widely treated as one of the standout cards of Delta Species and one of the more desirable legendary Gold Stars overall. Collectors consistently group it with the era's best alongside Rayquaza, Charizard, and Mew Gold Stars.
- ›High-grade graded examples appear at auction houses and major marketplaces and command large premiums over raw copies. Specific figures move over time, so check the live price on this page.
It comes up regularly in vintage and Gold Star collecting discussions as a grail-tier target, and counterfeit warnings are a recurring theme given how often fakes circulate. As always, treat individual sale numbers as snapshots and check the live price here.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other EX Delta Species master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
