Arcanine ex
Quick take
- One of only seven ex cards in the small EX Legend Maker set, required for the master set
- A premium-rarity version of a top-tier Gen 1 fan favorite
- Out of print since 2006 with no reprints, so supply is fixed and shrinking
- Japanese print comes from Mirage Forest as 016/086
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Legend Maker
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 83/92 · $482.49 — 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 late EX-era Arcanine that vintage collectors actually chase
Arcanine ex sits at number 83 in EX Legend Maker, the February 2006 set that closed out the run of expansions tied to the Ruby and Sapphire video game block. It is a Pokemon-ex, the premium rarity of that era, printed with the full-bleed holofoil and gold border that defined the look of the time. Legend Maker is a small set, 92 cards in the main run plus a secret rare Pikachu, and it carries only seven ex cards. That short ex list is part of why each one matters to people building the set.
“One of only seven ex cards in the small EX Legend Maker set, required for the master set”
Arcanine is one of the most recognizable Generation 1 Pokemon, and a Fire-type ex of a Kanto favorite always draws extra attention. For master-set builders the appeal is simple. You cannot finish a Legend Maker master set without it, and it is a card people remember pulling. The card is long out of print, locked out of standard and expanded rotation years ago, so supply only shrinks as copies get graded, lost, or damaged.
Worth knowing for context: the headline cards of Legend Maker are not the ex cards at all. They are the three Gold Star Regis, Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, which sit at the very top of the set's value ladder. Arcanine ex lives a tier below that, among the more wanted of the seven ex cards. The Japanese version came out of the Mirage Forest expansion as card 016/086, which is handy if you cross-reference overseas listings or scans.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Arcanine ex is one of the more wanted ex cards in EX Legend Maker, though it sits below the set's Gold Star Regis, which are the real value leaders. Raw near-mint copies trade in the mid-range for a vintage holo ex, with graded gem-mint examples pulling a clear premium.
Prices have held firm over the long run, tracking the broad climb in clean vintage EX-era ex cards rather than spiking on any single event. Nostalgia-driven demand for Gen 1 Fire types keeps a steady floor under it.
This is a steady vintage hold, not a flip. A beloved Pokemon, a thin ex list, and aging supply give it a durable floor. Condition is the lever. Clean, well-centered copies and high grades are where the upside lives.
Graded gem-mint copies command a meaningful premium over raw, and the gap widens fast at PSA 10 because EX-era cards chip and scratch easily on the holo border. Mid grades like PSA 8 trade much closer to raw near-mint money.
Legend Maker predates the modern Scarlet and Violet rarity ladder, so there is no published per-pack figure of the kind newer sets carry. As a Pokemon-ex it sat at the top rarity of its set, well above the holo rares, and only seven ex cards exist across the whole expansion. In practice that meant ex cards were genuine box-level chases, with any single ex turning up only occasionally per booster box. Today most collectors skip the pack lottery and buy the single, since sealed Legend Maker product is scarce and expensive.
Within Legend Maker, Arcanine ex ranks among the more desirable of the seven ex cards. It trails the set's overall headliners, which are the three Gold Star Regis, but holds its own against the other ex cards. Against the wider EX era it is a solid mid-to-upper tier ex, lifted by Arcanine's name recognition rather than any tournament history.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Hikaru Koike is a Pokemon TCG illustrator whose work appears across the EX era of the mid-2000s. Koike contributed art to several Ruby and Sapphire block sets, working in the detailed, painterly style that era favored for its premium ex cards.
The card shows Arcanine in the standard EX-era ex layout, a large central illustration over the full-card holofoil with the gold ex border framing it. The art leans on Arcanine's signature look, the orange coat with cream mane and black stripes, rendered in the bold style used for premium cards of the period.
This is a Rare Holo ex, printed with the heavy cracked-ice holofoil that covers most of the card face. The gold border and ex nameplate are hallmarks of Ruby and Sapphire block design. That full-face foil looks great but it is fragile, which is why high grades are scarce.
It is a clean, recognizable take on one of the most popular Gen 1 Pokemon in the premium format of its day. For collectors who grew up with the EX era, the gold-bordered holo ex look is the nostalgia trigger, and Arcanine is a name that lands instantly.
BackgroundAbout Arcanine ex
Arcanine is a Fire-type from the original 151, evolving from Growlithe with a Fire Stone. The Pokedex famously calls it the Legendary Pokemon despite it not being a legendary, and it has been a fan favorite since Red and Blue. That long-running popularity carries straight into the card market, where Arcanine prints tend to outperform the average non-legendary.
- ›One of the most loved Gen 1 Pokemon, consistently high in fan popularity polls
- ›Fire-type design with broad nostalgia appeal across generations
- ›The EX-era ex framing makes this a premium-rarity version of a beloved Pokemon
- ›Required card for anyone completing an EX Legend Maker master set
- ›A recurring Fire-type across many Pokemon TCG eras, from Base Set through modern Scarlet and Violet sets
- ›Featured as a premium Pokemon-ex in the Ruby and Sapphire block, this Legend Maker print being one of its EX-era highlights
Own it wellCollector guide
EX-era cards are tough in high grade. The full-face holo shows scratches and swirl marks under light, and the gold border chips and whitens on the edges with handling. Centering is a common problem on this print. Check the front foil carefully and look at all four corners.
Worth grading if the copy is genuinely clean and well centered, since the PSA 10 premium over raw is large for cards this age. For played or off-center copies, grading rarely pays for itself. Inspect the holo under angled light before sending anything in. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve and a top-loader at minimum for a card of this value, or a graded slab for long-term holding. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity swings, which can lift the foil and warp the card over time. See the storage guide →
Buy the best-centered, cleanest raw copy you can find, or buy it already graded if you want certainty. Watch out for surface scratches hidden in straight-on listing photos, and ask for angled-light shots of the holo. Cross-check the Japanese Mirage Forest version if you want a cheaper route or a different framing. See the singles buying guide →
EX-era cards do get reproduced, so verify before paying serious money. Do a light test to confirm the black core layer inside the cardstock. Check the back swirl gradient and watch how the front holo behaves under angled light against a known-genuine EX-era card. Feel the surface texture and inspect the font weight and gold border print quality. For higher-value copies, buy graded from a reputable slab to remove the risk.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors treat Arcanine ex as one of the more wanted ex cards in a relatively quiet late-EX set. The pull is nostalgia and the Arcanine name more than competitive history, and that shows up as steady, unhurried demand rather than hype cycles.
Discussion tends to come up in vintage EX-era and master-set circles rather than trending in the broader hobby. It is a known quantity, the kind of card people specifically hunt when they decide to build Legend Maker, not a viral chase.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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Plan your Other EX Legend Maker master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
