Charizard Delta Species
Quick take
- First Charizard printed as a Delta Species Pokemon
- First Metal-type Charizard in TCG history, paired with Lightning
- Genuinely playable in 2006 thanks to the Peal of Thunder Poke-Power
- A required anchor card for any Crystal Guardians master set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Crystal Guardians
VariantsCard variants
Variants are the different finishes of the same card — the standard print, reverse holo, and any special patterns. A complete master set needs every variant below, so track each one in your collection.
| Variant | Note | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse Holo 4/100 | Reverse-holo variant. | $1199.99 |
| Holofoil 4/100 | Holofoil variant. | $939.50 |
The storyThe first Delta Species Charizard, and a Lightning and Metal one at that
Crystal Guardians shipped in 2006 as a 100-card set, and card 4 is the one most people remember. It is the debut of Charizard under the Delta Species banner, the EX-era gimmick that reassigned Pokemon to types they had no business being. So here is Charizard, a Fire type since Base Set, rebuilt as Lightning and Metal. That reads as a novelty until you remember the rule of Pokemon collecting. A Charizard sells. A weird Charizard sells anyway.
“First Charizard printed as a Delta Species Pokemon”
The card backs that up with playable text. Its Peal of Thunder Poke-Power let you dig the top five cards of your deck the turn you evolved into it and load energy onto your board, which made it a genuine engine in its day rather than a binder-only pull. The Metal Burn attack hits for 120 and then discards all the Metal energy attached, a deliberate callback to the original Base Set Charizard that punished you for the big swing.
For master set builders, this is one of the anchor pulls of Crystal Guardians. You cannot finish the set without it, it carries the name, and it predates the gold star Charizard that arrived in Dragon Frontiers right after, so it lives in a slightly cheaper but still respected corner of vintage Charizard collecting.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits at or near the top of the Crystal Guardians set, which is what you expect from the Charizard in any release. It is firmly a vintage holo rare, not a chase ultra rare, so it trades well below the gold star Charizard that arrived a few sets later in Dragon Frontiers.
Demand tracks the broader vintage Charizard market, which has trended up over the long run. Clean copies have firmed as the supply of well-kept 2006 holos shrinks. Played and edge-worn copies stay accessible for set builders.
A sensible vintage hold rather than a moonshot. The Charizard name gives it a floor, and graded gem copies are the part of the population most likely to keep appreciating. Raw played copies are better treated as set-completion buys than investments.
Graded gem-mint examples command a clear premium over raw, and the gap widens fast at the top of the scale because centering and holo wear are common on 2006 print runs. Mid-grade slabs trade closer to raw.
Crystal Guardians predates the modern Scarlet and Violet rarity ladder, so there is no Double Rare or Special Illustration Rare math to apply here. As a standard holo rare from a 2006 EX-era set, it was one of several holos per box, but because it is the Charizard, collectors have always treated it as the pull of the set. Note that Crystal Guardians did not contain a gold star Charizard. The gold stars of this era show shiny alternate-color artwork and were brutally rare, pulled at roughly one per two booster boxes, but that is a different chase. This card is the set's marquee holo, not a gold star.
Sits a tier below the gold star Charizard that arrived in Dragon Frontiers and well below the chase ultra rares of the modern era, but a clear tier above the common and uncommon filler of Crystal Guardians. For its own set, it is the top end.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Kouki Saitou illustrated across the EX era and contributed cards to the Delta Species sets, working in the digital, slightly metallic style those releases leaned on to sell the idea of off-type Pokemon.
Charizard is drawn mid-roar with its wings spread, rendered in the cooler, harder palette the Delta Species line used to signal its Lightning and Metal reassignment rather than the usual fiery orange. The art fills the holo window and reads as an action pose, the dragon caught in motion rather than posed for a portrait.
Standard EX-era holo rare layout with the holofoil applied to the artwork window and the silver Delta Species framing. Crystal Guardians copies show the era's typical cosmos-style holo sheen. Watch for the usual 2006 issues, print lines through the foil and soft centering.
It is the moment Charizard stopped being a Fire type on cardboard. The Delta Species treatment makes this the rare Charizard that looks deliberately wrong, and that off-type identity is the whole appeal.
BackgroundAbout Charizard Delta Species
Charizard has been the face of the franchise since the 1999 Base Set, and its TCG cards consistently outsell almost everything else in any given era. The Delta Species program in 2006 gave designers license to recolor and retype fan favorites, and putting Charizard at card 4 of Crystal Guardians guaranteed the set a headline pull.
- ›Charizard is the single most collected Pokemon in the TCG
- ›Off-type Delta Species design makes it a conversation piece
- ›Part of the nostalgic mid-2000s EX era many collectors grew up on
- ›It actually saw competitive play, which built early affection
- ›Headline holo rare of EX Crystal Guardians (2006)
- ›One of several Delta Species Charizard prints from the EX era, alongside the later Dragon Frontiers gold star
Long out of standard rotation, but in 2006 it was a real card. The Peal of Thunder Poke-Power accelerated energy the turn you evolved into it, and Metal Burn closed games for the cost of dumping your Metal energy.
Own it wellCollector guide
Common faults on 2006 holos are edge whitening, print lines across the foil, and off-center cuts. A reverse holo version and a pre-release stamped version both exist and trade separately, so confirm exactly which one you are buying before you pay up.
Worth grading if the raw copy looks clean, centered, and free of surface scratches, since the graded premium on gem copies is meaningful. Played copies are better left raw for set completion. Have a realistic eye on centering before you submit. That is where these cards usually lose half a point. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve plus a top loader at minimum, or a slab if graded. Keep it out of direct light and away from heat and humidity. EX-era holo surfaces scratch easily, so avoid raw card-on-card contact in a binder without sleeves. See the storage guide →
Decide first whether you want it for a set or for the slab shelf. For set completion, a clean played or lightly played raw copy is the value play. For a keeper, buy a graded gem copy and inspect centering and holo wear in the scan. For serious money, buy graded only. See the singles buying guide →
Vintage Charizards are among the most counterfeited cards in the hobby, so authenticate before paying real money. Use the light test to confirm the black core layer inside genuine card stock. Check the back swirl gradient and color against a known-good card. Feel the front for the correct linen surface texture, and watch how the holo behaves in the window. For anything beyond a cheap set filler, buy it already graded by a reputable company.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors regard it warmly as a well-liked vintage Charizard and the clear headliner of Crystal Guardians, even if it lives in the shadow of the era's gold star Charizard. The Delta Species off-typing is part of the charm rather than a knock.
It surfaces regularly in vintage Charizard and EX-era collecting discussion, usually framed as a more affordable way to own a 2006 Charizard.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other EX Crystal Guardians master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
