Charizard
Quick take
- Numbered 100/97, a secret rare sitting past the main set
- Charizard plus secret rare status makes it the headline chase of EX Dragon
- Late 2003 release, early EX series, with a strong nostalgia pull
- Usually the final and most expensive card in a complete EX Dragon master set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Dragon
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 100/97 · $489.99 — 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 secret rare cap on an early-EX set
Card 100 of 97. That number tells you most of what you need to know. EX Dragon shipped with 97 cards in the main set, and this Charizard sits past the end of the list as a secret rare. It does not show up in a normal pull. It was the card you chased, not the one you built decks around.
“Numbered 100/97, a secret rare sitting past the main set”
For master set collectors this is the card that decides whether your EX Dragon binder is done or almost done. Vintage EX-era secret rares are a small group, and a Charizard secret rare from 2003 carries extra weight because it pairs the most marketable Pokemon in the hobby with one of the earliest secret rare slots. Demand has stayed steady for years. It tends to be the last and most expensive card people slot into the set.
It also lands in a good spot for nostalgia. EX Dragon came out in late 2003, early in the EX series, and a lot of collectors buying back their childhood sets right now started around here.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits at the top of EX Dragon by a wide margin. Raw copies in played condition are reachable, but anything clean climbs fast, and graded examples push into solid four-figure vintage territory at the high end. It is the single most expensive card in the set.
Prices have held firm over the long run, with the steady appreciation you see across vintage Charizard cardboard. The card rarely trades cheap, and clean copies get harder to find as more of them get graded and locked away in slabs.
Vintage Charizard secret rares are about as blue-chip as Pokemon collectibles get. This is not a speculative modern pull that could crash. It is an established 20-plus-year-old card with a fixed supply. Condition is the real variable, and the gap between a beat-up raw copy and a high grade is large and getting larger.
The graded premium here is steep. Centering and surface on these older holos are tough, so high grades are scarce and command a heavy multiple over raw. A clean slab is worth far more than a raw copy in the same apparent condition.
This is a vintage 2003 EX-era secret rare, numbered 100/97, so it was never part of the standard 97-card lineup. EX-era secret rares sat in the same scarce slot as the era's hardest pulls, which meant opening a lot of product before one turned up. There is no modern Scarlet and Violet style rarity ladder here. It was simply the toughest card in the set to find, and after two decades the realistic way to get one is the singles market, not pack opening.
Within EX Dragon this is the top of the rarity ladder, sitting above the standard holo rares and the EX cards. Compared to other early EX-series secret rares, a Charizard subject puts it among the most desirable of the group.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Mitsuhiro Arita is one of the founding illustrators of the Pokemon TCG and the artist behind the original Base Set Charizard, the most famous Pokemon card ever printed. His Charizard work carries enormous weight with collectors, and his name on a secret rare from this era is a real draw on its own.
Charizard soars through a dark, starry sky with flame pouring from its jaws and its claws extended. The background is a glittery cosmic field rather than the usual battlefield, which gives the card a different feel from the standard holos in the set and plays well against the secret rare foil.
Stage 2 Fire-type, 120 HP, Water weakness, retreat cost 2. Two attacks: Collect Fire and Flame Pillar, with Flame Pillar able to discard a Fire Energy to hit a benched Pokemon for splash damage. Standard 2003 EX-era frame and holo pattern, which means the foil shows the era's typical scratch and swirl behavior.
The cosmic, off-the-battlefield scene combined with Arita's hand makes this Charizard stand apart from a generic action pose. It reads as a showcase card, which is what a secret rare should be.
BackgroundAbout Charizard
Charizard has anchored the Pokemon TCG since Base Set and remains the single most chased Pokemon in collecting. Every Charizard print gets attention, and the vintage ones command the deepest loyalty. A secret rare Charizard from 2003 sits squarely in the part of the market that almost never cools off.
- ›Most collected Pokemon in the entire hobby
- ›Vintage 2003 print with real nostalgia weight
- ›Secret rare scarcity stacked on top of Charizard demand
- ›Arita art lineage tied back to Base Set Charizard
- ›Base Set Charizard, the most iconic Pokemon card of all time
- ›A recurring chase card across nearly every era of the TCG
Own it wellCollector guide
Early EX holos are notorious for whitening on the edges and back, and for surface scratches across the foil. Centering is frequently off. Inspect corners and the holo layer carefully under good light before buying, and assume any raw copy has flaws until proven otherwise.
For a card at this value, buy graded if you want to spend serious money. A reputable slab protects you on both condition and authenticity. If you already own a clean raw copy, grading is worth it given how large the high-grade premium is. Read the grading guide →
Keep it in a sleeve inside a top loader, or better, a graded slab. Store away from heat, humidity, and direct light. These 2003 holos scuff easily, so minimize handling and never store raw copies loose in a binder page without sleeves. See the storage guide →
This card gets faked, so authentication matters. Light test for the black core layer in the cardboard, check the surface texture and that the holo behaves like a real EX-era foil rather than a flat reprint, and look at the back swirl gradient. For higher-dollar copies, buy graded from a reputable seller rather than chasing a cheap raw deal. See the singles buying guide →
Hold the card to a light source to confirm the dark inner core layer that genuine cards have. Feel the surface texture and compare the holo pattern against a known-real EX-era card. Check the blue back swirl gradient and font sharpness. When in doubt at this price, trust a graded slab over a raw listing.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors treat this as a grail-tier EX Dragon card and one of the more respected vintage Charizard secret rares. It is widely regarded as the centerpiece of the set and the card that finishes the master set.
Charizard secret rares from the EX era come up regularly in vintage collecting circles as long-term holds and trophy cards. Talk tends to focus on condition and authenticity, given how often the card gets faked.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other EX Dragon master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
