Rockets Zapdos ex
Quick take
- Card 106/109 in EX Team Rocket Returns, an Ultra Rare holo ex from November 2004
- A Darkness-type Team Rocket version of the legendary bird Zapdos
- From the set that introduced the hobby's first Gold Stars (Mudkip, Torchic, Treecko)
- Sits in the upper rarity tier of the set, below the Gold Stars and alongside the other Rocket's ex cards
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Team Rocket Returns
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 106/109 · $899.99 — 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 Team Rocket take on a legendary bird, from a landmark 2004 set
Rocket's Zapdos ex is card 106 of 109 in EX Team Rocket Returns, the English set that landed in November 2004. The hook is right there in the name. This is Zapdos reimagined as a Team Rocket asset, a Darkness-type version of one of the original Kanto legendary birds. That villain framing runs through the whole set, where familiar Pokemon show up under Rocket control.
“Card 106/109 in EX Team Rocket Returns, an Ultra Rare holo ex from November 2004”
The card is a Rare Holo ex, which TCGPlayer and Limitless both file under Ultra Rare. In the EX era that meant the thick holo treatment, the ex name plate, and the two-prize penalty when it got knocked out. Rocket's Zapdos ex carries a Darkness Guard Poke-Body that shaves 10 damage off attacks while Darkness Energy is attached, plus a Lightning-based hitter in Raging Thunder. It plays as a Dark-typed bird with electric tools.
What makes the set matter is what shipped alongside these cards. EX Team Rocket Returns introduced the first Gold Star cards in the TCG, the shiny-art Mudkip, Torchic, and Treecko at 107, 108, and 109. Those three reset the rarity ceiling. The Rocket's ex cards like Zapdos slotted in just below them as the next tier of pulls.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Rocket's Zapdos ex trades as a solid mid-pack ex from the set. It is not the headline card. That distinction goes to the Gold Stars and to Rocket's Mewtwo ex. But it holds a real three-figure value in clean condition and climbs from there for graded copies. The live market figure on this page is the number to trust.
Vintage EX-era holo ex cards have trended up over the long run as the 2004 to 2007 block matured into established vintage. Demand is steady rather than spiky, with the usual condition-driven spread between raw and graded.
Treat it as a stable vintage hold rather than a flip. The set's reputation as the Gold Star debut gives the supporting cards a durable floor, and Rocket's Zapdos ex is a recognizable name within it. Condition and grade are the main levers on value.
Graded gem-mint copies command a clear premium over raw, which is typical for 20-year-old holo ex cards where surface and centering are hard to find clean. The jump from a high raw copy to a top grade can be substantial.
EX Team Rocket Returns is best known as the first set with Gold Star cards, and the Gold Stars are the long-odds chase here. Across the vintage EX era, Gold Stars were pulled at roughly one per two booster boxes, around one in 72 packs. The Rocket's ex cards like Zapdos sit a tier below the Gold Stars but are still scarce holo ex pulls. With many different ex cards spread across the set, the odds of hitting this specific card run long, even though ex cards as a group appear more often than Gold Stars.
Within the set, the three Gold Stars (Mudkip, Torchic, Treecko) sit at the top of the rarity ladder. Rocket's Zapdos ex belongs to the ex group just beneath them, the same band as the heavily collected Rocket's Mewtwo ex.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Ryo Ueda is a long-running Pokemon TCG illustrator with a heavy presence across the EX era. Ueda's work shows up on a wide run of cards from this period, including many of the Rocket's ex and other ex-rarity cards, which is why the name is familiar to anyone building EX-era sets.
The card presents Zapdos in its Team Rocket, Darkness-type form, the electric legendary bird recast under a darker palette to fit the villain theme of the set. It carries the standard EX-era holo ex frame with the ex name plate.
This is a Rare Holo ex, so the holo sheet runs across the artwork window in the EX-era style rather than the full-card foil patterns of later sets. Eyes go to centering, the holo surface, and edge wear, all common pressure points on cards of this age.
The appeal is the concept as much as the execution. A Darkness-type Zapdos under Team Rocket branding is an unusual look for a Kanto legendary, and it ties the card directly to one of the most collected EX-era sets.
BackgroundAbout Rockets Zapdos ex
Zapdos is one of the three Kanto legendary birds from the original 1996 games, the Electric member of the trio alongside Articuno and Moltres. In EX Team Rocket Returns the bird appears as Rocket's Zapdos ex, a Darkness-typed version fitting the set's story of Team Rocket fielding captured and corrupted Pokemon.
- ›Legendary bird status gives it broad recognition
- ›The Team Rocket villain angle adds collector novelty
- ›Part of a Rocket's legendary-bird trio in the set with Articuno and Moltres
- ›Anchored to the historically important first Gold Star expansion
- ›EX Team Rocket Returns (2004), card 106/109
- ›Japanese release in Rocket Gang Strikes Back (063/084)
This is a vintage EX-era ex with a Darkness Guard Poke-Body and the Lightning-based Raging Thunder attack. It is long out of Standard rotation and lives in collecting and old-format play, not competitive relevance today.
Own it wellCollector guide
Twenty-year-old holo ex cards rarely show up flawless. Check centering front and back, look for holo scratching and print lines in the foil window, and inspect the corners and edges for whitening. Back swirl and surface gloss are good tells of an honest, untampered copy.
Worth grading if the raw copy is genuinely clean, since the graded premium on vintage ex cards is real. For serious money, buy it already graded by PSA, BGS, or CGC rather than raw. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a penny sleeve plus a top loader or one-touch, keep it out of direct light and humidity, and store upright. EX-era holo surfaces scratch easily, so handle by the edges only. See the storage guide →
Vintage EX-era cards are among the most counterfeited, so buy carefully. For raw copies, run the light test to confirm the black core layer, check the surface texture and holo behavior, and study the back swirl gradient against a known-genuine card. When the price gets serious, buy graded from a reputable seller and avoid suspiciously cheap raw listings. See the singles buying guide →
Hold the card to a bright light to confirm the black core layer that real cards have and most fakes lack. Feel the front surface texture, check that the holo moves correctly across the art window, and compare the back's blue swirl gradient and color to a card you know is real.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors view EX Team Rocket Returns as a milestone set because it launched Gold Stars, and the Rocket's ex cards including Zapdos benefit from that halo. Rocket's Zapdos ex is regarded as a desirable mid-to-upper card in the set rather than the top chase.
Most community attention on this set centers on the Gold Stars and on Rocket's Mewtwo ex, which is the most-graded ex of the expansion. Rocket's Zapdos ex comes up as part of completing the Rocket's legendary-bird trio and the full master set.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Other EX Team Rocket Returns master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
