Rockets Mewtwo ex
Quick take
- Headline ultra rare of EX Team Rocket Returns (2004), the dark-type Rocket set
- Mewtwo recast as a darkness type owned by Giovanni, the set's signature hook
- Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, one of the most collected Pokemon artists
- A core target for anyone building a complete EX-era master set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in EX Team Rocket Returns
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 99/109 · $399.96 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyGiovanni's Mewtwo, as a card people actually want
Rocket's Mewtwo ex sits at the top tier of EX Team Rocket Returns, the 2004 set built around Team Rocket's dark-type takeover of the Pokemon roster. The whole gimmick of the set was reskinning familiar Pokemon as Rocket-owned darkness types, and Mewtwo is the headliner. A psychic legendary turned into a darkness-type weapon under Giovanni's control. That hook is why the card carries weight beyond its in-game stats.
“Headline ultra rare of EX Team Rocket Returns (2004), the dark-type Rocket set”
For master set builders, this is one of the cards that decides whether your EX Team Rocket Returns binder is complete. The set has a handful of Pokemon-ex cards plus the gold star Pokemon, and the Mewtwo ex is the most recognized name of the bunch. Add Arita's brush on the art and you get a card that vintage collectors chase even when they have no intention of ever sleeving a deck.
It is not a Gold Star, so don't confuse it with the shiny-art chase cards in the same era. This is a Rare Holo ex, the standard ultra-rare slot of the period. The Mewtwo name and the Rocket theme push demand well past most of its ex siblings.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Raw copies sit in the strong three-figure range for clean near-mint examples, with rougher played copies dropping well below that. Graded gem-mint copies jump into four figures and have brought multiples of the raw price at auction. The live market figure on this page is the number to trust.
Vintage EX-era ex cards have firmed up over the last few years as the 2003 to 2007 block matured into collector territory rather than play territory. The Mewtwo name keeps demand steady. High grades have outpaced raw because gem-mint population is thin.
A solid blue-chip vintage hold rather than a flip. A marquee Pokemon, a recognizable set, and a known artist together give it durable demand. Upside is steepest on high grades where supply is genuinely limited. Raw copies track the broader vintage market.
The graded premium is real and widens fast at the top. PSA 10 population sits very low for the holo, so gem-mint examples command a heavy multiple over near-mint raw. PSA 9 carries a healthy bump too. Played and lightly played copies see little grading benefit.
This is a Rare Holo ex from the 2004 EX era, so it sat in the ultra-rare slot of EX Team Rocket Returns booster packs rather than the rarer Gold Star slot. EX-era boxes did not publish modern-style pull odds. With several ex cards in the set, the chance of pulling this specific Mewtwo from any given pack was long. For reference on the era's true chase cards, the Gold Star Pokemon, a Pokemon with a gold star illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda, were pulled at roughly one per two booster boxes, around 1 in 72 packs. This Mewtwo is more common than that. Two decades on, supply comes almost entirely from the secondary market rather than fresh packs.
More common at pull than the set's Gold Star cards, but more in demand than most of the other Rare Holo ex cards in EX Team Rocket Returns thanks to the Mewtwo name. In gem-mint grade it behaves like a genuinely scarce card because high-grade population is low.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Arita is one of the founding illustrators of the Pokemon TCG and the artist behind the original Base Set Charizard. His work runs across the entire history of the game, and his name on a card is a demand driver in its own right. Collectors track Arita pieces across sets the way they track specific Pokemon.
Mewtwo is rendered as a Rocket-aligned darkness type, leaning into a darker, more menacing read of the legendary than the usual serene psychic portraits. The framing puts Mewtwo front and center as Giovanni's weapon, matching the set's Team Rocket theme.
Standard EX-era Rare Holo ex layout: full holofoil pattern across the card face with the silver ex border treatment of the 2004 era. There is no alternate-color shiny art here. That distinction belongs to the set's Gold Star cards, not the ex cards.
It is the marquee Pokemon of a marquee themed set, painted by the most famous illustrator in the hobby. Few EX-era cards line up all three at once, and that overlap is what keeps it on want lists.
BackgroundAbout Rockets Mewtwo ex
Mewtwo is the genetically engineered legendary introduced in Generation 1 and one of the most commercially important Pokemon ever. In the anime and the first movie, Mewtwo's origin is tied to Giovanni and Team Rocket, which is exactly the lore this card leans on. Casting Mewtwo as a Rocket-owned darkness type is a direct nod to that story.
- ›Top-tier Pokemon name with mainstream recognition far beyond the TCG
- ›Strong anime and movie history, especially the Giovanni connection
- ›Consistently one of the most chased Pokemon across every era of cards
- ›Rocket-theme reskin gives this version a distinct identity from standard Mewtwo cards
- ›Generation 1 games and the first Pokemon movie
- ›The Team Rocket and Giovanni storyline that this card's darkness typing references
- ›Decades of TCG appearances across multiple eras and rarities
Own it wellCollector guide
Twenty-plus-year-old holos show their age. Check the holo surface for scratching and print lines, the silver ex border for chipping and whitening, and the corners for the soft wear common on EX-era cards. Edges and surface are where most points get lost.
Worth grading if your copy is clean. The gem-mint population is low, so a PSA 10 or equivalent carries a large premium over raw. For near-mint copies, a 9 still adds value. Played copies are better left raw, since the grading fee outweighs the bump. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it in a penny sleeve inside a rigid top loader or one-touch, kept out of direct light and away from humidity. For a vintage card at this value, treat it like a centerpiece, not a binder filler. See the storage guide →
For serious money, buy graded from a reputable grader so you are not paying ex prices for a recolored counterfeit or a trimmed card. If buying raw, get clear photos of the holo, all four corners, and the back swirl, and price against true near-mint comps rather than damaged ones. See the singles buying guide →
Vintage Mewtwo cards are among the most counterfeited in the hobby, so authenticate before paying up. Light test for the black core layer inside the cardstock. Feel for the correct surface texture and linen finish. Check that the holo behaves like genuine 2004 foil rather than a flat reprint shine. Inspect the back swirl gradient for the right color and pattern. When in doubt, buy a graded copy.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Well regarded as one of the standout cards of EX Team Rocket Returns and a staple want-list entry for vintage and master set collectors. The Mewtwo, Arita and Rocket-theme combination gets consistent love in collector circles.
- ›High-grade PSA 10 examples have changed hands in the four-figure range at auction, well above clean raw copies
Steady rather than hype-driven. It shows up in vintage pickup posts and master set progress threads rather than trending spikes. Gem-mint copies draw attention when they surface because high grades are uncommon.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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Plan your Other EX Team Rocket Returns master set
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