Mega Darkrai ex
Quick take
- Set mascot of Pitch Black, the fifth English Mega Evolution expansion
- Abyss Eye instantly Knocks Out any Active Pokemon affected by a Special Condition
- Mega Evolution ex rule means it gives up three Prize cards when Knocked Out
- Base Double Rare version, the entry point before the full art, SIR, and gold Hyper Rare
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Pitch Black
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 48/84 · $0.73 — 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 face of Pitch Black, in its most attainable form
Pitch Black is built around Mega Darkrai. The set even takes its English name from Darkrai's species, the Pitch-Black Pokemon, and the Japanese set it comes from is named Abyss Eye after this card's second attack. Card 48 is the base Double Rare. That makes it the copy most collectors will pull and the copy players sleeve up for tournaments.
“Set mascot of Pitch Black, the fifth English Mega Evolution expansion”
The card has real table presence. 280 HP on a Basic. Dusk Raid does 110, or 220 if any of your Benched Pokemon have damage counters on them. Then there is Abyss Eye, which Knocks Out the opponent's Active Pokemon outright if it is affected by any Special Condition. No damage math. That attack is the one people talk about.
For master set builders this is a checklist anchor. Mega Darkrai ex appears three more times higher in the set numbering, as a full art, a special illustration rare, and the gold Mega Hyper Rare that closes the set at 120. The Double Rare is where you start before deciding how deep to chase.
By the numbersMarket analysis
For a Double Rare this sits near the top of its rarity tier in Pitch Black, which is normal for a set mascot at launch. It is still a small fraction of what the special illustration rare commands, and the gold Mega Hyper Rare opened as the most expensive card in the set. Within the full set it ranks comfortably inside the top quarter by raw price.
Two weeks in, the launch tension has mostly resolved across the set — the premium cards corrected and sealed premiums compressed. Double Rares of set mascots settle on play demand rather than the calendar, so from here this print tracks competitive results: expect softness unless a list makes it a staple.
Modest. Double Rares are printed heavily and this one will be pulled constantly while Pitch Black is the current set. The upside case is competitive success, which would hold the price up through playset demand. The collector money in this card's family flows to the Egawa special illustration rare and the gold Hyper Rare, not this print. Buy it to play or to fill the binder slot.
Thin. Grading fees usually exceed the value gap between raw and slabbed for modern Double Rares, even mascots. A PSA 10 makes sense if you pulled a flawless copy and want it preserved, not as a financial play.
Double Rares are the most common foil hit in modern sets. In comparable Scarlet & Violet era print runs any Double Rare lands roughly one in every five packs, and the Mega Evolution sets appear to follow a similar pattern. The catch is that a set carries many different Double Rares, so pulling this specific one takes a few dozen packs on average. Most people opening a booster box or two will see at least one copy.
Within Pitch Black this is one of the pricier Double Rares because it is the mascot. Against the wider hobby, a mascot Double Rare sits well below Illustration Rares in collector appeal but above filler exes, in line with what other headline base-print exes have done in their own sets.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
5ban Graphics is the CG studio behind most of the mechanic-defining cards in the modern game. If a set's headline ex, V, or GX has a rendered 3D look, it is almost always 5ban. Their work is the standard treatment for playable rare slots.
A CG render of Mega Darkrai in 5ban's house style, the standard treatment for a base ex print. The hand-painted, scene-driven artwork for this Pokemon lives on the Akira Egawa special illustration rare higher in the set.
Holofoil Double Rare with the standard ex frame and the Mega Evolution ex rule box. Card 48 of 84 in the main set numbering.
It is the definitive playable print of the set's headline Pokemon. The premium versions get the gallery treatment, but this is the image people will associate with the Mega Darkrai deck.
BackgroundAbout Mega Darkrai ex
Darkrai debuted in Generation 4 as a Mythical Pokemon, the Pitch-Black Pokemon that traps victims in nightmares. It starred in The Rise of Darkrai movie in 2007 and has been a recurring event-distribution legend since. Its signature Dark Void move was so oppressive in the video games that later generations nerfed it into near-uselessness for anything except Darkrai itself. The Mega form is new to the Mega Evolution era, and Pitch Black is its TCG debut.
- ›One of the most popular Dark-type Pokemon ever designed, with a distinct silhouette
- ›Nightmare lore that gives it a menace most Mythicals lack
- ›Long TCG pedigree, Darkrai EX from Dark Explorers was a dominant tournament card in the Black & White era
- ›New Mega form means first-print appeal for every version in this set
- ›The Rise of Darkrai (2007 movie), its anime debut
- ›Darkrai EX from Dark Explorers, a defining competitive card of the early 2010s
- ›Recurring Mythical event distributions across the video game series
Mixed early read. The stats are strong, and Abyss Eye is a genuine win condition once you can reliably stick a Special Condition on the Active Pokemon, which the set's support cards make cheap to do. The problem is the Grass weakness. Deck writers keep pointing at Hydrapple ex and friends as a hard counter in the current meta, so the consensus is a deck that wins plenty of games without topping large events. TCG Live and casual play are where it should thrive.
Own it wellCollector guide
Modern holofoils from these sets generally come out of packs clean, but check the bottom edge and corners for factory whitening on the dark border. Dark-frame cards show edge wear faster than light ones, so this card telegraphs handling damage quickly.
Skip grading unless the copy is pack-fresh perfect and you want a personal keeper. The raw-to-gem premium on a modern Double Rare rarely covers grading costs. If you want a graded Mega Darkrai, the special illustration rare is the print that rewards a slab. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve into a binder side-loading pocket for the master set copy. Play copies belong in quality matte sleeves, since sleeve chips show up fast against a dark border. Keep display binders out of direct light. See the storage guide →
Do not chase this in packs, it is a single you buy. Supply is at its highest right now and singles prices on fresh Double Rares usually ease over the first couple of months as more product gets opened. If you need a playset for the deck, buying now is fine, the card is cheap relative to the rest of its family. If you only need the binder copy, waiting a month or two rarely hurts at this rarity tier. See the singles buying guide →
Counterfeit risk is low for a current Double Rare, fakes target the premium prints. Standard checks still apply: correct holofoil pattern, crisp text printing, and the layered black core visible on the card edge.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Warm as a collector piece, lukewarm as a tournament deck. Collectors like that a fan favorite finally got a Mega form and a whole set built around it. Competitive players respect Abyss Eye as a design but keep coming back to the Grass weakness, and the consensus among deck writers is a deck that is popular without being top-tier.
- ›The gold Mega Hyper Rare print of this card opened as the most expensive card in Pitch Black, trading in the high three figures at launch
- ›The Akira Egawa special illustration rare print is the set's most-watched collector card, a strong three-figure card commanding a big multiple of this base version
Buzz has stayed strong since launch. Deck techs and Abyss Eye combo videos keep circulating, and ranked-card lists for the set put the Darkrai prints at or near the top. Most of the hype gravitates to the Akira Egawa special illustration rare and the gold Hyper Rare, with this Double Rare riding along as the version everyone actually owns.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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