Hydreigon ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare, the borderless full-art tier in White Flare
- Lands in the set's top handful of chase cards, usually around fifth
- From the final Scarlet and Violet special expansion and the first Western split set
- Hydreigon's fanbase plus Wada's art drive most of the demand
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in White Flare
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 169/86 · $75.42 — 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 top-tier White Flare dragon, just shy of the headliners
White Flare is the back half of Black Bolt and White Flare, the final special expansion of the Scarlet and Violet era and the first split set to land in English. Between them the twin sets cover every Generation V Pokemon from Unova, and each set is stacked with full-art chase cards. Hydreigon ex number 169 is one of White Flare's better-known pulls.
“Special Illustration Rare, the borderless full-art tier in White Flare”
It's a Special Illustration Rare, the borderless full-art tier. In the set's chase hierarchy it usually lands around fifth, behind the Victini and Reshiram ex cards and the rarer monochrome Black and White Rare prints. That's a strong spot. The card has real demand and real value without carrying the top-of-set price tag, which makes it one of the more attainable marquee cards for a White Flare master set.
Hydreigon does most of the heavy lifting here. It's a fan-favorite Dark-type pseudo-legendary, and a stormy Takumi Wada illustration gives collectors a reason to chase this specific print over the plainer Double Rare.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This is a strong mid-to-upper card within White Flare. It sits below the set's Victini and Reshiram ex headliners and the rarer monochrome prints, but well above the Double Rares and Illustration Rares. Think of it as a solid mid-pack SIR rather than a top-of-set trophy.
White Flare launched in July 2025, so the card is still in its early life. Special Illustration Rares from popular Pokemon usually settle after the launch dip as packs stop being opened, and Hydreigon's fanbase tends to keep its cards firm. Treat near-term swings as normal sealed-supply noise.
Reasonable hold for a popular Pokemon in a notable final-era set. It won't move like the set's absolute top cards, but a clean copy of a fan-favorite SIR tends to hold interest. The risk is the usual one for modern SIRs: print volume is high while packs are still opening, so be patient on entry.
Gem-mint graded copies command a clear premium over raw near-mint, which is standard for borderless full arts where edges and surface ding easily. Mid grades narrow that gap quickly.
In Scarlet and Violet era sets the broad odds run roughly one Double Rare per five packs, an Illustration Rare around one in twelve, an Ultra Rare near one in fifteen, and any Special Illustration Rare about one in ninety packs. Hyper Rares are far steeper, in the one-in-several-hundred range. Those numbers are for hitting any card of that tier. Pulling this specific Hydreigon ex SIR is much longer, because each set has many cards at every rarity, so the realistic expectation for one named SIR runs into the hundreds of packs. Most collectors are better off buying the single than chasing it out of sealed product.
Roughly one SIR shows up per ninety packs across the whole set, but White Flare has multiple Special Illustration Rares competing for that slot. So while SIRs as a group appear at a steady clip, this particular Hydreigon is a small fraction of those hits.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Takumi Wada has a short, well-regarded run of Pokemon cards, including the Infernape from Twilight Masquerade and the Zamazenta from Stellar Crown. Before that he spent years at Nintendo, where he is best known for key art on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That game-art background shows in how he stages a scene and lights a character.
A borderless full-art scene of Hydreigon caught in a storm. The three-headed dragon fills the frame as the clear focal point, set against a moody sky in deep blues and purples with rain and wind whipping around it. The composition reads aggressive and weighty, leaning into the Pokemon's menacing reputation rather than softening it.
Borderless Special Illustration Rare with full holofoil treatment across the card face. Collector number 169/086 runs past the set's printed total, which marks it as one of the chase-tier cards above the numbered base set. Regulation Mark I.
This is the version of Hydreigon ex collectors actually chase. The borderless art, the lower pull rate, and Wada's atmospheric staging separate it from the plain in-frame Double Rare. For a Hydreigon fan, this is the card to own.
BackgroundAbout Hydreigon ex
Hydreigon is the final evolution of Deino, a Dark and Dragon-type pseudo-legendary introduced in Generation V's Black and White. Its three-headed brutal design and high stat total made it a standout from that generation, and it has kept a loyal fanbase since. White Flare covers Generation V Pokemon, so a strong Hydreigon card has a natural home here.
- ›Pseudo-legendary status with a high competitive stat ceiling
- ›Distinctive three-headed Dark and Dragon design
- ›Long-running fanbase from the Black and White era
- ›Fits the Generation V theme of the White Flare set
- ›Generation V Black and White games as a pseudo-legendary
- ›Featured as a chase card in the White Flare TCG set
On the card itself, the Greedy Eater Ability lets you take an extra Prize card when its attack knocks out a Basic Pokemon, paired with the hard-hitting Dark Bite attack. That gives it some play value in Dark decks, though for most buyers of the SIR the appeal is collecting, not the tournament table.
Own it wellCollector guide
Borderless full arts like this show wear fast. Edge whitening, surface scratches, and print lines along the holo are the usual culprits. Inspect the corners and the card face under angled light before committing on a raw copy.
Worth grading if you have a clean copy you intend to hold. A PSA or CGC gem-mint grade earns a clear premium and locks in the condition. For a display copy or set filler, a raw near-mint is the cheaper, sensible route. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it right away in a penny sleeve, then a top loader or a graded-style holder. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. For long holds, a sealed card saver or a graded slab is the safe move, since the borderless surface scratches easily during handling. See the storage guide →
Buy the single rather than ripping packs to find it. The specific-card odds make sealed chasing a poor bet. For value, target a clean raw near-mint or a graded gem-mint depending on your goal. Always check recent comps and confirm you're looking at the borderless full-art version, not the bordered Double Rare. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SIRs get faked less than vintage cards, but still verify before paying up. The holo pattern should match known scans of the borderless print, the borderless layout and number 169/086 should be correct, and the texturing should feel like a genuine SIR. When in doubt, or buying graded for real money, stick to PSA or CGC slabs from reputable sellers.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Positive. Collectors flag the artwork as one of White Flare's standouts and treat the card as a must-pull for set builders, helped by Hydreigon's existing fanbase. It reads as a respected mid-to-upper chase, not a sleeper and not a dud.
Discussion centers on the stormy art and Hydreigon's popularity, with the card showing up consistently in White Flare chase-card and most-valuable lists, generally around fifth, behind the Victini and Reshiram headliners.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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