Charizard ex
Quick take
- Etched gold Hyper Rare, #228/197, the rarest tier in Obsidian Flames
- Terastallized Charizard, Dark Tera type, 330 HP, art by 5ban Graphics
- Top-of-set chase card and the usual last piece in a master set
- Gold etched finish, distinct from the painted SIR Charizards in the same set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Obsidian Flames
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 228/197 · $32.86 — 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 gold Charizard that closes out Obsidian Flames
Every Scarlet & Violet set has a Hyper Rare slot. Put a gold Charizard in that slot and you have the card everyone chases. This is #228 of 197, the etched gold Hyper Rare from Obsidian Flames. It sits at the very top of the set's numbering, past the Special Illustration Rares, in the spot reserved for the rarest pulls.
“Etched gold Hyper Rare, #228/197, the rarest tier in Obsidian Flames”
The card shows a Terastallized Charizard with the Dark Tera type, 330 HP, illustrated by 5ban Graphics. The full-art frame is gold etched foil rather than the painted illustration style of the SIRs lower in the set. That puts it in a different lane than the alternate-art Charizard pieces collectors usually compare it to. Same Pokemon, very different look.
For master-set builders, this is the finish-line card. You can complete most of Obsidian Flames and still be hunting this one. It is the single card that decides how long the set takes and how much it costs to close.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This is the top card in Obsidian Flames at the raw level. Charizard demand keeps a floor under it that other Hyper Rares in the same set never get. Among modern gold Charizards it sits in the mid pack, more accessible than the scarcer alternate arts but well above a typical set's Hyper Rare.
Stable, with the usual modern-set pattern. A high at launch, a slide as supply caught up, then a steady floor held up by the Charizard name. Moves have been modest month over month rather than sharp. There is no reprint risk specific to this exact card, since gold Hyper Rares are set-locked.
Charizard cards tend to hold value better than their set-mates, and a gold Hyper Rare is a recognizable, name-driven piece. Modern print runs are large though, and this is not a scarce vintage card, so expect a stable floor rather than rapid appreciation. Buy it because you want it in the binder, not as a flip.
Gem-mint grades carry a real premium over raw. The gold etched surface shows handling, and centering on full-art cards is a common fail point. The jump from a high-end raw copy to a top-population gem grade is meaningful. Lower graded copies trade close to clean raw.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Hyper Rare lands roughly 1 in 300 to 700 packs. That is the longest odds of any rarity in the set, and it covers pulling some Hyper Rare, not this one specifically. Each set spreads several Hyper Rares across that rate, so the odds for this exact Charizard run much longer, into the hundreds of packs per copy. For scale, any Double Rare comes around 1 in 5 packs, any Illustration Rare around 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, and any Special Illustration Rare around 1 in 90. That is why most builders buy this as a single rather than chase it through packs.
The Hyper Rare tier is roughly an order of magnitude scarcer than the SIRs. A single named Hyper Rare like this Charizard is the hardest pull in the set, and the odds for one specific Hyper Rare are far longer than the tier-wide rate.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
5ban Graphics is a Japanese design studio, not a single illustrator. It handles much of the modern Pokemon TCG's foil and texture work, including the gold Hyper Rares and many of the rainbow and etched secret rares across recent sets. Their work is digital and typographic rather than painted, which is why their cards read as polished product design rather than scene illustration.
A Terastallized Charizard mid-roar, head back and jaws open, with the crystalline Tera facet on its brow. The whole card is rendered in gold etched foil, the texture lines following the figure and the background shards. It is loud and metallic on purpose.
Etched gold Hyper Rare treatment. The foil carries a physical texture you can feel, with the etching catching light across Charizard's body and the geometric background. This is the gold-foil finish reserved for the #228 slot, distinct from the cosmos and pattern holos used lower in the set.
It is the gold version of the most popular Pokemon, in the rarest slot of a major English set. The Tera Dark framing also sets it apart from the usual Fire-type Charizard depictions. Collectors who already own a painted Charizard SIR often still want this one for the contrast in finish.
BackgroundAbout Charizard ex
Charizard has anchored Pokemon TCG value since Base Set in 1999, and that has never really let up. It is the default chase Pokemon in almost every set it appears in. Obsidian Flames leaned into that, putting Charizard front and center as the headline ex for the set.
- ›First-generation starter with the longest collecting history in the hobby
- ›Consistently the card that defines a set's chase ceiling
- ›Strong crossover appeal between players, collectors, and investors
- ›Charizard ex saw real competitive play during the Scarlet & Violet era, adding demand beyond collectors
- ›Base Set Charizard, the card that anchored Pokemon collecting from the start
- ›Hidden Fates Shiny Charizard, a modern chase benchmark
- ›Champion's Path Charizard VMAX, a heavily chased rainbow-era card
Charizard ex from Obsidian Flames saw genuine tournament use in Scarlet & Violet standard, often paired with Pidgeot ex engines. The gold #228 is a collector card, not a deck card, but the playable lower-numbered version kept the name in front of competitive players too.
Own it wellCollector guide
Gold etched cards are unforgiving. The metallic surface shows scratches, print lines, and edge wear more than matte or painted foils. Inspect under angled light before buying, and check centering on the full-art frame, the most common defect on this card.
Worth grading if your copy is clean, since the gem-mint premium here is real. Pre-screen for centering and surface scratches before sending. Borderline copies often net more sold as clean raw than as a mid grade after fees. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve and toploader straight out of the pack or the moment it arrives. For long-term storage, use a penny sleeve inside a sealed holder, kept out of direct light and away from humidity swings. The etched foil shows fingerprints, so handle by the edges. See the storage guide →
Buy the single. Pulling this from packs is a long shot, and chasing it that way usually costs more than just buying the card. For a binder copy, a clean raw Near Mint is the value play. For a centerpiece, buy a graded gem-mint copy and skip the grading lottery. Always check centering photos before you commit. See the singles buying guide →
Modern fakes of gold Charizards exist. Compare the etched texture against a known-real copy, since counterfeits often miss the physical etch and feel flat. Check print sharpness and the back's color and texture. For any serious spend, buy a copy graded by PSA, CGC, or Beckett rather than a raw card from an unknown seller.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Generally liked, not universally loved. The gold etched look has fans who prefer it to the painted SIRs and detractors who find gold Hyper Rares too busy. Either way it is accepted as the set's true chase, on the strength of the Charizard name and the top-of-set slot.
- ›Graded copies trade steadily across eBay and TCGPlayer in raw and PSA grades, with a clear premium for gem-mint examples
Obsidian Flames was a marquee English set on launch, and Charizard pulls drove a lot of the opening hype. The gold #228 shows up regularly in set-completion and mail-day posts as the last card people need to close their Obsidian Flames master set.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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