Raging Bolt ex
Quick take
- Headline Special Illustration Rare of Temporal Forces (SV5)
- An Ancient Pokemon, central to the set's paradox theme
- Powered a top-tier competitive deck, which fed collector demand
- Typically the top or near-top SIR slot for the set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Temporal Forces
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 208/162 · $62.71 — 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 card that defined Temporal Forces collecting and competition at once
Raging Bolt ex is the headline Special Illustration Rare of Temporal Forces, the fifth main Scarlet & Violet set. As an Ancient Pokemon, it leans into the set's theme of paradox creatures pulled out of the distant past, and the SIR art runs with that idea. Most cards in a master set get collected on looks alone. This one earned its spot on two fronts.
“Headline Special Illustration Rare of Temporal Forces (SV5)”
On the table, Raging Bolt ex anchored one of the best decks of the format for a long stretch after release. It is a two-prize attacker with high HP and an attack that scales off discarded Basic Energy, fed by Professor Sada's Vitality for fast setups. That competitive run kept the name in front of players constantly, which fed straight back into demand for the pretty version. When a card is both a meta staple and the best-looking pull in the set, the chase copy does the work for both audiences.
For master-set builders, this is the slot you plan around. It tends to sit at or near the top of the Temporal Forces SIR pecking order, so it is usually the last and most expensive box to check.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits at the upper end of Temporal Forces SIRs, the kind of card that anchors the set's secondary market. Raw copies trade as a solid mid-tier SIR, while clean graded gem-mint examples carry a real step up. The live market figure is shown elsewhere on this page.
Demand stayed unusually sticky for a modern SIR because the deck kept the card relevant well past launch. Prices cooled from the initial release spike like most modern chase cards, but the competitive tailwind kept it from sliding into bulk-SIR territory.
Modern SIRs from large print runs rarely behave like vintage. The upside here leans on the Pokemon staying popular and the art holding up rather than scarcity. A well-centered PSA 10 is the version most likely to hold value over time. Treat raw copies as a collecting buy, not a speculation play.
Gem-mint 10s command a meaningful premium over raw, and the gap widens as raw prices settle. The textured SIR surface and large foil area make perfect centering and edges harder to land, so true 10s are scarcer than the population numbers might suggest at a glance.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Special Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 90 packs. That figure covers all SIRs in the set combined. Pulling this specific Raging Bolt ex runs much longer, often into the hundreds of packs, because each SIR shares that overall rate with the other alternate arts in the print run. For comparison, any Double Rare hits about 1 in 5 packs, any Illustration Rare about 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare about 1 in 15, and Hyper Rares roughly 1 in 300 to 700. SIRs sit firmly in the deep end of those odds.
SIRs are rarer than the standard full-art ex Ultra Rares but more common than Hyper Rare gold cards. Within Temporal Forces, this is one of the SIRs people actually open packs hoping to hit, which is why most builders just buy the single rather than chase it.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Teeziro has illustrated Pokemon TCG cards since the Sword & Shield era. The portfolio spans a wide range of Pokemon and card types, and Raging Bolt ex is one of the more prominent SIR assignments to land on the name.
Raging Bolt is reared up at full height, its long neck stretching skyward, set against glowing canyon cliffs under a charged, stormy sky. The composition uses the tall, serpentine body to fill the vertical space and sell the creature's scale. Energy and atmosphere do a lot of the work here, giving the card a dramatic, weather-event feel rather than a static portrait.
This is the Special Illustration Rare treatment: full-bleed art with no border box, textured holo foil across the card face, and the extended illustration that SIRs are known for. The large unbroken art area is what makes the foil read so well in hand, and also what makes the card tough to grade cleanly.
The SIR format lets the art breathe, and Teeziro uses the whole frame for a single big moment. The canyon setting grounds the Ancient Pokemon in a believable prehistoric landscape, a cut above the generic energy-swirl backgrounds some chase cards settle for.
BackgroundAbout Raging Bolt ex
Raging Bolt is an Ancient Paradox Pokemon introduced in Generation IX, a prehistoric counterpart design tied to Raikou. In the TCG it debuted in Temporal Forces, the set built around Ancient and Future paradox themes, and the SIR is the showcase version of that debut.
- ›Paradox and Ancient designs drew strong fan interest at launch
- ›Carried a top-tier competitive deck, boosting name recognition
- ›Dramatic, large-scale Pokemon that suits full-art treatment
- ›Connection to a legendary line (Raikou counterpart)
- ›Lead attacker in the Raging Bolt ex archetype across the SV format
- ›Headline Ancient Pokemon of the Temporal Forces set
Raging Bolt ex was one of the defining decks of its era. It plays as a high-HP two-prize attacker whose damage scales with discarded Basic Energy, set up quickly by Professor Sada's Vitality. That power level kept it in tournament conversation long after release, which is unusual staying power for a single attacker.
Own it wellCollector guide
SIRs are unforgiving. The full-art foil shows whitening on edges and corners fast, and the textured surface can pick up faint scratches under light. Inspect the borders and the top edge closely, since that area takes the most damage in pack-fresh cards.
Worth grading if you have a clean, well-centered copy. The premium for a gem-mint 10 over raw is real here. Check centering front and back before submitting, because the borderless look hides off-center cuts until you measure them. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a penny sleeve plus a top loader or a one-touch the moment it leaves the pack. For long-term storage, keep it out of direct light and away from humidity swings. The large foil area is what you are protecting, and it scratches easily against rough surfaces. See the storage guide →
Buying the single is the sane path for a master set, given how long the pull odds run. For raw copies, ask for photos under angled light to catch surface scratches and edge wear. For anything at a serious price, buy a graded copy from a reputable slab rather than a raw card you cannot inspect in person. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SIRs are less faked than vintage chase cards, but counterfeits exist. Check the texture: real SIRs have a distinct embossed feel across the art. Compare the holo pattern and font weight against a known-good scan, and be wary of any raw copy priced well under market.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
The card was well received as the standout SIR of Temporal Forces. The dual appeal of a great art piece on a competitively dominant Pokemon gave it a reputation as one of the set's clear must-haves, both for players who ran the deck and for collectors who never touched the meta.
Discussion clustered around two things: the deck's strength in tournament coverage and the SIR being a top pull from the set. The competitive run kept the name circulating far longer than a typical art-only chase card.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
