Haxorus
Quick take
- Illustration Rare numbered 147/086 in the special Black Bolt set
- Art by akagi, a dynamic charging battle pose in rocky terrain
- Part of the Unova-wide IR/SIR treatment that defines Black Bolt
- A must-have for the Black Bolt master set, mid-tier in price
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Black Bolt
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 147/86 · $62.58 — 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 Gen V dragon riding the Unova-wide IR treatment that defines Black Bolt
Black Bolt is a special Scarlet & Violet set, released July 18, 2025, that gives nearly every Unova Pokemon an Illustration Rare or Special Illustration Rare. That is the headline feature, and it makes the IR tier here deeper than a normal SV set. Haxorus sits in that Gen V wave at number 147 of an 86-card main set, the over-the-count slot that marks it as a secret-rarity Illustration Rare.
“Illustration Rare numbered 147/086 in the special Black Bolt set”
The art is a battle scene. akagi puts Haxorus mid-charge, tusks forward, against rugged rocky terrain, and the composition reads as energy and threat rather than a quiet pose. The dragon's red-and-yellow tusks carry the color against the darker earth tones. It is a confident, action-led illustration, the kind that suits a heavy-hitting dragon.
For master set builders, Haxorus is a required pull. It is not the marquee chase of Black Bolt. That spotlight goes to the Reshiram, Zekrom, and Victini cards and the top SIRs. But you cannot finish the set without it, and the art holds up on its own.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Haxorus sits in the mid-range of the Black Bolt Illustration Rare tier. It costs real money, but it is nowhere near the top of the set. The marquee Reshiram, Zekrom, and Victini cards and the headline SIRs carry the set's value. Haxorus is the kind of IR you budget for as a known line item, not a card you sweat.
As a 2025 release, Black Bolt pricing is still settling. Special sets like this had no booster-box configuration, so packs came through Elite Trainer Boxes and Booster Bundles, which keeps singles supply tighter than a standard set. Expect the usual post-release softening once the print run is fully absorbed, with the strongest cards holding best.
Treat Haxorus as a collectible first, not a flip. It is a solid mid-tier IR with real art appeal, but it does not drive set value. The upside is that Haxorus is a long-time fan favorite Dragon-type, so it pulls steady demand from Pokemon-specific collectors on top of set builders. Buy the copy you want in the condition you want and move on.
Modern IRs only command a graded premium in high grades. A PSA 10 or equivalent earns a markup over raw, while a 9 often sits close to raw money after grading costs. For a mid-tier card like this, grading makes sense mainly if you pull a clean copy yourself or are chasing a registry set.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 12 packs. That figure is for hitting any IR, not this exact card. Black Bolt is loaded with Illustration Rares because nearly every Unova Pokemon got one, so the odds on pulling this specific Haxorus run far longer than 1 in 12, easily into many packs, since each IR you pull is just as likely to be any of the others. For reference, the rarer SV-era tiers sit around 1 in 90 for any Special Illustration Rare and 1 in 300 to 700 for any Hyper Rare, and the odds for one specific card of those tiers run into the hundreds of packs. Note that Black Bolt had no booster-box product, so packs came through Elite Trainer Boxes and Booster Bundles, which is worth factoring into how you source copies.
Compared to the Special Illustration Rares and the headline Reshiram, Zekrom, and Victini cards in Black Bolt, this Haxorus is a far more attainable rarity. It is a clear step above the regular and reverse holos but well short of the set's true chase cards.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
akagi is one of the illustrators in the Scarlet & Violet-era rotation of Pokemon TCG artists. The credit on this card is confirmed across TCGplayer, Limitless, and PkmnCards. Beyond the per-card credit, public biographical detail on akagi is thin, which is common for many newer TCG illustrators.
Haxorus is shown mid-charge in a fierce battle pose, blade-like tusks angled forward and ready. The background is rugged, stony terrain with a smoky, tense atmosphere that plays up the dragon's power. The color work leans on earthy tones, with the red-and-yellow tusks and accents standing out as the focal color against the darker rock.
Full-art Illustration Rare layout, with the borderless illustration filling the card and the holo treatment standard to the SV IR tier. Black Bolt also runs Poke Ball and Master Ball reverse-holo parallels of the base Pokemon prints, so when you compare copies, confirm you are looking at the Illustration Rare and not a parallel reverse.
The energy of the pose. A lot of IRs are still portraits. akagi gives Haxorus motion and aggression, which suits a heavy-hitting dragon and reads instantly even at a glance. That is what makes art-focused collectors single it out.
BackgroundAbout Haxorus
Haxorus is the Axe Jaw Pokemon, a Dragon-type from Generation V (Unova) introduced in Pokemon Black and White in 2010. It is the final evolution of Axew, evolving through Fraxure, and it earned a reputation in the games as a heavy-hitting physical attacker. That pedigree gives it a following that predates this card by well over a decade.
- ›Strong Gen V identity as one of Unova's standout Dragon-types
- ›Reputation as a hard-hitting physical attacker in the games
- ›Recognizable axe-tusk design that reads instantly
- ›Black Bolt's Unova theme renewing interest in Gen V Pokemon
- ›Debuted in Pokemon Black and White (2010) as the final stage of the Axew line
- ›Iris's signature Pokemon across the Black and White games and animation
- ›Returns in the Black Bolt set as part of its full Unova IR lineup
The Black Bolt Haxorus print is a Stage 2 Dragon-type with 170 HP and hard-hitting attacks, but it is not a defining competitive card. Its value to collectors is the art and the set slot, not Standard-format play.
Own it wellCollector guide
Full-art IRs show wear fast. Check the borderless edges for whitening and chipping, and angle the card under light to catch surface scratches across the holo. Centering is the most common knock on modern SV IRs, so look at the framing top-to-bottom and left-to-right before you commit, especially if you plan to grade.
Grade only a clean copy. For a mid-tier IR like this, a PSA 10 or equivalent is where the premium lives, while a 9 often nets little over raw after fees. If you pulled it yourself and it looks sharp with good centering, grading can make sense. Buying raw to grade as a flip is rarely worth it here. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a penny sleeve plus a top loader or a one-touch for anything you care about. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from humidity. For a card you intend to grade, go straight into a semi-rigid holder and avoid handling the surface. See the storage guide →
Decide raw or graded before you shop. For a set slot, a clean Near Mint raw copy is the value play. Make sure you are buying the Illustration Rare and not a Poke Ball or Master Ball reverse-holo parallel of the base print. Buy the actual pictured card rather than a stock image, and check centering in the listing photos. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SV IRs are far less faked than vintage holos, but still buy from reputable sellers. Compare the holo pattern and texture to known-good scans on Limitless or PkmnCards, check the back's color and the bottom set and rarity stamp, and confirm the 147/086 number matches an Illustration Rare. For higher-value graded copies, verify the cert number against the grader's database.
Protect your card
Low Chase Score — basic protection is plenty. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Reception leans positive on the art. Collectors and card databases call out akagi's dynamic, action-led illustration, which lands well with people who value IRs for the artwork. It is generally seen as a strong mid-tier pull rather than a headline chase.
Black Bolt and White Flare drew heavy interest at launch as the first sets to give nearly every Pokemon in their pool an IR or SIR, with broad coverage of the Unova theme and the secret-rare lineup. Haxorus rides that set-wide attention as part of the Gen V wave rather than as a standalone viral card.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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