Serperior ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare number 164 in Black Bolt, art by Ryota Murayama
- Serene forest scene that contrasts the set's dragon-heavy premium art
- Required card for a Black Bolt master set
- Sits below the BWR and legendary SIRs but holds steady collector demand
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Black Bolt
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 164/86 · $42.36 — 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 quiet grass SIR that earned its spot in a dragon-heavy set
Black Bolt is built around Zekrom and the Unova legendaries. The new BWR cards and the lightning-charged dragon SIRs grabbed the headlines at launch. Serperior ex did not. It is a Stage 2 grass snake, not a cover legendary, and it sat a tier below the loud cards in the early hype. That is exactly why it is worth a second look.
“Special Illustration Rare number 164 in Black Bolt, art by Ryota Murayama”
The Special Illustration Rare at 164 reframes Serperior as something serene. It curls through a forest with light filtering down through the canopy. No battle, no fire, just the Pokemon in its element. In a set where most of the premium art is loud, this one reads as a breather, and collectors who finish master sets tend to remember the calm cards.
For a Black Bolt master set, this is a required pull. Every Unova Pokemon in the set got an Illustration Rare or Special Illustration Rare, and the SIR slot is the hardest version of Serperior to land. If you are chasing the full set, this card is non-negotiable, and the art holds up well enough that plenty of people want it on its own.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits in the mid pack of Black Bolt SIRs. It trades well below the Zekrom and Reshiram premium cards and the BWR rarity, but comfortably above the set's commons and lower-rarity hits. Think solid mid-tier SIR money rather than a top-of-set headliner.
Black Bolt launched in mid 2025 and the SIRs settled into a steadier band after the initial release rush. Serperior ex has stayed active among listings for the name, which points to ongoing turnover rather than a dead page. Supply is the main lever here. Black Bolt was a heavily chased 2025 set, and sealed product drying up tends to support singles over time.
Steady rather than explosive. This is not a cover legendary, so do not expect it to lead the set. What it has going for it is set-completion demand and a print run that is not coming back. As sealed Black Bolt thins out, mid-tier SIRs like this tend to firm up slowly. A clean copy is a reasonable hold. A graded gem is the safer long-term version.
PSA 10 and BGS gem copies carry a clear premium over raw, which is normal for modern SIRs where centering and surface are the usual fail points. The gap between a sharp raw card and a gem slab is real, so condition matters if you are buying to hold.
Black Bolt follows the standard Scarlet and Violet pack odds. Any Special Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 90 packs. The catch is that there are several SIRs in the set, so pulling this specific Serperior runs much longer than that headline number, often well into the hundreds of packs for one named card. For reference within the same set, any Double Rare comes about 1 in 5 packs, any Illustration Rare about 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare about 1 in 15, and any Hyper Rare in the 1 in 300 to 700 range. If you need this exact card, buying the single is far cheaper than chasing it from sealed.
It is one of several SIRs in Black Bolt, so it is genuinely scarce per pack but not unique within its rarity. The legendary and BWR cards sit above it in both rarity weight and price. Among the SIR Pokemon, this is a mid-tier target, scarce enough to matter for set completion without being a top-of-set headliner.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Ryota Murayama is a Pokemon TCG illustrator who has contributed art across recent Scarlet and Violet era sets. The work tends toward soft, naturalistic scenes that place the Pokemon in a real environment rather than a blank battle frame, which fits the Special Illustration Rare format well.
Serperior is shown coiled through a forest, with shafts of light coming down through the trees to catch the snake's body. The mood is calm and elegant. It leans into Serperior's regal posture instead of action, and the soft lighting does most of the work. It reads as a moment of stillness rather than a fight.
Special Illustration Rare layout, a full-bleed illustration that extends past the standard card window, with the holo treatment applied across the full art. The card is numbered 164 in a set with a printed base of 086, which is the usual way these SIR slots sit above the main numbering.
Most of Black Bolt's best art is loud. Lightning, dragons, hard contrast. This one goes the other way and wins on calm. Sat in a binder page next to the legendary SIRs, the quiet forest scene stands out by not shouting, and that contrast is a real part of why people single it out.
BackgroundAbout Serperior ex
Serperior is the final form of Snivy, the grass starter from the Unova region introduced in Pokemon Black and White. It is the regal serpent line, all clean curves and aristocratic posture. Black Bolt and its paired set White Flare are built almost entirely around Generation V Pokemon, so Serperior getting premium treatment here fits the whole theme of the release.
- ›One of the three Unova starters, with a built-in fan base from Black and White
- ›Distinctive elegant serpent design that suits a quiet, posed illustration
- ›Generation V nostalgia driving the Black Bolt and White Flare release
- ›Grass-starter collectors who chase the final-stage cards specifically
- ›Final evolution of the Snivy starter line in Pokemon Black and White
- ›Featured Unova Pokemon across the Black Bolt set's rarity tiers, including IR and SIR treatments
The card is a 320 HP Stage 2 with the Regal Cheer ability, which adds 20 damage to your Pokemon's attacks against the opponent's Active, plus Command the Grass to search up to three cards from your deck. It saw real consideration in grass and Stage 2 builds. That said, the SIR version is a collector chase, and serious players tend to run the cheaper Double Rare print rather than a premium SIR.
Own it wellCollector guide
Modern SIRs live and die on centering and surface. Check the full-art borders for even framing, look across the holo for print lines or roller marks, and inspect the edges for the silvering and chipping that full-bleed cards pick up. The large illustration area shows whitening and scratches more readily than a bordered card.
Worth grading if the copy is clean. Centering is the usual gem killer on SV SIRs, so eyeball the borders before you pay for a slab. A gem grade carries a clear premium over raw on a card like this. If centering is off, a raw near-mint copy is the smarter hold. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve and toploader straight away, or use a one-touch for a card you plan to keep. Full-art surfaces scuff easily, so avoid loose handling. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. For a binder build, use a side-loading page so the holo surface does not rub on entry. See the storage guide →
Buying the single beats chasing it from sealed unless you want the whole Black Bolt pack-opening experience. For mid money, prefer raw near-mint copies with good centering and inspect photos closely. For a long hold, a graded gem removes the condition guesswork. Watch for the cheaper Double Rare and Ultra Rare prints of the same Pokemon in listings, since the SIR is the version you actually want for a master set. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SIRs are faked less than vintage chase cards, but counterfeits exist. Compare the holo pattern and texture against a known-good SIR from the same set, check the print quality of the small text and the back swirl, and weigh the card if you can. For higher-dollar copies, buy graded or from a seller with a clear return policy.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
The launch reaction put the loud dragon and BWR cards first, with Serperior ex treated as a strong second-tier pull. Over time the art has earned its own following, and it shows up regularly in lists of the better non-legendary SIRs in the set. Grass-starter and serpent fans tend to single it out.
Most of the chatter centers on the art being a calm standout in a loud set, and on it being a needed slot for Black Bolt master set builders. It is more of a steady, respected pull than a viral hype card.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Scarlet & Violet Black Bolt master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
