Zekrom ex
Quick take
- Zekrom is the box-art legendary for the Black Bolt half of the July 2025 release
- 166/086 is the Special Illustration Rare with edge-to-edge illustrated art
- Sits below the new Black & White Rare but above the Ultra Rare full art
- One of four Zekrom ex prints in the set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Black Bolt
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 166/86 · $269.93 — 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 face card of Black Bolt's Unova throwback
Black Bolt and White Flare dropped together on July 18, 2025, as a pair of Scarlet & Violet special sets built around Black and White nostalgia. Black Bolt is the Zekrom side. White Flare is the Reshiram side. That framing matters for a master set builder. The legendary box-art mascot is the card most people reach for first, and Zekrom ex at 166/086 is that card.
“Zekrom is the box-art legendary for the Black Bolt half of the July 2025 release”
This is the Special Illustration Rare print, numbered above the base set count, with extended art that runs to the card edge. It sits below the set's new monochrome Black & White Rare in the rarity ladder but above the standard Ultra Rare full art. The SIR is the version with the dedicated illustrated scene rather than a posed full art, which is why it carries the most collector weight of the regular-pull Zekrom prints.
There are four Zekrom ex cards in the set: a Double Rare, an Ultra Rare full art, this SIR, and the secret Black & White Rare. A complete Zekrom run means tracking all four, but the SIR is the one that anchors the binder page.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Among Black Bolt SIRs, Zekrom ex sits near the top of the set, trading as a strong three-figure card in raw near-mint. It tracks closely with its White Flare mirror, the Reshiram ex SIR, with the two trading hands at similar levels since launch.
Prices spiked at release, as SV special-set chase cards usually do, then settled off the early peak as supply from heavy print runs caught up. The card has held as one of the set's value leaders rather than fading into the pack, which is the pattern you want to see from a mascot SIR.
This is a heavily printed modern special set, so do not expect vintage-style scarcity. The upside case rests on Zekrom's mascot pull and lasting Black and White nostalgia, not on rarity. Graded gem-mint copies are the sturdier long hold. Raw copies are plentiful and will stay that way.
PSA 10 and BGS 10 copies command a clear premium over raw near-mint, which is normal for a textured SIR where edge whitening and surface lines are common. The raw-to-graded gap is meaningful here, so condition is worth checking closely before paying gem-mint money.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Special Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 90 packs across all the SIRs in the set combined. Pulling one specific SIR like this Zekrom runs far longer than that headline number, because every SIR in the set shares that pool. In practice you are often into the hundreds of packs for a named SIR. For most master set builders, buying the single is far cheaper and faster than chasing it through sealed product.
Rarer per pull than the Double Rare (around 1 in 5 packs) and the Ultra Rare full art (around 1 in 15), both also available as Zekrom prints in the set. More common than the secret Black & White Rare Zekrom and any Hyper Rare, which in SV sets sit around 1 in 300 to 700 packs. Within the SIR pool itself, no single card is rarer than another, so its value premium over other Black Bolt SIRs comes from demand, not pull odds.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
danciao has illustrated for the Pokemon TCG since the Twilight Masquerade set in the Scarlet & Violet run, with a body of work across both the main TCG and Pokemon TCG Pocket. The artist also posts illustration work publicly on Instagram. Black Bolt's Zekrom ex is one of their higher-profile assignments to date, given it is a set mascot.
The SIR renders Zekrom as a full illustrated scene that bleeds to the card border rather than a static portrait, with the dragon's electric energy and motion as the focal point. The composition leans into the Lightning typing and Zekrom's power read, which is the look collectors expect from a mascot special illustration.
Special Illustration Rare, card 166/086, with the extended-art treatment and textured holo finish standard for SV-era SIRs. Lightning-type Basic ex with 230 HP and the Voltage Burst attack that scales with the number of Prize cards the opponent has taken.
This is the illustrated, scene-based version of the set's signature legendary. Where the Ultra Rare full art poses the Pokemon, the SIR puts it inside a composed moment, which is what makes this the print most collectors single out for the display page.
BackgroundAbout Zekrom ex
Zekrom is one of the two cover legendaries of Pokemon Black and White, the Deep Black Pokemon and counterpart to Reshiram's white. It is a Dragon and Electric type in the video games, tied to the theme of ideals. That original Black and White pairing is the entire reason Black Bolt and White Flare exist as twin sets, so Zekrom carries direct mascot lineage here.
- ›Cover legendary of a mainline generation, instantly recognizable
- ›The Black and White era is hitting its nostalgia window for players who grew up on it
- ›Striking black dragon design that reads well in any art treatment
- ›Pairs with Reshiram for collectors who want the matched legendary set
- ›Cover legendary of Pokemon Black Version (2010/2011)
- ›Central to the Black and White anime arc and N's storyline
- ›Recurring legendary across multiple TCG eras under various card types
Zekrom ex is a fine collector and casual card rather than a defined competitive staple. Voltage Burst scaling off the opponent's Prize count gives it a comeback angle, but the SIR specifically is bought to display, not to sleeve for tournaments.
Own it wellCollector guide
Textured SIR surfaces show handling fast. Check the four corners for whitening, the edges for chipping, and the holo surface for fine scratches under angled light. Centering on the extended art frame is the usual thing that caps an otherwise clean copy at a 9.
Worth grading if the copy is genuinely gem-mint, since the PSA 10 premium over raw is real here. For a played or lightly off-center copy, the raw single is the better value and grading fees rarely pay off. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve plus a snug toploader or one-touch, kept out of direct light and away from humidity. The textured foil scuffs against bare binder pockets, so sleeve it before it goes on the display page. See the storage guide →
Raw near-mint is plentiful, so be patient and buy the cleanest copy you can rather than the first listing. If you want the card as an investment hold, buy it already graded gem mint from a reputable seller to skip the condition gamble. For a working master set, a sharp raw copy is the sensible pickup. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SV cards are far less faked than vintage chase cards, but with a three-figure SIR still confirm the textured holo pattern, the correct 166/086 numbering, sharp print registration on the small text, and a back swirl and color that match a known-genuine card. Buying graded removes most of this risk.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors received Zekrom ex as one of the cards to chase in Black Bolt, and it has been a frequent pick on community chase-card and most-wanted lists for the set since launch. Sentiment treats it as the Zekrom side's signature pull and the natural pair to the Reshiram ex SIR in White Flare.
- ›Graded gem-mint copies (PSA 10, BGS 10) regularly list at a clear premium over raw near-mint
- ›Raw near-mint changes hands as a strong three-figure card, near the top of the Black Bolt SIRs
Black Bolt and White Flare drew heavy attention as a Black and White nostalgia event, and the mascot SIRs were a focal point of that conversation. Much of the discussion centered on the twin-set framing and on how the Zekrom and Reshiram SIRs would track against each other in value.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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