Genesect ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare from Black Bolt, the Gen V throwback set released July 2025
- Art by kantaro, an illustrator known for warm, character-forward scenes
- Genesect is a mythical with movie pedigree and a dedicated following
- A mid-tier chase, below the set's headline cards but consistently wanted
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Black Bolt
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 169/86 · $43.94 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyGenesect's full-art moment in the Black & White revival set
Black Bolt landed in July 2025 as one half of a two-set return to Generation V. Nearly every Unova Pokemon got a slot across Black Bolt and White Flare, and most picked up a special full-art card somewhere in the pair. Genesect ex is one of those payoffs. The Special Illustration Rare, number 169, is the version collectors actually chase. The regular Double Rare is the playable copy. This one is for the binder.
“Special Illustration Rare from Black Bolt, the Gen V throwback set released July 2025”
Genesect carries some weight. It was the event mythical that closed out the original Black & White run, it headlined its own film, and it has a dedicated fanbase. All of that slots neatly into the nostalgia this set was built to sell. kantaro handled the art, and that pairing matters. kantaro tends toward warm, character-driven scenes rather than cold tech renders, which gives a robotic bug Pokemon a softer, more story-driven read than you might expect.
Within the set's chase hierarchy, Genesect ex is a solid mid-tier SIR. It is not the headline card. It is a recognizable name with steady demand, which keeps it relevant for anyone building the Black Bolt master set rather than cherry-picking the top hits.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits in the middle of Black Bolt's SIR pricing. It trades as a soft-to-moderate three-figure card raw in clean condition, well below the set's marquee chase cards but clearly above the bulk SIRs. The live market figure is shown elsewhere on this page.
Like most cards from a recent, heavily printed set, it has drifted down from its launch-week highs as supply caught up with demand. Expect continued softness while sealed product is still on shelves. The real test comes once the set goes out of print.
Treat it as a hold-for-the-set card, not a flip. Recent Scarlet & Violet SIRs usually bottom out while product is widely available, then firm up after the print run ends. Genesect's name recognition gives it a better floor than a random SIR, but it is not a top-of-set rocket. Buy the copy you want for your binder and stop watching the ticker.
A clean PSA 10 commands a meaningful premium over raw, as it does for any modern SIR, because centering and surface on these full-art cards are easy to miss on. The raw-to-9 spread is thinner. The real jump is at the 10.
In a Scarlet & Violet set, any Special Illustration Rare lands roughly once every 90 packs. That compares to about 1 in 5 for any Double Rare, 1 in 12 for any Illustration Rare, and 1 in 15 for any Ultra Rare. Black Bolt's reported numbers run a touch better, closer to one SIR per 80 packs across community openings, but that figure covers every SIR in the set. The odds for one specific card like Genesect are far longer, since each rarity has many cards spread across the print run. Pulling this exact SIR realistically means opening into the hundreds of packs, which is why most collectors buy the single rather than chase it.
It is genuinely scarce out of packs but not scarce in the marketplace, because a heavily printed modern set produces plenty of total copies. That gap between pull difficulty and market availability is normal for SV-era SIRs, and it explains why the price stays reasonable despite the long single-card odds.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
kantaro debuted in the Pokemon TCG in 2022 with Colress's Experiment in Crown Zenith and has built a catalog since. The style leans on bright color and lived-in settings, aiming to show each Pokemon as a living creature rather than a stat line. Outside the card game, kantaro served as animation director on the Pokemon Day 2024 POKEDANCE video and contributed designs to Project VOLTAGE.
The Special Illustration Rare gives Genesect the extended full-art frame, with art bleeding past the usual card window into the borders. kantaro favors a scene with atmosphere over a flat character portrait, which suits a Pokemon that is half machine, half bug. For the exact composition, look at the card image on this page. The SIR treatment is what separates it from the plain Double Rare print.
This is a Metal-type Genesect ex with 220 HP. The Metallic Signal ability searches your deck for up to two Metal-type Evolution Pokemon. Protect Charge hits for 150 and reduces damage taken next turn. As an SIR it uses the full-art layout and the set's foil pattern. Black Bolt and White Flare notably revived the horizontal holofoil paper from the original Black & White era on their holo cards.
The combination is the appeal. A recognizable mythical, an illustrator with a real following, and a set built around Gen V nostalgia. That mix gives the card more pull than its mid-tier price suggests, especially for collectors who grew up on Black & White.
BackgroundAbout Genesect ex
Genesect is a Mythical Pokemon introduced in Generation V, a prehistoric bug Pokemon revived and weaponized by Team Plasma. It got its own film, Genesect and the Legend Awakened, the last of the Black & White series movies, which cemented it in fans' memories. Its signature feature is the swappable Drive that changes the type of its Techno Blast attack, a hook that has carried into multiple card incarnations over the years.
- ›Mythical status with a dedicated movie appearance
- ›A cyborg-bug design that stands out from the usual legendary lineup
- ›A long run of strong TCG versions, including past competitive play
- ›Slots into the Gen V nostalgia behind Black Bolt and White Flare
- ›Headlined the film Genesect and the Legend Awakened
- ›Distributed as an event Mythical across the Generation V games
- ›Recurring competitive presence in past TCG formats through its Techno Blast variants
Own it wellCollector guide
Full-art SIRs show wear easily. Check the borders for whitening and chips, since the art runs to the edge and any nick reads immediately. Watch the surface under angled light for print lines and scratches. Inspect centering front and back, which is the most common reason a copy stalls at a 9 instead of a 10.
Grade only clean, well-centered copies. The premium on this card is concentrated in the PSA 10 jump, so a 9 often does not justify the fee plus turnaround. If your raw copy has any visible edge or centering issue, it is usually better kept raw in a sleeve and toploader. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it, then put it in a toploader or a rigid one-touch. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity swings. For a master set, penny sleeves inside a binder with side-loading pockets work, but a higher-value SIR is better off in a one-touch than flexed into a binder page. See the storage guide →
Buy the single. The pack odds for this specific card are brutal, and the market price is well within reach. For a raw buy, demand clear photos of all four corners and the back. If you want a graded copy, a PSA 10 carries the premium; for a display piece, a strong raw or a 9 saves money. Since the set is recent, there is no rush. Prices have room to settle further while product is still around. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SIRs are far less faked than vintage chase cards, but on a higher-value single it still pays to verify. Compare the holo pattern and text against a known image, check the set's foil behavior, and be cautious of listings with stock photos only. For meaningful money, a graded copy in a sealed slab removes most of the doubt.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Genesect ex's SIR was well received as one of the more characterful pulls in Black Bolt, helped by Genesect's mythical pedigree and kantaro's art. It is widely seen as a desirable mid-tier card rather than a top chase, which is exactly the slot most master-set builders are happy to fill.
Buzz tracked with the wider Black & White revival hype around the July 2025 launch. Genesect drew steady interest from Gen V fans and kantaro followers, though the loudest attention went to the set's headline chase cards. Conversation has since settled into the normal post-launch rhythm as prices cooled.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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