Gengar PSA 9 $18,697Gengar-Holo PSA 9 $17,630Reshiram ex PSA 10 $9,224Gengar & Mimikyu GX PSA 10 $7,906Gengar PSA 10 $7,500UMBREON & DARKRAI GX PSA 10 $7,334Special Delivery Pikachu PSA 10 $5,531onix PSA 10 $5,520Dragonite PSA 8 $4,508Umbreon VMAX PSA 10 $4,424Dark Vileplume PSA 10 $4,000Pikachu ex PSA 10 $3,906Pikachu V #SWSH145 BGS 10 $3,906Special Delivery Pikachu #SWSH074 PSA 10 $3,826Giratina PSA 10 $3,380Mega Charizard X ex PSA 10 $2,949Dark Charizard PSA 9 $2,701Lugia-Holo PSA 6 $2,500Mega Dragonite ex PSA 10 $2,473Gengar VMAX PSA 10 $2,320

Black & White Pokémon TCG Sets

The Black & White era (2011 to 2013): 12 English sets that introduced Abilities, Pokémon-EX, Dragon types and ACE SPEC cards. Card lists, chase cards and prices.

Prices as of: October 20, 2026

Updated

All sets

Black & White logo

Black & White

Released April 25, 2011

115 cards

Top PSA 10: $4,699.00

Dragon Vault logo

Dragon Vault

Released October 5, 2012

21 cards

Top PSA 10: $12,999.99

Plasma Storm logo

Plasma Storm

Released February 6, 2013

138 cards

Top PSA 10: $80,000.00

Plasma Blast logo

Plasma Blast

Released August 14, 2013

105 cards

Top PSA 10: $8,059.20

About the Black & White era

The Black & White Series ran from the Black & White base set on April 25, 2011 to Legendary Treasures on November 6, 2013, covering the Unova region of Pokémon Black and White and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Eleven main expansions and one special set, Dragon Vault, released in English, most of them built from the Japanese BW era's expansions.

The base set rebuilt the game's vocabulary. Black & White introduced Abilities, replacing the long standing Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies, added Restored Pokémon for Fossils and brought a new reverse holofoil pattern in place of the plain mirror foil. Next Destinies introduced Pokémon-EX, high HP Basic Pokémon worth two Prize cards that carried the game through the XY Series, and the full art Pokémon-EX and Supporter prints that came with them started the modern full art tradition. Dragon Vault and Dragons Exalted introduced the Dragon type in 2012, and Boundaries Crossed introduced ACE SPEC cards, powerful Items limited to one per deck, which the Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze and Plasma Blast sets carried alongside the Team Plasma storyline.

Emerging Powers is the odd set of the era: it has no Japanese main expansion equivalent and was assembled from the Battle Strength Decks and the remaining Black Collection and White Collection cards. Legendary Treasures closed the series as the eleventh main expansion, built from the Japanese EX Battle Boost subset with a Radiant Collection subset of its own.

Collectors chase the full art Pokémon-EX and the secret rares. The full art Mewtwo EX of Next Destinies is the era's defining card, the secret rare Charizard of Plasma Storm and the Rayquaza of Dragon Vault and Dragons Exalted follow, and Mew EX from Dragons Exalted and the Radiant Collection of Legendary Treasures, the full art Colress and Giratina EX and Groudon EX round out the top of the market. The set hubs below carry every card list, the live chase and sealed prices and the editorial history of each release.

  • Abilities replace Poké-Powers Black & White introduced Abilities in place of Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies, added Restored Pokémon for Fossils and a new reverse holofoil pattern, resetting the game's rules language for the decade that followed.
  • Pokémon-EX and full arts Next Destinies introduced Pokémon-EX, two Prize Basic Pokémon with high HP, and the full art Pokémon-EX and Supporter prints that arrived with them, led by Mewtwo EX, remain the era's most collected cards.
  • The Dragon type Dragon Vault and Dragons Exalted introduced Dragon Pokémon to the card game in 2012, and the Rayquaza cards from both sets are among the era's chase cards.
  • ACE SPEC and Team Plasma Boundaries Crossed introduced ACE SPEC cards, one per deck Items, and Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze and Plasma Blast carried them through the Team Plasma sets of 2013, with the secret rare Charizard and full art Colress of Plasma Storm the standouts.
  • Two sets without a Japanese twin Emerging Powers was assembled from the Battle Strength Decks and leftover Black Collection and White Collection cards, and Legendary Treasures came from the EX Battle Boost subset with its own Radiant Collection.

Release timeline

  1. Black & White · 115 cards · BLW
  2. Emerging Powers · 98 cards · EPO
  3. Noble Victories · 102 cards · NVI
  4. Next Destinies · 103 cards · NXD
  5. Dark Explorers · 111 cards · DEX
  6. Dragons Exalted · 128 cards · DRX
  7. Dragon Vault · 21 cards · DRV
  8. Boundaries Crossed · 153 cards · BCR
  9. Plasma Storm · 138 cards · PLS
  10. Plasma Freeze · 122 cards · PLF
  11. Plasma Blast · 105 cards · PLB
  12. Legendary Treasures · 113 plus 2 secret rares, plus 25 Radiant Collection · LTR

Top 10 cards

  1. Charizard from Plasma Storm at PSA 10 $80,000.00
  2. Entei EX from Dark Explorers at PSA 10 $39,884.89
  3. Mew EX from Dragons Exalted at PSA 10 $33,795.04
  4. Colress from Plasma Storm at PSA 10 $25,000.00
  5. Rayquaza from Dragons Exalted at PSA 10 $21,100.00
  6. Zekrom from Legendary Treasures at PSA 10 $18,131.40
  7. Giratina EX from Dragons Exalted at PSA 10 $15,400.13
  8. Groudon EX from Dark Explorers at PSA 10 $14,968.98
  9. Squirtle from Boundaries Crossed at PSA 10 $13,885.00
  10. Mew EX from Legendary Treasures at PSA 10 $13,536.45

Black & White Pokémon TCG Sets FAQ

How many sets are in the Black & White era?

There are 12 published Black & White era sets in this hub.

When were the Black & White era sets released?

The published Black & White era sets were released from April 25, 2011 to November 6, 2013.

What are the top chase cards in the Black & White era?

The leading tracked chase cards in the Black & White era are Charizard from Plasma Storm, Entei EX from Dark Explorers, Mew EX from Dragons Exalted.

How many sets are in the Black & White era?

Twelve English sets: eleven main expansions from Black & White to Legendary Treasures and one special set, Dragon Vault.

When did the Black & White era start and end?

It opened with the Black & White base set on April 25, 2011 and closed with Legendary Treasures on November 6, 2013, after which the XY Series began with the Kalos Starter Set.

What mechanics did the Black & White era introduce?

Abilities and Restored Pokémon in the base set, Pokémon-EX and full art cards in Next Destinies, the Dragon type in Dragon Vault and Dragons Exalted and ACE SPEC cards in Boundaries Crossed.

Which Black & White era sets do collectors chase most?

Next Destinies for the full art Mewtwo EX, Plasma Storm for the secret rare Charizard and Colress, Dragons Exalted for Mew EX, Rayquaza and Giratina EX, Dragon Vault for Rayquaza and Legendary Treasures for its Radiant Collection. Each set hub ranks its own chase cards by live PSA 10 value.

Why does Emerging Powers have no Japanese equivalent?

It was built from the Japanese Battle Strength Decks and the remaining Black Collection and White Collection cards rather than from a Japanese main expansion, the only main expansion of the era assembled that way.

Sources