Pokémon · English vs Japanese · October 12, 2026

Same card, two languages: which one costs more?

English Special Illustration Rares sell for a median +72% versus the same cards' Japanese Special Art Rare printings (44 of 55 pairs priced higher in English).

Special Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare+72%median gap · English higher in 44 of 55

Illustration Rare ↔ Art Rare+94%median gap · English higher in 27 of 32

Mega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)−41%median gap · English higher in 0 of 7

Mega Attack Rare+71%median gap · English higher in 4 of 4

Ultra Rare ↔ Super Rare (full art)+5%median gap · English higher in 10 of 20

Top 25 pairs by value

Card	English set · price	Japanese set · price	English vs Japanese
Mega Gengar exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$830.54	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$324.26	+156%
Mega Charizard X exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME02: Phantasmal Flames$206.90	M2: Inferno X$739.94	−72%
Mega Charizard X exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME02: Phantasmal Flames$633.47	M2: Inferno X$705.97	−10%
Mega Dragonite exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$477.42	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$170.79	+180%
Mega Greninja exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME04: Chaos Rising$130.11	M4: Ninja Spinner$474.01	−73%
Mega Darkrai exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME05: Pitch Black$137.57	M5: Abyss Eye$421.11	−67%
Mega Lucario exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME01: Mega Evolution$226.78	m1L: Mega Brave$264.00	−14%
Mega Greninja exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME04: Chaos Rising$130.19	M4: Ninja Spinner$257.33	−49%
Mega Gardevoir exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME01: Mega Evolution$174.18	m1S: Mega Symphonia$250.44	−30%
Team Rocket's Mewtwo exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$244.47	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$124.22	+97%
Mega Dragonite exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME: Ascended Heroes$166.31	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$192.43	−14%
Mega Darkrai exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME05: Pitch Black$145.76	M5: Abyss Eye$181.54	−20%
Mega Gardevoir exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME01: Mega Evolution$170.26	m1S: Mega Symphonia$98.87	+72%
Mega Lucario exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME01: Mega Evolution$169.48	m1L: Mega Brave$82.83	+105%
Mega Zygarde exMega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare (gold)	ME03: Perfect Order$99.40	M3: Nihil Zero$169.02	−41%
Lillie's DeterminationSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME01: Mega Evolution$52.29	m1L: Mega Brave$142.68	−63%
N's Zoroark exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$139.37	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$59.68	+134%
Mega Venusaur exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME01: Mega Evolution$137.17	m1L: Mega Brave$42.56	+222%
Meowth exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME03: Perfect Order$86.78	M3: Nihil Zero$79.84	+9%
Mew exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: 30th Celebration$86.48	M6a: MEGA Expansion 30th Celebration$84.26	+3%
Gengar exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: 30th Celebration$76.15	M6a: MEGA Expansion 30th Celebration$80.20	−5%
Mega Latias exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME01: Mega Evolution$72.50	m1S: Mega Symphonia$31.48	+130%
Steven's Metagross exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$66.21	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$27.43	+141%
Mega Froslass exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME: Ascended Heroes$64.37	M2a: High Class Pack: MEGA Dream ex$21.41	+201%
Morpeko exSpecial Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare	ME05: Pitch Black$62.26	M5: Abyss Eye$22.36	+178%

Cards are paired by Pokémon name and equivalent rarity (Special Illustration Rare ↔ Special Art Rare, Illustration Rare ↔ Art Rare, Ultra Rare ↔ Super Rare, Mega Hyper Rare ↔ Mega Ultra Rare), with the Japanese set released up to eight months before the English one. Ambiguous matches are left out. Prices are TCGplayer market prices in US dollars.

English vs Japanese pairs: 93 more in Pro

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Other games

One Piece, Union Arena, Digimon and Dragon Ball also release in Japan first, but their Japanese prices aren't on TCGplayer. Adding them needs Japanese shop data.