How many Pokemon cards are there? All sets released so far

Em Stonham
Posters for different Pokemon Cards sets

If you’ve ever wanted to know exactly how many Pokemon cards exist in the world, this is the perfect guide. We’re going through every set released to the West and cataloging them so you don’t have to.

While the Pokemon TCG doesn’t have the busiest release schedule out there (that title would likely go to Magic: The Gathering), it does provide a constant stream of new cards, products, and expansion sets for fans to get excited about.

That’s been the case ever since the cards were released initially, meaning that there are a lot of expansion sets to work through if you’re a collector. It can feel hard to keep track of how many cards there are in the mix, especially with Rarities like Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares to consider.

So, here you’ll find a guide to the current number of Pokemon cards, expansion sets, and release dates, looking at how many English-language Pokemon cards actually exist and which expansion sets feature the most cards.


Contents


Screenshot of Pokemon TCG partner packs.
Alongside the regular Pokemon card sets are special releases like Celebrations.

How many Pokemon cards are there in total?

Considering every release that’s happened since writing this article, we estimate that there are a total of 16,014 Pokemon Trading Cards released in English. This immense number was calculated by adding up every officially released card so far, ignoring promo cards, booster toppers, and the like.

It’s important to note that our estimate is just for the English-language sets, too. Expansion sets in other languages – like the recent Japanese Mask of Change – have not been included in our line-up.

Photos of different Pokemon Card Sets
Examples of fan-favorite Pokemon card Booster Packs.

All Pokemon Trading Card sets released so far

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of every Pokemon TCG expansion set so far, looking at their official names, card numbers (including all Rarities and Secret Rares), and Western release date. 

First generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
1 Base Set 1 102 January 9, 1999
2 Jungle 64 June 16, 1999
3 Fossil 62 October 10, 1999
4 Base Set 2 130 February 24, 2000
5 Team Rocket 83 April 24, 2000
6 Gym Heroes 132 August 14, 2000
7 Gym Challenge 132 October 16, 2000

Second generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
8 Neo Genesis 111 December 16, 2000
9 Neo Discovery 75 June 1, 2001
10 Neo Revelation 66 September 21, 2001
11 Neo Destiny 133 February 28, 2001
12 Legendary Collection 110 May 24, 2001
13 Expedition Base Set 165 September 15, 2002
14 Aquapolis 186 January 15, 2003
15 Skyridge 182 May 12, 2003

Third generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
16 EX Ruby & Sapphire 109 June 18, 2003
17 EX Sandstorm 100 September 17, 2003
18 EX Dragon 100 November 24, 2003
19 EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua 97 March 15, 2004
20 EX Hidden Legends 102 June 14, 2004
21 EX FireRed & LeafGreen 116 August 30, 2004
22 EX Team Rocket Returns 111 November 8, 2004
23 EX Deoxys 108 February 14, 2005
24 EX Emerald 107 May 9, 2005
25 EX Unseen Forces 145 August 22, 2005
26 EX Delta Species 114 October 31, 2005
27 EX Legend Maker 93 February 13, 2006
28 EX Holon Phantoms 111 May 3, 2006
29 EX Crystal Guardians 100 August 30, 2006
30 EX Dragon Frontiers 101 November 8, 2006
31 EX Power Keepers 108 February 14, 2007

Fourth generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
32 Diamond & Pearl Base Set 130 May 23, 2007
33 Mysterious Treasures 124 August 22, 2007
34 Secret Wonders 132 November 7, 2007
35 Great Encounters 106 February 13, 2008
36 Majestic Dawn 100 May 21, 2008
37 Legends Awakened 146 August 20, 2008
38 Stormfront 106 November 5, 2008
39 Platinum Base Set 133 February 11, 2009
40 Rising Rivals 120 May 20, 2009
41 Supreme Victors 153 August 19, 2009
42 Arceus 111 November 4, 2009
43 HeartGold & SoulSilver Base Set 124 February 10, 2010
44 Unleashed 96 May 12, 2010
45 Undaunted 91 August 18, 2010
46 Triumphant 103 November 2, 2010
47 Call of Legends 106 February 9, 2011

Fifth generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
48 Black & White Base Set 115 April 25, 2011
49 Emerging Powers 98 August 31, 2011
50 Noble Victories 102 November 16, 2011
51 Next Destinies 103 February 8, 2012
52 Dark Explorers 111 May 9, 2012
53 Dragons Exalted 128 August 15, 2012
54 Boundaries Crossed 153 November 7, 2012
55 Plasma Storm 138 February 6, 2013
56 Plasma Freeze 122 May 8, 2013
57 Plasma Blast 105 August 14, 2013
58 Legendary Treasures 138 November 8, 2013

Sixth generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
59 X & Y Base Set 146 February 5, 2014
60 Flashfire 109 May 7, 2014
61 Furious Fists 133 August 13, 2014
62 Phantom Forces 122 November 5, 2014
63 Primal Clash 164 February 4, 2015
64 Roaring Skies 110 May 6, 2015
65 Ancient Origins 100 August 12, 2015
66 BREAKthrough 164 November 4, 2015
67 BREAKpoint 123 February 3, 2016
Generations 115 February 22, 2016
68 Fates Collide 125 May 2, 2016
69 Steam Siege 116 August 3, 2016
70 Evolutions 113 November 2, 2016

Seventh generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
71 Sun & Moon Base Set 163 February 3, 2017
72 Guardians Rising 169 May 5, 2017
73 Burning Shadows 169 August 4, 2017
Shining Legends 78 October 6, 2017
74 Crimson Invasion 124 November 3, 2017
75 Ultra Prism 173 February 2, 2018
76 Forbidden Light 146 May 4, 2018
77 Celestial Storm 183 August 3, 2018
Dragon Majesty 78 September 7, 2018
78 Lost Thunder 236 November 2, 2018
79 Team Up 196 February 1, 2019
Detective Pikachu 18 March 29, 2019
80 Unbroken Bonds 234 May 3, 2019
81 Unified Minds 258 August 2, 2019
Hidden Fates 163 August 23, 2019
82 Cosmic Eclipse 271 November 1, 2019

Eighth generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
83 Sword & Shield Base Set 216 February 7, 2020
84 Rebel Clash 209 May 1, 2020
85 Darkness Ablaze 201 August 14, 2020
Champion’s Path 80 September 25, 2020
86 Vivid Voltage 203 November 13, 2020
Shining Fates 195 February 19, 2021
87 Battle Styles 183 March 19, 2021
88 Chilling Reign 233 June 18, 2021
89 Evolving Skies 237 August 27, 2021
Celebrations 50 October 8, 2021
90 Fusion Strike 284 November 12, 2021
91 Brilliant Stars 216 February 25, 2022
92 Astral Radiance 246 May 27, 2022
Pokemon Go 88 July 1, 2022
93 Lost Origin 247 September 9, 2022
94 Silver Tempest 245 November 11, 2022
Crown Zenith 230 January 20, 2023

Ninth generation sets

Number Name Number of cards Release date
95 Scarlet & Violet Base Set 258 March 31, 2023
96 Paldea Evolved 279 June 9, 2023
97 Obsidian Flames 230 August 11, 2023
98 151 207 September 22, 2023
99 Paradox Rift 266 November 3, 2023
Paldean Fates 245 January 26, 2024
100 Temporal Forces 218 March 22, 2024

What about all the promotional Pokemon cards?

The section above contains every official Pokemon expansion set on the books in 2024 so far, but we’ve left out niche exclusives like event promo cards, ‘box toppers’, or movie promotional cards.

There are heaps of them dotted throughout Pokemon history, and we wanted to focus on the official releases here. That’s not to say that they’re not worth your time as a collector, though – if you come across an Ancient Mew while digging through online listings, it’s worth adding to your collection if you can stomach the price tag.

If you want to add some event promos and rare pieces to your collection, it’s worth checking out pre-release events and previews. This is a great way to find cards with rare stamps or interesting holofoils, and these promo cards can become valuable collector’s pieces down the line.

If any of the expansion sets in the list above appealed to you, why not check out our list of the rarest cards or best Booster Packs to find your next grail card? You may end up stumbling across a rare find during your next card shop visit.

Related Topics

About The Author

Based in Reading, England, Em is a Pokemon writer who joined Dexerto after working for sites like Only Greats, Sleeve No Card Behind, and Diamond Lobby. They cover everything from Pokemon cards to Pokemon GO, and you can email them at em.stonham@dexerto.com