List of 8 Generation Sets: How many Pokémon Cards are there?

What are the First Generation Sets of Pokémon Cards? Are there any legendary Cards? How many 2nd and 3rd Generation Cards are there? How many Pokémon Cards are there?

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Pokémon has been considered one of the most iconic and legendary franchises which have touched every corner of media. Although, the question here is exactly how many pokémon cards are there? If we look at the game’s long history, Pokémon has released thousands of cards. The Pokémon Trading Card was originally released on October 20, 1996, in Japan, and then, later on, was released in English on January 9, 1999. After that, there have been numerous sets of cards that have been released. In this article, we have mentioned the list of pokémon trading card game sets and all the cards present in them.

How many Pokemon Cards are there?

There is nothing that Pokémon has left to entertain their fans from video games to anime and even the popular trading card game. So, how many pokémon cards are there? There are about 905 Pokemon cards considering the unique sets of its first 8 generations. However, adding up all the categories of movies, series, and other forms of entertainment, the total number reaches 1311. Must read When did Pokémon Cards come out?

List of Pokémon Trading Card Game Sets

To get a complete view of how many pokémon cards are there, here is the list of pokémon trading card game sets that have been released generation-wise, and also the cards featured in them.

1. First Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

Photo by Erick Mclean on Pexels

Pokémon has always tried to maintain its popularity, releasing loads of new cards and also booster sets every year. The now-legendary base set was launched in the first generation. It got released in English in 1999, this sets contains a base number of 102 cards, making it a total of 151 cards. Although, the game later expanded, as six new packs were added in the generation. 

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 12, 2000
7 Gym Challenge 132 October 2000

Many pokémon from this generation have been featured as some of the best Pokémon cards of all time. Keep reading further to know how many pokémon cards are there in the next generations. (See Top 10 Pokemon Characters of All-Time)

2. Second Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

Generation 2 extensively expanded the range of cards in the game, to about 100 cards. This generation witnessed the release of eight new sets, many of these sets contained more cards than the Generation 1 sets that came before them. A few new legendary pokémon were added to this generation and also to the list of pokémon trading card game sets.

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 Neo Genesis 111 December 16, 2000
2 Neo Discovery 75 June 1, 2001
3 Neo Revelation 66 September 21, 2001
4 Neo Destiny 133 February 28, 2001
5 Legendary Collection 110 May 24, 2001
6 Expedition Base Set 165 September 15, 2002
7 Aquapolis 186 January 15, 2003
8 Skyridge 182 May 12, 2003

3. Third Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

This generation of card added another new 135 Pokémon, the most famous creatures of this generation was Flying-Ground-type Flygon, the Pikachu-Esque pair Plusle, and Minun.

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 EX Ruby & Saphire 109 June 18, 2003
2 EX Sandstorm 100 September 17, 2003
3 EX Dragon 100 November 24, 2003
4 EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua 97 March 15, 2004
5 EX Hidden Legends 102 June 14, 2004
6 EX FireRed & LeafGreen 116 August 30, 2004
7 EX Team Rockets Returns 111 November 8, 2004
8 EX Deoxys 108 February 14, 2005
9 EX Emerald 107 May 9, 2005
10 EX Unseen Forces 145 August 22, 2005
11 EX Delta Species 114 October 31, 2005
12 EX Legend Maker 93 February 13, 2006
13 EX Holon Phantoms 111 May 3, 2006
14 EX Crystal Guardians 100 August 30, 2006
15 EX Dragon Frontiers 101 November 8, 2006
16 EX Power Keepers 108 February 14, 2007

4. Fourth Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

This generation added 107 new Pokémon, including anime and videogame starters like Empoleon, Infernape, and Torterra, as well as Lucario, which is now known as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. 

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 Diamond & Pearl Base Set 130 May 23, 2007
2 Mysterious Treasures 124 August 22, 2007
3 Secret Wonders 132 November 7, 2007
4 Great Encounters 106 February 13, 2008
5 Majestic Dawn 100 May 21, 2008
6 Legends Awakened 146 August 20, 2008
7 Stormfront 106 November 5, 2008
8 Platinum Base Set 133 February 11, 2009
9 Rising Rivals 120 May 20, 2009
10 Supreme Victors 153 August 19, 2009
11 Arceus 111 November 4, 2009
12 HeartGold & SoulSilver Base Set 124 February 10, 2010
13 Unleashed 96 May 12, 2010
14 Undaunted 91 August 18, 2010
15 Triumphant 103 November 2, 2010
16 Call of Legends 106 February 2011

This generation introduced numerous new evolutionary forms for Eevee, such as Leafeon and Glaceon, and Magmortar for Magmar. Keep reading further to know how many pokémon cards are there. (See How to get Pokemon Go on your iPhone?)

5. Fifth Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

Photo by Erick Mclean on Pexels

Generation 5 introduced 156 new Pokémon, the most by any generation so far. Many of them are dual-types, such as Archeops, and some, such as Zoroark, have gone on to become TCG favorites and that is why they fall in the list of pokémon trading card game sets.

Number Names Number of Cards Release Date
1 Black & White Base Set 115 April 25, 2011
2 Emerging Powers 98 August 31, 2011
3 Noble Victories 102 November 16, 2011
4 Next Destinies 103 February 8, 2012
5 Dark Explorers 111 May 9, 2012
6 Dragons Exalted 128 August 15, 2012
7 Boundaries Crossed 153 November 7, 2012
8 Plasma Storm 138 February 6, 2013
9 Plasma Freeze 122 May 8, 2013
10 Plasma Blast 105 August 14, 2013
11 Legendary Treasures 138 November 8, 2013

6. Sixth Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

Following the previous generation’s bumper crop, generation 6 added only 72 new monsters, signaling a shift toward lower turnout in future generations.

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 X & Y Base Set 146 February 5, 2014
2 Flashfire 109 May 7, 2014
3 Furious Fists 133 August 13, 2014
4 Phantom Forces 122 November 5, 2014
5 Primal Clash 164 February 4, 2015
6 Roaring Skies 110 May 6, 2015
7 Ancient Origins 100 August 12, 2015
8 BREAKthrough 164 November 4, 2015
9 BRAEKpoint 123 February 3, 2016
10 Generations 115 February 22, 2016
11 Fates Collide 125 May 2, 2016
12 Steam Siege 116 August 3, 2016
13 Evolutions 113 November 2, 2016

However, the vast majority of the new Pokémon are entirely new species rather than evolutions of previous creatures. Greninja, Aegislash, and Delphox are among the characters on its roster. (See What is Strong against Rock Type Pokemon?)

7. Seventh Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

How many pokémon cards are there in this generation? Taking forward the trend of smaller rosters, Generation 7 added 88 Pokemon, and many of them are yet to become big names. The most notable are the disguise-wearing Mimikyu and the bizarre Dhelmise, which is a ship’s anchor and wheel wrapped in seaweed.

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 Sun & Moon Base Set 163 February 3, 2017
2 Guardian Rising 169 May 5, 2017
3 Burning Shadows 169 August 4, 2017
4 Shining Legends 78 October 6, 2017
5 Crimson Invasion 124 November 3, 2017
6 Ultra Prism 173 February 2, 2018
7 Forbidden Light 146 May 4, 2018
8 Celestial Strom 183 August 3, 2018
9 Dragon Majesty 78 September 7, 2018
10 Lost Thunder 236 November 2, 2018
11 Team Up 196 February 1, 2019
12 Detective Pikachu 18 March 29, 2019
13 Unbroken Bonds 234 May 3, 2019
14 Unified Minds 258 August 2, 2019
15 Hidden Fates 163 August 23, 2019
16 Cosmic Eclipse 271 November 1, 2019

8. Eighth Generation Sets of Pokemon Cards

Photo by Erick Mclean on Pexels

Generation 8, the most recent in the Pokémon franchise, introduced 96 new pocket monsters, 89 in the Galar region with Pokémon Sword and Shield, and 7 from Pokémon Legends Arceus. The cute, monkey-like Grookey, the electric-poison-type Toxel, and the hilarious lump-creature Snom are all welcome additions. 

Number Name Number of Cards Release Date
1 Sword & Shield Base Set 216 February 7, 2020
2 Rebel Clash 209 May 1, 2020
3 Darkness Ablaze 201 August 14, 2020
4 Champion’s Path 80 September 25, 2020
5 Vivid Voltage 203 November 13, 2020
6 Shining Fates 195 February 19, 2021
7 Battle Styles 183 March 19, 2021
8 Chilling Reign 233 June 18, 2021
9 Evolving Skies 237 August 27, 2021
10 Celebrations 50 October 8, 2021
12 Fusion Strike 284 November 12, 2021
13 Brilliant Stars 216 February 25, 2022
14 Astral Radiance 246 May 27, 2022
15 Pokemon Go 88 July 1, 2022

The answer to the question of how many pokémon cards are there varies with each new set, but it’s not uncommon for a generation to include anywhere from 70 to 150 of the adorable creatures. And, after eight generations, the total number of Pokémon is quite large. So, let’s get right to it. There are 905 Pokémon in total. That is the simplest and most strict answer to how many pokémon cards are there, counting only distinct Pokémon species. Among them, 63 are legendary. Check out another article- How many Total Pokémon are there to know more about this topic.

alex1
About the author
Alex Williams is a PhD student in urban studies and planning. He is broadly interested in the historical geographies of capital, the geopolitical economy of urbanization, environmental and imperial history, critical urban theory, and spatial dialectics.

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