Updated October 20, 2026
The rarity symbol · Reading the card number · 1st Edition and Shadowless · The set symbol · Modern sets add more tiers · Energy and type symbols · The regulation mark · FAQ · Symbols identify the card, not the price
Every Pokemon card carries a small set of marks that tell you exactly what you are holding: a rarity symbol, a card number, and sometimes a stamp marking an early print run. None of them are decorative. Each one is a specific, readable fact about the card, and once you know where to look, you can read any Pokemon card the same way, from a 1999 Base Set common to a brand-new set released this month.
This guide covers the marks printed on a card: the rarity symbol, the card number, the 1st Edition and Shadowless printing details, the set symbol, the energy and type symbols, and the regulation mark. It does not rank rarity tiers by value or walk through every modern tier card by card. For that, see our rarity checklists, which cover the specific identification tells for tiers like Illustration Rare, Ultra Rare, and Secret Rare, one tier per page.
A Pokemon card's rarity symbol sits in the bottom corner: a circle means common, a diamond means uncommon, and a star means rare, with modern sets adding further tiers like Ultra Rare above the star.
Based on the rarity marks printed on Pokemon cards across sets Double Holo tracks.
The Rarity Symbol
Look in the bottom corner of any Pokemon card and you will find a small printed shape. That shape is the rarity symbol, and it marks one of three base tiers used across almost every set.
| Symbol | Rarity | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | Common | A plain filled circle, the most frequently printed tier in a set |
| Diamond | Uncommon | A filled diamond shape, printed less often than a common |
| Star | Rare | A filled star, the base rare tier that modern sets build further tiers on top of |
A holo or reverse holo finish, a shiny foil treatment on the artwork or across the whole card, usually tracks with a rare or higher tier, though the symbol itself is still the definitive mark. A black star printed alongside the word "PROMO" marks a promotional card issued outside a normal set's numbered run, which is a separate category from the circle, diamond, and star tiers above.
Reading the Card Number
Next to the rarity symbol, usually in the same bottom corner, every card prints a number in the format "card number / set total," for example 4/102. The first number is this card's position in the set; the second is how many cards the main numbered run contains. That pairing is what pins down the exact printing you are holding, since the same character can appear across dozens of sets at very different rarities and values.
The set total also tells you how to spot a secret rare: a card numbered higher than the set total, like 151/150, sits past the last regularly numbered card in the set. Secret rares are hidden rather than counted in the set's main print run, which is exactly why their number breaks the normal pattern.
1st Edition and Shadowless
Two printing details show up most often on vintage cards, especially from the original Base Set, and neither is a rarity symbol. Both mark an early print run rather than a rarity tier.
The 1st Edition stamp
A small black stamp reading "1st Edition" sits just to the left of the artwork on cards from a set's first print run. It is a scarcer, earlier printing than the unlimited copies that followed, and it carries a premium for that reason.
Shadowless Base Set
Shadowless is specific to Base Set: on the earliest Base Set prints, the artwork box has no drop shadow on its right edge. Later Base Set prints added that shadow. A Shadowless copy is the earlier, scarcer version, and the two markings are independent of each other, a Base Set card can be 1st Edition, Shadowless, both, or neither.
The Set Symbol
A second small icon, separate from the rarity symbol, identifies which set a card belongs to. Every set gets its own unique set symbol, printed in the same bottom corner area as the rarity mark and card number. Check it together with the set total in the card number: between them, they are usually the fastest way to confirm which set a card came from.
One exception is worth knowing. Original Base Set cards carry no set symbol at all. That absence is itself a tell: a reprint such as Base Set 2 prints its own set symbol, so a similar-looking card that has one is not from the original Base Set.
Modern Sets Add More Tiers
The circle, diamond, and star cover the base tiers, but modern sets layer several additional rarity tiers on top of the star, each with its own card number range and visual treatment: Double Rare, Ultra Rare, Illustration Rare, Special Illustration Rare, Hyper Rare, and more, depending on the set and era. Those tiers are a bigger topic than symbols alone, since each one has its own look and its own identification checklist.
If you are trying to confirm a specific modern tier, like whether a card is an Illustration Rare or a Hyper Rare, see our rarity checklists, which cover the exact identification tells for each tier, one dedicated checklist per rarity.
In the Scarlet & Violet era, the mark in the corner shows the tier directly:
| Tier | Mark in the corner |
|---|---|
| Double Rare | Two black stars |
| Ultra Rare | Two silver stars |
| Illustration Rare | One gold star |
| Special Illustration Rare | Two gold stars |
| Hyper Rare | Three gold stars |
This table is not a full list. Scarlet & Violet also has other marks, for example Shiny Rare and ACE SPEC, and newer series use their own marks. Earlier eras used different marks for their higher tiers, so check the set before reading a star color as a tier. The rarity checklists cover each tier in detail.
Energy and Type Symbols
Many searches for "Pokemon symbols" are really about the small round icons that show a Pokemon's type. The type icon sits in the top corner of the card, near the HP. The same icons appear in the attack costs and the retreat cost, where each icon stands for one energy of that type. They also appear in the weakness and resistance boxes, but there the icon only names a type, it is not an energy cost.
| Type | What the icon looks like | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Grass | A green leaf | One of the original types, in the game since Base Set (1999) |
| Fire | A red flame | One of the original types, in the game since Base Set (1999) |
| Water | A blue water droplet | One of the original types, in the game since Base Set (1999) |
| Lightning | A yellow lightning bolt | One of the original types, in the game since Base Set (1999) |
| Psychic | A purple eye-like shape | Fairy Pokemon moved here starting with Sword & Shield (2020) |
| Fighting | An orange fist | One of the original types, in the game since Base Set (1999) |
| Darkness | A dark crescent-style symbol | Arrived in Neo Genesis (2000) |
| Metal | A gray, metallic symbol | Arrived in Neo Genesis (2000) |
| Dragon | A gold, claw-like symbol | Arrived in the Black & White era (Dragons Exalted, 2012) |
| Fairy | A pink, star-like symbol | Arrived in the XY era (2014) and was retired starting with Sword & Shield (2020) |
| Colorless | A white star | A Colorless cost can be paid with any energy type |
The exact art of each icon has been redrawn over the years, so older and newer cards can show the same type in a slightly different style. The type matters for play, not for rarity or value, so it is separate from the rarity symbol covered above.
The Regulation Mark
On cards from the Sword & Shield era (2020) onward, a small letter in a box sits in the bottom-left corner. This is the regulation mark. It tells players which cards are legal in the Standard tournament format. The printed letter never changes on a card. What changes over time is which letters Standard allows, as new sets are released and older ones rotate out.
The regulation mark is a rules marker only. It does not indicate rarity or value, and cards printed before Sword & Shield do not have one.
What do the symbols on a Pokemon card mean?
The small mark in the bottom corner of a Pokemon card is its rarity symbol: a circle means common, a diamond means uncommon, and a star means rare. A set symbol sits nearby too, a small icon unique to that set, and the card number next to it tells you exactly where the card falls in that set's print run.
What's the difference between a circle, diamond, and star on a Pokemon card?
They mark the three base rarity tiers. A circle is common, the most frequently printed tier in any set. A diamond is uncommon, printed less often than a common. A star is rare, and modern sets build several additional tiers on top of that star, such as Double Rare, Ultra Rare, and Illustration Rare, each with its own look.
What does a number like 4/102 mean on a Pokemon card?
That's the card number over the set total: this card is the 4th numbered card in a 102-card set. The set total tells you how big the main print run is, and it is also how you spot a secret rare, since a secret rare carries a number higher than the set total, like 151/150, placing it past the last regularly numbered card.
How can I tell if my card is 1st Edition?
Look just to the left of the artwork for a small black stamp reading "1st Edition." It marks an early print run from a card's first printing, and 1st Edition copies are scarcer, and usually worth more, than later unlimited prints of the same card.
What does Shadowless mean on a Base Set Pokemon card?
Shadowless refers to an early Base Set printing with no drop shadow to the right of the artwork box. Later Base Set prints added that shadow, so a Shadowless copy is the earlier, scarcer version. It is a printing detail specific to Base Set, separate from the 1st Edition stamp, and a card can carry either marking, both, or neither.
Are Pokemon card rarity symbols the same in every set?
The basic circle, diamond, and star tiers run across almost every set, but the set symbol itself, the small icon that identifies which set a card belongs to, is unique per set. Modern sets also layer extra rarity tiers above the star, like Ultra Rare and Hyper Rare, with symbols and callouts that vary by era, so always check the specific set rather than assuming one rule covers every print run.
What do the energy symbols on a Pokemon card mean?
The small round icon near the HP in the top corner shows the Pokemon's type, such as Fire, Water, or Grass. The same icons appear in a card's attack costs and retreat cost, where each icon stands for one energy of that type, and in the weakness and resistance boxes, where the icon names a type rather than an energy cost. A white star icon means Colorless, which any energy type can pay.
What is the letter in the bottom corner of a Pokemon card?
It is the regulation mark, a small letter in a box in the bottom-left corner of cards from the Sword & Shield era (2020) onward. It tells players which cards are legal in the Standard tournament format. It does not show rarity or value, so two cards with different letters are not ranked by it.
Does the original Base Set have a set symbol?
No. Original Base Set cards carry no set symbol at all. Later reprints such as Base Set 2 do print their own set symbol, which is one way to tell a reprint from an original, along with the set total next to the card number.
Does a rarity symbol tell me what my card is worth?
Not on its own. The symbol tells you the printing tier, which is one input into value, not a price. A common from a short-printed vintage set can be worth more than a rare from a mass-printed modern one. Once you have identified the symbol, number, and any stamps, look the exact card up to see what it actually sells for.
Once you can read the rarity symbol, the card number, and any 1st Edition or Shadowless marking, you know exactly which printing you are holding. That is the first step, not the last one: the symbol tells you the tier, not the value. Look the exact card up on Double Holo's free value checker to see what it actually sells for, or read our guide on how to tell if a Pokemon card is valuable for the fuller set of tells worth checking first.
How to Tell if a Pokemon Card is Valuable - the fuller checklist of tells, walked through step by step.
Pokemon Rarity Checklists - identification tells for each modern rarity tier, one checklist per tier.
Pokemon Card Value Checker - free market pricing once you know exactly which card you have.