Zapdos - Pokemon Base Set #16
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Zapdos
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Zapdos Card Facts & History
5 facts about this card
Set Lore
Zapdos #16 is one of the original holo rares from Base Set, the first main Pokémon TCG expansion, which debuted in Japan on October 20, 1996 and in English on January 9, 1999—giving this card true first-generation status in the hobby.
Artist
This card was illustrated by Ken Sugimori, the artist behind the original official artwork for all 151 Generation I Pokémon, so Base Set Zapdos carries the visual DNA of Pokémon’s earliest era.
Card History
Base Set Zapdos was printed as card 16/102, placing the Legendary bird among the set’s headline holo Pokémon and making it one of the iconic chase cards collectors associate with the game’s 1999 boom.
In-Game
Zapdos is Pokédex #145 and is officially described as a Legendary Bird Pokémon that appears from clouds while wielding enormous lightning bolts, which matches the dramatic flavor text on this Base Set card.
Cultural Impact
Because Base Set was the expansion that introduced Generation I Pokémon to the TCG, holo rares like Zapdos became part of the foundation of Pokémon card collecting in the West and remain tightly tied to the franchise’s first wave of global popularity.