Every Raikou Card Variant Ranked by Value (2026)

Prices based on recent sold listings | Updated September 2026

The Beast Nobody Talks About First

Ask a collector to name the Legendary Beasts and they will say Entei first. Always Entei first, because of the movie. Then Suicune, because of Pokemon Crystal and competitive play. Raikou comes third. Not because it is worse. Just because it never got its solo moment in the spotlight.

That collector blind spot has kept Raikou card prices below where they probably should be. The Gold Star trades $100 to $200 cheaper than Entei's Gold Star. The Neo Revelation 1st Edition holo runs about $50 below Suicune's equivalent. Across almost every parallel printing, Raikou is the discount Beast. Same sets, same rarity, same pull rates, lower prices.

For a collector, that discount is the entire pitch. You get the same vintage provenance, the same Gold Star pedigree, and the same trio display potential for less money per card. The master set value sits around $9,375 with a 37.6% gain over recent months. Fifty-three unique cards across 38 sets. And the gap between Raikou and its siblings has been narrowing, which suggests the market is slowly correcting what was always a perception problem rather than a quality problem.

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Where the Money Sits

Raikou's value is concentrated at the top more sharply than most Pokemon lines. The Gold Star, the LEGEND promos, and a handful of vintage holos account for most of the collection cost. Everything else is single digits.

Raikou LEGEND Promo #HGSS19 | Raw: ~$2,500 | PSA 10: ~$3,000

The most expensive Raikou card by raw price, and it is not close. This HGSS-era promo features Raikou in a full-art LEGEND-style treatment that was distributed through specific collector tins. The combination of promo scarcity, LEGEND artwork appeal, and the HGSS collector base has pushed this card well above anything else in the line.

At $2,500 raw, this is a serious commitment. But for Legendary Beast collectors building the premium tier, this card is the Raikou equivalent of the Entei Star.

Raikou Star (Gold Star) | Unseen Forces #114 (2005) Raw NM: ~$1,022 | PSA 10: ~$13,554

The Gold Star. Every conversation about Legendary Beast collecting eventually lands here. Raikou Star features the alternate-color artwork with the signature gold starburst that defines the subset. The $1,022 raw price sits below the Entei Star ($550 to $1,067 range, but Entei's range has been climbing) and below the Suicune Star as well.

That relative discount exists purely because of demand sequencing. Collectors building the trio tend to buy Entei or Suicune first, then come back for Raikou to complete the set. By the time they reach Raikou, they have already spent heavily on the first two cards, and they shop more carefully. That behavioral pattern suppresses the price.

The PSA 10 at $13,554 is actually higher than the Entei Star PSA 10, which tells you something important. At the top grade, where condition-obsessed collectors make decisions purely on scarcity, Raikou catches up. The centering issues that affect all Unseen Forces Gold Stars limit the PSA 10 population equally across all three Beasts.

Raikou | Neo Revelation #13, 1st Edition Holo (2001) Raw NM: ~$147 to $250 (varies by condition) | PSA 10: ~$3,104

Ken Sugimori's illustration of Raikou from Neo Revelation is one of the most dynamic WOTC-era artworks. The electric aura crackling around the Beast, the powerful stance, the dark background. It has aged remarkably well. The 1st Edition version carries the expected premium over Unlimited, and the price has been steady.

Raikou | Call of Legends SL9 Shiny (2011) Raw NM: ~$124 | PSA 10: ~$16,121

This is the sleeper. The Call of Legends Shiny Raikou has a PSA 10 value of $16,121, which is the highest graded value of any Raikou card. Higher than the Gold Star. Higher than the LEGEND promo. The reason is simple: extremely low population at the top grade. Call of Legends Shiny cards were difficult to pull and the set had limited distribution. Finding one that grades Gem Mint is genuinely rare.

At $124 raw, the grading multiplier is approximately 130x. That is one of the most extreme returns in the entire Legendary Beast card universe. The catch, as always, is that most copies will not hit PSA 10. But if you have one that might, the submission is worth every penny of the turnaround time.

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The Mid-Range: Cards That Build the Collection

Raikou ex | Team Magma vs Team Aqua #92 (2004) | Raw: ~$140 | PSA 10: ~$2,990

An EX-era card from a set that does not get much attention. Team Magma vs Team Aqua was focused on the Ruby and Sapphire villain teams, and Raikou ex appeared as a side character. The card has been appreciating quietly as EX-era appreciation spreads beyond the obvious sets.

Raikou | Skyridge #28 (2003) | Raw: $30 to $60 | PSA 10: $200 to $500

Skyridge scarcity at work again. Any holo from this set carries a premium driven by the set's tiny print run. The Raikou is not a Crystal Type card (Skyridge's true chase rarity), but it benefits from the same supply constraints that have lifted every card in the set.

Raikou/Suicune LEGEND | Unleashed (2010) | Raw: ~$125 (pair) | PSA 10: ~$5,650

The LEGEND pair featuring Raikou and Suicune. Like the Entei/Raikou LEGEND covered in our Entei guide, this two-card combination creates an extended artwork that is one of the best display pieces from the HGSS era. Completing the full Legendary Beast LEGEND set requires three pairs (Entei/Raikou, Raikou/Suicune, Suicune/Entei), and Raikou appears in two of them.

Raikou | Vivid Voltage Amazing Rare #050 (2020) | Raw: $5 to $10 | PSA 10: $40 to $70

The Amazing Rare subset gives Raikou the rainbow border treatment with multi-type energy costs. Vivid Voltage Amazing Rares have held value better than most modern subsets, and the Raikou is a solid entry in the lineup. Best modern Raikou card for display value relative to price.

Raikou V | Brilliant Stars #048 (2022) | Raw: $0.50 to $2 | PSA 10: $15 to $25

Standard modern V card. Clean artwork, negligible cost. Fills the Sword and Shield era slot without any fuss.

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The Cheap Seats

Everything below $5 raw. These cards span multiple eras and fill out a binder page with quantity if not individual significance.

• Raikou, BREAKthrough #55 (2015) at $1 to $3. XY-era holo rare with a BREAK evolution available in the same set
• Raikou, Shining Legends #32 (2017) at $1 to $3. Special set distribution adds slight context
• Raikou, Lost Thunder #79 (2018) at $0.50 to $1.50. Sun and Moon era entry
• Raikou, Crown Zenith #027 (2023) at $0.50 to $1. One of the more recent prints
• Raikou, Dark Explorers #38 (2012) at $0.50 to $1.50. Black and White era common
• Raikou, Secret Wonders #16 (2007) at $1 to $3. Diamond and Pearl era, overlooked but clean artwork

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The Discount Beast: Raikou vs Entei vs Suicune on Price

This is the comparison that collectors shopping the trio actually need. Every major Raikou card has a parallel in the Entei and Suicune lines, and Raikou consistently trades at a discount.

Something interesting shows up in this table. Raikou's master set total is actually the highest of the three, driven largely by the LEGEND promo at $2,500. And the Gold Star PSA 10 is highest too. Raikou is the "discount Beast" only at the raw mid-range level. At the top of the graded market, it commands equal or higher prices than its siblings.

That split suggests the raw market has not fully caught up to the graded market. Collectors who buy raw Raikou cards at a discount to Entei and Suicune are getting a deal that the top-grade data says should not exist.

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Grading Raikou Cards

Two cards justify serious grading attention above all others.

The Call of Legends Shiny at $124 raw to $16,121 PSA 10 is the headline grading play. That 130x multiplier is among the highest for any Legendary Beast card. The catch is the extremely low PSA 10 population. Most copies will grade 8 or 9, which still returns solid value but not the five-figure premium.

The Gold Star at $1,022 raw to $13,554 PSA 10 follows the same pattern as the Entei and Suicune Gold Stars. Centering is the gatekeeper. Unseen Forces cards that look perfect to the eye frequently miss PSA 10 by a fraction on left-right centering. Measure before you submit.

Modern Raikou cards do not justify grading individually. The V cards and commons are too cheap for the submission cost to make sense. Batch them if you are sending other cards from the same sets, but do not build a grading plan around them.

Full service details in our PSA vs CGC vs BGS guide.

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Conclusion

Raikou is the Legendary Beast that rewards the collector who pays attention to data instead of narrative. The third movie gave Entei its fame. Pokemon Crystal gave Suicune its edge. Neither of those cultural moments happened for Raikou, and the raw market reflects that gap. But the graded market tells a different story. At PSA 10, Raikou matches or exceeds both siblings across multiple card types. The Call of Legends Shiny PSA 10 at $16,121 is the single most valuable graded card in the entire Legendary Beast trio.

For collectors building the trio, Raikou is the card you buy last and regret least. The discount at the raw level gives you more collection for less money. And the 37.6% recent appreciation suggests the market is starting to close the gap.

Track current Raikou set data on JK Index. For guidance on protecting graded and raw vintage cards, our storage guide covers the details. And for broader perspective on whether Legendary Beast cards make sense as long-term holds, our investing guide breaks down the dynamics.

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FAQs

What is the most valuable Raikou card?

By raw price, the LEGEND Promo HGSS19 at approximately $2,500. By PSA 10, the Call of Legends Shiny SL9 at $16,121, which is the highest graded value across the entire Legendary Beast trio.

How many Raikou cards exist?

53 unique cards across 38 sets in English and Japanese printings. The English-only count is approximately 26 unique cards across 19 sets.

Why is Raikou cheaper than Entei and Suicune?

Cultural positioning. Entei had the third Pokemon movie as a solo lead. Suicune had Pokemon Crystal as the box art legendary. Raikou never received a comparable solo spotlight, which keeps casual collector demand slightly lower. At the top of the graded market, however, the gap disappears.

Is the Raikou Gold Star a good buy?

At ~$1,022 raw, it is the most affordable Gold Star in the Legendary Beast trio. Gold Stars as a category have strong long-term fundamentals. The PSA 10 at $13,554 is the highest of the three Beast Gold Stars, suggesting the raw price has room to appreciate if it follows the graded market's lead.

What is the best budget Raikou card?

The Vivid Voltage Amazing Rare at $5 to $10. Strong visual impact with the rainbow border treatment, affordable, and from a well-regarded modern set.

Should I build the Legendary Beast trio or just collect Raikou?

Building the trio is the more common and more visually satisfying play. The Gold Star trio, the Neo Revelation 1st Edition holo trio, and the LEGEND pair set are all display-worthy collections that tell a story individual cards cannot. Raikou's lower raw prices make it the natural starting point for trio builders.

How does the Call of Legends Shiny have such a high PSA 10 value?

Extremely low population at the top grade. Call of Legends had limited distribution, the Shiny subset was hard to pull, and surviving copies in Gem Mint condition are scarce. The demand from Legendary Beast collectors targeting the PSA 10 outstrips the available supply at that grade.

Has Raikou appeared in recent sets?

Yes. Crown Zenith (2023) and Brilliant Stars (2022) both included Raikou V cards. The Pokemon appears less frequently in Scarlet and Violet era sets, but it remains in the active TCG rotation.