Destined Rivals Best Cards

The best cards in Destined Rivals are its Special Illustration Rares, led by Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, followed by Cynthia's Garchomp ex and Ethan's Ho-Oh ex. The gold Hyper Rare version of Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex is the other card collectors talk about most, and Team Rocket's Moltres ex, Nidoking ex and Crobat ex round out the group most lists place near the top.

This guide explains which cards people mean when they talk about the top cards in Destined Rivals, why they stand out, and how the rarity tiers fit together. It names no prices, because values move constantly and any figure would be out of date within days. It focuses on what you can check yourself: the artwork, the rarity symbol and the number printed on the card.

Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals is a Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion released in English on 30 May 2025, with pre-release events running from 17 to 25 May at participating stores. Its set code is SV10, and Bulbapedia describes it as the tenth main expansion of the Scarlet & Violet era.

The theme is Team Rocket and the rivalries between Trainers and their Pokémon. The set draws on the Japanese expansion Glory of the Rocket Gang, the Hot Wind Arena subset and the two ex starter sets, which is why so many cards carry the Team Rocket's name. Giovanni and Mewtwo appear on the Elite Trainer Box artwork, and the set leans into a villain-team look that stands apart from the bright colours of earlier releases.

The main set is numbered to 182. Cards numbered above 182 are the secret rares, and the full set is usually quoted at 244 cards when they are included. Sources count the secret rares slightly differently, so treat any exact tier total as approximate and check the number printed on the card itself.

Before naming cards it helps to know the tiers, because the phrase top cards in the set usually means the highest of them. If the symbols are new to you, our guide to Pokémon card rarity symbols walks through the full ladder from circle to gold star.

In Destined Rivals the tiers that matter most are these. A Pokémon ex is a strong card with a bold standard design. An Illustration Rare is a full-art card where the picture runs across the whole face. A Special Illustration Rare is the most elaborate tier, usually of a Pokémon ex or a Trainer, with a painted scene that tells a small story. A Hyper Rare is the gold tier, where the card has a metallic gold treatment. Listings place the Special Illustration Rares around numbers 228 to 238 and the Hyper Rares from 239 upward, though lists differ on the exact ranges.

If one card defines Destined Rivals, it is Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex. Its Special Illustration Rare version, numbered 231, appears at the top of nearly every ranking we found. Guides credit three things: the dramatic artwork, the strong link to the Team Rocket theme that the whole expansion is built on, and the long-standing popularity of Mewtwo among fans.

There is also a gold Hyper Rare Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, numbered 240, for collectors who want the whole Mewtwo line from the set. Having two very different versions of the same Pokémon is part of the fun: one is a painted scene, the other is a shiny gold card, and many people choose between them on taste rather than on any ranking.

After Mewtwo, the Special Illustration Rare of Cynthia's Garchomp ex, numbered 232, is the card named most often. It pairs a favourite Pokémon with one of the series' best-loved Trainers, which is a big part of its appeal. Ethan's Ho-Oh ex, numbered 230, sits in the same group and is popular with fans of the Johto region.

Beyond these, the Special Illustration Rare block includes Team Rocket's Moltres ex at 229, Team Rocket's Nidoking ex at 233 and Team Rocket's Crobat ex at 234, according to the card lists we checked. Each shows the Rocket theme in a different way, and collectors who prefer a favourite Pokémon over a famous one often rank them differently from the big-name cards at the top.

This is why a single ranking is never the whole story. A lineup built around Johto Pokémon looks different from one built around Team Rocket villains, and both are good ways to collect the set.

Underneath the Special Illustration Rares sits a large group of Illustration Rares and full-art Trainer cards. They are a good middle ground for someone who wants striking art and a complete Pokémon lineup without needing every top tier. Some collectors find these quieter pictures more pleasant to look at than the busiest painted scenes.

The rest of the set holds the standard rares, holos and Pokémon ex that make up the body of the release. For players, these are often the cards that matter most, particularly the Team Rocket's ex cards that reward decks built around the theme. For display collectors, the full-art tiers usually take priority. Because the set mixes Trainer-themed art with Pokémon art, it suits people who enjoy the story side of the game as much as the battles.

Rather than relying on a ranking, you can judge a card in four quick steps. Step one: read the rarity symbol and the number. Cards numbered beyond 182 belong to the secret rare tiers. Step two: look at the artwork in good light and see whether it speaks to you. Step three: if you play, check whether the card's ability fits a deck you enjoy. Step four: check the card's condition, because corners, edges and surface scratches are what change a card's standing over time.

If you plan to keep cards long term, sleeves and a hard top loader protect your best ones from scuffs and humidity. We keep the guidance general here; for grading or storage specifics, follow the advice of the grading company or the sleeve maker you choose.

It also helps to compare more than one source. Fan sites, card databases and collector blogs all rank cards a little differently, and a card that one list places third may sit sixth on another. The number on the card does not change, so it is the most reliable way to be sure you are talking about the same card as someone else.

UnpackCard lets you open packs of real cards online in its store, linked at the top of this page. The store's packs are not set packs, so there is no Destined Rivals pack to choose. Each one has its own price, and its odds, band by band, are on the Pricing and Odds page, so you can see how likely each band is before you begin.

Demo: no real payments, nothing ships yet. That means the site currently shows how opening works without taking money or sending cards, which is a good way to look around before you decide anything.

If you want to read more beforehand, our guides on how opening packs online works and on what the Pokémon TCG is cover the basics, and the Surging Sparks guide shows how the same top-cards approach works for another set.

What is the best card in Destined Rivals? Most lists name the Special Illustration Rare Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, numbered 231. Cynthia's Garchomp ex and Ethan's Ho-Oh ex usually follow.

Is there a gold Mewtwo in Destined Rivals? Yes, the Hyper Rare Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex numbered 240 has the metallic gold treatment.

When did Destined Rivals come out? The English release was 30 May 2025.

Do the rankings change? Yes. Popularity moves with new sets, tournament results and collector trends, so check more than one source.