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Holo, reverse holo and full art Pokémon cards: what they are and how to spot them

Updated on 15/10/2026

Holo, reverse holo and full art Pokémon cards: what they are and how to spot them
Holothe artwork shinesReverse holoeverything else shinesFull artwhole card, texturedIllustration rareart fills the card
Holo areas in orange. Holo: only the artwork box. Reverse holo: everything except the artwork. Full art: the whole card, usually with a raised texture. Illustration rare (AR, SAR): the artwork fills the whole card.

Holo: the artwork that shines

A holo(holographic) card is the classic rare: the artwork background is shiny and changes colour as you move it under the light. In the early expansions it was the only special card in the pack: that's why vintage holos, like the Base Set Charizard, became legendary.

Reverse holo: everything else shines

On a reverse holothe effect is flipped: the border, the text and the card background shine, while the artwork stays matte. It exists for commons and uncommons too, so a reverse isn't necessarily rare. Some special sets have reverses with particular patterns (the Poké Ball, for example), much sought after by set completers.

Full art and raised texture

Close-up of an SR card: raised texture and holo shine
Close-up of Garchomp ex SR from our photo: the whole surface is worked, with a raised texture you can feel with your finger and reflections that follow the artwork.

A full art card has artwork that fills the whole card. On modern cards (Japanese SRs) the surface is also textured: run your finger over it and you'll feel the raised lines following the drawing. It's one of the hardest details for counterfeiters to copy: we explain it in the guide to fake cards.

Special illustrations: AR and SAR

Since 2023 the most loved cards have been the special illustrations: Art Rares (AR) and Special Art Rares (SAR). Here the Pokémon isn't posing on a background but living inside a whole scene, drawn by different illustrators in very different styles: watercolour, clay, pixel art, photography.

An AR, SR, SAR, CHR and CSR card compared
From our collection: AR, SR and SAR from the Scarlet & Violet series, and CHR and CSR from Sword & Shield.

ARs from our catalogue

Chandelure 069/067 — Battle Region

Chandelure

069/067

3,99 €2 pcs
Kleavor 071/067 — Battle Region

Kleavor

071/067

2,49 €1 pcs
Mightyena 072/067 — Battle Region

Mightyena

072/067

3,49 €1 pcs
Hoothoot 073/067 — Battle Region

Hoothoot

073/067

8,79 €4 pcs

How to tell what kind of card you have

What you seeWhat card it is
Only the artwork box shinesHolo
Everything shines except the artworkReverse holo
Artwork over the whole card, textured surface, Pokémon ex or TrainerFull art (SR)
Artwork over the whole card, illustrated scene, regular PokémonArt Rare (AR)
Artwork over the whole card, illustrated scene, Pokémon ex or TrainerSpecial Art Rare (SAR)
Gold cardUltra Rare (UR) or Mega Ultra Rare (MUR)

Frequently asked questions

What does holo mean on a Pokémon card?+
That the artwork is holographic: the picture box shines and changes colour as you move the card.
What are reverse holo cards?+
Cards where everything shines except the artwork: the 'reversed' version of a holo. They exist for common cards too.
Holo or reverse: which is worth more?+
It depends on the card. Generally the set's holo rare is worth more than the reverse of the same card, but some reverses with special patterns are highly sought after.
What does full art mean?+
That the artwork covers the whole card, with no frame. Modern full arts (SR) also have a raised texture you can feel.

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