Raikou · Skyridge, what to know.
About the Raikou card
Raikou is card 28 of 182 in Skyridge, released in May 2003, a Rare. It is a Basic Lightning-type with 70 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Raikou needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
About Raikou in the Pokémon world
An Electric Legendary. One of the three Legendary Beasts of Johto. Neo Revelation holo Raikou is the electric Legendary Beast chase.
What is Raikou worth?
Raikou is a non-holo Rare. In Skyridge, value concentrates in the holo rares, so a Raikou trades modestly, though a clean, well-centered 1st Edition copy in PSA 10 is scarcer than the print run suggests and carries a real premium. Check the live price above for the figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Raikou before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Raikou grades on centering and edges more than surface. The card was played and traded more freely than the holos, so a clean, well-centered Raikou is worth more than collectors assume.
If you are collecting Raikou
For Raikou, check centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface under angled light. Non-holo Rares from this era are cheap enough that a PSA 10 submission on a clean Raikou can make sense.
