Zapdos

Numbered 16 of 102 in Base Set, released in January 1999, Zapdos is a Rare Holo, a Basic Lightning-type carrying 90 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Zapdos needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

Zapdos carries this Pokédex flavor text: "A legendary bird Pokémon said to appear from clouds while wielding enormous lightning bolts."

A Legendary Electric-Flying bird. The Electric of the three Legendary birds. Both Base Set holo Zapdos and Fossil holo Zapdos exist. The Base Set print is more famous and more valuable.

Based on recent eBay sales, raw copies trade from $30 to $511 depending on the print and a PSA 10 runs from $1,440 to $3,570. The 1st Edition print is the most valuable, with a PSA 10 near $2,200. The table on this page breaks the price down by print and grade, updated 2026-05-23.

Base Set produced three print waves that collectors track separately: 1st Edition (the launch print, with an Edition 1 stamp under the artwork), Shadowless (no stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame), and Unlimited (the long-running print with the drop shadow restored). On Zapdos, the price gap between these prints can run 10x or more, so confirm the variant before any purchase.

On a holo like Zapdos, surface is the grade cap. The lightning foil shows hairlines under raking light, and the print reveals scratches that flat scans miss. Centering on the left and right borders is the second thing to check.

When you go to buy Zapdos, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Zapdos, so price the specific copy in front of you.