Brilliant Stars printed the usual modern tiers plus a Trainer Gallery subset, with the chase sitting in the Rainbow Rares and Secret Rares above the main set. A Charizard VSTAR leads, the Galarian bird alternate arts form a beloved trio, and the Arceus VSTAR caps the set as its mascot. This ranks the top cards by PSA 10 value.
The headline chase, and the most-wanted card in the set. The rainbow-rare Charizard VSTAR pairs the most popular Pokémon with the top visual rarity Brilliant Stars offers, and it leads the set in demand and price. As with every Charizard chase, it is the card that drove sealed Brilliant Stars prices from underneath.
The set mascot in its gold secret-rare form. Arceus VSTAR was the face of Brilliant Stars and a competitive staple, and the gold version is the top-numbered card in the set. It trades just behind the Charizard and holds a firm floor from its tournament relevance during the set’s standard run.
The collector heart of the set. The Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres V alternate arts form a trio with some of the best-regarded art of the era, and collectors who chase one almost always chase all three. Completing the set of birds is a popular project, which keeps steady demand under each card and makes them the most-loved pulls in Brilliant Stars after the Charizard.
Why the Galarian birds drive the set
Charizard VSTAR is the headline, but the Galarian bird alternate arts are what Brilliant Stars is remembered for. The three share a moody, painterly style that stands apart from the standard full arts, and as a matched trio they invite completion in a way single chase cards do not. Demand for the set has always run through those three cards as much as the Charizard, which is unusual and a big part of why Brilliant Stars holds value.
Common questions
- What is the most valuable Brilliant Stars card?
- The rainbow-rare Charizard VSTAR, card 174, leads the set in PSA 10. The Galarian bird alternate arts and the gold Arceus VSTAR follow as the other top chase cards.
- Why are the Galarian birds so popular?
- The Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres V alternate arts share a striking painterly style and work as a matched trio, which invites set completion. They are among the most-loved alternate arts of the Sword and Shield era.
- Is Brilliant Stars a good set to collect?
- It has held value well, driven by the Charizard VSTAR and the Galarian bird alternate arts. Value concentrates in the rainbow, secret-rare, and alternate-art tiers, as with most modern sets.