# Which was the first Pikachu card?

> The first Pikachu card was Base Set #58 (January 1999), illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Today there are 176 Pikachu cards across 88 sets.
>
> Source: https://www.nomekop.app/facts/first-pikachu-card — NOMEKOP, an independent Pokémon TCG binder tool
> (not affiliated with Nintendo / The Pokémon Company). Figures as of June 2026.

The very first Pikachu card was [**Pikachu #58 from the Base Set**](/card/base1-58), released on January 9, 1999.

[![Pikachu #58, Base Set (1999)](https://images.pokemontcg.io/base1/58.png)](/card/base1-58) Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, it was a Common-rarity card — nothing flashy on paper, yet it kicked off one of the most collected runs in the entire game.

**TL;DR:** The first Pikachu card was [Base Set #58](/card/base1-58) (9 January 1999), a Common illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Since then, Pikachu has appeared on 176 cards across 88 sets — more prints than any other Pokémon. Figures as of June 2026.

## A humble beginning

Being a Common meant Pikachu #58 was never hard to pull. You could find it in virtually any Base Set pack, which is part of why so many collectors have a soft spot for it: it was probably the first Pikachu most of us ever held. Arita's artwork — that cheerful, sparky pose — became the mental image of "Pikachu card" for a whole generation of players.

## 25+ years and counting

From that single 1999 print, the Pikachu card library has grown enormously. As of June 2026, there are **176 Pikachu cards across 88 different sets** — a spread that covers everything from basic Commons to elaborate special illustration rares. No other Pokémon comes close to that kind of sustained presence across the game's history, which makes sense: Pikachu is the franchise's face, and the TCG has leaned into that at every opportunity.

## Why collectors keep chasing every print

With 176 versions spread across 88 sets, a complete Pikachu collection is one of the hobby's great personal projects. Each era brings a different art style, a different card frame, and often a different take on the character — from retro Base Set charm to modern full-art treatments. If you want to see every print laid out in one place and start planning your own collection, you can [build an "every Pikachu print" binder on NOMEKOP](/pokemon/pikachu~34an) and work through them set by set. The [Base Set page](/set/base1) is a good place to get acquainted with where it all started.

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**Did you know?** Pikachu #58 is a Common, yet near-mint graded copies of the first-edition Base Set print are among the most sought-after cards in the entire hobby.