151 has 23 Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares.
Illustration Rares in 151
Illustration Rares (IR) and Special Illustration Rares (SIR) are the full-art, scene-style cards collectors chase hardest. 151 packs 23 of them into its 207 cards: 16 standard IRs and 7 larger-art SIRs. That puts the full-art count at roughly 11% of the set — a meaningful share of why 151 is fun to open.
The 151 full-art cards to hunt
- Charizard ex (#199) — Special Illustration Rare (~$492.20)
- Blastoise ex (#200) — Special Illustration Rare (~$167.51)
- Venusaur ex (#198) — Special Illustration Rare (~$134.30)
- Charmander (#168) — Illustration Rare (~$130.15)
- Zapdos ex (#202) — Special Illustration Rare (~$119.92)
- Squirtle (#170) — Illustration Rare (~$118.75)
Star Pokémon with full-art cards in 151
The marquee Pokémon getting the IR/SIR treatment here, with their prints:
- Charizard — Charizard ex (#6), Charizard ex (#183), Charizard ex (#199)
- Blastoise — Blastoise ex (#9), Blastoise ex (#184), Blastoise ex (#200)
- Venusaur — Venusaur ex (#3), Venusaur ex (#182), Venusaur ex (#198)
- Charmander — Charmander (#168)
- Zapdos — Zapdos ex (#145), Zapdos ex (#192), Zapdos ex (#202)
These cards drive much of 151's secondary-market value and help push a full master set to 360 cards. The standout is Charizard ex (#199), around $492.20.
IR vs SIR in 151
If you're prioritising, the 7 Special Illustration Rares are the scarcer, pricier tier — full-bleed art and lower pull rates — while the 16 standard Illustration Rares are more attainable but still some of the best-looking cards in 151. Together those 23 full-art cards are the heart of the set's chase and the reason a master set climbs to 360 cards.
Figures are from the pokemontcg.io dataset (TCGplayer pricing), as of June 2026.