Mega Evolution has 32 Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares.
Illustration Rares in Mega Evolution
Illustration Rares (IR) and Special Illustration Rares (SIR) are the full-art, scene-style cards collectors chase hardest. Mega Evolution packs 32 of them into its 188 cards: 22 standard IRs and 10 larger-art SIRs. That puts the full-art count at roughly 17% of the set — a meaningful share of why Mega Evolution is fun to open.
The Mega Evolution full-art cards to hunt
- Mega Lucario ex (#179) — Special Illustration Rare (~$242.26)
- Mega Gardevoir ex (#178) — Special Illustration Rare (~$206.16)
- Mega Venusaur ex (#177) — Special Illustration Rare (~$185.80)
- Mega Latias ex (#181) — Special Illustration Rare (~$97.51)
Star Pokémon with full-art cards in Mega Evolution
The marquee Pokémon getting the IR/SIR treatment here, with their prints:
- Mega Lucario — Mega Lucario ex (#77), Mega Lucario ex (#160), Mega Lucario ex (#179), Mega Lucario ex (#188)
- Mega Gardevoir — Mega Gardevoir ex (#60), Mega Gardevoir ex (#159), Mega Gardevoir ex (#178), Mega Gardevoir ex (#187)
- Mega Venusaur — Mega Venusaur ex (#3), Mega Venusaur ex (#155), Mega Venusaur ex (#177)
- Mega Latias — Mega Latias ex (#100), Mega Latias ex (#163), Mega Latias ex (#181)
- Mega Absol — Mega Absol ex (#86), Mega Absol ex (#161), Mega Absol ex (#180)
These cards drive much of Mega Evolution's secondary-market value and help push a full master set to 310 cards. The rarest card overall, Mega Lucario ex (#188) (Mega Hyper Rare), sits just above them on the rarity ladder.
IR vs SIR in Mega Evolution
If you're prioritising, the 10 Special Illustration Rares are the scarcer, pricier tier — full-bleed art and lower pull rates — while the 22 standard Illustration Rares are more attainable but still some of the best-looking cards in Mega Evolution. Together those 32 full-art cards are the heart of the set's chase and the reason a master set climbs to 310 cards.
Figures are from the pokemontcg.io dataset (TCGplayer pricing), as of June 2026.