Brilliant Stars was released on 25 February 2022, in the Sword & Shield series.
Brilliant Stars release date
Brilliant Stars launched on 25 February 2022 as a Sword & Shield-series expansion. It carries 172 main-set cards, or 186 counting its 14 secret rares — the #18 largest set Nomekop tracks by printed count, with 0 Illustration and Special Illustration Rares in the pool and marquee Pokémon like Charizard, Arceus, Pikachu, Galarian Moltres and Galarian Articuno.
What the 2022 set brought
The standout cards that arrived with Brilliant Stars:
- Charizard V (#154) — Rare Ultra (~$356.51)
- Charizard VSTAR (#174) — Rare Rainbow (~$80.57)
- Arceus V (#166) — Rare Ultra (~$62.22)
- Charizard V (#153) — Rare Ultra (~$39.82)
- Pikachu V (#157) — Rare Ultra (~$27.99)
Its top card on the secondary market is Charizard V (#154), around $356.51.
Star Pokémon from the Brilliant Stars release
The marquee Pokémon that debuted (or returned) in Brilliant Stars, with their prints:
- Charizard — Charizard V (#153), Charizard V (#154), Charizard VSTAR (#174)
- Arceus — Arceus V (#165), Arceus V (#166), Arceus VSTAR (#176), Arceus VSTAR (#184)
- Pikachu — Pikachu V (#157)
- Galarian Moltres — Galarian Moltres V (#183)
- Galarian Articuno — Galarian Articuno V (#181)
Where Brilliant Stars sits in the lineup
Among the sets Nomekop tracks, Brilliant Stars is the #18 largest set Nomekop tracks. A full master set of it runs to 318 cards including 124 reverse holos, so the 25 February 2022 release still gives collectors plenty to chase well after launch day — whether you're after the 172-card base set or every print.
Figures from the pokemontcg.io dataset, as of June 2026.