# When did Darkness Ablaze come out?

> Darkness Ablaze was released on 14 August 2020, in the Sword & Shield series.
>
> Source: https://www.nomekop.app/faqs/when-did-darkness-ablaze-come-out — NOMEKOP, an independent Pokémon TCG binder tool
> (not affiliated with Nintendo / The Pokémon Company). Figures as of June 2026.

**Darkness Ablaze was released on 14 August 2020, in the Sword & Shield series.**

## Darkness Ablaze release date

Darkness Ablaze launched on 14 August 2020 as a Sword & Shield-series expansion. It carries 189 main-set cards, or 201 counting its 12 secret rares — the #14 largest set Nomekop tracks by printed count, with 0 Illustration and Special Illustration Rares in the pool and marquee Pokémon like Butterfree, Salamence, Scizor, Eternatus and Rillaboom.

## What the 2020 set brought

The standout cards that arrived with Darkness Ablaze:

- [Charizard VMAX (#20)](/card/swsh3-20) — Rare Holo VMAX (~$54.31)
- [Butterfree VMAX (#190)](/card/swsh3-190) — Rare Rainbow (~$24.05)
- [Salamence VMAX (#194)](/card/swsh3-194) — Rare Rainbow (~$15.88)
- [Scizor VMAX (#193)](/card/swsh3-193) — Rare Rainbow (~$13.33)
- [Eternatus VMAX (#192)](/card/swsh3-192) — Rare Rainbow (~$11.25)

Its top card on the secondary market is Charizard VMAX (#20), around $54.31.

## Star Pokémon from the Darkness Ablaze release

The marquee Pokémon that debuted (or returned) in Darkness Ablaze, with their prints:

- **Butterfree** — Butterfree V (#177), Butterfree VMAX (#190)
- **Salamence** — Salamence V (#185), Salamence VMAX (#194)
- **Scizor** — Scizor V (#183), Scizor VMAX (#193)
- **Eternatus** — Eternatus VMAX (#192)
- **Rillaboom** — Rillaboom (#197)

## Where Darkness Ablaze sits in the lineup

Among the sets Nomekop tracks, Darkness Ablaze is the #14 largest set Nomekop tracks. A full master set of it runs to 356 cards including 155 reverse holos, so the 14 August 2020 release still gives collectors plenty to chase well after launch day — whether you're after the 189-card base set or every print.

Figures from the pokemontcg.io dataset, as of June 2026.