Charizard (Base Set 4)

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Charizard LV.76
リザードン Lizardon
Fire
CharizardBaseSet4.jpg
Base Set print
Illus. Mitsuhiro Arita
Evolution stage
Charmeleon
Stage 2 Pokémon
Evolves from Charmeleon
Card name Charizard
Type Fire
HP 120
weakness
Water×2
resistance
Fighting-30
retreat cost
   
English expansion Base Set
Rarity Rare Holo
English card no. 4/102
Japanese expansion Expansion Pack
Japanese rarity Rare Holo
Japanese expansion Unnumbered Promotional cards
Expansion Base Set 2
Rarity Rare Holo
English card no. 4/130
TCG GB1 set Evolution
TCG GB1 ID B14
TCG GB2 set Beginning Pokémon
TCG GB2 ID A13
TCG GB2 set Promotion Card
TCG GB2 ID P02
Expansion Legendary Collection
Rarity Rare Holo
English card no. 3/110
English expansion Stormfront
Rarity Rare Secret
English card no. 103/100
Japanese expansion Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky
Japanese rarity Ultra-Rare Rare
Japanese card no. 092/092
Japanese Half Deck Pokémon Card Game 25th Anniversary Creatures Deck
English expansion Celebrations
Rarity Rare Classic
English card no. 4/102
Japanese expansion Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition
Japanese card no. 001/025
English expansion Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic
English Deck Charizard & Ho-Oh ex Deck
English card no. 003/034
Japanese expansion Pokémon Card Game Classic
Japanese Deck Charizard & Ho-Oh ex Deck
Japanese card no. 003/032
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Charizard.

Charizard (Japanese: リザードン Lizardon) is a Fire-type Stage 2 Pokémon card. It was first released as part of the Base Set.

Card text

Base Set print

Pokémon Power:
Energy Burn
エナジーバーン
 
As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may turn all Energy attached to Charizard into   Energy for the rest of the turn. This power can't be used if Charizard is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
     Fire Spin
ほのおのうず
100
Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard in order to use this attack.


Legendary Collection print

Pokémon Power:
Energy Burn
エナジーバーン
 
As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may turn all Energy attached to Charizard into   Energy for the rest of the turn. This power can't be used if Charizard is affected by a Special Condition.
     Fire Spin
ほのおのうず
100
Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard or this attack does nothing.


Japanese print

Pokémon Power:
Energy Burn
エナジーバーン
 
You may treat non-  Energy attached Charizard as   Energy. This power can't be used if Charizard is Confused.
     Fire Spin
ほのおのうず
100
Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard or this attack does nothing.


Pokédex data (Initial prints)

Charizard - Flame Pokémon
No. Height Weight
006 5'7" (1.7 m) 200 lbs. (90.5 kg)
Pokédex entry
Spits fire that is hot enough to melt boulders. Known to unintentionally cause forest fires.
地上1400メートルまで羽をつかって飛ぶことができる。高熱の炎をはく。


Stormfront print

 
Energy Burn
エナジーバーン
 
All Energy attached to Charizard are   Energy instead of their usual type.
     Fire Spin
ほのおのうず
100
Discard 2 Energy attached to Charizard.


Pokédex data (Stormfront print)

Charizard - Flame Pokémon
No. Height Weight
006 5'07" (1.7 m) 199.5 lbs. (90.5 kg)
Pokédex entry
Its wings can carry this Pokémon close to an altitude of 4,600 feet. It blows out fire at very high temperatures.
ちじょう 1400メートル まで ハネを つかって とぶことができる。 こうねつの ほのおを はく。


Back (Creatures Deck print)

All prints
  You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.
Team Plasma
Team Plasma
  You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.
  FLARE
  (Prism Star) Rule
You can't have more than 1   card with the same name in your deck. If a   card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.
TAG TEAM
 
 
 
 
 
{{{ruletext}}}
VSTAR Power
Pokémon Card Game Base Set

Pokémon Card Game Base Set is a Trading Card Game set in the world of Pokémon Red and Green. Game designers Kouichi Ooyama and Akihiko Miura participated in its development, led by director Tsunekazu Ishihara. "I was absorbed in incorporating the types and characteristics of Pokémon into the mechanics of the game. The reason we developed the game was to get promotional synergy with Pokémon Red and Green. I was happy that we were able to release Pokémon Red and Green 8 months later." (Tsunekazu Ishihara) (October 20, 1996)

 
Do Nothing  
At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.
 
Do Nothing
 
At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.
 
Do Nothing  
At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.


Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic print

Pokémon Power:
Energy Burn
エナジーバーン
 
All Energy attached to this Pokémon are   Energy instead of their usual type. This Pokémon Power stops working if this Pokémon is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
     Fire Spin
ほのおのうず
100
Discard 2 Energy from this Pokémon.


Pokédex data (Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic print)

Charizard - Flame Pokémon
No. Height Weight
006 5'7" (1.7 m) 199.5 lbs. (90.5 kg)
Pokédex entry
Spits fire that is hot enough to melt boulders. Known to unintentionally cause forest fires.
地上1400メートルまで羽をつかって飛ぶことができる。高熱の炎をはく。


Release information

This card was included in the Base Set with artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita, first released in the Japanese Expansion Pack. In Japan, this card was reprinted as an Unnumbered Promotional card with different artwork by Ken Sugimori. It was first available through the Trade Please campaign that ran from February 10 to July 31 in 1998. Participants were required to mail a flyer included with copies of Trade Please by Suzukisan to MediaFactory along with any two Pokémon trading cards and a return envelope within the campaign period. Participants could select a "course" detailed on the flyer by writing in the appropriate space. The "A Course" included a copy of this card and a Trade Please! promotional card. The "B Course" included a Blastoise card and the Trade Please! card. The "C Course" included a Venusaur card and the Trade Please! card. MediaFactory would then send the two cards from the chosen course to the participant, completing the trade. This print was later released as part of the Pokémon Song Best Collection CD. These prints have the Pikachu Records logo in place of an expansion symbol.

A Jumbo English version of the Base Set print was released in Japan as an insert in the April 2000 CoroCoro magazine, released in March 2000. The original print was also reprinted in the English Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection expansions. An exclusive Non Holofoil version of this print was released in the latter set's Lava Theme Deck.

A special reprint with redrawn art by Mitsuhiro Arita was released in the Stormfront expansion, first released in the Japanese Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky expansion. This print modified some of the card text to bring it in line with modern card wording whilst still allowing it to retain most of its original effects; however, Energy Burn was made mandatory on the Stormfront print, whereas it was originally optional on the Base Set print.

The Base Set print was rereleased in the Celebrations expansion's Classic Collection for the Pokémon 25th Anniversary. This print features the 25th Anniversary logo in the bottom right corner of the artwork and lacks Wizards of the Coast from the copyright information. In Japan, it was reprinted as part of the Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition with a red and gold "25th" logo in the bottom right corner of the artwork. Both prints are Confetti Holofoil and have etching similar to Full Art cards. At the end of 2021, Creatures, Inc. sent the Pokémon Card Game 25th Anniversary Creatures Deck to TCG collaborators, which included a variant of the original print of this card. All cards have unique card backs, with Charizard's detailing the inception of the TCG. This version is Starlight Holo and has a gold "25th" stamp in the bottom right corner of the artwork.

This card's Expansion Pack print was included in the Pokémon Card Game 25th Anniversary Creatures Deck, a commemorative Half Deck given to Creatures, Inc. illustrators and staff members to celebrate the Pokémon 25th Anniversary and the company's 26th. In this deck, this card represents the year 1996 of the company's history, and the back contains information about the development and release of Expansion Pack. This card has a "25th" stamp next to the illustration, and keeps the original rarity.

In the Scarlet & Violet Series, this card was reprinted in Holofoil with its original Base Set artwork for the Charizard & Ho-Oh ex deck of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic. This reprint lacks a regulation mark and is thus not legal for tournament play.

Gallery

Base Set print
Illus. Mitsuhiro Arita
Unnumbered Promotional print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Stormfront print
Illus. Mitsuhiro Arita
Pokémon TCG Classic print
Illus. Mitsuhiro Arita
Back (Creatures Deck print only)
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori


TCG GB1 Evolution sprite
TCG GB2 Beginning Pokémon sprite
TCG GB2 Promotion Card sprite
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori


Trivia

  • The card's English print is mistranslated. Energy Burn should only allow non-Fire Energy attached to Charizard to remain Fire Energy as long as they remain attached to Charizard, and there is not provision allowing it to remain Fire Energy "for the rest of the turn". This can be tested in Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR! by using Rocket Charmander's Gather Fire Pokémon Power to move a Double Colorless Energy from Charizard to Charmander. It will not continue to provide Fire Energy.
  • This card was once the most sought after card in the entire Pokémon TCG; the popularity of Charizard and the large amount of base damage the card can do were a major factor in its appeal. Various versions of this card have been sold anywhere starting at $30, with the original 1st Edition Wizard of the Coast version selling for an average of $1,000.
  • The 1st Edition variant of this card is still one of the most sought after cards in the hobby. A 1st Edition copy graded PSA 9 can earn $3,000. A 1st Edition copy graded PSA 10 can earn over $18,000. Ungraded 1st Edition copies range in the high hundreds to low thousands.

Origin

Fire Spin is a move in the Pokémon games that Charizard can learn. This card's English Base Set Pokédex entry comes from Pokémon Red and Blue, though it is slightly reworded. The Japanese entry comes from Pokémon Red and Green. The Stormfront Pokédex entry comes from Pokémon FireRed.


  This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.