Iconic Pokemon Artist Designs New Pikachu Card For 30th Anniversary — Gaming

Pokemon's Original Character Designer Has Created A New Pikachu Card For 30th Celebration

pikachu sitting next to a pokemon tcg 30th celebration etb.

Pokemon is releasing a 30th Celebration TCG expansion this September, and slowly but surely, some of the cards that will be a part of the set are being revealed. That now includes an incredibly special card designed by none other than Ken Sugimori himself.

Ken Sugimori's 30th Celebration Pikachu Card

ken sugimori pikachu 30th celebration card.

Sugimori is not only one of Pokemon’s original designers, but he played a pivotal role in Pikachu’s creation and has designed more than 1,000 Pokemon cards over the last three decades. That’s why it’s not only fitting that the designer has created a new Pikachu card to celebrate this huge milestone, but the card pulls inspiration from the artwork of one of the first Pikachu cards ever released.

The card’s artwork is an homage to the Pikachu card included in the TCG’s Jungle expansion, the second set ever released. Pikachu’s Jungle card placed the Electric-type in the center of the card art, surrounded by lush green trees and bushes. The new card’s art is very similar, with the addition of electricity surrounding the Pokemon.

pikachu card from the pokemon tcg jungle expansion.

It’s the design of Pikachu itself that’s the most noteworthy element of this new card. Pikachu was famously quite a bit chunkier during Pokemon’s early days before the newer, slimmer design that’s still used today was introduced through the anime. There’s still an affinity for Chonky Pikachu 30 years later. So much so that Pokemon released a plush based on Pikachu’s original design to celebrate turning 30.

Sugimori hasn’t gone all the way back to Pikachu’s original design for the mascot’s new card, nor has he stuck to Pikachu’s current design. The Pikachu the designer has used for the card that will be a part of the 30th Celebration expansion is somewhere in between Pikachu’s original design and its current one. It’s a little chonkier than present-day Pikachu, but not full chonk like the OG.

The 30th Celebration Expansion Will Include 30 Pikachu Cards

There are going to be a lot of Pikachu to collect when the 30th Celebration expansion releases on September 16, 2026. Sugimori’s card will be one of 30 different Pikachu cards included in the set, although due to the designer’s connection to the Pokemon, his has the honor of being labeled the first Pikachu card in the set.

Every single 30th Celebration booster pack will have one of the 30 Pikachu cards inside, all of which will have a special fireworks layer over them. The expansion will also feature 30 classic cards based on older designs, including the reintroduction of the base set’s Charizard which might well be the most famous Pokemon card design to this day.