The Pokémon Company creates this Dragon-type middle Evolution appreciation post to celebrate the Year of the Dragon

August 13, 2024

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The Pokémon Company is continuing its celebration of the Year of the Dragon. Read on below to learn more:

Dragon-type Pokémon TCG cards debuted in 2013—check out some of the coolest ones that have been released over the last decade.

As the Year of the Dragon soars onward, we’re looking at some of the most iconic and beautiful Dragon-type Pokémon TCG cards ever released. Dragon-type Pokémon were previously represented as Colorless types as early as Base Set, but they received a unique representation all their own when Dragon-type cards debuted in the Black & White—Dragons Exalted expansion in 2013. Since then, they’ve stolen the hearts of many by serving up amazing looks and slaying with powerful strategies. Now, let’s revisit some of that draconic magic!

This Gabite wasn’t particularly popular when it was released in 2013. Nowadays, it’s the Gabite of choice for Trainers who are looking to challenge themselves by building a Dragon-type deck for the Gym Leader Challenge format. Gabite’s Dragon Call Ability helps get all its draconic buddies into play, and it evolves into the powerful Garchomp, too—truly, it’s the perfect middle evolution to get a strategy going.

Rayquaza’s TCG debut as a Dragon-type Pokémon-EX was arguably the most impactful of any on our list—Rayquaza-EX was notoriously paired with Eelektrik to scale the damage of its ferocious Dragon Burst attack. This strategy was so powerful that Jon Bristow finished in the Top 8 at the 2013 Pokémon World Championships with a Rayquaza-EX deck featuring that combination.

Our final card from the Black & White—Dragons Exalted expansion, Altaria made its Dragon-type Pokémon TCG debut with three different artworks—including this special Secret Rare piece released in the Black & White—Boundaries Crossed expansion. Altaria is not only featured in its Shiny form, but the card itself is also framed by gilded borders that perfectly match the Humming Pokémon’s shining aesthetic.

Latias and Latios are an inseparable Pokémon pair, and that concept could not have been better captured in Sonosuke Sakuma’s rendition of this lovely TAG TEAM.

Competitive Pokémon TCG players often dub Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX as the most powerful TAG TEAM card ever released—its Altered Creation GX attack accelerated Prize races in a way that almost no strategy has achieved since. The trio’s almost otherworldly power is showcased here in a classic artwork that emphasizes their Legendary regality.

Have you ever wondered what the Distortion World would look like? Illustrator Shinji Kanda gave us a peek into its mysterious nature with this artwork featuring Origin Forme Giratina as it traverses the abyss as a part of the Sword & Shield—Lost Origin expansion.

This card features an iconic Dragon-type Pokémon and Trainer pairing nearly 20 years in the making. We all remember Cynthia’s Garchomp giving us a hard time, but thankfully we can enjoy this awesome artwork from the Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance Trainer Gallery without fear for our Pokémon.

Peaceful. Tranquil. Vibing. Whatever word or phrase you want to use, this Regidrago seems as cool as a cucumber. Well, except when it’s in an opponent’s Regidrago VSTAR deck and is Knocking Out your Active Pokémon, that is.

That’s one tall glass of water. Raging Bolt towers over this valley and our hearts in this special illustration rare from the Scarlet & Violet—Temporal Forces expansion. You’ll also see this Dragon-type Pokémon delivering one-hit Knock Outs when paired with an unlikely partner that’s much smaller in size—Teal Mask Ogerpon ex!

Tatsugiri may not appear draconic, but if you were wishing for a stellar Dragon-type Pokémon to add consistency to your deck in either the Standard or Gym Leader Challenge formats, the Mimicry Pokémon can certainly get you on a roll. This Tatsugiri was featured in Keito Arai’s 3rd Place Gardevoir ex deck from the 2024 North America International Championships, and we expect to see it in plenty of deck recipes for years to come.