Pokemon fans are discussing the ugliest cards ever made in the trading card game, and they've shared some examples of the worst. While ugly Pokemon cards are an eyesore for some fans, some have actually enjoyed the cards so much that they've collected some purely based on their "ugly" artwork.
Pokemon TCG officially kicked off in the US in 1999, and has seen myriads of releases in the quarter-century since. Pokemon card designs range from very simple ones with what amounts to concept art, while others have intricate and gorgeous designs. However, with so many cards produced over the decades, it's not surprising that some have been received as duds.
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Pokemon Fans Point to The Ugliest Cards Ever Made
On Reddit, user Significant-Car-4074 said that they were looking for ugly Pokemon cards to buy as a joke present for Christmas. Their example was the Eevee GX SM233, which shows a pudgy and odd-looking Eevee yawning. Players wasted no time contributing the cards that stood out to them as the ugliest, with some popular choices including Misdreavus, which fans called out for having a "Five-head" and its face looking out of alignment. Another ugly Eevee is one that was released with Pokemon Sun & Moon, with its face looking misproportioned.
Other players took issue with some of the cards that use 3D models for their artwork. Team Magma's Rhydon was labeled as "comically ugly" by the user who shared it, though they admitted they like it because of that. Alolan Persian GX, and cards based upon the Detective Pikachu movie, like Jigglypuff, Snubbull, and Charizard GX also got called out for their ugliness. The Detective Pikachu designs of more realistic Pokemon were controversial at the time the movie came out, so it's not all too surprising that cards based on those designs would bother some players.
As far as this fan goes, there's certainly some cards that have stood out over the years for ugly designs. Even though Grimer is essentially a sentient pile of sludge, it's got lots of dynamic cards, but the Grimer Aquapolis one looks like a bizarre knock-off. Charizard EX from XY: Generations has an open mouth that looks more like that of a goose than a fearsome dragon. The Wizards Black Star Promo card of Mewtwo that was produced for the home video releases of Mewtwo Strikes Back was also weirdly ugly, with Mewtwo scrunched up like it's trying to fit in a small space.
Of course, these ugly cards only stand out because so much of the art that's been produced in the Pokemon TCG franchise over the years is spectacular. There's cute cards, like the Twilight Masquerade Eevee, which shows a room absolutely stuffed full of happy Eevee cuddling, dozing, and getting into mischief. The Pikachu full art card from Generations: Radiant Collection is similarly cute, with a pile of Pikachu. Some are so detailed and lovely that they stand out, like the Cleffa from Obsidian Flames, which shows a starry sky above and reflected beneath the Pokemon, with a shooting star streaking across the sky. Arguably one of the most unique cards, the Ancient Mew, still stands out after all these years due to its unusual stone tablet-like design.
With over 1000 Pokemon now in the franchise and a quarter of a century of history behind the series, most fans could probably come up with a few cards that stand out to them for being ugly or attractive. While the capabilities of a Pokemon card are often a reason for seeking it out, the designs themselves are sometimes what keep the cards in a player's memory.