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Pokémon Cards

Zapdos

Base Set 2 20/130 • holo-rare

Set: Base Set 2
Number: 20/130
Rarity: Rare Holo
Released: 2000
Energy type: Electric energy
Finish: Cosmos
Market price: $44.05
Artist: Ken Sugimori

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$44.05est. via TCGplayer

20,475cards tracked

24other printings of this card

Market

What it's worth

$44.05market price via TCGplayer · Sep 21, 2026$35.63 – $44.13 over the tracked period

Estimate for a typical copy of Zapdos; condition, printing, and grading move the real number.

Lore

Why it matters

As a key inclusion in the 2000 Base Set 2 release, this Zapdos card offered players and collectors a chance to obtain one of the original legendary bird Pokémon after the conclusion of the initial base expansion. Its status as a rare holographic card, combined with the iconic electric-type artwork by Ken Sugimori, ensures it remains a nostalgic centerpiece for those documenting the transition between early Pokémon trading card sets.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Card face

What it does

90 HPBasic

Cost: lightning energy lightning energy lightning energy colorless energyThunder60

Flip a coin. If tails, Zapdos does 30 damage to itself.

Cost: lightning energy lightning energy lightning energy lightning energyThunderbolt100

Discard all Energy cards attached to Zapdos in order to use this attack.

Resistancefighting energy-30Retreatcolorless energy colorless energy colorless energy

A legendary bird Pokémon said to appear from clouds while wielding enormous lightning bolts.

Formats

Where you can play it

StandardNot legal
ExpandedNot legal
UnlimitedLegal

Card text © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, via pokemontcg.io. Not produced by or endorsed by The Pokémon Company. As of the last catalogue refresh.

Buy

Where to find one

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Provenance

Where it came from

Released in early 2000, Base Set 2 was designed by Wizards of the Coast as a way to keep popular cards from the original Base Set and Jungle expansion in print for new players. The set consolidated these cards into a single release, featuring the same artwork as the original prints but distinguished by a unique set symbol and updated copyright information at the bottom of the card.

The artwork for this Zapdos card was illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, a foundational artist for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Arita’s depiction of the Legendary bird captures its electric essence through sharp, jagged lines and a dynamic pose, which became iconic during the game's initial rise in popularity. As a holo-rare card within the set, it was highly sought after by collectors for its holographic foil treatment, which utilized the 'cosmos' pattern typical of later North American releases.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Other printings

Others named Zapdos

Same name, different printings and different cards — these sources have no shared id tying a reprint to its original.

Collectors

Who's collecting this

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About

About Zapdos

Zapdos is a card in the Pokémon Cards catalog on collecto.rs. Base Set 2 20/130 • holo-rare. Catalog data is sourced from pokemontcg.io. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.

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Where does the Zapdos catalog entry come from?

The catalog entry for Zapdos is sourced from pokemontcg.io. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.