Charizard.
Probably one of the most recognizable Pokémon ever, and definitely one of the Pokémon most associated with ridiculously expensive cards.
Mention collecting Charizard and it’s easy to immediately think about Base Set Charizard and cards worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
But here’s the thing:
You don’t need to spend stupid amounts of money to own some really cool Charizard cards.
There are plenty of Charizards that look awesome, display great in a binder, and aren’t going to destroy your Pokémon budget.
Here are a few that I really like.
Charizard – Lost Origin Trainer Gallery
Let’s start with probably one of the easiest recommendations on this list.
The Lost Origin Trainer Gallery Charizard is just a great-looking card.
Instead of another dramatic Charizard flying around breathing fire, we get Charizard hanging out with Leon. It’s a completely different side of the Pokémon and gives the card some actual personality.
This is one of the things I loved about Trainer Gallery cards. They gave us genuinely interesting artwork without making every single card some ridiculously difficult chase.
And because this Charizard can still be relatively inexpensive, it’s a perfect example of something I’ve said before:
A Pokémon card doesn’t need to be expensive to be awesome.
If you’re starting a Charizard collection, this would be one of my first pickups.
Charizard
Charizard GX – Hidden Fates
Hidden Fates was an awesome era for Pokémon cards, and even the regular Charizard GX is a card I really like.
It’s got that classic GX-era look with Charizard taking up basically the entire card.
Is it the insane shiny Charizard GX everyone wanted from Hidden Fates?
Nope.
And that’s kind of the point.
You can still own a great-looking Charizard from one of the most memorable modern Pokémon sets without buying the massive chase card.
Sometimes the cheaper version is perfectly fine.
Charizard GX
Charizard ex – Obsidian Flames #228
Obsidian Flames was basically the Charizard set.
And while there are multiple Charizard ex cards to choose from, #228 is one I really like.
You’ve got the Darkness-type Tera Charizard, the crazy crystal appearance, and that modern full-art style that immediately stands out in a binder.
It’s weird.
It’s flashy.
It’s Charizard.
Exactly what I want.
And compared with some of the truly expensive Charizard cards out there, it’s still a card that’s realistically obtainable for a lot of collectors.
Charizard ex
Charizard V – SWSH050 Promo
This is exactly the kind of card that makes collecting Pokémon fun on a budget.
It’s a Charizard promo.
It looks good.
It’s easy to add to a collection.
And you don’t have to rip through hundreds of packs hoping to pull it.
Promos sometimes get overlooked because they’re guaranteed cards instead of huge chase pulls, but I’ve never really understood that.
Cool artwork is cool artwork.
I don’t care if I pulled it from a booster pack or it came guaranteed inside a box.
If it looks good in the binder, I want it.
And SWSH050 is a great inexpensive Charizard to throw into a collection.
Charizard V
Charizard GX – SM211 Promo
Here’s another promo that proves you don’t need to chase expensive cards to get a badass Charizard.
Charizard GX SM211 has everything you’d expect from a Charizard card.
Big Charizard.
Fire everywhere.
GX-era insanity.
Perfect.
Again, because it’s a promo, this isn’t some impossible card that required opening an absurd number of packs.
That’s actually one of the reasons I like collecting promos. There are some fantastic cards out there that remain relatively accessible simply because they weren’t the giant chase card from a set.
If you’re putting together a Charizard binder, cards like this are an easy way to fill it with awesome artwork without emptying your bank account.
Charizard GX
Okay… But What If Money Wasn’t an Issue?
Now let’s throw the budget out the window.
Because there’s one Charizard I’d absolutely love to have.
M Charizard EX – Flashfire Secret Rare
Yeah.
This one.
Mega Charizard X.
The black Charizard.
Massive attack.
Japanese text incorporated into the artwork.
The ridiculous over-the-top XY-era Mega Evolution card design.
I love everything about it.
There’s absolutely nothing subtle about this card.
And that’s exactly why it’s so damn cool.
This is one of those cards where if money wasn’t part of the equation, I’d happily throw it into the collection without thinking twice.
Unfortunately, money is part of the equation.
So…
Maybe one day.
M Charizard EX (X) (Secret)
You Don’t Need the Most Expensive Charizard
That’s what I like about looking through Charizard cards.
You can spend a few bucks.
You can spend $20.
You can spend $100.
Or you can completely lose your mind and start shopping for some of the biggest Charizard cards ever printed.
There’s something at practically every level.
And personally, I’d rather have a binder filled with Charizards I genuinely like than buy a card just because somebody told me it’s the one I’m supposed to want.
That $5 Charizard?
Sleeve it.
Put it in a top loader.
Throw it in that top loader binder we talked about.
And enjoy it.
Because at the end of the day, a cool card is a cool card regardless of what TCGplayer says it’s worth.
And luckily for us, there are a lot of cool Charizards.
