Dark Blastoise · Legendary Collection, what to know.
About the Dark Blastoise card
Dark Blastoise is card 4 of 110 in Legendary Collection, released in May 2002, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Water-type with 70 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Dark Wartortle, which places Dark Blastoise deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Team Rocket darkened Blastoise under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
The Pokédex entry printed on Dark Blastoise reads: "An aggressive Pokémon that tackles anything it sees."
About Blastoise in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved water starter. A heavy turtle with water cannons mounted on its shell. A defensive powerhouse in the games and a frequent tournament pick. The water Charizard equivalent. There is also a famous 1999 Galaxy Star Holo Blastoise presentation prototype which is a separate artifact from the standard print and trades for high six figures.
What is Dark Blastoise worth?
Dark Blastoise is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Legendary Collection's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Legendary Collection holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Dark Blastoise before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Dark Blastoise. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the water foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Dark Blastoise
If you are buying Dark Blastoise, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. For a raw Dark Blastoise above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.
