Dark Dragonite · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Dragonite card
Dark Dragonite is card 5 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Colorless-type with 70 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Dark Dragonair, which places Dark Dragonite deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Team Rocket darkened Dragonite 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 card's flavor text gives Dragonite a line of lore: "Sometimes called "The God of Destruction." Its wings are able to support it in spite of its massive weight."
About Dragonite in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Dratini line. Friendly orange dragon silhouette. One of the most-beloved Pokémon designs. Fossil holo Dragonite is the marquee chase of the entire Fossil set. PSA 10 1st Edition examples are genuinely scarce and command top of the Fossil price chart.
What is Dark Dragonite worth?
Dark Dragonite is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Team Rocket'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, Team Rocket holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Dark Charizard at the top; 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
Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The 1st Edition Dark Dragonite carries the Edition 1 stamp under the artwork and trades above the Unlimited copy in matching grade. The set is also home to Dark Raichu, the first Secret Rare ever printed.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, the holo window on Dark Dragonite is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the colorless foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.
If you are collecting Dark Dragonite
Buying Dark Dragonite well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Dark Dragonite trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
