Dark Dugtrio · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Dugtrio card
Dark Dugtrio is card 6 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 1 Fighting-type with 50 HP.
As a Stage 1, it evolves from Diglett, which places Dark Dugtrio deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Team Rocket darkened Dugtrio under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno. Himeno is one of the most-recognized vintage illustrators, with a softer, more textured style that shows up across the Jungle and Neo runs.
The Pokédex entry printed on Dark Dugtrio reads: "Digs large sinkholes in the ground and tries to trap its enemies in them."
About Dugtrio in the Pokémon world
Three Digletts in a row. One of the only Pokémon with a literally pluralized body in Gen 1. Base Set Rare with steady raw demand.
What is Dark Dugtrio worth?
Dark Dugtrio 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 Dugtrio 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
On a holo like Dark Dugtrio, surface is the grade cap. The fighting foil shows hairlines under raking light, and the print reveals scratches that flat scans miss. Centering on the left and right borders is the second thing to check.
If you are collecting Dark Dugtrio
If you are buying Dark Dugtrio, 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 Dugtrio above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
