Nidoking · Base Set, what to know.
About the Nidoking card
Nidoking is card 11 of 102 in Base Set, released in January 1999, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Grass-type with 90 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Nidorino, which places Nidoking deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.
The card's flavor text gives Nidoking a line of lore: "Uses its powerful tail in battle to smash, constrict, then break its prey's bones."
About Nidoking in the Pokémon world
The Ground-Poison final form of the Nidoran♂ line. Tall bipedal silhouette with a long horn. Considered one of the strongest Ground types in Gen 1. Base Set holo Nidoking is a steady five-figure card in PSA 10 1st Edition. Quieter than the marquee starters but consistently in demand.
What is Nidoking worth?
Based on recent eBay sales, raw copies trade from $30 to $104 depending on the print and a PSA 10 runs from $1,400 to $18,000. The 1st Edition print is the most valuable, with a PSA 10 near $18,000. The table on this page breaks the price down by print and grade, updated 2026-06-04.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set produced three print waves that collectors track separately: 1st Edition (the launch print, with an Edition 1 stamp under the artwork), Shadowless (no stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame), and Unlimited (the long-running print with the drop shadow restored). On Nidoking, the price gap between these prints can run 10x or more, so confirm the variant before any purchase.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, the holo window on Nidoking 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 grass foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.
If you are collecting Nidoking
Buying Nidoking well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Nidoking 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. The scarcest and most valuable Nidoking print.
No stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame. A short transitional print.
Drop shadow restored. The long-running print and the most affordable copy.
