Banned Pokémon Cards and Changed Japanese Artwork
The cards people call “banned Pokémon cards” in English are really two different groups. One group is cards ruled out of official tournaments. The other is Japanese cards whose artwork was redrawn for the English release after it caused problems outside Japan. The cards with new artwork were never banned from tournaments, and the tournament-banned cards can still be bought and sold normally.
This article keeps the two apart. It shows which Japanese printings are the “pre-change” versions, and what they sell for in Japan. If you only want the tournament rules, jump to the “Cards banned from tournaments” section.
Information in this article is as of October 31, 2026.
| Card (Japanese / English) | Type | Which version is affected |
| キョウ秘伝、変わり身の術 / Koga’s Ninja Trick | Artwork changed | The early Japanese printing (Gym booster 2, Challenge from the Darkness / 闇からの挑戦) has a manji. It was replaced in the English version (Gym Challenge 115/132) and in the later Japanese printing |
| カスミのなみだ / Misty’s Tears | Artwork changed | Different art in the Japanese versions (Hanada City Gym deck, and Gym booster 1, Leaders’ Stadium / リーダーズスタジアム) and in the English version (Gym Challenge 118/132) |
| モーモーミルク / Moo-Moo Milk | Artwork changed | Different art in the Japanese Gold, Silver, to a New World… (金、銀、新世界へ…) and the English version (Neo Genesis 101/111). The Japanese reprints in Pokémon Card★VS (131/141) and Card-e (029/029) use the same art as the English version |
| ベトベター / Grimer | Artwork changed | The Japanese version (Team Rocket / ロケット団, LV.10, HP40, No.088) and the English version (Team Rocket 57/82) differ in the direction of the eyes and in the attack effect |
| ナツメの眼 / Sabrina’s Gaze | Artwork changed | Different art in the Japanese versions (Yamabuki City Gym deck, and Gym booster 2, Challenge from the Darkness) and in the English version (Gym Heroes 125/132) |
| ルージュラ / Jynx | Artwork changed (color) | Against the Japanese Expansion Pack (拡張パック, LV.23, HP70, No.124), the English version (Base Set 31/102) has a changed face color |
| アップリュー / Flapple | Banned in tournaments | Expanded outside Japan (from October 10, 2025), Japanese Extra (from August 1, 2025) |
| チャーレムV / Medicham V | Banned in tournaments | Expanded outside Japan (from April 10, 2026), Japanese Extra (from February 20, 2026) |
| ムウマージ（SM10）/ Mismagius, ジュジュベ&ハチクマン（SM12a）/ Bellelba & Brycen-Man | Banned in tournaments | Japanese Standard (from September 1, 2020, at the time). Mismagius (SM10) is still unusable in Japanese Extra |
Cards with changed artwork
For all six cards, no official reason for the change of art has been given.
Koga’s Ninja Trick (キョウ秘伝、変わり身の術)
Koga’s Ninja Trick (Challenge from the Darkness): the early printing with the manji
This is a Trainer card from Gym booster 2, Challenge from the Darkness (闇からの挑戦), released June 25, 1999. There is a manji (卍) at the upper right of Ditto. Seen mirrored, it can look like the Nazi swastika, which caused problems in the United States. The Associated Press reported on December 3, 1999 that Nintendo of America would stop handling the card. That concerned imported Japanese copies; the card was not recalled inside Japan.
In the English version (Gym Challenge 115/132) the manji was replaced with a different mark, and there is also a “corrected” later Japanese printing. Japanese listings separate the “manji version” and the “corrected version”. If the mark at the upper right of Ditto is a manji, it is a pre-change print.
A manji version was listed by a store at a current price of 8,650 yen (condition rank D, Buy It Now 9,600 yen), and a corrected version at a store Buy It Now price of 11,080 yen. The condition and the listing format differ, so this does not read as a price gap between the two versions. PSA 10 (graded) listings do not say whether the manji is there, so the printing cannot be told apart.
Misty’s Tears (カスミのなみだ)
Misty’s Tears (Leaders’ Stadium)
The card is in the Gym deck Hanada City Gym – Misty (ハナダシティジム カスミ) and in Gym booster 1, Leaders’ Stadium (リーダーズスタジアム), released October 24, 1998. The Japanese version shows the silhouette of a crying Misty. The English version (Gym Challenge 118/132) is different art, with Squirtle stopping Misty’s tears. Outside Japan, the silhouette is reported to have been read as a nude figure.
Both Japanese versions use the silhouette art. The one with no rarity mark is the Hanada City Gym deck version, and the one with a mark is the Leaders’ Stadium version; that is what “with mark / without mark” in listing titles means. The Leaders’ Stadium version with the mark was listed by a store at a current price of 10,890 yen (condition C).
Moo-Moo Milk (モーモーミルク)
Moo-Moo Milk (Gold, Silver, to a New World…)
It first appeared in Gold, Silver, to a New World… (金、銀、新世界へ…), released February 4, 2000, with art of a Sentret drinking from a cow-patterned container held by a person. The English version (Neo Genesis 101/111) is different art, showing milk cans lined up in a barn with a Cleffa.
Watch out for one thing: some Japanese reprints also use the same milk-can art as the English version. Those are the version in Pokémon Card★VS (released July 19, 2001, 131/141) and the Card-e version (029/029). To look for the pre-change art, choose an old-back copy from Gold, Silver, to a New World… — old-back cards have the older design on the reverse. The VS version also has a different back, and the number 131/141 tells it apart. A private listing that clearly stated 「金 銀新世界へ」 (Kin Gin Shin-sekai e) had a current price of 950 yen, the most affordable of the six cards.
Grimer (ベトベター, Team Rocket)
Grimer LV.10 (Team Rocket)
This is “Grimer LV.10” from the fourth Japanese expansion, Team Rocket (ロケット団), released November 21, 1997, with HP40 and card number No.088. In the Japanese version the eyes look upward, while in the English version (Team Rocket 57/82) the position of the pupils was changed. Some are reported to have read the art as Grimer peeking up the skirt of the girl behind it, but the illustrator himself has denied this. In the English version, the effect of the attack Poison Gas (どくガス) also changed from poison to sleep.
No.088 is the Pokédex number, so the number alone does not identify the card. Check whether all of the following match.
- From Team Rocket (ロケット団)
- LV.10
- HP40
- Art with the eyes looking upward
A private listing that stated “pre-change artwork” had a current price of 4,980 yen.
Sabrina’s Gaze (ナツメの眼)
Sabrina’s Gaze (Challenge from the Darkness)
The card is in the Gym deck Yamabuki City Gym – Sabrina (ヤマブキシティジム ナツメ), released February 26, 1999, and in Gym booster 2, Challenge from the Darkness. In the Japanese version Sabrina holds up a Master Ball, while the English version (Gym Heroes 125/132) is different art of her throwing a Poké Ball. The shape of her hand is reported to have been read as a raised middle finger.
Both Japanese versions show the Master Ball. The one with no rarity mark is the Yamabuki City Gym deck version, and the one with a mark is the Challenge from the Darkness version. Ungraded private listings run around 2,000 yen, and one PSA 10 was listed at a current price of 90,000 yen, but the specifications and the grading differ, so this does not read as a price multiple.
Jynx (ルージュラ)
Jynx LV.23, Japanese Expansion Pack
Jynx, English Base Set 31/102
Unlike the five cards above, what changed for Jynx is the face color rather than the art, and the change was on the English side. The Japanese version is “Jynx LV.23” from the Expansion Pack (拡張パック) released October 20, 1996, with HP70 and card number No.124. In the English version (Base Set 31/102) the face color changed from black to dark purple.
We could not find that the Japanese Jynx was later changed. To look for the “pre-change color”, take the old-back Expansion Pack version and check that LV.23, HP70 and Ken Sugimori’s art all match. No.124 is the Pokédex number, so other Jynx cards carry it too. One store listing had a Buy It Now price of 650 yen (with scratches).
Cards banned from tournaments
From here on, these are “banned cards” in the original sense. The range of cards usable in official tournaments — the format rules — is set region by region, and the ban lists are separate too.
| Region and format | Banned cards and how many | Official list |
| Standard outside Japan | None at present | the banned card list on pokemon.com |
| Expanded outside Japan | Archeops, Flapple, Medicham V, Lysandre’s Trump Card, Shaymin-EX, Reset Stamp and others; 27 are listed individually on the official page | Same |
| Unlimited outside Japan | None at present | Same |
| Japanese Standard | No banned card section on the official page (regulation marks H, I and J are eligible) | the regulation page on pokemon-card.com |
| Japanese Extra | Flapple, Archeops (BW2), Lysandre’s Trump Card, Mismagius (SM10), Medicham V (S7R) and others; 27 are listed individually on the official page. Cards printed with a note that they cannot be used in official tournaments are also unusable | Same |
The two lists overlap a great deal, but the timing and the order of the announcements are not the same. Check the official lists for every entry.
Cases where Japan banned first
Flapple, Japanese version (S2 012/096)
For the two cards in 2025 and 2026, Japan’s announcement came before the one outside Japan.
- Flapple: Japan announced it on July 31, 2025 and applied it on August 1, 2025 (covering “S2 and others”). Outside Japan it was announced on September 11, 2025 and applied on October 10, 2025 (Rebel Clash 022/192, Shining Fates SV013/SV122, Astral Radiance TG02/TG30, SWSH Promo SWSH022)
- Medicham V: Japan announced it on January 16, 2026 and applied it on February 20, 2026 (covering “S7R”). Outside Japan it was announced on March 12, 2026 and applied on April 10, 2026 (Evolving Skies 083/203, 185/203, 186/203)
The announcements outside Japan give reasons. Flapple could repeat its Ability in combination with the new Stadium Forest of Vitality, and Medicham V could take extra turns with the attack Yoga Loop. Japan’s announcements say only that it was to make the game more enjoyable.
Note: Mismagius and Bellelba & Brycen-Man in 2020
Mismagius (141/S-P), the new design
On July 31, 2020, Japan’s official site announced that Mismagius (SM10) and Bellelba & Brycen-Man (SM12a) would become unusable in Standard from September 1. After that, a Mismagius (141/S-P) and a Sabrina & Brycen (142/S-P) with new designs and new effects were announced. They are participation prizes at Gym Battle and New Expansion Battle events from October 10 onward, and they are treated as different cards. How widely they were actually handed out is not known.
Falling out of Standard because a regulation mark has aged — “rotating out” — is not a ban, and those cards can still be used in Extra and other formats.
How to spot the Japanese cards, and prices
Koga’s Ninja Trick (Challenge from the Darkness). Left: the early printing with the manji. Right: the corrected version
Two cards exist in Japanese with both the pre-change and the post-change art: Koga’s Ninja Trick and Moo-Moo Milk. For Koga’s Ninja Trick, look at the mark at the upper right of Ditto; for Moo-Moo Milk, look in the listing photos for the Sentret and the cow-patterned container. If the listing title does not say 「卍」 (manji) or 「修正版」 (corrected version), or the card sits in a graded case where the mark is small, it is safer to ask the seller for a close-up photo before buying. For the other four cards, no corrected Japanese version has been found, so it is enough if the set, LV, HP and art given in each section all match.
On Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions, the following search terms work. Sellers often write 「海外規制」 (regulated outside Japan), and that term pulls up many of them at once.
- キョウ秘伝 卍 (Kyō Hiden, manji)
- キョウ秘伝 修正版 (Kyō Hiden, corrected version)
- カスミのなみだ 旧裏 (Kasumi no Namida, old back)
- モーモーミルク 旧裏 新世界 (Moo-Moo Milk, old back, Shin-sekai)
- ベトベター ロケット団 旧裏 (Betbeter, Rocket-Dan, old back)
- ナツメの眼 旧裏 (Natsume no Me, old back)
- ルージュラ 旧裏 LV.23 (Rougela, old back, LV.23)
| Card (version and specification) | Listed price (tax included) | Price type |
| Koga’s Ninja Trick (manji version, Challenge from the Darkness, condition D) | 8,650 yen (Buy It Now 9,600 yen) | Current price (auction) / Buy It Now price |
| Koga’s Ninja Trick (manji mark, Challenge from the Darkness) | 12,000 yen | Flea-market asking price |
| Koga’s Ninja Trick (manji mark, Challenge from the Darkness) | 25,000 yen | Flea-market asking price |
| Koga’s Ninja Trick (corrected artwork, Challenge from the Darkness) | 11,080 yen | Buy It Now price |
| Misty’s Tears (with mark, Leaders’ Stadium, condition C) | 10,890 yen | Current price (auction) |
| Misty’s Tears (no mark, Hanada City Gym) | 9,980 yen | Buy It Now price |
| Moo-Moo Milk (Gold, Silver, to a New World…) | 950 yen | Current price (auction) |
| Grimer LV.10 HP40 (Team Rocket) | 4,980 yen | Current price (auction) |
| Sabrina’s Gaze (no mark, Yamabuki City Gym) | 2,200 yen | Flea-market asking price |
| Sabrina’s Gaze (Challenge from the Darkness, PSA 10) | 90,000 yen | Current price (auction) |
| Jynx LV.23 HP70 (Expansion Pack) | 650 yen | Buy It Now price |
All of these are Japanese-version, standard-specification listings checked on October 31, 2026. The sellers are Yahoo! Auctions, Yahoo! Flea Market (formerly PayPay Flea Market) and Cardrush, and every one except the single PSA 10 is ungraded. Each “current price (auction)” had zero bids and matched the starting price, and the condition is the seller’s own assessment. Even for the same card name, keep the price type the same when you compare. Exchange rates and the market move daily, so treat these as a guide only.
FAQ
Is it a problem to own a banned card?
The official ban lists only say that a card cannot go into a deck at an official tournament; they do not ban owning one. Cards with changed artwork are not on the ban lists at all. That said, a symbol like the manji is read differently and regulated differently from country to country, and we cannot guarantee that a card is fine to handle in any given country. Check your own country’s rules before carrying one in or reselling it.
Have there been error-card replacements in Japan?
Yes. One example is the replacement announced on January 31, 2025 for “N’s Zoroark ex UR” from the expansion Battle Partners (バトルパートナーズ). Part of the production run had an error in the surface finish, and owners of the card applied to the official support desk; the whole product was not pulled.
What is the Dendō (Hall of Fame) format?
It is a third format unique to Japan, and it is separate from Extra. Cards from the DP era onward can be used, strong cards carry “Dendō points” (★1 to ★4), and a 60-card deck has to keep the total at 4 or less. Some cards that points cannot cover are “banned cards” even in Dendō: Shaymin-EX is usable at ★1, but Lysandre’s Trump Card is banned.
Summary
- “Banned” has two meanings, banned from tournaments and artwork changed, and the cards with changed artwork are not on the ban lists.
- The Japanese cards that exist with both the pre-change and the post-change art are Koga’s Ninja Trick and Moo-Moo Milk. Tell them apart from the listing photos.
- Tournament bans are managed separately by region, and for Flapple and Medicham V, Japan announced first.
- Prices change a lot with the price type, the condition and whether the card is graded. Compare like with like.
If you are looking for a pre-change Japanese version, Neokyo lets you search Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions listings together and deliver them outside Japan through its proxy buying service.
