Yu-Gi-Oh! Rarity Collection II & Pokémon Twilight Masquerade Celebrate the Past & Future

This article is part of Collector’s Digest, an editorial series powered by:

Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! have become two of the highest-grossing media properties of all time, having topped the likes of colossal series like The Simpsons, Mortal Kombat, and Twilight. In Pokémon’s case, it actually is the world’s highest-grossing multimedia franchise with an estimated total revenue of over $100 billion. Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! both have found tremendous audiences through their anime, video games, and manga, but they’re also series that have developed extremely successful card games. 

The Pokémon Trading Card Game has more than 9,000 unique cards, while the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game has accumulated a staggering total of more than 12,000 cards and entered Guinness World Records in 2009 as the Top Selling Trading Card Game. Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! have also carefully curated comprehensive card games that appeal to collectors and competitive gamers alike. Both TCGs are fun to play, challenging to master, and rewarding to collect. Their latest expansions – Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Twilight Masquerade and Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II—are exciting additions that lovingly celebrate each series’ past and future with game-changing new cards.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Twilight Masquerade

Hitting shelves in 2023, the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansion has not only brought back Pokémon-ex cards but also features the newest crop of Generation IX Pokémon from the Nintendo Switch’s Scarlet and Violet games. Twilight Masquerade is the sixth expansion in the TCG’s Scarlet & Violet Series that will contain over 160 cards that specifically pull from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Teal Mask DLC. This marks the Pokémon TCG debut of Legendary Pokémon Okidogi, Munkidori, Fezandipiti, and Ogerpon, the latter of whom will be available in all of its Terastallized forms—each of which is destined to revolutionize any player’s deck and become a true metagame threat. 

Additionally, Twilight Masquerade includes seven new Pokémon-ex cards—like Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex and Sinistcha ex—and seven Tera Pokémon ex cards, such as Greninja, Magcargo, and Dragapult. Add to that six ACE SPEC Cards, 21 illustration rare Pokémon cards, 11 special illustration rare Pokémon cards, and six hyper rare gold etched cards and players are left with an epic new TCG expansion that beautifully illustrates why Scarlet and Violet’s Teal Mask DLC and Terastalized Pokémon have been such a success and represent Pokémon‘s bright future. ACE SPEC cards are one of the best ways to turn the tide in battle, whether it’s through powering up Pokémon or easily searching through one’s deck, and Twilight Masquerade is full of advantageous Trainer and Energy cards that are a must for any competitive player. 

Even Pokémon TCG fans who collect rather than battle will be impressed with Twilight Masquerade’s illustration, special illustration and hyper rare gold etched cards, which are just gorgeous showpieces that make Generation IX’s Paldean Pokémon look the best that they ever have. Best of all, Booster Packs and Elite Trainer Boxes give collectors and gamers several options on how they’ll develop their decks.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG’s first 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection that closed out 2023 and basically printed money proved to be the game’s best selling set yet. Less than a year later, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG has released the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II that brings together more beloved and classic cards—some of which haven’t been available for close to a decade—-for a reasonable price—making it a great way to celebrate the game and its unique cards. Not just for veterans, the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II is one big love letter to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise that’s also perfect entry point for curious newcomers. 

There’s a lot to love in this new expansion, but for many, the prospect of easily obtaining Silent Magician, Silent Swordsman, Magicians’ Souls, and Accesscode Talker is enough of a reason to indulge in the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II. Previously, these cards would run for hundreds of dollars and plenty of duelists gave up hope of ever adding them to their decks, but the 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II restores hope to Yu-Gi-Oh! fans. 

Each Rarity Collection II card pack is like a mini Birthday present that spoils the player with two Secret Rares, four Ultra Rares, and three Super Rares! That’s twice as many Ultra and Secret Rares per pack as the previous 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection, and there’s technically the possibility of winding up with up to six luxury rares per pack! 

The 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II—much like Twilight Masquerade—is full of stunning variant artwork (like a biker version of I:P Masquerena and a fierce version of Rescue Cat) that duelists will want to frame when they’re not using them to dominate their opponents. Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II is the perfect burst of nostalgia that resurrects so many Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG rarities and deep cuts, while also reinventing them for a whole new crowd of duelists. 

Both Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary Rarity Collection II and Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet – Twilight Masquerade are available now at card retailers and hobby shops. Competitive players and collectors can find these decks now at eBay. It’s never been a better time to be a fan of the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Games.