Verdict

Pokémon Ascended Heroes isn’t just a brilliant high-value set with plenty of chases and an exciting way to say goodbye to the Scarlet & Violet era. As the biggest expansion ever, it's also a truly engaging challenge to complete, making every pull feel worthwhile. Sure, SIRs are scarcer, but at least when I get one, I know I’ll be screaming in joy.

Pros

Absolutely stunning chase cards
An enormous set you can't help but want to complete

Cons

So many cards it'll be challenging to master set

Pokémon Ascended Heroes is finally here - well, technically. While the expansion launched late last month, its Elite Trainer Boxes (the typical tentpole launch product for new Pokémon sets) were released this past week, on Friday, February 20, 2026. Kicking off the 30th Anniversary celebrations, I'm happy to confirm that Ascended Heroes is one of my favorite sets of all time. Despite not receiving any of those SIR chases I had my hopes on, the expansion is ridiculously fun to rip - so long as you can actually find any packs.

As a 'high-value set' for the Pokémon TCG, the Ascended Heroes range doesn't include the colossal 36-pack booster boxes we see in others. Instead, the set is limited to ETBs, booster bundles (coming in April 2026), and a variety of blisters - there will also likely be an Ultra Premium Collection in the future, much like Prismatic Evolutions. That does mean individual packs aren't part of the usual sales, so any retailers selling individual boosters are ripping them out of multipacks and selling them separately - typically at a higher price than standard boosters, to boot.

The chases and excellent pull rates

Fortunately, I managed to score 28 packs of Pokémon Ascended Heroes so far, made up of two Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Boxes and two Tech Sticker Collections, and I've also made it my goal to collect a full set.

It's the soulslike of Pokémon collecting, so to speak, with 295 cards in total - and once you include all the different reverse holos to be found, that number creeps up past 600. I mistakenly (read: stupidly) thought my Prismatic Evolutions binder would fit my entire collection - once I have it all - but it seems that won't be the case.

That does make collecting all of them a difficult mission, but it's also one I've taken on proudly, and it's made the chase more fun. I haven't managed to score an SIR just yet - which, considering it's only 28 packs, isn't surprising. But even the IRs are so stunning that I'm not frustrated and, in my personal experience so far, the pull rates have been pretty fantastic. In 28 packs, I've had three Illustrated Rares, one Ultra Rare, plenty of 'ex' hits, and my biggest win has easily been the adorable Budew card - which I was ridiculously happy to add to my collection.

From a collector's standpoint (as I don't play competitively) it helps that all of the chases are absolutely stunning, and I'd certainly be putting up a display shelf if I a) had any of them, or b) had the know-how to put up a shelf. I've drummed on about Mega Dragonite being one of the most beautiful cards I've ever laid my eyes on, even in its digital format, and the Mega Gengar is unsurprisingly powerful and eerie in all its glory.

But they're just the beginning of a whole range of standout SIRs that I haven't mentioned, including two different versions of Pikachu, as well as the ridiculous array of Illustrated Rares, including the pretty little Budew I scored.

As a kick-off for Pokémon TCG's 30th Anniversary, Ascended Heroes is a doozy full of cards that feel like a straight injection of carefree joy right in the childhood. Besides my beloved Giratina, all of my favorites are here - Dragonite, Gengar, Rayquaza, Pikachu, Zekrom, Reshiram, and the cutie who deserves an IR, Togepi. It's really playing into my bias as an Elder Fan but, as someone who thinks the entire franchise peaked around the Pokémon Platinum era, well, I'm all in on this newest set.

The other side of the Gholdengo coin

Of course, like a double-sided Honedge, the colossal amount of cards to collect for a full master set is both a massive benefit and a big downside to Ascended Heroes. The sheer variety of singles I'll need to buy is unbelievable, and two distinct reverse holo versions for every single common makes the idea of a full set nothing but a pipe dream right now. That vast card pool makes scoring an IR or above even more challenging, with reverse holos counting as 'hits' - but naturally it also makes for a bigger rush when you eventually pull those coveted cards.

Let's also address the Dollar-sign Donphan in the room. It may not be The Pokémon Company's fault or problem, but Ascended Heroes is ridiculously expensive on the secondary market right now, even beating out last year's Prismatic Evolutions. It doesn't affect my review score, but in reality, you'll be spending an absolute bomb unless you score retail-priced products. I wouldn't personally spend over the typical price, but if you want to, there's no shortage of listings on Walmart or TCGPlayer, if you're looking to spend a little extra to avoid waiting - or in many cases, a lot extra.

Unfortunately, that's a symptom of the hype period we're still stuck in, and considering the monumental milestone Ascended Heroes is releasing alongside (three decades of Pokémon is a lot), that's sadly going to remain normal for the foreseeable. As more Ascended Heroes products are printed and released, though, things may change. Especially with the looming shadow of the eventual 'celebration' set taking eyes off it, it's possible that my favorite set of the last few years will drop in price.

Verdict

Pokémon Ascended Heroes is a behemoth of an expansion, boasting almost 300 cards to collect, from those handy commons to the all-too-rare SIRs. It's bolstered up with some of the best chases since the Sword & Shield era, and I'm even willing to look past the double-whammy of Mega Hyper Rares available in this latest expansion, simply because the assortment is absolutely smashing.

Sure, it's a huge undertaking to complete a master set, with extra reverse holos making it a massive 600+ expansion. That's both a blessing and a curse, but at least it's making me genuinely excited to fully complete the master set. After three decades of Pokémon, Ascended Heroes feels like a truly enticing way to kick off the celebrations, and it is worth buying - at a good price, of course.