What are the best Pokémon Trainer cards? These essential support cards have been around since the TCG started in 1996, and there are many hundreds to choose from – but we’ve narrowed it down to just five, based on how powerful, rare, iconic, or just downright beautiful the card is. Any one of these cards would be a superb choice – some for in-game effects, others for value.
One of these cards earns its place here by pure celebrity, as one of the most expensive Pokémon cards ever printed, while others are simply the coolest representations of fan favorite characters in their respective Pokémon sets.
For many collectors, Trainer cards in the Pokémon trading card game can be just as exciting as the monsters themselves. As supporting cards that allow players to search their deck, draw cards, or activate other potent in-game effects, they’re also a staple in the best Pokémon decks – so getting to know them is essential for any player!
The best Pokémon Trainer cards are:
No.1 trainer
The No.1 trainer is included here based on star power alone, as it’s one of the rarest Pokémon cards of all time. A promotional card given to finalists of the 1999 Secret Super Battle Tournament, only seven copies of this card are said to exist. A profesionally graded No.1 trainer in mint condition was sold at auction for $90,000 / £64,750 back in 2020, so these trainer cards are no joke for collectors.
Cynthia
Cynthia is one the Sinnoh region’s Pokémon champions, and she first appeared in the Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Pokémon videogames. As well as being a memorable character, Cynthia is also a particularly useful Supporter card from the Ultra Prism expansion.
This card allows you to shuffle your hand into your deck and then draw six new cards. There are several other trainer cards that allow you to draw six cards, but Cynthia’s option to shuffle out a bad hand will come in – well, handy.
Steven
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire’s Hoenn region champion, the Steven Stone trainer card that earns its place in this guide comes from the Roaring Skies expansion. His trainer card’s deck-searching ability earns Steven a place in our hearts.
This card lets you find, reveal, and then add a Supporter and Basic Energy card to your hand. Given that Basic Energy is core to the TCG’s gameplay, the usefulness of this card is a no-brainer. You will need to shuffle your deck after you’ve found what you need, of course.
Professor Juniper
No Pokémon trainer card guide would be complete without at least one professor. We’ve chosen Professor Juniper of the Unova Region (and Black & White TCG expansion) for several reasons.
Firstly, she’s an iconic professor as the one first women to take on the role in the videogame and anime. Secondly, the full art version of her trainer card is gorgeous (and it’ll fetch a pretty penny online, though nowhere near No.1 trainer numbers). And thirdly, the chance to discard your deck and draw a new one is a powerful ability, even if it is a little similar to Cynthia’s card ability – at least with this card, there’s no chance of getting the cards you just discarded back straight away.
Pokémon Centre Lady
Also known as Nurse Joy in the anime, she’s simply called Pokémon Centre Lady in the TCG. Many of the cards in this guide focus on searching for and drawing cards, but Pokémon Centre Lady offers an equally helpful ability – the card lets you heal 60 damage and remove all Special Conditions from one Pokémon. Clearly, Nurse Joy is as caring on paper as she is on TV.
For more Pokémon TCG goodness, check out our top 10 best Pokémon cards in the world, chosen for their power, good looks, and community impact – or our explainer on all the other Pokémon card types.
Alternatively, to learn more about the world of Pokémon, get up to date with our list of every single Legendary Pokémon, and or compendium answering the eternal question: how many Pokémon are there now?