Let’s discuss the greatest Blastoise cards ever produced.

The evolved form of Wartortle, and the final form of Squirtle, Blastoise is an original Pokémon that is instantly recognizable for most fans of the series. Blastoise is the game mascot of the Japanese and international versions of Pokémon Blue, and appears on the boxart of both editions. 

Blastoise has featured on 25 different cards since it debuted in the 1999 Base Set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. There are also a couple of earlier Blastoise cards to chase, with many working out to be exceptionally valuable if they’re in pristine condition. 

We’ve put together a list containing 10 of the best Blastoise Pokémon cards to collect, with lots of information about the various sets, and the Pokémon cards themselves. 

The Most Valuable Blastoise Cards

We’ve included some of the best Blastoise cards ever below, factoring in for everything from values to rarity. We’ve also tried to include something to suit every budget, starting with a couple of entry-level options.

10. 2022 Pokemon Go Radiant Blastoise (eBay)

We’ll begin with an entry-level card found in the 2022 Pokémon Go collection.

Introduced in the Astral Radiance expansion, Radiant Pokémon cards are identified by an exclusive foil, and feature Shiny versions of the Pokémon in question.

The Radiant Blastoise has a yellow background, set against a simple image of the water Pokémon in an attacking stance. It’s not especially expensive as of now, but it’s still one of the chase cards within the set. Expect to pay anywhere between $15-$20. 

Check prices of 2022 Pokémon Go Radiant Blastoise on eBay

9. 2010 Pokemon HG & SS Prerelease Staff Blastoise #13 (eBay)

Staff release cards are far rarer than average. They can be identified thanks to a small stamp located on the bottom left of the Pokémon artwork. This 2010 Blastoise is part of the Unleashed set, and was given away at a prerelease event to promote the expansion. Lower grades are reasonably affordable, but pieces rise rapidly depending on the condition.

Check prices of 2010 Pokemon HG & SS Prerelease Staff Blastoise on eBay

8. 1998 P.M. Japanese Blastoise CD Promo #9 (eBay)

Heading back to before the turn of the millennium, the Japanese CD Promo set contains all three of the evolved starter Pokemon from Gen I. The Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur from this set are some of the most PSA-graded cards in existence, so it’s not the most valuable option by any means. 

Check prices of 1998 P.M. Japanese Blastoise CD Promo on eBay

7. 2002 Pokemon Japanese eCard Promo Blastoise #013/P (eBay) 

The 2002 Pokémon Starter Triple Red Green Course Blastoise was given away as a lottery prize in Japan. Players had to collect three tokens from e-series Starter Decks and mail them back while attached to a postcard for entry. 

5,000 winners received the “Red/Green Course” prize containing Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard. (Another 5,000 were Gold Silver Course sets, containing Meganium, Feraligatr, and Typhlosion.)

Sometimes sold as a trio, the ‘Zard is always going to be the most popular card from this promo set. The Blastoise isn’t too bad either! 

Check prices of 2002 Pokemon Japanese eCard Promo Blastoise on eBay

6. 1995 Pokemon Japanese Topsun Blastoise #9 (eBay)

In terms of the earliest Pokémon cards, the 1999 set tends to be seen as the original by most fans. However, the Topsun set is also worth mentioning, as they’re slabbed as a 1995 collection. 

Blue Back Topsun cards hold significant value over their Green Back variants that were printed afterwards. Even rarer is the illusive No Number versions of the cards that are missing the number in the upper left-hand corner. 

Check prices of 1995 P.M. Japanese Topsun Blastoise on eBay

5. 2002 Pokemon Expedition Blastoise Holo #4 (eBay)

2002 Expedition is the first set to be compatible with Nintendo’s e-reader, which gave players advanced information about their cards, via strips on the left and the bottom of the card. 

Another imposing image of Blastoise takes centerstage, making for one of the more memorable TCG cards from the era. 

Check prices of 2002 Pokemon Expedition Blastoise Holo on eBay

4. 2000 Pokemon Team Rocket 1st Edition Holo Dark Blastoise #3 (eBay)

Dark Blastoise is one of the most popular Pokémon found in the 2000 Team Rocket expansion. (Dark Pokémon are a corrupted version of their normal species.)

Undoubtedly one of the best Blastoise cards to collect, Team Rocket is only the 5th expansion of the Pokémon TCG. It was released in April, 2000, and it’s more abundant than the base set Blastoise seen below. There are 199 PSA 10 graded copies at the current time of writing. 

Check prices of 2000 Pokemon Team Rocket 1st Edition Holo Dark Blastoise on eBay

3. 1996 P.M. Japanese Bandai Blastoise Prism #9 (eBay)

An option which won’t fit the bill if you’re solely interested in Blastoise Pokémon cards from the TCG, this 1996 release is still one of the more valuable collectibles to feature the imposing monster. This Japanese card is from the Bandai Carddass set, which was released in September 1996, and features all 151 original Pokémon from generation I.

Charizard, Mew, Mewtwo, Blastoise and Venusaur are available in both green and red prisms.

Check prices of 1995 P.M. Japanese Bandai Blastoise on eBay

2. 1995 Pokemon Japanese Topsun Blastoise Holofoil #9 (eBay)

Topsun cards are slabbed as a 1995 set, while it was originally given away with gum, having been produced by Top-Seika in Japan. All 151 original Pokémon can be found in the Topsun collection, excluding Mew. 

(The image of Blastoise is the same used for the Pokémon Blue handheld game.)

The holofoil Topsun version is actually rarer than both the blue and green backed base copies mentioned above, matched only by the unnumbered Blastoise card that has never been graded higher than a 9 by PSA. 

Check prices of 1995 Pokemon Japanese Topsun Blastoise Holofoil on eBay

1. 1999 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set Blastoise #2 (eBay)

1999 First Edition Shadowless Pokémon cards are legendary amongst Pokémon card collectors. It helped to kick off the craze around the world, which is still going strong as of 2022. (The term Shadowless is used to describe cards that are missing shadow details next to the artwork, found on the right side.)

Blastoise has its cannons at the ready in an iconic image. (It’s used for the Pokémon Blue Game Boy box art.) There are roughly 100 Gem Mint 1st Edition versions at the current time of writing, while an eye-watering $33,334 was the last sale price for a PSA 10 copy. 

Collectors are willing to pay a high premium for the best 1999 1st Edition Pokémon cards, and it’s hard to do much better than Blastoise. Of course, there’s one obvious exception to the rule in the form of Charizard. 

Check prices of 1999 First Edition Shadowless Base set Blastoise on eBay 

Buyers Guide 

We’ve put together a buyer’s guide looking at the current market for the best Blastoise cards to collect. 

There are various cheaper Blastoise cards as you begin to work your way up the list. Only the highest grades tend to sell for more than four figures, so it’s not difficult to begin a Blastoise Pokémon card collection of your own. 

The 1999 First Edition Shadowless Blastoise card is the best investment piece to collect by a wide margin. That’s reflected in the asking price for higher grades, as it offers a nostalgic hit for collectors of a certain age. It’s the most valuable Blastoise card of all-time.

Final Thoughts 

Blastoise is always going to be a popular Pokémon with collectors, and that’s what counts when it comes to values and overall interest in its best cards from the hobby. No, it doesn’t match up to Charizard when all is said and done. 

However, it’s a viable alternative investment option, with a large fan base that remembers it fondly via the games, the anime, and the TCG. In fact, we’d list it in second overall, just behind its fiery starter alternative.