One of the more popular Eeveelutions, we’ve rounded up five of the best Espeon Pokemon cards to collect. Be prepared for some eye-watering values.  

Espeon was introduced in Gen II, as one of Eevee’s many final forms (Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon). It has featured on 24 cards since making its debut, including trainer versions and VMAX cards. 

With so many cards to choose from, it can be tough to figure out which is best overall. We’ve narrowed it down to a list with our top five options. 

The Best Espeon Cards

We’ve considered typical values, rarity, the year of release, and the overall design when picking this list with the best Espeon cards ever. 

5. 2019 XY Sword & Shield Japanese Espeon VMAX #189SP (eBay)

The English version of Espeon VMAX is found in 2021 Pokemon Sword & Shield Fusion Strike packs, but we’re checking out the popular Japanese Eevee Heroes version of the card.

Featuring a great illustration of the giant Eevee evolution as it rests on a rooftop, the Espeon VMAX ultra-rare card is a sight to behold. Even ungraded copies are fairly valuable as of December 2022. 

(The English version is undoubtedly the best hit you can find in the Fusion Strike collection, and should be slightly cheaper.)

Check prices of 2019 XY Sword & Shield Japanese Espeon VMAX on eBay

4. 2005 Pokemon Golden Sky Silvery Ocean Espeon ex #41 (eBay)

Sticking with Japanese cards for the time being, Espeon ex is found in 2005 EX Golden Sky, Silvery Ocean. (The expansion was released as Unseen Forces in English.) The fourth main expansion in Japan, the ‘ex’ stands for extra, as it comes with a special attack. 

The shiny border also helps it to stand out from others on the list. 

Check prices of 2005 Pokemon Golden Sky Silvery Ocean Espeon ex on eBay

3. 2001 Pokemon Neo Discovery Holo 1st Edition Espeon #1 (eBay)

Heading back to 2001, the Neo Discovery expansion is where you’ll find the first ever English Espeon Pokemon card. 

The set focuses on Gen II monsters, and there are 1st Edition versions available in English, German, French, and Italian. These can be identified by a small stamp located underneath the artwork on the left hand side. There are fewer than 100 PSA 10 graded copies, and it’s worth a serious chunk of change:

Check prices of 2001 Pokemon Neo Discovery Holo 1st Edition Espeon on eBay

2. 2007 Organized Play Series 5 Espeon Gold Star R #4 (eBay)

This rare Gold Star release from 2007 is up next. A prize card, Espeon and Umbreon were the best hits, and could only be acquired by players who collected Pokémon Players Club points. 

The Espeon 025/PLAY card required 40,000 EXP points, while Umbreon 026/PLAY needed 70,000 points. As you may have guessed, they’re some of the more valuable cards to make this list due to their rarity, and can easily sell for a five figure fee. 

Check prices of 2007 Organized Play Series 5 Espeon Gold Star R on eBay

1. 2002 Pokemon Neo Destiny Holo 1st Edition Dark Espeon #4 (eBay)

The 2002 Pokémon Neo Destiny expansion is where you’ll find Dark Espeon. (Dark Pokemon are often more powerful than their normal counterparts, while they have a brown and black artwork window, Evolution box and Pokédex box, rather than the usual gold.) 

The addition of a 1st Edition stamp underneath the artwork is the main reason why it’s so valuable, with only 51 PSA 10 graded copies at the current time of writing. Pristine copies are currently valued at just over $3,000.

Check prices of 2002 Pokemon Neo Destiny Holo 1st Edition Dark Espeon on eBay

Why are Espeon cards so popular?

It’s a key Eeveelution, with a large number of fans worldwide. The early releases are reasonably rare if you’re looking at PSA 10 graded copies, which is always going to help to increase values at the upper end. Espeon was also included as a shiny new Eeveelution back in 2001, and nostalgia also has a large role to play. 

The Best Espeon Cards: Final Thoughts 

It’s never a struggle to sell Espeon cards, as one of the more memorable Eeveelutions included in a number of classic sets. It’s a firm fan favourite, and can easily sell for a lot of cash if it’s wrapped in a graded slab. 

There aren’t many downsides, even if the average collector is going to be priced out of grabbing pristine copies. As always, ungraded versions should be cheaper, and many of the sets were produced in a variety of languages. (Anything aside from English should be more affordable.)