Over three years of build-up have led to a singular crowning moment. What was at first a rocky start, quickly picked up traction through the later half of its lifespan. The Sword and Shield era is finally coming to a close with the release of Scarlet and Violet on November 18th. Sword and Shield has had a very interesting run, being the set that ushered in a new era of Pokemon card collecting. Through Logan Paul's many ludicrous purchases, a viral pandemic, a scalper pandemic, and fights inside of retail stores, card collecting has never been so mainstream and as difficult as it has been in recent years. This being said, many great sets have come out in this time, and the investment value of Pokemon cards is undeniable at this point. To round out one of the best time periods in Pokemon history, it's only fitting that one of the very best sets of all time is released to commemorate it.
Crown Zenith, Sword and Shield's 17th set, will release on January 20th in both America and Europe. It will essentially contain cards from two main groups: those released in Japan's version of this set, VSTAR Universe, and also any other Japanese cards that have been unreleased in an English set so far. The card list is nothing short of jaw-dropping, containing some of the most artistic talent and range yet to be seen in a Pokemon set. Obviously journalism is meant to be objective, but it undeniable that this is going to be one of the most well received card sets for modern Pokemon. The set will contain 160+ cards, as well as 70 Galarian Gallery cards. These cards will be seen in Japan's VSTAR Universe, and are a beautiful new classification of card, denoted by their superb and unique artwork.
Crown Zenith will follow in the footsteps of every other 'special set' before it, meaning that it will only be available within its own products. The products will be in retail between the months of January and May, meaning you should have ample time in order to get your hands on the products and cards you want, and not have to worry about scalpers as much as you normally would. In addition to the set's long print run, the products' release dates will be staggered as well. At the end of this article will be images of all of the currently known products, in order for soonest to come out to latest.
Crown Zenith will truly be the crowning jewel of the Sword and Shield series, encapsulating all of what makes it so memorable. So many older Pokemon received new forms in this generation, and simply got recognition through the releases of Legends: Arceus and the BDSP games. This set will be one to commemorate all of what the past few years have been about.
While Sword and Shield may have initially been a set of games critiqued for their really awful looking trees, lack of a national dex, and a bland first few card sets, both the games and the cards have grown so much more since then, and become something that fans will love and appreciate for a long time. Undoubedly, this set will be a love letter to Pokemon fans and a perfect goodbye to the eighth generation of Pokemon.
The following products will be released on January 20th:
The products below will be released on February 17th:
The products below will be released on March 17th:
The products below will be released on April 14th:
The products below will be released on May 5th:
