Dark Explorers Master Set Checklist & Cost

Variants in the Dark Explorers master set

Only three variant families make up the Dark Explorers master set: normal prints, reverse holos and holos. The normal family is the largest at 100 slots, with 96 reverse holo slots close behind. Reverse holos are carried by the common, uncommon and rare cards, so each of those rarities adds a second slot in the binder. The 11 holo slots sit apart from that pairing. There are no stamped or edition-marked families in this master set, which keeps the checklist simple to read and to track.

Where the Dark Explorers master set's cost sits

The Dark Explorers master set cost is top-heavy. As of October 24, 2026, the ten most valuable slots hold 69 percent of the total value, while the lower-value half of the priced slots holds just 2 percent. Only 207 of the 207 slots carry a price, so every slot counts toward the totals. Normal prints account for 55 percent of the value, holos 23 percent and reverse holos 22 percent. Condition matters too: an LP and up master set sits 9 percent below the Near Mint total, and MP and up sits 14 percent below.

Written from market data as of October 24, 2026; the tables update live.

• Top 10 slots70%
• Normal slots58%
• Holo slots21%
• Reverse holo slots21%
• Lower-value half1.7%

Shares of the master set’s priced value, from the slot prices in the checklist above.

Hardest Dark Explorers master set slots

Five slots carry 54 percent of the Dark Explorers master set's total value. The top slot is the Secret Rare Gardevoir holo, followed by four Ultra Rare EX cards in their normal prints: Darkrai-EX, Groudon-EX, Raikou-EX and Kyogre-EX. None of the five is a variant slot, so the difficulty here sits in the main prints of the chase cards rather than in a hidden reverse holo. Finishing the lower-value slots is routine by comparison, and these five decide how long the set takes.

Most valuable slots

1. 1Gardevoir · Holo · Secret Rare$946.33
2. 2Darkrai-EX · Normal · Ultra Rare$822.10
3. 3Kyogre-EX · Normal · Ultra Rare$504.48
4. 4Groudon-EX · Normal · Ultra Rare$427.46
5. 5Entei-EX · Normal · Ultra Rare$399.99
6. 6Raikou-EX · Normal · Ultra Rare$322.07
7. 7Archeops · Holo · Secret Rare$170.24
8. 8Umbreon · Reverse Holo · Uncommon$116.97
9. 9Pokémon Catcher · Normal · Secret Rare$99.67
10. 10Umbreon · Reverse Holo · Uncommon$98.12

How the Dark Explorers master set compares

At 207 slots, the Dark Explorers master set is about 1.1 times the Black & White era median of 184 slots. By master set value it ranks 3rd among the 12 comparable sets of its era. The previous set, Next Destinies, is a smaller job at 180 slots and its master set holds less value. The next set, Dragons Exalted, is larger at 219 slots, yet its master set also holds less value, so Dark Explorers is the more valuable run of the three.