Arceus

Arceus in Sinnoh mythology: the Original One

Sinnoh's myths say a single egg appeared in a void of chaos before anything else existed. Arceus hatched from it and shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms, then created the eggs of Dialga, Palkia and Giratina and of the lake guardians Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. Folklore calls it the Original One, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus shows the people of ancient Hisui worshiping it as almighty Sinnoh.

Arceus on cards: the AR subset, LV.X, a Tag Team GX and VSTAR

Arceus's Diamond & Pearl era cards include a run of DP Black Star Promos, among them DP50, credited to Kunihiko Yuyama. The card game also named a full set after it: Arceus (November 2009), the last set of the Diamond & Pearl era, gave it three Arceus LV.X cards and a nine-card subset of Arceus Rares numbered AR1 to AR9 drawn by artists including kawayoo, Mitsuhiro Arita and Kagemaru Himeno.

Cosmic Eclipse (2019) combined it with Dialga and Palkia in a Tag Team GX, printed as an Ultra Rare and a Secret Rare. Brilliant Stars (2022) introduced Arceus VSTAR, including two Secret Rare versions by 5ban Graphics, and Crown Zenith's Galarian Gallery added another Secret Rare Arceus VSTAR, illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA, in 2023.

Collecting Arceus

Arceus appears in relatively few sets, but its printings cluster around two high points: the 2009 Arceus set, where the AR subset and LV.X cards make a complete run a project in itself, and the Sword & Shield era's Arceus VSTAR cards. Its place at the top of Sinnoh's mythology also ties it to Dialga, Palkia and Giratina collections.

Cards to know

• Arceus (DP Black Star Promos #DP50)

  A Diamond & Pearl era Black Star Promo credited to Kunihiko Yuyama.

• Arceus LV.X (Arceus #94)

  One of three Arceus LV.X cards from the 2009 Arceus set, illustrated by Shizurow.

• Arceus (Arceus #AR1)

  The first card of the Arceus set's AR1 to AR9 subset, illustrated by kawayoo.

• Arceus & Dialga & Palkia GX (Cosmic Eclipse #258)

  The Secret Rare version of the Tag Team GX uniting Arceus with Dialga and Palkia, from 2019.

• Arceus VSTAR (Brilliant Stars #176)

  A Secret Rare Arceus VSTAR illustrated by 5ban Graphics, from 2022.

• Arceus VSTAR (Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery #GG70)

  A Secret Rare illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA, from Crown Zenith's 2023 Galarian Gallery subset.