Jirachi

Jirachi in animation: Wish Maker and beyond

Jirachi's defining appearance is the sixth Pokémon movie, Jirachi: Wish Maker, released in Japan in 2003 and on home video in North America in 2004. It wakes during the week of the Millennium Comet and picks Max as its friend, while the magician Butler schemes to use its power to revive Groudon. At the end of the film Jirachi returns to its thousand-year sleep.

Its first appearance in the main anime series came much later, in the Best Wishes episode "Searching for a Wish!," where it grants a girl's wish to restore her valley.

Jirachi on cards: from Team Magma vs Team Aqua to Radiant Jirachi

Jirachi entered the TCG in the EX era with a Nintendo Black Star promo and Team Magma vs Team Aqua #97, a Mitsuhiro Arita card numbered past the set's 95 official cards. Holo Rares followed in Hidden Legends (2004), Rising Rivals (2009) and Call of Legends (2011), along with Jirachi ex in Crystal Guardians (2006).

The modern eras gave it one special treatment after another. Jirachi-EX arrived in Plasma Blast (2013), Shining Jirachi in Shining Legends (2017), a Prism Star Jirachi ◇ in Celestial Storm (2018) and Jirachi GX in Unified Minds (2019). The Sword & Shield era added an Amazing Rare in Vivid Voltage (2020), Jirachi V in Astral Radiance (2022) and Radiant Jirachi in Silver Tempest (2022).

Cards to know

• Jirachi (Team Magma vs Team Aqua #97)

  A 2004 Mitsuhiro Arita card numbered 97, beyond the set's 95 official cards.

• Jirachi (Hidden Legends #8)

  A 2004 Holo Rare illustrated by Ryo Ueda.

• Jirachi ex (Crystal Guardians #94)

  Jirachi's first ex card, from 2006, illustrated by Shizurow.

• Jirachi-EX (Plasma Blast #98)

  The 2013 full art version of Jirachi-EX by 5ban Graphics.

• Shining Jirachi (Shining Legends #42)

  A 2017 Ultra Rare from the set built around Shining Pokémon.

• Radiant Jirachi (Silver Tempest #120)

  A 2022 Radiant Rare illustrated by Ryuta Fuse.