Meowth

Meowth in the games: Persian's line, plus Alolan and Galarian forms

Meowth is a Normal type that evolves into Persian at level 28. It stands 0.4 meters tall and weighs 4.2 kilograms, with Pickup and Technician as its normal abilities and Unnerve as its hidden ability. Sun and Moon added a Dark type Alolan Meowth, which evolves into Alolan Persian through high friendship, and Sword and Shield added a Steel type Galarian Meowth, which evolves into Perrserker at level 28 instead of Persian. Sword and Shield also gave Meowth a Gigantamax form.

Meowth in the anime: the Meowth who can talk

Team Rocket's Meowth is one of the anime's most recognizable characters, and what sets it apart from other Meowth, and from nearly every other Pokémon in the series, is that it can talk like a human. Traveling with Jessie and James and chasing Ash's Pikachu, it closes out the trio's motto, giving the species a level of screen time most Pokémon never get. The anime gives that skill a cost: the effort Meowth spent learning to speak and walk upright is why it never learned Pay Day, its species' signature move.

Meowth on cards: from Jungle Common to Meowth ex

Meowth's first card appeared in Jungle in 1999, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, and the anime character got cards of its own early: a Team Rocket's Meowth Black Star promo from the Wizards era and a pair of Giovanni's Meowth in Gym Challenge (2000). Our catalog lists 61 Meowth printings across 52 sets, spread fairly evenly across the WOTC (10), Sun & Moon (10), Sword & Shield (9) and EX (8) eras. Kagemaru Himeno is credited on the most of them (8), followed by Mitsuhiro Arita and Kouki Saitou with 5 each.

For an unevolved Pokémon, Meowth has picked up several standout printings: a Secret Rare in Noble Victories (2011), Meowth V and Meowth VMAX promos in the Sword & Shield era, a shiny rare Galarian Meowth in the Shining Fates Shiny Vault (2021), and Illustration Rares in Destined Rivals (2025, as Team Rocket's Meowth) and Phantasmal Flames (2025). Perfect Order (2026) brought its first Meowth ex cards, as a Double Rare, an Ultra Rare and a special illustration rare illustrated by Natsumi Yoshida.

Why collectors care about Meowth

Meowth's anime fame as Team Rocket's talking Pokémon runs through its card history, from Team Rocket's Meowth and Giovanni's Meowth in the Wizards era to Team Rocket's Meowth again in Destined Rivals. On top of decades of plain Common printings sit a Secret Rare, a shiny Galarian Meowth, two Illustration Rares and now a special illustration rare Meowth ex.

Cards to know

• Meowth (Jungle #56)

  Meowth's first card, a 1999 Common illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita.

• Meowth (Noble Victories #102)

  A 2011 Secret Rare, an unusually high-end treatment for an ordinary Meowth, illustrated by Kouki Saitou.

• Galarian Meowth (Shining Fates Shiny Vault #SV086)

  A shiny rare Galarian Meowth from the Shiny Vault subset of Shining Fates (2021).

• Team Rocket's Meowth (Destined Rivals #203)

  A 2025 Illustration Rare illustrated by Shimaris Yukichi.

• Meowth ex (Perfect Order #121)

  Meowth's most recent card, a 2026 special illustration rare illustrated by Natsumi Yoshida and one of its first ex cards.