Tomokazu Komiya is one of the wildest, most fearless artists to ever touch a Pokémon card. Since bursting onto the scene in 1997, he’s made a name for himself with messy textures, bent-up perspectives, and colors that practically shout off the cardstock. He didn’t just draw Pokémon, he turned trading cards into tiny fine art pieces, growing from a weird outsider artist into one of the most beloved names in the whole TCG world.
Disclosure: We use referral links to our partner marketplaces, such as eBay and TCGplayer, for some of the collectibles featured on this page. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It's a simple way to support our writers.
His crowning achievement might be the Psyduck 286/SM-P “The Scream” promo, a real-deal team-up with the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum that riffs on Edvard Munch’s iconic painting. Build a binder around his work, with a showstopper like that Psyduck leading the way, and you’ve basically got your own pocket-sized art gallery.
10. Oricorio (GG04/GG70 – Crown Zenith)
This one comes from the Crown Zenith Galarian Gallery, and it’s peak Komiya: loose, expressive linework paired with bold blocks of color. Baile Style Oricorio strikes a big, theatrical pose in front of a background stuffed with playful geometric shapes. Hot pink tones and rough, raw texture bring out all the drama and fire of the Dancing Pokémon. Fans love it because it takes what could’ve been a plain rare and turns it into something you’d expect to see hanging in a gallery.
9. Brute Bonnet (207/182 – Paradox Rift)
Brute Bonnet got the full trippy treatment as an Illustration Rare in Paradox Rift. This ancient paradox Pokémon is dropped into a wild, kaleidoscope jungle packed with strange plants and thick, layered textures. Komiya leans into a rough, almost primitive art style that fits the creature’s eerie, unfinished vibe perfectly. There’s so much going on visually that collectors keep spotting new little details every time they look at it.
8. Karrablast (094/086 – Black Bolt)
This Secret Rare proves Komiya can turn even a simple Bug-type into pure chaos. Karrablast leaps through a crackling, electric background made of sharp pencil marks and scratchy texture. The speed lines and punchy contrast make it feel like a single frame ripped from an experimental animated short. It’s an underrated pick that shows off how Komiya uses rough, sketchy strokes to build serious energy.
7. Arctibax (209/193 – Paldea Evolved)
Arctibax links the whole Frigibax-to-Baxcalibur evolution line together, and it does it beautifully. It stands tall on a bright, textured icy landscape done in Komiya’s signature pastel style. Soft pinks, purples, and blues turn a chilly setting into something dreamy and warm instead. Paired with its pre-evolution and final form, it’s one of the most iconic art trios of the whole Scarlet & Violet era.
6. Frigibax (208/193 – Paldea Evolved)
Frigibax kicks off Komiya’s dragon-line trilogy on a fun, lighthearted note. The tiny Dragon-type slides down a rainbow river of ice that cuts through a dreamy, rolling landscape. Komiya’s childlike style and loose watercolor textures capture all the joy of a young Pokémon just having fun. It gives this basic little dragon a festive, memorable spotlight all its own.
5. Kecleon (088/076 – Crimson Haze / Mask of Change)
This Illustration Rare Kecleon is a perfect match for the chameleon Pokémon’s whole gimmick. Kecleon nearly disappears into a packed, rainbow jungle full of curling vines, flowers, and mosaic patterns. Thick, textured oil-pastel strokes blur the line between the Pokémon and its surroundings on purpose. It turns the card into a real game of hide-and-seek you can hold in your hand.
4. Baxcalibur (210/193 – Paldea Evolved)
Baxcalibur is the big finale to Komiya’s three-card dragon evolution line, and it delivers. The massive Ice/Dragon-type leaps through the air against a colorful, mosaic-style architectural backdrop. Komiya plays the monster’s huge silhouette against a soft, whimsical pastel palette for a striking contrast. It’s a cornerstone card of the whole Scarlet & Violet set, proving a competitive powerhouse can be a work of art too.
3. Drowzee (210/198 – Scarlet & Violet Base)
Drowzee is often called one of Komiya’s absolute best cards in the modern era. It drops Drowzee into a hazy, fever-dream carnival, complete with a looming Ferris wheel and warped neon lights. That dreamy, unsettling mood fits Drowzee’s whole deal as a dream-eating, hypnosis-slinging Pokémon perfectly. Collectors fell hard for its creepy-yet-charming look the moment it dropped.
2. Galarian Slowking V (179/198 – Chilling Reign)
This Alternate Art card is Komiya at his strangest and most memorable. Galarian Slowking chants over a bubbling potion, surrounded by wild, primitive-looking patterns. Earthy tones mixed with glowing neon give it the feel of an ancient ritual pulled straight from a storybook. It became one of the most chased alternate arts of the entire Sword & Shield era.
1. Eevee & Snorlax GX (SM169 – Sun & Moon Black Star Promo)
Taking the top spot, this Tag Team promo is the ultimate Komiya moment. Snorlax happily chows down on berries while a tiny Eevee sits snug on its lap. Komiya’s textured, storybook art style packs the scene full of warmth, charm, and gentle humor. It’s a timeless favorite that blends Komiya’s quirky style with pure, universal cuteness.
While these full-art illustrations get all the spotlight, Komiya’s legacy actually stretches way back to vintage gems like Bulbasaur 95/165 from the Expedition Base Set. He’s also a master of quiet, connected storytelling on standard cards, like the fun little pairing between Hypno 51/122 and Clefairy 81/122 from BREAKpoint.
Beyond the big chase cards, there’s a whole world of budget-friendly commons and uncommons carrying his same unmistakable style. At the end of the day, collecting Komiya has no price ceiling, whether you’re chasing grails or just grabbing cheap commons, every card adds real art to your binder.
Disclosure: Links on this page use a referral system that helps support the content, at no extra cost to you.
