Scarlet & Violet: Shrouded Fable - Top 10 Most Beautiful Cards

Now that Scarlet/Violet: Shrouded Fable has been released (on August 2nd, 2024), we can finally see which are the most beautiful cards in this set!

10 - Cufant (Illustration Rare - 76/64)

This Pokémon has never been too popular, and overall has been overshadowed by other Pokémon. However, the best thing about this card is the background, the habitat itself, with vivid colors, and the refraction of the light showing us a rainbow. You can also spot the elephants' silhouette on the water through this illustration's simple brushstrokes.

Mina Nakai was responsible for this artwork. She has been working with the Pokémon Company since X/Y: Generations.

You've probably seen her work before, as she created this Koraidon's promo artwork. This card was featured as a promo card in the Scarlet/Violet Base Set's Elite Trainer Box (ETB).

9 - Persian (Illustration Rare - 78/64)

This artwork was created by Whisker, who began working with the Pokémon Company recently. One of their most iconic artworks was Psyduck sv3pt5 175, one of the Illustration Rares in the 151 special set.

Their style includes brush strokes that look like "oil paintings", but they don't use rough outlines around the figures, background, or characters to shape them, as their color work already does that.

The city background is also interesting, as it features the "blur" of night lights at sundown, which is what makes it similar to a Japanese "City Pop" style.

8 - Houndoom (Illustration Rare - 66/64)

This card was created by Taiga Kasai, which won the 2021 Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest with their Greninja PR-SW SWSH305. They also got second place at the 2019 Pokémon Card Game Illustration Grand Prix, with their Charizard illustration.

Their signature is backgrounds based on silhouettes, or the least number of details possible, with a color palette that complements or highlights the Pokémon in question harmoniously.

7 - Duskull, Dusclops & Dusknoir (Illustration Rare - 68/64|69/64|70/64)

The artist behind this card is quite renowned for his work with the Pokémon Company: James Turner.

After almost 20 years, ever since his first illustration (Pansear NXD 15, in Black/White: Next Destinies), he has returned with an entirely different style: it is as if this entire Duskull evolution line was part of a "children's horror book". The idea is to use this Pokémon's evolutions as a base to change the background, and show the Pokémon "stalking" their prey to their "house". First, Duskull did so quite indirectly, on concrete, then Dusclops progressed to inside their backyard, and, eventually, Dusknoir reached the target's back door.

6 - Okidogi ex, Munkidori ex, Fezandipiti ex & Pecharunt ex (Special Illustration Rare - 90/64|91/64|92/64|93/64)

kantaro, the artist behind all of these cards, decided to create an interactive set with them. If you put all four together, you'll create a dynamic scene with Pecharunt and its servants, the Kitakami Trio.

The best thing about them is that, even though black is the most dominant background color, as well as the most dominant color in Pecharunt's chains, the secondary colors in each Pokémon is their palette colors: Okidogi has green, Munkidori has blue, Fezandipiti has orange, and Pecharunt has purple.

This artist first worked with the Pokémon Company when they illustrated Colress's Experiment CRZ GG59 in Sword/Shield: Crown Zenith. However, their most known work was in the Scarlet/Violet block, namely their Miraidon ex Special Illustration Rare, in the Base Set:

5 - Tapu Bulu (Illustration Rare - 65/64)

The artist behind this card is IKEDA Saki, which only recently began working with the Pokémon Company. This is their second work for Pokémon, as the first was Duskull SFA 18.

What I like most in this illustration is the ruins in the background, places forgotten by time, but that are carefully detailed, including every brick. Besides, of course, the richness of the scenery around the Pokémon.

4 - Munkidori (Illustration Rare - 72/64)

This incredible artwork was created by Teeziro, which has already created some incredible works for Pokémon, like the Johto Paradox Beasts, particularly Gouging Fire ex TEF 204.

As usual, this card stands out because of its background, which is rich in detail. The most beautiful feature is, of course, the cherry tree.

3 - Zorua (Illustration Rare - 75/64)

In our third place, we have this card by REND, the winner of the 2022 Pokémon Trading Card Game Illustration Contest with their Arcanine PR-SW SWSH304.

We've already mentioned them when we discussed the most beautiful cards in Temporal Forces, and the most beautiful cards in Twilight Masquerade, with their Chimecho TWM 179 artwork.

The rich details in Zorua's fur and the eastern ceiling tiles with its circle carvings are impressive!

2 - Cresselia (Illustration Rare - 71/64)

In our second spot, we have this artwork by satoma, who has also worked with the Pokémon Company for a long time. They began in Obsidian Flames, with their Dratini sv3 157, but Cresselia SFA 71 is their first Illustration Rare, similar to a "Full Art".

This card is very vivid and Cresselia itself emanates a beautiful light, precisely because of its symbolism in the franchise's lore for being the Pokémon of hope and good dreams, being the counterpart of Darkrai.

1 - Okidogi (Illustration Rare - 74/64)

Finally, in our first spot, we have our beloved Akira Egawa, which needs no introduction!

She is a reference for the Pokémon Company, and her greatest works were precisely the Sinnoh Deities artworks, which we showed in this Crown Zenith article.

This time, she also managed to create incredibly realistic compositions, with a much more serious tone for the Pokémon themselves, and left behind childish or cartoonish details. However, at the same time, she also captured the essence of this Pokémon, much more than Mitsuhiro Arita does currently.

The best thing about this artwork is that it shows Okidogi as an aggressive Pokémon, destroying everything around with punches, in a dynamic, and vivid stance.

What did you think of our list? What are your top 10 most beautiful artworks from Shrouded Fable? Tell us all your thoughts in our comment section below!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!