Pitch Black's Top Chase Card is Our Darkest Pull Yet

The secret rare cards for the upcoming Pokémon TCG set, Pitch Black, releasing on July 17, 2026, are trickling in, and one card is catching everyone’s eye – the new and insane card art featuring Mega Darkrai ex.

This Mega Darkrai ex SIR was leaked thanks to its inclusion in the Japanese Abyss Eye set – the very set that Pitch Black is almost entirely based on. However, it really is nothing like anything we’ve seen before in the Pokémon TCG.

Perfectly in line with Darkrai’s darker thematic origins, this image calls to mind several things simultaneously. For starters Darkrai looks to be very much the “Abyss Eye” in this artwork. That’s not only in line with the title of the Japanese set: it’s also the very first attack on Darkrai’s card.

And while we have certainly had “darker” themed Pokémon cards in the past – think Giratina V’s alt art from Lost Origin or Lugia V from Silver Tempest – nothing quite hits as hard as this latest card. In it, Darkrai can be seen emerging from the eye of the abyss, its head poking out from the dark, looking like a creature that would be perfectly at home in one of Tim Burton’s better films.

Mega Darkrai ex SIR totally fits the vibe of the set

Mega Darkrai ex’s card art is an almost direct ode to the source material – in this case the phenomenally underrated Pokémon movie: The Rise of Darkrai.

Darkrai in Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai

While the artwork clearly goes harder and even somehow more adult than the original film managed to achieve visually, the underlying story for The Rise of Darkrai is actually more complex than you might think.

In the film, Darkrai is a misunderstood phantom – with a theme song that reminds me instantly of The Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, Darkrai’s own personal story isn’t much less complex than the Phantom’s – although much more positive. Despite first appearances and general fear surrounding the Pokémon, Darkrai is a caring, self-sacrificing creature. Although you might not be able to tell that from the new SIR card art.

The tree in the art is a fundamental aspect of Darkrai’s lore

One final note to hit on for this masterpiece of a card is the gnarled depiction of the tree that surrounds it. Indeed, in this artwork, the tree itself becomes a part of the story. It’s saying something visually about the Pokémon that is so instantly associated with it. And while the scarier, more realistic artistic take on Darkrai may seem unfamiliar, many will remember the tree from the film located in the beautiful garden of Alamos town.

The tree isn’t just the location that Darkrai is seen disappearing into and reappearing from – it’s the very refuge of the Pokémon, as well as the scene where Darkrai first encounters love.

In the card, the tree envelops our view, as well as the Pokémon itself. It merges with the darkness of the void almost like liquid, pulling off a fluid visual so well integrated that you almost forget you are staring at a tree at all.

While for a kid, The Rise of Darkrai can be a scary experience, the cosmic horror displayed in Pitch Black’s top chase card feels terrifying for anyone. And it’s quite likely collectors will sing a different tune if they weren’t already getting excited for what’s likely to be Summer 2026’s blockbuster TCG set.