As 2023 comes to an end, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the Pokémon TCG artists who made their debut this year with fresh, new artwork. It’s always exciting when you look at the bottom-left corner of a Pokémon TCG card and see the name of a new illustrator. Every Pokémon TCG artist brings a unique style to the Pokémon and Trainers they illustrate, expanding the parameters by which we can imagine Pokémon as amazing creatures and giving us an original interpretation of everything Pokémon.

From illustrators with distinctive styles to artists with a special talent for capturing the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, here are 10 talented artists who crafted their first illustrations for the Pokémon TCG in 2023.

Have you ever seen an artist with a green thumb? Yoriyuki Ikegami just may have one with how consistently they incorporate beautiful floral settings with the Pokémon that inhabit them. Ikegami debuted in Crown Zenith with their special illustration of Gardenia’s Vigor, a vibrant portrayal of the Grass-type Gym Leader peacefully tending to a variety of flora among fan-favorite Grass-type Pokémon, including an Ivysaur whose bulb almost blends into the forest of flowers.

Jerky has already illustrated 17 different Pokémon TCG cards since making their debut earlier this year with a luminous depiction of Lumineon V shining under the sea in Crown Zenith. This artist excels at showcasing the whimsical nature of Pokémon in their everyday lives, whether they’re searching for food, going for a swim, or just having fun. That whimsy is emphasized by Jerky’s playful art style, which at times channels papercraft thanks to its construction paper-like textures and soft colors.

Crown Zenith introduced a swath of talented, new artists to the Pokémon TCG. And kantaro is yet another such artist to debut their artwork in the capstone set of the Sword & Shield era. Since then, they’ve created illustrations for more than 20 cards, including this unique storytelling trio from Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved. Feast your eyes upon kantaro’s signature usage of bright colors and vivid settings as they showcase the evolving bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon through a series of grocery shopping trips.

Illustrator rika is just getting started in the Pokémon TCG—four cards have featured their artwork since they debuted with a moonlit Umbreon in the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion. rika’s illustrations are reminiscent of traditional watercolor paintings, granting an extra level of depth to the characters and to their environments. The closer you look, the more you feel like you’re in the artist’s illustrations yourself. We most recently previewed rika’s Mantyke leading up to the Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift expansion, so their meticulously detailed art style has consistently been on our mind since their debut.

Three of our selected illustrators made their debut in the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion, which featured a multitude of new artists. Tetsu Kayama debuted in that expansion with a pair of Lunatone and Solrock and has continued to impress with their latest illustrations in Scarlet & Violet—151 and Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift. What you’ll really see carry through each of Kayama’s illustrations is a pointillism-like dotted style that serves to provide a variety of textures to their subjects and environments, always leaving the viewer with a new perspective on even the most classic Pokémon.

Debuting with a unique take on Scizor in the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion, illustrator Oku showcases Pokémon with heavy light and shadow contrast. What makes Oku unique is how they’ve varied their backgrounds to emphasize the scene of any given Pokémon. You can see two Scizor clash in an anime-like battle, complete with a swirling, red background that matches the intensity of their encounter. Meanwhile, the light and shadows being cast on the tree trunks in Orbeetle’s illustration emphasize the hypnotic glow of this Pokémon.

In 2022, Creatures Inc. continued their yearly tradition of running the Pokémon Illustration Contest with the submission theme of “the Daily Life of Pokémon,” where Japanese artist REND was eventually announced as the winner. To commemorate REND’s fantastic submission, a promo card featuring their sleepy Arcanine was printed alongside the artworks from the American and Japanese runners-up—what an exciting Pokémon TCG debut! REND’s usage of soft light and knack for showcasing wild Pokémon in their daily life continues with a group of Pawmi lazing together in a forest. If you’re looking to start your collection of REND’s cards, there’s no better time than the official debut of this adorable artwork in Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates.  

Like many of our other featured artists, toriyufu brought the heat for the first time in the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion. They’ve illustrated two Pokémon up to this point—Entei and Aegislash ex—and a common theme we’re seeing is an emphasis on dynamic movement. Action lines are commonly used to show movement, but toriyufu specifically employs this technique in a way that is thematic to their actions, as seen with the orange flames tailing into the wind from Entei’s gouging claws.

USGMEN’s artwork will be appearing soon in an upcoming Pokémon TCG expansion, but their experience and talent as an illustrator are already well-known among Pokémon fans on various social platforms, including Twitter and Instagram. They’re especially known for portraying Pokémon in a cute, whimsical way, with their biggest motif being a pair of dots for eyes and a straight line forming the face of their subjects. We’re excited to see their simple yet amazing artwork make its way into the Pokémon TCG with a Special Illustration Rare of Mew ex in Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates!

Most Pokémon TCG cards are released in new expansions, big or small, but promo cards with a black star on the bottom-left corner of the card continually release alongside these major expansions throughout the year. MINAMINAMI Take’s Pokémon TCG was none other than one of these promo cards—the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box promo featuring Charmander. After seeing this adorable Charmander press its head and hands against glass as it watches a Pidgey in an almost impressionist style drawing, we can’t wait to see more!