SM Detective Pikachu PSA 10 Guide
Set History & Release Context
Detective Pikachu Movie Special Pack (ムービースペシャルパック 名探偵ピカチュウ, sm-dp) released April 26, 2019 in Japan as a tie-in product for the live-action POKEMON Detective Pikachu film. The English counterpart, also titled Detective Pikachu, released March 29, 2019 with an 18-card list.
The set is artistically unique: every card features 3D-rendered Pokemon artwork produced by the visual effects studios that worked on the film, breaking from the standard illustrated TCG art direction. In Japan, the product was distributed as a sealed booster box with a guaranteed complete set per box (20 packs); in English markets, packs were sold only inside merchandise bundles, never as standalone booster boxes (Bulbapedia accessed 2026-05-09).
SM Detective Pikachu PSA 10 Cards
2 cards
Top Chase Cards Explained
The chase cards in sm-dp are concentrated around the GX pulls: Charizard-GX, Mewtwo-GX and Greninja-GX, all rendered in the unique 3D movie-style artwork. Detective Pikachu (Rare Holo) — featuring Ryan Reynolds-coded character art — is the iconic non-GX pull and the card most commonly graded for collectors of the film tie-in.
For PSA 10 graders the Charizard-GX and Mewtwo-GX in 3D-render style command a premium over their conventional GX counterparts because they are unique to this set and cannot be obtained anywhere else.
Investment Analysis
Sm-dp's investment thesis is unusual: it is a small, themed promotional product with strict distribution (English packs only in bundles, Japanese guaranteed-complete-set boxes). The 3D-rendered artwork is one-of-one across the entire TCG history, giving cards from this set permanent visual scarcity. Risk: low secondary collector floor outside of the headline Charizard-GX and Detective Pikachu cards; most non-GX cards trade at modest values.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Detective Pikachu (sm-dp) released?
March 29, 2019 in English markets and April 26, 2019 in Japan (Bulbapedia accessed 2026-05-09).
How many cards are in the Detective Pikachu set?
25 cards in Japan; 18 cards in the English release.
What makes the Detective Pikachu set unique?
Every card uses 3D-rendered artwork by the film's visual effects studio — the only Pokemon TCG set with this art direction.
Was the Detective Pikachu set sold in standalone booster boxes in English?
No. English packs were only available inside movie-merchandise bundles; standalone English booster boxes do not exist.
What are the chase cards in sm-dp?
Charizard-GX, Mewtwo-GX, Greninja-GX, and Detective Pikachu (Rare Holo).
Is the sm-dp set the same as XY Detective Pikachu?
No. Sm-dp is the 2019 Sun & Moon-era movie tie-in set; the XY-era Detective Pikachu set is a separate, earlier promotional product.