All illustrators
Mitsuhiro Arita — signature work
MA Lycanroc VMAX · Evolving Skies · 2021
Illustrator 1999 – 2025

Mitsuhiro Arita

Mitsuhiro Arita has been credited on Pokémon TCG cards from 1999 to 2025, spanning more than 700 illustrations. Work appears across Base, Team Rocket, and Legendary Collection, balancing character-focused staging with energetic, colorful scenes and clear, action-forward framing.

View external profile View all 719 cards
Main period
1999 – 2025
Cards illustrated
719
Most represented era
EX
Most valuable card
$739.97
Charizard · 2003
§ I

About the artist

Mitsuhiro Arita’s Pokémon TCG credits run from 1999 through 2025, with more than 700 cards recorded. The work spans early and later eras, including Base, Team Rocket, and Legendary Collection, and also extends into series such as EX and Sword & Shield. Across this range, Arita illustrates both Pokémon and Trainer cards, maintaining a consistent emphasis on readable silhouettes and direct presentation.

Visually, the illustrations often pair vibrant, contrasting palettes with balanced, focused compositions—frequently centered or foreground-weighted to keep attention on the subject. Arita’s approach moves between cartoonish and traditional rendering, with dynamic, action-oriented framing used to heighten energy while preserving clarity. Lycanroc VMAX (swsh7-92) reflects this craft through character-forward staging and bright color decisions. Among the most sought-after cards illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita is Charizard (ex3-100).

§ II

Best cards by Mitsuhiro Arita

Curated reading of the corpus — composition, atmosphere, and lasting standing.

View all 719 cards →
Lycanroc VMAX

Evolving Skies

Lycanroc VMAX 2021
Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno-GX

Hidden Fates

Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno-GX 2019
Mewtwo & Mew-GX

Unified Minds

Mewtwo & Mew-GX 2019
Blastoise ex

151

Blastoise ex 2023
Wartortle

151

Wartortle 2023
Alakazam ex

Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos

Alakazam ex 2023
§ III

Signature Pokémon

Creatures most associated with Mitsuhiro Arita’s body of work.

All Pokémon →
§ IV

Defining sets

The sets where Mitsuhiro Arita’s work appears most often.

All sets →
§ V

Visual affinities

Recurring elemental and thematic threads across the work.

  1. Water
    115
  2. Colorless
    109
  3. Grass
    98
  4. Psychic
    83
  5. Fighting
    78
§ VI

Iconic cards

Cards that travel beyond the archive — defining works, frequently cited.

Charizard

Charizard

Dragon 2003
Rocket’s Snorlax ex

Rocket’s Snorlax ex

Team Rocket Returns 2004
Rocket’s Mewtwo ex

Rocket’s Mewtwo ex

Team Rocket Returns 2004
Gengar ex

Gengar ex

FireRed & LeafGreen 2004
§ VII

The full archive

12 of 500 cards · every credit, every era.

Genesect

Phantasmal Flames

Genesect 2025
Excadrill ex

Black Bolt

Excadrill ex 2025
Team Rocket’s Articuno

Destined Rivals

Team Rocket’s Articuno 2025
Zamazenta

Destined Rivals

Zamazenta 2025
Metagross

Journey Together

Metagross 2025
Volcarona

Journey Together

Volcarona 2025
Iron Leaves

Twilight Masquerade

Iron Leaves 2024
Wattrel

Twilight Masquerade

Wattrel 2024
Great Tusk

Temporal Forces

Great Tusk 2024
Magcargo

Temporal Forces

Magcargo 2024
Relicanth

Temporal Forces

Relicanth 2024
Gholdengo

Paldean Fates

Gholdengo 2024