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Sanosuke Sakuma — signature work
SS Miriam · Scarlet & Violet · 2023
Illustrator 2013 – 2025

Sanosuke Sakuma

Sanosuke Sakuma has illustrated Pokémon TCG cards from 2013 to 2025, spanning series such as Sword & Shield, Sun & Moon, and XY. The work favors vibrant, playful color with balanced, character-forward compositions that keep action readable and light.

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Main period
2013 – 2025
Cards illustrated
160
Most represented era
Sword & Shield
Most valuable card
$2,590.62
Latias & Latios-GX · 2019
§ I

About the artist

Sanosuke Sakuma has been credited on Pokémon Trading Card Game illustrations from 2013 through 2025, with work appearing across Sword & Shield, Sun & Moon, and XY. Across this span, the cards consistently present clear staging and approachable character design, often built around balanced layouts that keep the focal subject immediately legible.

Visually, Sakuma’s illustrations lean cartoonish and colorful, pairing vibrant palettes with lighthearted, energetic moods. Composition tends toward character-focused framing—frequently simple and focused—while dynamic posing and action-forward moments add movement without crowding the scene. Pastel and soft accents appear alongside brighter contrasts, maintaining a friendly tone even when the framing becomes more kinetic. A representative example is Jirachi (swsh4-119). Among the most sought-after cards illustrated by Sanosuke Sakuma is Latias & Latios-GX (sm9-170).

§ II

Best cards by Sanosuke Sakuma

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

View all 160 cards →
Miriam

Scarlet & Violet

Miriam 2023
Jirachi

Vivid Voltage

Jirachi 2020
Chili & Cilan & Cress

Fusion Strike

Chili & Cilan & Cress 2021
Doctor

Chilling Reign

Doctor 2021
Latias & Latios-GX

Team Up

Latias & Latios-GX 2019
Pokémon Fan Club

Ultra Prism

Pokémon Fan Club 2018
§ III

Signature Pokémon

Creatures most associated with Sanosuke Sakuma’s body of work.

All Pokémon →
§ IV

Defining sets

The sets where Sanosuke Sakuma’s work appears most often.

All sets →
§ V

Visual affinities

Recurring elemental and thematic threads across the work.

  1. Psychic
    18
  2. Water
    15
  3. Lightning
    13
  4. Colorless
    12
  5. Fighting
    11
§ VI

Iconic cards

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

Latias & Latios-GX

Latias & Latios-GX

Team Up 2019
Erika’s Hospitality

Erika’s Hospitality

Team Up 2019
Shining Mew

Shining Mew

Shining Legends 2017
Whitney

Whitney

Lost Thunder 2018
§ VII

The full archive

12 of 160 cards · every credit, every era.

Ethan’s Slugma

Destined Rivals

Ethan’s Slugma 2025
Kangaskhan

Destined Rivals

Kangaskhan 2025
Billy & O’Nare

Journey Together

Billy & O’Nare 2025
Dhelmise

Journey Together

Dhelmise 2025
Hop’s Sandaconda

Journey Together

Hop’s Sandaconda 2025
Clefairy

Twilight Masquerade

Clefairy 2024
Teal Mask Ogerpon

Twilight Masquerade

Teal Mask Ogerpon 2024
Dunsparce

Temporal Forces

Dunsparce 2024
Dachsbun

Paldean Fates

Dachsbun 2024
Grapploct

Paldean Fates

Grapploct 2024
Iono

Paldean Fates

Iono 2024
Nemona

Paldean Fates

Nemona 2024