Crown Zenith signals the end of an era for thePokemon TCG, a special set to celebrate the Galar region with some fun and fancy art of your favorite Pokemon. This special expansion includes new and powerful VSTAR and VMAX Pokemon, Radiant Pokemon, and signed Trainer cards.
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Some of the best and most interesting cards released in Crown Zenith are Dark-type Pokemon. With Pokemon like Absol, Hoopa, and Hisuian Samurott among their ranks, these Dark-type Pokemon feature powerful abilities and attacks, as well as some fantastic artwork.
17Skrelp
Look at this little cutie, sitting at a respectable 60 HP for a basic Pokemon, Skrelp is a great start if you’re playing its evolved form, Dragalge.
While its attacks might not be much to speak of at first, it can put up a fight if needed with a cheap one-energy attack in Tackle, and a two-energy attack with Melt.
16Poochyena - Galarian Gallery
While Poochyena might be one of the weakest Dark-type Pokemon in Crown Zenith, its art more than makes up for it.
This happy-go-lucky little puppy is just living its best life, just enjoying the summer day and having a good time. The card might not be particularly good but the art is a collector’s dream.
15Purrlion
Perhaps the cutest art from all the Dark-type Pokemon in Crown Zenith, Purrlion is the epitome of cat-like behavior. Laying on the keyboard,messing up all your work, and eyeing that mouse it wants to throw off your desk.
This card is fairly versatile too, with its attack it can deal up to 30 damage if you flip your coins well.
14Koffing
A Poison-type Pokemon that’s been passed between Grass, Psychic, and Dark in the TCG, Koffing hasbeen through a lot of different TCG typings since the first generation.
Related:Pokemon TCG: Decks That Defined 2022This Koffing only has one attack, and while dealing twenty damage for two energy might not be the greatest, it does guarantee to poison your opponent’s active Pokemon, which can be very relevant depending on their board.
13Hoopa
This basic Hoopa deals a ton of damage with its only attack but does require you to jump through a hoop or two to do so. With just one Darkness Energy you may deal a solid 90 points of damage, but you need to have switched Hoopa from your bench to the Active Spot this turn.
There are a few ways you can accomplish this, with either an Escape Rope or a Bird Keeper might be the easiest, with Escape Rope possibly putting your opponent in a pinch depending on their board state.
12Krokorok
For a Stage 1 Pokemon, Krokorok has a few neat things going for it. With three colorless energy, you can have your opponent put the top three cards of their deck directly into the discard pile.
Getting rid of their cards can be a powerful alternative to dealing damage and to help deny your opponents resources to help them.
11Liepard
Another Stage 1 Pokemon, Liepard is the evolved form of Purrlion, and comes with a significant power boost. Its Fury Swipes attack gets an upgrade, now dealing up 120 points of damage if you get heads for each coin flip.
Related:Pokemon TCG – The Best Pokemon V In Sword & Shield: Silver TempestIf you don’t want to try your luck, you can always commit three energies to it and go for its Claw Slash attack, dealing 110 damage for your trouble. Liepard also gets a nice boost to its HP, going up to 100 now that it has evolved.
10Thievul - Galarian Gallery
This Thievul has a fairly powerful ability in Baffling, preventing theeffects of your opponent’s Support cardshave on your Benched Pokemon V if they have two or fewer Prize Cards remaining but the real reason this card is great is its art.
With the limited color palette this Thievul feels like it belongs on the cover of a noir crime novel than a Pokemon card.
9Absol
Absol’s real power comes from its second move, Lost Claw. For three energy you can deal a solid 70 points of damage and randomly remove a card from your opponent’s hand and put it into the Lost Zone.
This removes their card from the game entirely, and since the effect is random, your opponent doesn’t get a choice in what they get rid of.
8Pangoro
This beefy Stage 1 Pokemon can take a hit or two while also dealing out a significant amount of damage.
With two energy, you’re able to use its Corkscrew Punch, dealing 60 points of damage to your opponent’s active Pokemon.At three energy, you can deal a staggering 160 points of damage, for the low trade-off of dealing 30 to Pangoro.
