10 Hardest Ekans Pokémon Cards to Pull
Ranked by estimated pull rates from English booster packs.
Ekans has appeared as a familiar purple snake, a Delta Species Pokémon and a member of Team Rocket’s lineup. Its reverse holos make up much of this countdown. The estimated odds refer to one exact English card and finish, rather than finding any Ekans in a pack.
Pull rates are estimates—see how this ranking works.
Estimated odds, limited coverage. This uses the same estimates as our pull-rate calculators, including labelled rough models and very-low-confidence assumptions. It does not establish the hardest Ekans ever printed; nearby estimates may not represent a real difference in difficulty.
How the ranking works ↓We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through our eBay links. Card images are artwork references; edition stamps and foil finishes may differ.
Ekans pull rates at a glance
A larger pack figure means a lower estimated chance. Figures are rounded to two significant digits; matching rounded estimates share a rank.
| Rank | Card & set | Estimated packs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ekans 62/214Unbroken Bonds · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 180Rough estimate |
| 2 | Ekans 108/165Expedition · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 160Rough estimate |
| 3 | Ekans 47/146XY Base Set · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 120Rough estimate |
| 4 | Team Rocket's Ekans 112/182Destined Rivals · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 110Rough estimate |
| 5 = | Ekans 66/106Great Encounters · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 100Rough estimate |
| 5 = | Ekans 23/165Pokémon 151 · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 100Rough estimate |
| 7 | Ekans 55/109EX Team Rocket Returns · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 95Rough estimate |
| 8 | Ekans 100/162Temporal Forces · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 94Rough estimate |
| 9 | Ekans 64/100EX Sandstorm · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 93Rough estimate |
| 10 | Ekans (Delta Species) 47/101EX Dragon Frontiers · Reverse Holofoil | ~1 in 89Rough estimate |
The hardest-to-pull Ekans countdown
#10 · Ekans (Delta Species)
EX Dragon Frontiers · 47/101 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 89 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$31.97 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This EX Dragon Frontiers printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 89 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#9 · Ekans
EX Sandstorm · 64/100 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 93 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$15.98 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This EX Sandstorm printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 93 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#8 · Ekans
Temporal Forces · 100/162 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 94 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$0.28 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This Temporal Forces printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1.5 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 140 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#7 · Ekans
EX Team Rocket Returns · 55/109 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 95 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$65.00 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This EX Team Rocket Returns printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 95 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#5 (joint) · Ekans
Pokémon 151 · 23/165 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 100 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$0.28 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
The reverse holo is a separate finish of this numbered 151 card, rather than an illustration rare. A shared artwork image does not show every foil difference, so match the finish as well as the collector number.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1.5 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 153 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#5 (joint) · Ekans
Great Encounters · 66/106 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 100 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$4.49 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This Great Encounters printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 102 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#4 · Team Rocket's Ekans
Destined Rivals · 112/182 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 110 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$0.22 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This Destined Rivals printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1.5 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 165 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#3 · Ekans
XY Base Set · 47/146 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 120 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$3.37 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
This XY Base Set printing adds a reverse-holo version to the Pokémon’s checklist. The estimate concerns the exact collector number shown. An ordinary card with the same artwork does not count as this foil pull.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 123 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#2 · Ekans
Expedition · 108/165 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 160 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$60.00 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
Expedition’s e-Reader-era design gives this printing a different look from modern cards. This entry ranks the reverse holo of the exact collector number shown, rather than every foil card with the same Pokémon name.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 159 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
#1 · Ekans
Unbroken Bonds · 62/214 · English · Reverse Holofoil
Rough estimate. Limited evidence; actual odds may vary greatly.
Estimated pull rate
About 1 in 180 packs
Reverse Holofoil · Estimated raw price
$0.41 USD
Price observed Nov 4, 2026 UTC
Ekans winds around a dark branch in a glinting woodland scene. Its reverse-holo finish is the target here; the ordinary card shares the artwork but belongs to a different pull calculation.
Where this estimate comes from
Assumes 1 effective ordinary reverse-holo slots per pack, shared equally across 179 eligible reverse printings. This simplifies special-card replacements and unequal print sheets; the slot allowance is a modelling assumption.
How we compare Ekans pull rates
We compare the chance of pulling one exact card from one English pack of its release. A rarity’s overall hit rate is different from the odds of finding a particular Ekans within that rarity. Evidence ranges from reported community openings and print-sheet models to rough comparisons and assumed rarity frequencies. Each rough estimate carries its warning beside the odds; expand its explanation for the actual basis.
Japanese cards, guaranteed promos, deck cards and box toppers are outside this ranking. Vintage editions with shared odds take one position. Distinct pack-pulled finishes can qualify separately. Prices do not affect the order, and a missing price does not remove an otherwise eligible card.
Up to ten cards are selected automatically from available estimates, with any tie at the cutoff kept together. Estimates are rounded to two significant digits for comparison, not presented as precise measurements. New cards can enter when a matching printing and estimate are available; prices refresh with the catalogue. Descriptions stay with their card when the order changes.
Ekans pull-rate questions
Which Ekans card is hardest to pull?
Ekans 62/214 (Unbroken Bonds, Reverse Holofoil) has the lowest estimated chance among the qualifying cards here: about 1 in 180 packs. This is the current model’s ordering, including any rough assumptions labelled above. It does not cover every Ekans ever released.
Will opening 180 packs guarantee the top-ranked card?
No. For the first card listed at rank 1, opening 180 independent packs gives an estimated 63.5% chance of at least one copy. The average waiting time is not a promise; actual packs and factory collation can behave differently from this model.
Is the hardest Ekans to pull also the most expensive?
Not necessarily. Artwork, demand, condition and how much product exists also matter to collectors. This guide ranks estimated pack odds. Our most expensive Ekans guide compares available raw prices instead.
Do a booster box or an Elite Trainer Box guarantee a Ekans?
These estimates do not establish any product-level guarantee. A named Ekans promo included in a product is separate from the random cards inside its booster packs. Use the exact-card calculator to explore pack quantities and its stated assumptions.
Why can a reverse-holo Ekans rank above a rarer-looking card?
This compares one exact printing. A large reverse-holo pool can make a particular card’s modelled chance small even when reverse holos overall are common. Most of these estimates assume equal chances within the pool. That does not prove this Pokémon is short-printed, and it does not describe the ordinary non-holo version.