Pokémon Trading Card Game Artist Spotlight: Naoki Saito

Throughout the years, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has featured a variety of incredible art styles. Now that the hobby has been around for more than a quarter of a century, we have seen the artwork of Pokémon TCG cards elevated by daring new artist choices as well as illustrators who have been veteran contributors since the very first releases. Let’s take a journey through the eye-popping, mind-expanding history of Pokémon TCG artwork by exploring some of the hobby’s most interesting and unique artists. Today, we will spotlight Naoki Saito.

Naoki Saito is a long-time contributor to the Pokémon TCG, with their first credit appearing in HeartGold SoulSilver. The card was the above Growlithe, which established Saito’s well-known cute style that matched the character designs perfectly while adding a stylized flair.

Saito has drawn many Pokémon over the years, but some of my favorites happen to be his depiction of the Electric Mouses in the Black & White and XY eras. Raichu, an underrated Pokémon who often doesn’t get the spotlight due to Pikachu being the franchise mascot, has never looked happier than in this Next Destinies art. Saito also illustrated the Minum and Plusle cards from Dark Explorers, which showed different angles of the same image. Both a personal pick and a fan-favorite is Saito’s Pikachu from XY – Roaring Skies, which was also reprinted as a Build-A-Bear promo card.

Saito also illustrated cards that I consider to be wildly influential for the current era of Alternate Arts. At the time Saito drew the above Venusaur EX Full Art as an XY Black Star Promo, there was very little like this illustration happening in the Pokémon TCG. Later, Alternate Arts and Character Rares would take prominence, with Saito delivering some of the best examples, including the Mew V Alternate Art from Sword & Shield – Fusion Strike as well as my favorite card from the entire Sword & Shield era, the Mimikyu VMAX Character Super Rare from Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars.

In recent years, Naoki Saito has become known as the most popular Full Art Trainer artist in the hobby. Saito’s Wicke from Sun & Moon – Burning Shadows was an immediate hit, but he has had cards that have gone truly insane in the secondary market. His Lillie Full Art from Sun & Moon – Ultra Prism is one of the top-valued Trainer cards of all time, but even that is currently less valuable than his Sightseer Full Art from Japans Tag Team GX All-Stars, as said card was never released in English. Getting it for under $400 would be a steal at this point.

I can’t wait to see how Saito’s art continues to deliver amazing depictions of Pokémon and Trainers as we move into the Scarlet & Violet era.

Be sure to check Bleeding Cool every day to follow our in-depth Pokémon TCG coverage as we explore the hobby’s past, present, and even future with upcoming set reveals.