I made a Rayquaza tier list

Here is my tierlist:

You can make your own by going here. Look forward to seeing everyone’s list!

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Any list that doesn’t put ____'s Rayquaza in S is objectively wrong

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My list is pretty rough because I can’t spend a ton of time right now but here it is. Gold Star Rayquaza is one of the best card arts of all time (easily in the Shining Gyarados tier). I think Rayquaza generally works well with the full art cards which is pretty rare.

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I like Rayquaza’s design and I think it’s a pretty ‘easy’ Pokemon to make good artworks of. I much prefer the ones where you can appreciate its flowing elegance. I also like that ex from the Emerald Gift Box. So ugly it’s beautiful :blush:


(F tier isn’t really in order)

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Rayquaza’s design is one of the best designs for a legendary and remains as my top favorite for Dragon Pokemon for that reason. So good in fact, that the usual 5ban or 3D graphics look legendary. There was only one card that I actively disliked.

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Frog eyes Rayquaza=S tier

This has definitely made me realize I kinda of really hate dragon type style cards, it’s such an ugly color. Also x and y era ex’s look so tacky and they made sooo many rayquazas.

Now this is a great tierlist! I have to say I’m shocked about people putting XY141 on F-tier, I personally LOVE the card :slightly_frowning_face:

And a reminder that cards are in no order for me inside tiers, it would be too difficult to do.

Had this on file a while back, and such with all my worthwhile backlog drafts, figured to not let it go to waste and showcase review gen 3’s equivalent to Charizard or Lugia. A league of pokémon that for most of their existence are defined by hype and no actual aesthetic flair or raw power quality in abundance to show for themselves. (Let alone TCG or VGC playability). A perfect example of familiarity breeding contempt. Meaning as a result, consistent garbage, dime a dozen formula products from an already suffering base design having limited diverse personality equalling only a mere handful of cards that are remotely worthwhile. Komiya really needs to do something with this.

https://i.imgur.com/PvxoKSJ.pngAs with those aforementioned two, Rayquaza isn’t much to write home about except for it’s exception on both extremes. For the most part, this comes from having a thirtary rate base design of being the rushed hard and soft combination of the far better Behemoth and Leviathan. Already it’s basis to the giant bird Ziz doesn’t match up to those uber gods, so not until 14 years when it’s Mega finally brought in the much needed Quetzalcoatl potential, the true entity Ray SHOULD had basis from the start. It’s problematic enough when your best adaptation of yourself isn’t on your own card, case in point below, however regardless it’s at least B for what was a welcomed surprise. Underrated card along with the Yve imo.

On the whole the CG playdoh piss streak I mean paintbrush stroke of a decelerated gliding gecko is all fine as a concept away from the traditional Roc/Ziz (RIP Zyzz) aves but really, c’mon, what are we kidding? Truthfully when its adaptation attempt lives up to unfuffiled surprise, as it’s sadly criminally left underdetailed own it’s own as unfinished.

Blackstar is the peak quazar. One of the handful of historic Gold Stars from Fukuda that live up to being some of the best from an already divisive league of mainly overrated cards. It’s one of few all-in nostalgia cards everyone soft spots for good reason which I remember soft resetting for 2 months on Ruby and it still hits heart-dropping. Every shining clone after gets paled by the original turning it into a formula.

Arita’s and a few others that portray Rayquaza as the combined skyline actually serve it’s mysterious posing god purpose than those that show all and leave nothing to subtlety.

The debut ex Dragon card is still the best ex, having that missed silver tine cosmos border that amplifies it’s mythology much as being perfect for the first appearance. Its exact same premise for no change got habitually really boring really quickly. Ryota Murayama’s great EX’es stand out perpetually more for elevating the individual’s character at a time (Gen 6) when quantity for chase cards started to become the norm for higher tier and quality beneath on pecking order. His Kyogre EX was incredible. The clear sky silver rips in the borders make for a motif that’s pretty unique for cards, an individual member of its format card to possess aesthetic holofoil styles exclusive to one or few. This is similar to how the Japanese Shining Magikarp, Gyarados and Mew all featured a full sheet of sparkling glitter layer of foil for example.

Speaking of elevation, Rayquaza and Deoxys Legend is the penultimate piece of shit from what was a legendary breakthrough for all formats of Pokémon design. Some of the greatest works are within this reinventive generational endgame subseries. Oh, how we all wanted a transitional Reshiram and Zekrom legend over the garbage they got rewarded with after but the Rayquaza & Deoxys seem now like a poignant point of reference to that transition in substance for style.

The combo of Rayquaza and Deoxys never made sense to me, for these backgrounds in correlation to the other two parallel set duos (Groudon/Kyogre & Dialga/Palkia). What better way to conclude the fourth-gen by combining the ozone layer emerald Quetzalcoatl god of atmosphere with the anti-matter banishment centipedic serpent ruler of gaseous elements coiled in uroboric eternity? Yeah. Deoxys worked better with Jirachi.

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