Evolving from arguably the most popular Gen 6 starter, Greninja has been featured in a number of exciting Pokemon cards in recent years.
Some Greninja cards are heavy hitters that dominate the competitive circuit, and others are simply chase cards for art collectors who want to pad out their binders with the prettiest pieces. To help you find the best of the best, we’ve ranked the 15 strongest Greninja Pokemon cards.
Please note – some of these cards are no longer in Standard rotation so make sure to keep an eye on the expansion set name if you find a card you like.
15. Greninja (9/18)
This somewhat niche Greninja card was released as part of the Detective Pikachu sub-set back in the Sun & Moon era of the game.
The realistic-looking artwork from this sub-set (and Detective Pikachu as a whole) was divisive in the community when it was released, with some fans appreciating the nod to Pokemon in the real world and others finding it creepy.
Regardless of the aesthetic, Greninja (9/18) saw some decent action when it was in play. Evasion Jutsu allows players to avoid Attacks with the flip of a coin, which can be a game-changing Ability, and Furious Shurikens has the potential to Knock Out multiple ‘mons if it’s timed well.
14. Greninja ex (XY20)
This particular Greninja card has a kaleidoscopic aesthetic that shows the frog in action, preparing a watery shuriken to fire at an enemy.
In terms of competitive potential, this was a fairly tanky piece when it was in rotation. It has 170 HP – which isn’t much in the Scarlet & Violet era, but it was a powerful stat in the X & Y era of the Pokemon TCG, especially for a Basic Pokemon.
The Attacks here are interesting, too. Aqua Blast is relatively cheap for a 120 damage Attack, and Sharpshooting is a useful move that can snipe Benched opponents. It’s not the most creative Greninja card out there but it’s reliable and sturdy.
13. Greninja GX (SM197)
This Greninja GX wasn’t hugely popular with art collectors when it came out, but it does have a variety of interesting battle offerings that were useful when it was in rotation.
Elusive Master is a fascinating Ability that requires the card to be the last in your hand for it to work. Once per turn, if Greninja GX (SM197) is the last card available, it can be played from the bench and provide a 3-card draw.
Mist Slash and Dark Mist GX are intriguing Attacks, with the former providing 130 damage without Weaknesses, Resistances, or Effects and the latter allowing you to move a Benched ‘mon from your opponent into their hand, including all attached cards.
12. Greninja GX (120/131)
Greninja GX (120/131) is a solid example of how powerful the frog ‘mon can be. It’s not the tankiest card by any means, but it offers a good variety of Attacks that made it quite the powerhouse in its day.
To start, the GX Attack is one of the most useful Greninja GX Attacks in the game. Shadowy Hunter GX deals 130 damage to a Benched Pokemon. Depending on where you are in the game, this can either be an easy one-shot or a tool to prevent setting up.
Haze Slash is a great way to reset if you find yourself getting backed into a corner, as it deals 110 damage before letting you shuffle Greninja GX and any attachments back into your hand.
Adding Shuriken Flurry into the mix (applying 3 Damage Counters to an opponent’s Pokemon when Greninja GX is played), this card offered a lot of potential in a match.
11. Ash-Greninja EX (XY133)
Ash-Greninja developed somewhat of a cult following thanks to the Pokemon anime and this card perfectly encapsulates the deadly vibes of Ash’s ninja frog. It features dynamic artwork along with situational yet tanky Attacks.
Dancing Shuriken is dependent on your luck with coin flips. When this Attack is used, the player gets to flip 3 times, dealing 20 damage for every time the coin lands on heads.
Ninja Blade is a useful Attack, but it has a one-turn cooldown. It deals 130 damage when used – thanks to power creep. This may not seem hugely impactful nowadays, but it was powerful in the X & Y era of the Pokemon TCG.
10. Greninja (028/055)
While Greninja is commonly seen on Water-type Pokemon cards nowadays, it’s made a splash in the Dark-type roster in previous expansions. This gem from the Unbroken Bonds expansion set is a shining example of Dark-type Greninja in action.
One of the standout features here is the Attack Bring Down. It doesn’t deal damage, but for just 2 Energy, it Knocks Out the Pokemon with the least HP — excluding Greninja.
Alongside this, the card has access to Mist Slash which is a simple, 70-damage Attack that bypasses Weaknesses and Resistances.
9. Greninja Black Star (SWSH144)
The Celebrations collection gave Pokemon TCG collectors a chance to get their hands on some truly iconic cards. Black Star Pokemon cards are immensely valuable – just look at the price of a Black Star Umbreon – and this Greninja is a worthwhile collector’s piece.
This piece is no longer in Standard rotation, but it stands out as one of the most memorable Greninja cards from the Sword & Shield era of the game.
Shadow Knife is a solid introductory Ability that allows the user to place a Damage Counter on an opponent’s Pokemon when Greninja is Benched. Mist Slash accompanies this perfectly, doing 100 damage and ignoring any Weaknesses, Resistances, or additional effects.
8. Greninja (XY24)
In terms of sheer aesthetic value, this is arguably one of the best out-of-rotation Greninja cards for collectors to pick up. It’s dynamic and dark, and the subtle cloud details make it look like Greninja has been pulled straight out of a traditional Japanese tattoo sleeve.
The Mist Concealment Ability is a thematically perfect pick for Greninja. When this card is played to evolve Frogadier, it prevents all effects of Attacks (including damage) to Greninja during your opponent’s next turn.
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Shadow Bullet is a punchy Attack that can help to whittle down Benched opponents. It deals 60 damage to the Active enemy and an extra 20 damage to a Benched opponent.
7. Greninja & Zoroark GX (223/173)
If you’re a new Pokemon TCG collector and you missed the TAG TEAM card hype from the Sun & Moon era, it’s absolutely worth digging on eBay or TCGPlayer for some of these cards. Visually, they’re unbelievably cool – and when they were in action, they were powerful, too.
Featuring the glam-rock fox Pokemon Zoroark, this gem starts off strong with a stacking Attack. It deals 30 more damage for every Dark Energy attached to the card, which can be significant in the middle to late stages of a Pokemon match.
On top of this, the Dark Unison GX Attack allows you to put 2 Pokemon GX and/or Pokemon EX from your Discard Pile back onto your bench. If this TAG TEAM card has an extra Energy attached (on top of the initial move cost), 2 Energy cards from the discard pile may be attached to each Pokemon that is Benched in this way.
It’s a convoluted description, but essentially, using this GX Attack allows you to retrieve 2 powerful, discarded Pokemon for 2 Energy. For an extra Energy, both of the powerful Pokemon may get 2 Energies from the Discard Pile.
6. Greninja BREAK (41/122)
Alongside TAG TEAM cards, BREAK cards are another visually striking, niche card type that’s worth hunting down as a collector.
Think of them as a Stage 3 evolution – they are played on top of fully evolved Pokemon, acting as an additional Stage and providing new moves with a stat boost, too. They keep the Attacks, Abilities, Weaknesses, and Resistances of their previous evolution.
Greninja BREAK hasn’t been in rotation for a good while now, but if you ask a collector to pick the most powerful Greninja card in their collection, they’ll likely mention this card. It helps to turn the standard X & Y Greninja card into a powerhouse.
The Giant Water Shuriken Ability can be used once per turn. If Greninja BREAK is Active, a Water Energy can be added to the Discard Pile. If this is done, you can put 6 Damage Counters on an opponent’s Pokemon.
5. Greninja V-UNION (SWSH 155-158)
It is technically cheating to include a V-UNION card, as they’re actually four cards that fit together like a jigsaw. This is one of the most powerful examples of a Greninja in the Pokemon TCG, though, so it’s worth considering despite being out of rotation.
Each segment of the V-UNION card has its own Attacks and Abilities, including – but not limited to – an Energy search, an Item block, a Poison prevention, and an Ability that makes your opponent reveal their hand.
The Attacks on this V-UNION can also deal up to 180 damage and prevent opponents from swapping their Pokemon, too. It’s a behemoth on the battlefield and arguably one of the trickiest V-UNION cards to deal with.
4. Greninja ex (054)
If you’re hoping to add a Greninja ex to your current Pokemon TCG deck, this is one of the best options that you can pick in the current meta. It’s simple yet effective – and paired with a dynamic art style, what more could you want?
Offering a stacking Attack for just 2 Energy, Transforming Shuriken deals 100 damage. With a successful coin flip landing on heads, it deals another 100 damage. This amount of damage for just 2 Energy is well worth the gamble. The card has a solid HP pool, too, making it tanky enough to take a few hits.
3. Greninja ex (132)
The latest addition to the Greninja roster is a must-have for collectors. Greninja ex (132) makes up part of the Shrouded Fable special set, which came out on August 2 and featured a stunning new woodblock art style.
Stealthy Shuriken is a useful Attack, dealing 40 damage to one of your opponent’s Pokemon. It doesn’t specify whether this is the Active ‘mon, though, meaning that you can use this to snipe Benched Pokemon if you play your cards right.
Torrential Slash is the game-changer, though. This Attack only costs 2 Energy but deals a base 120 damage. If there are Damage Counters on the defending ‘mon, it takes an extra 120 – which means this is one of the most Energy-efficient one-shot Attacks out there.
2. Radiant Greninja (046/189)
If you keep up with current Pokemon TCG meta decks and trends, you’ll have seen this piece fairly often. There’s a good reason for this – it’s powerful and fairly adaptable, so it works beautifully in a vast number of meta-friendly decks.
The Concealed Cards Ability requires an Energy card attached to Greninja to be put in the Discard Pile for it to work. Once this has happened, you get to draw an additional 2 cards.
Moonlight Shuriken requires the user to put 2 attached Energy cards in the Discard Pile. It deals 90 damage to 2 separate enemy Pokemon, ignoring Weaknesses and Resistances for Benched Pokemon. It’s a great way to weaken the enemy team as a whole.
1. Greninja ex (214/167)
Finally, this Greninja ex was the star of the show during the Twilight Masquerade pre-release season and it’s steadily racked up in value and popularity ever since.
Shinobi Blade is a tanky Attack that deals 170 damage for an unbelievable single Energy cost. It also lets you search for a card, place it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.
Mirage Barrage is also exceptional, requiring 2 attached Energies to be discarded for it to work. Once discarded, the Attack does 120 damage to two of the opponent’s Pokemon – essentially acting as a stronger version of Radiant Greninja’s Attack.
All in all, it’s easy to see why some Pokemon fans feel that Greninja is getting the Charizard treatment. This powerful frog is popping up on some of the strongest Pokemon cards in the game right now.
To add more powerful cards to your collection, make sure to check out our ranking of every Ogerpon Pokemon card in the game. This fan-favorite ‘mon has some unbelievable cards on offer, both from the perspective of a player and of a collector.
