Though Pokemon is viewed as a staple franchise within 90s popular culture, it seems that it’s just as popular in the 21st century. Whether it’s via video games, toys, or trading cards, this franchise has managed to capture the hearts and minds of adults and children alike. As such, this $92 billion franchise has also created a whole new generation of engaging influencers. 

The History of Pokemon Cards

The first assortment of Pokemon cards was released in Japan in October 1996. These adorable and endearing monsters became extremely popular across the nation and were released on a global scale just three years later. The franchise was formed by Satoshi Taijiri and his friend Ken Sugimori, who were inspired by their childhood love of collecting and researching insects. Since their initial release, it’s estimated that over 30 billion cards have been printed, some of which are worth thousands of dollars. 

Alongside avid Pokemon card collectors, there are also people who play the game on an incredibly competitive scale. A world championship tournament takes place every year, where players battle against each other to see who is the true Pokemon master. A lot of cards also accompany the latest video game release or TV series. For example, in 2022 the franchise released a Pokemon Go trading card series in order to work alongside the hit mobile game. 

1. Neon Cactus

Despite only posting their first video in June 2019, Neon Cactus has grown by leaps and bounds since then. This Pokemon card influencer uses their channel to share detailed unboxings of the latest releases to their 46.4K subscribers. They tend to focus on limited edition releases and booster packs, such as Pokemon Temporal Forces and Crimson Haze. Thus, this ensures that their viewers can gain a keen glimpse into some of the franchise’s more elusive cards. Together with their long-form content, Neon Cactus also produces content for YouTube Shorts. Here, they often visit iconic Gachapon machines across Tokyo to see what other types of Pokemon merchandise they can uncover. 

2. SuperDuperDani

SuperDuperDani has established themselves as one of the most prominent Pokemon influencers, mostly because they have been producing related content since 2010. This influencer covers all things Pokemon from trading card packs to Happy Meal toys, making them a firm favorite with their 283K subscribers. Due to their vast collection of exclusive cards, SuperDuperDani also sells singles for a fair price. Thus, their fan base can also strive to build their own collections. This influencer also sells their own holographic card, which depicts them in a similar style to a Pokemon gym trainer. When they’re not making content for YouTube, Dani can be found on Twitch where they have an additional 3.5K followers. 

3. MaxmoefoePokemon

Boasting an impressive 1.9 million subscribers, MaxmoefoePokemon, also known as Max Stanley, highlights just how popular this humble trading card game is. This influencer also focuses on vintage Japanese cards, indicating the cultural differences between these renditions. He also shares the resale value of some of the rarer cards and teaches his viewers about what they should look out for when opening their next pack. MaxmoefoePokemon also produces a lot of toy content, unboxing bogus Pokemon action figures as well as other trading card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Although this influencer is well recognized for his Pokemon content, Stanley also hosts a political commentary podcast called Cold Ones alongside Anything4Views. 

4. Deep Pocket Monster

Pat Flynn, better known as Deep Pocket Monster has managed to gain an admirable 820K subscribers since starting his channel back in 2020. Despite making a strong name for himself as a keynote speaker and entrepreneur, Flynn’s true personality shines through when he shares his love for Pokemon.  Flynn tends to make a lot of challenge content such as Complete or Lose It All, a series where he must finish a collection of Pokemon cards in a set time frame or he risks losing the entire set. When he’s not striving to finish his latest challenge, Deep Pocket Monster often conducts livestreams where he carries out lucrative giveaways for his devoted fan base. 

5. okJLUV

okJLUV produces a wide variety of Pokemon-related content, ensuring that his 20K subscribers can remain engaged and entertained throughout every video. This influencer also shares his latest shopping adventures, browsing through some of the most unusual card stores around the world. okJLUV also shows his viewers how to actually play Pokemon, giving them the chance to upgrade their skills for their upcoming tournament. Occasionally, this content creator will produce long-form podcast-style content, offering his fans more insight into the development of the Pokemon franchise and its influencers. He also collaborates with other well-known content creators like Henry Brand and PokeRev.

6. Danny Phantump

Though collecting Pokemon cards is a huge part of this hobby, many fans also take great joy and pride in competing in tournaments and competitions. Danny Phantump uses his platform to focus on the more analytical side of the Pokemon card game, sharing his best tips and tricks with his 127K subscribers. Alongside these tactics, this creator also tracks the overall value of certain cards, giving more information about their rarity and profitability. On Instagram, he often shares screenshots of a card’s market price history for his additional 38K followers. Danny Phantump also runs an online card store called The Card Colosseum. Thus, this is a great way for his online audience to purchase any cards that are missing from their collections. 

7. Rattle Pokemon

Due to the high-value nature of some of these cards, it’s no surprise that forgery is rife within the Pokemon community. Rattle Pokemon uses his channel to take a stand against these scammers in a humorous and light-hearted manner. He tends to use a variety of baiting techniques to lure these scammers into having a conversation and then exposes their dirty work to his 29.9K subscribers. This influencer also highlights the differences between fake and legitimate cards so that his audience do not fall for the same tricks. Using an array of engaging livestreams, Rattle Pokemon also unboxes newly released cards and shows them off in more detail. 

8. Logan Paul

Logan Paul is one of the most popular content creators in the industry, but he has also dabbled with Pokemon content in the past. Alongside his lifestyle content and challenge videos, Paul purchased an abundance of highly sought-after Pokemon cards, including a box of first-edition releases. He showcased these purchases via a pair of livestreams, both of which amassed 8 million and 10 million views respectively. Most notably, he lost $3.5 million by purchasing a set of fake cards, emphasizing the controversy that is sweeping across the trading card industry. Though this content creator seems to be creating more personal content nowadays, Paul’s Pokemon content was still extremely successful, earning around 10 million views per video. 

9. Eva’s Binder

Though she has the smallest audience out of the influencers on this list, Eva’s Binder does a fantastic job of sharing her passions with her 9.62K subscribers. Since these cards are considered to be quite an expensive investment, this content creator offers key advice on how to purchase them at a much more affordable price. She also explores the best cards for beginners who are looking to build a prosperous deck of collectible items. Thus, she is an ideal Pokemon influencer to watch if you’re also eager to jump on this exciting trend. Sometimes, she carries out livestreams where she shares updates from her collection tracking spreadsheet and offers gameplay of Pokemon SoulSilver. 

10. RealBreakingNate

Pokemon card hunting has become a popular pastime among avid collectors and RealBreakingNate showcases the pure joy that this trend offers. Whether he’s searching for rare Pokemon cards in Walgreens or finding unusual items in Toys R US Japan, this influencer shows just how commonplace these cards are. In February 2023, RealBreakingNate produced a documentary about Isaiah, a die-hard fan who is determined to make it all the way to the Pokemon World Championship. This footage successfully highlighted the more competitive side of this hobby and managed to share this adventure with his growing selection of 1.67 million subscribers. 

To many people, Pokemon comes across as an unassuming franchise that seemed to die out in the early 2010s. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As this franchise continues to thrive and expand, a new generation of influencers is documenting its developments. Therefore, these content creators also have a prime opportunity to monetize their greatest hobbies and passions.