Chaos Rising: What We Know About the Chase Cards

Mega Evolution — Chaos Rising is the fourth English set of the Mega Evolution era, releasing on May 22, 2026 with prereleases running May 9–17. Based on Japan's Ninja Spinner (M4) — which released March 13, 2026 — the English set centres on Mega Greninja ex as its headline Pokemon.

We don't yet have final card lists, confirmed SIR artwork, or post-release pricing data. But the Japanese set has now released, and between that and Greninja's position in Pokemon fandom, we have a very clear picture of what to expect. Here's everything we know about Chaos Rising's chase cards so far.

The Headline: Mega Greninja ex

Greninja is one of the most popular Pokemon in franchise history — consistently ranking in the top 3 of official Pokemon popularity polls globally, and the winner of the 2016 Pokemon of the Year vote. Its Ash-Greninja form from the anime cemented its cultural footprint beyond just the games. In short: Greninja has the kind of fanbase that generates extraordinary demand whenever it appears on a significant card.

Mega Greninja ex is a Water-type Stage 2 Pokemon ex with 350 HP. Its signature Ability — Mortal Shuriken — can be activated once per turn while in the Active Spot by discarding a Basic Water Energy from your hand. Competitive players are already assessing how this stacks up in the Mega Evolution format.

What to Expect: The MHR and SIR

Based on the pattern established across ME01, ME02, ME02.5, and ME03, Chaos Rising will almost certainly feature:

Mega Greninja ex — Mega Hyper Rare: The gold etched MHR version of the mascot card is the assumed defining chase of the set. Given Greninja's popularity — arguably higher than any Pokemon that's led an ME set to date — the MHR is expected to generate the strongest demand for any MHR in the era so far. Japanese prerelease singles will give the first pricing signal in mid-March 2026.

Mega Greninja ex — Special Illustration Rare: The SIR is the key collector target. Twilight Masquerade's Greninja ex SIR reached ~$327 in the Scarlet & Violet era; the Mega Evolution version in a full SIR treatment with a ninja/shadow aesthetic could easily surpass that if the artwork lands well. Given the Ninja Spinner theme, a dynamic stealth or water-shuriken composition would suit the card perfectly.

Confirmed Cards So Far

From the official Ninja Spinner reveals, the following have been confirmed for the set:

Mega Greninja ex — Water-type, 350 HP, Mortal Shuriken Ability
The Greninja evolution line (Froakie, Frogadier) is included in the set

The full English card list for Chaos Rising is expected to be revealed in April 2026 ahead of the May release. We'll have complete chase card pricing analysis available once secondary market data from the Japanese release (March 13, 2026) and the English prerelease events establish firm numbers.

Why Greninja Could Make Chaos Rising Special

Looking across the Mega Evolution era:

ME01 was defined by Lucario and Gardevoir (fan-favourites, but not top-tier popularity)
ME02 was defined by Charizard (maximum demand, as always)
ME02.5 was defined by Gengar (~$960 SIR) and Charizard Y
ME03 is defined by Zygarde (Legendary, narrative significance)

Greninja sits in an unusual position: it has the fan popularity that drives collector demand (top 3 globally) and the competitive pedigree that drives player demand. The only set in the SV era that combined both factors at this level was Twilight Masquerade — and Greninja ex SIR hit $327 there.

In the Mega Evolution era, with tighter pull rates and an MHR tier adding another ceiling, the Mega Greninja ex cards could be among the most significant pulls of the entire series.

Stay Updated

We'll update our Chaos Rising coverage as the Japanese set releases and pricing data becomes available. Set your collection tracker before release to see exactly which Greninja-line cards you'll be hunting from day one.

Track your Chaos Rising collection on ReverseHolo →