Pokémon Unveils Official New Gengar Design For 30th Anniversary

Published Sep 21, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

Pokémon's 30th anniversary hit a major milestone last week as the highly anticipated 30th Celebration line of the Pokémon TCG finally released, introducing nearly 200 new cards packed with anniversary-themed designs, returning classics, and some ambitious new artwork. The collection includes 30 unique Pikachu cards, 30 cards in its nostalgic Classic Collection, and new rarities built specifically around the anniversary celebration.

The TCG is only one part of what has already been a packed year for Pokémon, however. February's Pokémon Day officially unveiled Pokémon Winds & Waves, the next major entries in the mainline RPG series, which will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. Fans have also received updates for Pokémon Champions and Pokémon Pokopia, alongside the return of Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness through Nintendo's classic-game services, as well as the recent announcement of the Pokémon: Wild Card film coming next year.

Pokémon's anniversary celebration is far from finished, however, as a brand-new Gengar design was recently unveiled at the Pokémon XP event in August.

Gengar has been given a new officially licensed design as part of Sideshow's growing line of high-end Pokémon collectibles. Unveiled during PokémonXP 2026 in San Francisco, the new Gengar Diorama puts the fan-favorite Ghost/Poison-type front and center, translating its familiar round body, pointed silhouette, red eyes, and enormous grin into a more elaborate display piece.

Sideshow debuted it alongside a new Mewtwo statue at the event, although the company has not yet announced a price, dimensions, preorder date, or release window. Fans can currently RSVP through Sideshow to receive availability updates. Take a look at the stunning diorama below:

Calling Gengar a fan favorite is a bit of an understatement. The Generation 1 Pokémon finished 10th overall in the official 2020 Pokémon of the Year vote, receiving 60,214 votes and placing second among Kanto Pokémon behind Charizard. Its combination of a mischievous personality and immediately recognizable design has helped it remain one of the franchise's most prominent Ghost-types across the games, anime, TCG, and collectibles such as this one.

Gengar's standard appearance has actually been remarkably consistent since its 1996 debut, although Pokémon has occasionally pushed the design much further through alternate forms. Mega Gengar, introduced during the Pokémon X and Y era, gives it a more sinister look with elongated features and a third eye, while Gigantamax Gengar transforms the Pokémon into a foreboding, partially submerged mouth said to lead to the afterlife.

Pokémon's current Pokédex recognizes the standard, Mega, and Gigantamax designs as its three major forms. The new Sideshow piece isn't a new canonical Gengar form by any means, but it does offer another fresh interpretation of a design that Pokémon has largely avoided changing for three decades, and it's sure to be a hot item when it officially goes on sale on their website.