Follow us

InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookPinterestLinkedInXDiscordEmail
The Pink Binder logoThe Pink Binder
Pink Binder Blog
←BACK
  1. Home
  2. ›🦁 Safari Animals
  3. ›Donphan

Why Donphan Belongs in Every 🦁 Safari Animals Collection

Discover the best Donphan Pokémon cards to collect. Cute picks, rare finds, set history, and binder layout tips in one guide.

2024-04-08

🦁 Safari Animals🏺Yuka MoriiGroundGen IIAnesaki DynamicEri YamakiGOSSANHasegawa SakiHisao NakamuraJulie HangKagemaru HimenoKen SugimoriKent KanetsunaMidori HaradaMitsuhiro AritaNaoyo KimuraPLANETA YamashitaShin-ichi YoshidaShin NagasawaTomoaki ImakuniYuriko AkasePokemon Species Guides
Popularity Rank: #310ℹ

Fan survey data

Blended rank from two r/pokemon "favourite Pokémon" surveys, weighted 60/40 toward the 2025 results (u/Jawnysparklez; u/mamamia1001 2019).

2025 survey: #440

2019 survey: #183

#310 / 1025

Official Donphan artwork - cute Donphan Pokémon card collector guide
#0232

Donphan

Armor Pokémon

Ground

It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its TACKLE is strong enough to knock down a house.

Pokédex details

National Dex
#0232
Height
1.1 m
Weight
120.0 kg
Capture rate
60 / 255
Generation
Gen II
Gender ratio
50% male, 50% female
Hatch steps
5,100 steps
Base happiness
70
Growth rate
Medium
Color
Gray
Habitat
Rough Terrain
Shape
Quadruped
PokéAPIBulbapediaPokémonDB

Why collectors adore Donphan

The elevator pitch for Donphan: cute, recognizable, and worth a binder slot.

  • A staple in our 🦁 Safari Animals crowd — Donphan is one of those picks collectors nod at immediately.
  • Donphan has that "favourite since childhood" energy — you don't need lore to explain the appeal.
  • Honestly? Some Pokémon are just plain likeable. They don't need a sales pitch.

Pokémon TCG cards

Recent cards featuring Donphan from the Trading Card Game, newest first.

Chaos Rising

Common

Fantastical Parade

Two Shiny

Secluded Springs

Two Diamond

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Two Star

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Two Star

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Four Diamond

Triumphant Light

Two Diamond

Surging Sparks

Common

Paldean Fates

Uncommon

Silver Tempest

Uncommon

Celebrations: Classic Collection

Classic Collection

Vivid Voltage

Rare

Showing 12 of 27 loaded cards · card data from TCGdex with pokemontcg.io as backup · images via Scrydex when needed

How I'd build a Donphan spread

Spread layout for Donphan, TCG picks to anchor the page, and open artwork you can print for Michi-style scene pockets.

Cards to anchor your spread

TCG picks for collectors — pair these with a printed scene below.

Donphan Uncommon from Deoxys
Donphan Promo from SWSH Black Star Promos
Donphan Rare from Lost Thunder

Donphan #30 (Deoxys) by Yuka Morii is essential — her signature clay-art style gives Donphan an irresistibly handcrafted charm.

Donphan #SWSH067 (SWSH Black Star Promos) is a promo worth chasing — alternate art that stands out on any Donphan binder page.

Donphan #112 (Lost Thunder) is a promo worth chasing — alternate art that stands out on any Donphan binder page.

Species art references

Character renders for colour matching, pose ideas, and silhouette checks.

Donphan Official artwork

Official artwork

Match card holo colours and keep the species silhouette consistent across pockets.

Donphan HOME render

HOME render

Modern pose reference when you want a cleaner, upright character layout.

Donphan Dream World vector

Dream World vector

Simple line-and-fill shape — handy for tracing pocket placement before you print.

Donphan Shiny palette

Shiny palette

Alternate colourway for accent pockets or shiny-themed spreads.

Art via PokéAPI/sprites (open source).

Donphan mini binder spread

A seeded two-page 3×3 binder mockup using Donphan chase cards and Michi Method scene art for display planning.

Left page

Deoxys

Uncommon

Donphan Michi Method scene — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

SWSH Black Star Promos

Promo

Lost Thunder

Rare

Chaos Rising

Common

Fantastical Parade

Two Shiny

Secluded Springs

Two Diamond

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Two Star

Right page

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Two Star

Wisdom of Sea and Sky

Four Diamond

Triumphant Light

Two Diamond

Donphan Michi Method scene — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Surging Sparks

Common

Paldean Fates

Uncommon

Silver Tempest

Uncommon

Celebrations: Classic Collection

Classic Collection

Start with a background that echoes Donphan's ground, then place your chase holo in the top-left anchor slot. Secondary copies can step down in rarity toward the edges so the spread breathes in photos.

Michi Method scene examples

Illustration picks when dedicated scene art is not cached yet — card frames may still show.

Donphan Michi Method scene — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Scene art via Wallhaven — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Donphan Michi Method scene — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Illustration by twitter.com

Scene art via Wallhaven — Scene wallpaper — Donphan

Find more scene art

Curated galleries and search links — we do not hotlink Pinterest or ArtStation results.

Art of Pokémon galleryPokéos textless TCG artPinterest scene searchArtStation scene searchGoogle Images

Pokémon and character names are trademarks of Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

Additional tips

  • Label one pocket "海外" / overseas and one domestic — pairing Donphan (ドンファン) with English prints reads like a travel diary spread.
  • If you're building for 🦁 Safari Animals, repeat one motif (floral border, café table, neon sign) across three cards so the theme feels authored.
  • Donphan's cheerful base temperament invites playful sticker sleeves or washi — don't force a grimdark layout unless the art demands it.
  • Marketplaces still surface "donphan cards" — tag your inventory with species keywords collectors actually type, not just set codes.

Abilities, moves & metagame notes

Optional competitive context for Donphan. Display collectors can skip straight to the backstory below.

Base stats

In-game numbers for Donphan — useful context beside abilities and moves.

❤️HP

90

⚔️Attack

120

🛡️Defense

120

✨Sp. Atk

60

🔮Sp. Def

60

💨Speed

50

Total: 500

Players file Donphan around tier "UU" while Ability Sturdy (Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO…) shapes the fantasy — chase art that stages that payoff, not just the highest number on the slab.

  • Hidden Ability Sand Veil is the deep-cut hunt — call it out when you sell or trade so buyers know you are curating, not flipping random holos.
  • Stomping Tantrum — Power doubles if the user's last move failed. — Illustration Rares that stage that motion tend to outperform static portraits.

3D battle sprites

Animated Showdown-style models for Donphan — normal and shiny.

Normal
Donphan normal 3D sprite
Shiny
Donphan shiny 3D sprite

Sprites via Project Pokémon. Pokémon and character names are trademarks of Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.

Backstory & Lore

A short write-up on Donphan, weaving together Pokédex notes, species lore, and evolution context.

It has sharp, hard tusks and a rugged hide. Its TACKLE is strong enough to knock down a house.

The longer and bigger its tusks, the higher its rank in its herd. The tusks take long to grow.

Because this POKéMON's skin is so tough, a normal attack won't even leave a scratch on it.

A second dex beat (Diamond) frames Donphan as one that attacks by curling up, then rolling into its foe.. Rotating that line on a sticky note beside the page keeps the spread feeling lived-in.

Donphan shows up in Alpha Sapphire lore as if donphan were to tackle with its hard body, even a house could be destroyed.. When you shop for cards, look for illustrations that lean into that mood instead of generic portrait poses.

Name in other languages

Common localized names collectors may search for.

🇩🇪German
Donphan
🇪🇸Spanish
Donphan
🇫🇷French
Donphan
🇮🇹Italian
Donphan
🇯🇵Japanese
ドンファン
🇯🇵Japanese (Romaji)
Donfan
🇰🇷Korean
코리갑
🇨🇳Chinese (Simplified)
顿甲
🇹🇼Chinese (Traditional)
頓甲

Related Pokémon posts

Explore similar species and build a more complete cute Pokémon binder roadmap.

Phanpy Collector Guide: Building a 🦁 Safari Animals Page That Actually PopsBlitzle Card Collection: Your 🦁 Safari Animals Binder ChecklistHow to Collect Copperajah Cards: Standout Art, Sets, and FavoritesThe Cutest Cufant Cards: Illustration Rares, Promos, and Display PicksGirafarig Pokémon Card Guide: Cute Picks, Best Sets, and Collector TipsGreat Tusk Pokémon Cards: Best Rarities, Art Cards, and Binder PicksGumshoos Pokémon Cards: Best Rarities, Art Cards, and Binder PicksHippopotas Card Guide: Iconic Prints, Chase Cards, and Display Picks

Shop these cards in one place

The Pink Binder live promoShop now

Ready to buy? Visit The Pink Binder Shop hub for direct links to our latest card listings across marketplaces.

The Pink Binder logo

Singles, packs, keychains, and more!

Visit The Pink Binder Shop →