OP-17 'The World's Strongest Warriors' — the chase cards, before they drop
- Top tier
- Four-Emperor Manga Rares
- SNKRDUNK projection
- ~$2,000 each (¥300k)
- New rarity
- Treasure Rare (1/box)
- Our First Read
- spike, then settle ~$1,100–1,600
Verdict — OP-17's chase tier is the Four-Emperor Manga Rares — Shanks, Kaido, Whitebeard, Big Mom — each projected ~$2,000, plus a brand-new Treasure Rare above Secret Rare. But the rollout is unusually compressed (US, JP and EN all inside one week), so the English scarcity premium may be smaller than past sets. Our dated First Read: a launch spike near projection, then a settle.
The short answer: the chase of OP-17 "The World's Strongest Warriors" is the Four-Emperor Manga Rares — Shanks, Kaido, Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) and Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin) — each projected around ¥300,000 (~$2,000) by SNKRDUNK, plus a brand-new "Treasure Rare" rarity that sits above Secret Rare (one per box). But the set is unreleased, so there are no sold prices yet — this is a pre-market prediction, not a valuation. And unlike older sets, OP-17's rollout is compressed into a single week worldwide, which changes the usual English scarcity math. Here's our dated First Read on the chase tier, and what would prove it right or wrong.
This is independent analysis of physical collectibles — not financial advice. Because OP-17 is unreleased, every figure below is a dated prediction to be graded later, not a last-sold price. Exact card numbers are confirmed at the official Bandai reveal — we deliberately do not pin specific serials while pre-release sources still disagree.
The release — a compressed, near-global rollout
| Edition | Date |
|---|---|
| US pre-release | ~August 21, 2026 |
| Japan | ~August 22, 2026 |
| English wide release | August 28, 2026 |
This matters more than it looks. English chase cards have historically ridden a Japan-first scarcity gap — Japan getting a set months before the English print. OP-17 compresses that to about a week: US, JP and EN supply all arrive within days of each other. That's more supply, sooner, competing for the same demand — so the English launch premium is likely smaller and shorter-lived than past sets.
The chase tier
Per SNKRDUNK's pre-release guide, the top cards cluster tightly:
| Chase | Rarity | Projected value |
|---|---|---|
| Shanks (Manga Rare) | SR-SP | |
| Kaido (Manga Rare) | SR-SP | |
| Whitebeard / Edward Newgate (Manga Rare) | SR-SP | |
| Big Mom / Charlotte Linlin (Manga Rare) | SR-SP | |
| Monkey D. Luffy (Super Leader Parallel) | L-SP | |
| Treasure Rare (new rarity, 1 per box) | TR | unannounced — the wildcard |
Shanks is generally ranked #1 of the four — a god-tier collector character whose past Manga Rares have held well over ¥200,000.
Our First Read (dated 2026-07-19)
Shanks + the Manga Rare treatment is the exact recipe behind the game's grails (compare the OP05 Luffy Manga at ~$5,500 raw and the OP09 Roger Manga at ~$4,000). But two things make us more cautious than the ¥300k projection at settle:
- Fresh Manga Rares spike, then settle. New chase cards open high on hype and thin week-one supply, then drift as boxes keep getting opened. A projection is a launch-window number, not a stable floor.
- The compressed rollout is bearish for the English premium. With JP and EN supply arriving within a week, English buyers aren't competing over a scarce months-early print — global supply lands almost together.
Framed as a falsifiable prediction for the top Manga Rares (e.g. Shanks):
- Launch week: likely near the projection, ~$1,800–2,200 raw, on hype + thin initial supply.
- 30–90 days: we predict a drift to ~$1,100–1,600 raw as the compressed global supply floods — unless demand proves exceptional.
- PSA 10 (once grading clears, ~2–3 months): ~$3,000–5,000.
- The Treasure Rare is the wildcard. A brand-new top rarity with an unknown pull rate — if it's genuinely scarce, it could out-chase the Manga Rares. We won't predict a number until the pull rate is known.
What proves us right vs. wrong: if the top Manga Rares' raw sold clears hold above ~$2,000 thirty days after the English release, demand beat the compressed-supply wave and our caution was wrong (bullish). If they break below ~$1,000, the supply flood won. We'll grade this prediction against real sold data once the set is out.
The risks (bigger than usual — it's unreleased)
- No sales exist. Every number here is a projection or a comparable, not a last-sold. Treat preorder "single" asks as speculative.
- Numbers and pull rates are unconfirmed. We don't pin specific card serials while pre-release sources disagree; Manga-Rare and Treasure-Rare pull rates aren't published, and a generous ratio means a lower floor.
- The compressed rollout is a new dynamic. Historical English manga-rare comps may not transfer — that uncertainty cuts both ways.
FAQ
Below: the questions collectors are searching before OP-17 drops.