I struggled with this question 20 years ago when I started building my Charizard collection. Should it really be part of a “Charizard” Collection? Or maybe a different collection category like a…Not Charizard Collection.
What do YOU think?
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100% it’s a Charizard and is essential to a complete Charizard collection.
Do you feel the same about Blaine’s or shining?
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No I don’t. Should I? Hihi
I tried to compare it to my Dr. Jeckle collection. Did Mr. Hyde belong in there?
I’ve always thought it was. Same as Shining Charizard, Blaine’s Charizard, Lance’s Charizard, Charizard ex, Charizard G, Charizard star, etc. I’m okay with the variations!
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I don’t want to repeat everything else that’s been said. I’ll just add that its never crossed my mind that it wouldn’t belong in a Charizard collection.
Since you say you struggled with this question back then, would you mind mentioning a reason or two you thought it should be separate?
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Only the Dark Charizard had come out in English at the time I was considering it. As you can easily see, I ended up including all the variances in my collection. The only one today that I treat like a stepchild is the dark though. Why…not sure;)
Well it is the strangest charizard having that 80hp, but that was the most in the entire dark set so you cant blame it for that. It simply has it’s own personality as a card because of the dark persona which is unique to THAT charizard. It seems you prefer cards that are simply “charizard” with limited personalities attached. By being dark it’s almost like you think it is a different animal, but it still is a will always be… a charizard.
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Yes, yes we are 
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I feel you Gary. Dark charizard was never my favorite when I was a kid. I always would have rather had the original. It just felt off… disappointing as pulling a non holo rare that also came in holo form. Or when my parents would get me a fossil booster instead of base set 
Still a charizard even though they had a rough upbringing.
Bulbapedia:
Dark Pokémon (card text: Pokémon with “Dark” in their names) (Japanese: わるいポケモン Bad Pokémon) are a type of Pokémon found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and often considered a corrupted version of their normal species. Their counterparts are Light Pokémon, which appear only in Neo Destiny.
The first appearance of Dark Pokémon was in the Team Rocket Expansion, in which all evolved Pokémon are Dark Pokémon. This is because Team Rocket itself is a corrupt organization, and therefore the Pokémon they train become corrupt also.
Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge touched on the theme with the appearance of Rocket’s Pokémon, similar in many respects to Dark Pokémon from the previous Expansion.
Dark Pokémon made another appearance in Neo Destiny, which as the title suggests, revolves around the potential path or “destiny” a Pokémon can follow depending on how it is brought up by its Trainer. The set also illustrated that Pokémon with Dark in their names and Darkness-type Pokémon differed, with Dark Houndoom released as a Fire Pokémon.
In terms of card design, Dark Pokémon have a brown/black character window, evolution box and Pokédex box, as opposed to the regular gold. In terms of gameplay, Dark Pokémon tend to have higher attack damage and lower HPs compared to those of normal Pokémon, likely due to the highly offensive nature of the Trainer. Also, most evolved Generation I Pokémon feature alternate pictures of their previous stage in their evolution box.
Though Dark Pokémon did not appear in the EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua expansion, Pokémon belonging to Team Aqua or Team Magma utilized the new game mechanic of dual-types, in which many evolved and legendary Pokémon displayed a Darkness dual type to further emphasise their allegiance with a villainous team. This also essentially rejected the difference between Dark Pokémon and Darkness-type Pokémon as displayed in Neo Destiny. This would remain for subsequent releases.
Dark Celebi, featured in EX Hidden Legends was the first card in the EX Series to include “Dark” in its name, and was included in the set likely due to its close ties with Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, in which Team Rocket member Iron-Masked Marauder captures a Celebi using a Dark Ball and uses it to create chaos.
The latest appearance of Dark Pokémon was in the EX Team Rocket Returns expansion, in which all Dark Pokémon are dual Darkness types (with the exception of those that are normally Colorless) and all Pokémon belonging to Team Rocket are purely Darkness types.
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I feel like if the artwork had been better, it would have been received better. Both it and Dark Gyarados from that set look pretty 
It’s actually a caterpie.
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Depends… Is your Charizard collection pure (just Base Set (Base, Base2, LC) artwork) or not? If not; all other Charizards can be a part of it. If yes, than Dark/Shining/Blaine/EX/GX Charizard …
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Don’t forget Evolutions.
Dark Charizard is still a Charizard. Dark Blastoise is still a Blastoise. Dark Venusaur is still a Venusaur. Dark Lugia is still a Lugia. And so on. It’s just a prefix indicating something happened to said Pokémon species. They are after all possessed or under the control of some nefarious entities or set upon a more negative path by way of circumstance.
Name checks out for me, lol.
Dark Charizard is still Charizard now Gay Charizard is not a Charizard… that is just a Dragonite.
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Haha…classic:)
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I certainly feel it’s a legit Charizard and a must have in a collection. I actually love Blaine’s and Dark very much being the 2nd and 3rd english Zard
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