Themed and licensed

Licensed and themed playing cards: movies, TV series, music and anime

An officially licensed deck of cards is a poker deck that a publisher designs with permission from the owner of the brand: the film studio, the TV production company, the band or the artist. This category holds the themed playing cards we have in our Madrid warehouse: Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, Disney, The Beatles, Stranger Things, One Piece, Sanrio and many more, published by theory11, Bicycle, Card Mafia, Kings Wild Project, Fultons and Fontaine.

They are complete decks you can play with, use for magic or give to a fan. Below you will find them sorted by theme, with what changes from one edition to another.

Movie playing cards

Superhero playing cards: Marvel and DC

The theory11 Avengers deck is devoted to the Infinity Saga, with Loki and Thanos jokers in the Avengers Infinity Saga and editions in red, blue and green. There are Marvel playing cards of their own for Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy and the Fantastic Four. With a light-up box you have Card Mafia's Thor, with the hammer Mjolnir in blue LED, and the Iron Man MK1, which lights up the Arc Reactor when opened. From DC: Batman 85th Anniversary, The Dark Knight trilogy and Superman, inspired by Golden Age comics.

TV series playing cards

From Netflix there is the theory11 Stranger Things, the Bicycle Stranger Things, made for the Japanese market with four jokers, and the Bicycle Wednesday. From the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian and its second deck, the V2. Also Game of Thrones, Star Trek in light and dark editions, Yellowstone and Saturday Night Live.

Anime, cartoons and characters

Music playing cards

The theory11 The Beatles playing cards are inspired by the Sgt. Pepper's uniforms and come in several colors (blue, green and orange). The Special Edition, in black or white, has gold foil on the back as well, and the Yellow Submarine is devoted to the 1968 film. There are more bands and artists: The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Outkast and Notorious B.I.G. from theory11, and Elton John and Guns N' Roses from Bicycle.

Artists, brands and video games

Not every license comes from the movies. The Keith Haring carries his bold-line figures, Dan & Dave's Bruce Lee puts one of his quotes on every card and Room One's Assassin's Creed has 55 cards in a box with the hidden blade. Fultons works with brands: the Fulton Street 1958, licensed by the MTA, pays tribute to the 1958 New York subway map; then there are the ICEE Bear, the Tellason jeans and the skate brand Hookups.

What changes from one themed deck to another

Just the back and the box, or the whole deck

A themed deck can change only the back and the box and keep the standard faces, but almost every deck in this category goes further. In the theory11 licenses the team draws the aces, jokers and court cards from scratch, so the King of Spades or the Queen of Hearts become characters from the saga. The Bicycle Disney decks illustrate the court cards with their characters, and Card Mafia's One Piece decks also redesign the suits.

Foil, gilded edges and special boxes

Many have foil and embossing on the box; some also on the cards, like the James Bond Silver Edition. The Gilded editions have metallic painted edges, and Card Mafia's Thor or the Iron Man MK1 have LED lighting in the box. If these finishes appeal to you, there are more in the Premium category.

Limited editions

Some have a fixed print run: the Fontaine Sleight, made with Blumhouse for the film Sleight, was limited to 10,000 copies; the Hey Arnold to 3,500, and the Hookups Barrel of a Gun Blood Splatter to 500. For most licenses the publisher does not announce a fixed print run.

Publishers of licensed playing cards

Which deck to give a fan of a saga or a band

The easiest way is to start from their favorite saga, series or band: a Harry Potter deck for their house, a Star Wars deck for their side of the Force or a One Piece deck for their character. If they also play or do magic, a standard edition is a better choice than one with foil on the cards or gilded edges, which wear faster with use. For a collector, the Star Wars Box Set or a Kings Wild Gilded edition. You will find more ideas by profile in which deck to gift and in the gift guide, and if you are torn between brands, in which deck of cards to buy.

Licensed playing cards FAQ

Are they official decks?

Yes. The decks in this category are published under license or in collaboration with the brand owner: Disney and Lucasfilm, Marvel, Toei Animation, Nickelodeon, the band or the artist. Each deck's product page has the details.

Can you play with them?

Yes. They are complete poker decks, printed by playing card manufacturers such as USPCC or the Taiwan Playing Card Company. The court cards have different artwork, but you play just as with any poker deck.

Which one to give a Star Wars, Marvel or Harry Potter fan?

For Star Wars, the Light Side or the Dark Side depending on their favorite side, or the Box Set if they collect. For Marvel, the Avengers Infinity Saga or the deck of their character. For Harry Potter, the one for their Hogwarts house.

Are they limited editions?

Most are not: the publisher does not announce a fixed print run. Some do have one, like the Fontaine Sleight or the Hey Arnold. Limited editions with a numbered seal are in collector's playing cards.

What is the difference between the theory11 and the Bicycle Stranger Things?

They are two different decks. The theory11 one has a box with red and silver holographic foil; the Bicycle one was made for the Japanese market and has 56 cards, four of them jokers.

Can they be used for magic or cardistry?

Yes, especially the ones with a standard finish. If you are looking for a deck designed for that, see the magic playing cards and the cardistry decks.

Where do they ship from?

From our warehouse in Madrid, like the rest of the shop. The decks in the listing are the ones we have in stock.