Pokémon is an expansive series, introducing dozens or more characters each game. Many of these characters also get built upon further beyond their initial appearances, either in subsequent games, the anime or some other arm of the megafranchise Pokémon has become. Among the most beloved of these characters are gym leaders, master trainers who usually specialize (to their severe tactical detriment) in just one Pokémon type.
Below is a list of ten gym leaders that stand above the rest, whether it be because of their gimmicks, personalities, associates or whatever else might make them noteworthy.
The Tomboy Sister Who Stepped Up
Probably best known as the fiery friend and foil to Ash Ketchum, much of Misty’s place on this list is admittedly informed by the anime. There, she is one of the most developed characters in the series, with one of her earliest acts of note being intervening when Ash was going to be given a badge without any challenge by Misty’s lazy sisters. She has more or less existed since the series first began; she’s probably the most famous character in the series behind Ash himself (not counting Pokémon like Pikachu anyway).
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In the games, she still has some interesting details that make her more than just a water-based gym leader. It’s hinted that she’s somewhat unlucky in love and that she also seeks to travel. She’s also seen many redesigns, showing up in multiple games, usually with a new outfit and/or hairstyle. At this point, she’s a Pokémon staple whose tomboy gimmick was maybe a bit fresher when she first debuted, but who has evolved with the series and managed to keep interesting. She, combined with the almost as famous Brock, is also a leader who does a good job introducing the idea of weaknesses to a player, helping to show thatthe starter you ended up choosingcan significantly alter how easy or difficult particular fights might be.
She’s Quiet, Sleepy and Beloved
On the surface, Erika may seem traditional. She dresses in a kimono and is clearly designed with an elegant, traditional sense of Japanese beauty in mind. She is developed a bit beyond that, however, with characters hinting that she frequently dozes off and Erika herself even falling asleep mid-dialogue in a short message she can send to the player’s Fame Checker in FireRed and LeafGreen. She seems to be a skilled botanist and flower-arranger, with some of her appearances also highlighting that she has a talent for perfume manufacture.
An Arrogant Rival Who Mellows Out
Bede begins as a rude, bordering on vitriolic, rival that repeatedly dismisses the player until he’s slowly humbled by numerous defeats. He eventually goes too far in an effort to garner praise from the scheming Chairman Rose, ruining a historical landmark in an attempt to loot the locale, where he’s then disqualified from the Gym Challenge. With his spirit broken, an interesting resurgence and period of self-reflection begins, where he’s scouted by the Opal, who sees something in the boy and decides he would make a good replacement for her as leader of Ballonlea’s gym. Thus, Bede takes a new direction, mellowing out and trying to bring out the best in Fairy-type Pokémon, eventually runningthe fan-favorite Sylveonon his team.
An Actual, Future-Divining Psychic
Sabrina, and those who train under her, is a character whose existence opens up a variety of questions the games and other Pokémon media only ever lightly touch upon. She is definitively arealpsychic in all of her appearances and is stated multiple times to be able to literally see the future, although she admits this foresight is imperfect. She seems to be living proof that, in the wide world of Pokémon, at least some humans can do extraordinary things far beyond what most think is possible.
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Sabrina is a character where, even looking at only the games, one gets quite a lot of details fleshing her out. you’re able to learn she’s shown psychic potential even as a child, that she can connect psychically with her Pokémon, and that she apparently has at least some desire for stardom, taking on the role of the fictional villain Bellelba in Black 2 and White 2. Sabrina gets an edge to her in her manga and anime forms that isn’t explored as much in the games, with one manga interpretation having her begin as a Team Rocket head and the original anime having her psychically split into two personalities, one of which captures and even tries to kill Ash and friends.
If Sabrina can be criticized, it’s maybe that her multiple interpretations don’t fully gel together. If one looks atallher appearances, it can sometimes seem like multiple different characters. Even in the games, her later designs get much more casual and her appearance as a movie star feels at odds (maybe intentionally) with how she is originally presented.
The Semi-Retired Ex-Champion
Blue is an interesting character for a number of reasons, starting out as a tense rival in the Generation I games Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. He eventually becomes the champion in those games, only to (seemingly immediately, holding the position formaybea few hours) be ousted by the player. In later games, he eventually replaces the crime lord Giovanni as gym leader of Viridian City after the Rocket boss is ousted. In that position, he serves as an interesting fight (mirroring the man he replaces) as he doesn’t specialize in a singular type of Pokémon, unlike nearly all other gym leaders.
Just as Red is a (primarily) video game counterpart to Ash, Blue Oak is clearly a game counterpart to Gary Oak. Depending on the game, he will look similar or nearly identical to how Gary is presented in other media at the time of that game’s release and there is significant overlap in the Pokémon the two use. These characters, however,aredifferent. For one, Blue’s personal journey seems focused primarily on Pokémon battling, while Gary began similarly but then pivots to Pokémon research.
The Father You Must Surpass
The leader of Petalburg City’s gym, Norman is the player character’s father in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. He’s also encounteredbeforehe can be fought, requiring the player to first collect some badges to better prepare for the fight he’ll put up. He’s a challenge with some genuine emotional stakes, with his defeat representing a clear milestone in the player’s journey, which is rare even in more modern entries in the series. He wants his child to succeed but won’t give them an inch; they must win on their own merits. Upon defeating him, the player proves they are arguably a superior trainer to their own father and proves they’re ready for whatever might come next.
His role in the anime is somewhat similar, as he’s father to Ash’s companions May and Max, but there’s an argument the emotional stakes surrounding him aren’t nearly as strong. This is because it’s Ash, not his children, who must defeat him.
Absolutely Fascinating in His Mundanity
While Sword and Shieldrightfully face many criticismsfrom longtime fans, it’s rare for those who’ve played those games long enough to meet him not to have at least some love for Larry. Larry is a parody of the stereotypical salaryman; wearing a suit rather than any remotely themed costume and clearly overworked, it isn’t clear if Larry hasanypassion for battling. The fact he uses Normal-type Pokémon at his gym further adds to his absurd mundanity. He feels like just some forty-something guy you’d meet in real life, transplanted into the world of Pokémon.
That alone would earn Larry a spot on this list, but he also shows up again at the Elite Four. Now running a Flying-team, the game makes it clear this isn’t some kind of pivot or evolution for the character. Instead, this seems to just..be Larry’s second job. A second job he clearly shows he doesn’t like, saying it’s “unfortunate” he is a member of the Elite Four. He even makes it clear he would prefer not to be using Flying-type Pokémon, but that he was told he had to.
A Crime Lord Keeping Busy
Giovanni fits solidly into the crime boss archetype, right down to the Italian name and formal attire. While officially the head of Viridian Gym (at least in his original appearances), his real focus is solidly on heading a criminal empire as head of Team Rocket. This is doubly clear if one visits his gym when first arriving in Viridian, only to find he isn’t there (and won’t be until you have the other seven Gym Badges).
Giovanni’s strength is in simplicity. He is a bad man, driven by power and greed, without any of the fantastical designs or lofty ambitions of the head villains in later entries. Even his association with Mewtwo, explored in the show and some of his later game appearances, feels like something informed almost entirely by a desire to possess something powerful. This groundedness helps Giovanni feel like arealthreat. While still a character in a series aimed at children, maybe more than any other villain in the series, Giovanni feels like someone willing and able to hurt people to advance his vision.
A Stoic Punk Beloved by Ruffians
Absolutely beloved by the people of her hometown, Spikemuth, Marnie is a gentle, polite character who is juxtaposed by her mob of superfans, Team Yell. Her design and entire vibe are likewise full of juxtaposition, with a leather jacket and choker over a pink dress, studded boots with pink bottoms and hair seemingly styled to evoke the idea of horns. She feels like a kind-hearted girl from a much rougher neighborhood than has typically been seen in the series, which is exactly what she is (which makes it a shame that the Spikemuth players actually get is basically a hallway with essentially no reason to ever revisit it).
Another standout from one of the weakest pair of games in the series, Marnie is a cool design that stands out from the typical fair of the franchise (although there’s admittedly another punk that beats her for the number one spot on this list). She’s stylized like a punk without coming off as yet another dangerous thug like the bikers seen in earlier entries in the series. The player also gets to spend a fair amount of time with her, as Marnie only later becomes a gym leader, replacing her brother Piers. Between talking to her, her brother and her many fans, one really gets to learn far more about this character than the series typically gives you.
P.O.K.E.M.O.N. Pokémon!
Roxie heads the Virbank Gym and is seemingly everything the writers of Sword and Shield wanted Piers to be. With a cool punk design, a wicked guitar that’s about as tall as she is and a loud, confident energy, she’s a character that nails what her writers and designers were aiming for. And, importantly, she plays her own battle music and even sings (which really makes Piersnotactually singing, years after Roxie, stand out). Yes, her song is basic, but it has vocals and is overall afunenergy that reinforces who the character is as you fight.
There are leaders on this list with more nuance and complexity when compared to Roxie, but she’s memorable, interesting and was doing something refreshing for the games that hadn’t been seen before. Her gimmick doesn’t feel forced and the game does a great job of quickly illustrating what she’s about. Just by looking at her, you’re able to guess that she’s a Poison trainer and punk rocker. Going by cool factor, she’s hard to beat.
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