List of Pokémon characters

This is a list of characters in the Pokémon games, animated TV series, and manga series. Save for notable specific Pokémon, the specific species of Pokémon are not listed here; they are instead detailed further at List of Pokémon.

Note that this list includes characters from all of the various incarnations of the Pokémon franchise. This includes characters from a number of discrete, similar-but-separate continuities, including the video game continuity, the anime continuity, the Pokémon Adventures continuity, the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga continuity, and the Magical Pokémon Journey manga continuity. The anime continuity and most of the manga continuities are based to varying degrees on the games, but they all diverge at key points. A single character may appear in multiple continuities, sometimes in the same basic role (e.g. Giovanni), sometimes in very different roles (e.g. Brock).

All references to the "video games" collectively refer to Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, and White only, unless noted otherwise. Likewise, references to the Pokémon anime also include, in addition to the eponymous anime itself, the related sidestory Pokémon Chronicles anime, the game Pokémon Channel, and Ash & Pikachu manga unless otherwise noted.

Names in bold are the names from the English language versions of the video games or anime. Names in plain text are the anglicized form of the characters' original Japanese language name.

Contents

Main characters

Player characters

The protagonist of the video games can be renamed by the player, but each has an array of default names. As the anime and the various manga are, to differing degrees, based on the games, other Pokémon protagonists (or supporting characters) are often named after and share many characteristics with the game protagonists.

Rivals

The main character's rival in the video games has a number of different names, but he roughly corresponds to several other characters in the animated series and comics. (Note that not all of the corresponding characters are rivals or antagonists to the protagonist in the anime or in Pokémon Adventures, however.) In the Pokémon video games, the rivals will always pick a starter Pokémon which has a type advantage over the player's own.

Pseudo-rival

The "pseudo-rival" in the video games debuted in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and is always the character that the player did not choose to play as.

Crime syndicates

Pokémon League

The Pokémon League is a little-described organization that organizes and certifies Pokémon Gyms and Pokémon tournaments. Becoming the Pokémon League Champion is one of the main goals in the video games, as well as one of Ash's stated goals in life in the anime.

The members of the Pokémon League have differing roles depending on where they appear; in the video games, they are the one-time "boss" opponents the player has to overcome to progress through the game, in the anime, they are usually one-time challengers Ash has to face to become the Pokémon League Champion, and in the manga, they are alternately enemies or allies to the protagonists, depending on their individual motivations.

Gym Leaders

Gym Leaders (ジムリーダー Jimu Rīdā?) lead Pokémon Gyms, and offer Gym badges to Pokémon trainers who can defeat them. Usually, this challenge takes the form of a Pokémon battle, but, occasionally, the challenges are a trial of skill or endurance, or the badges are given in return for extraordinary services rendered.

Each main region has at least eight Gym Leaders at a time. Any trainer who earns a Gym Badge from eight Gyms is eligible to go on to face the Elite Four or participate in the Pokémon League Championships, as appropriate.

Kanto Gym Leaders

Orange Islands Gym Leaders

Johto Gym Leaders

Hoenn Gym Leaders

Sinnoh Gym Leaders

Unova Gym Leaders

Members of the Elite Four

The Elite Four (四天王 Shitennō?, lit. "Four Heavenly Kings") is an order of exceptionally skilled Pokémon trainers consisting of four member trainers of ascending rank led by a more powerful trainer known as the 'Pokémon Champion'. The position of 'Pokémon Champion' is constantly open to challenge as any Pokémon trainer who gains eight badges and defeats the Elite Four, and once they defeat the Champion in a Pokémon battle, they automatically earn the title for themselves. Whenever the title of champion is passed on, it is honored by an inauguration into the Hall Of Fame. Most different regions possess their own organizations.

Kanto Elite Four

The Kanto Elite Four act as the Elite Four in the original series of Pokémon games consisting of Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow versions as well as in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen versions which act as remakes of the original games. Within the timeline of the games series they are eventually also given the status as the 'Johto Elite Four'.

Johto Elite Four

Hoenn Elite Four

Sinnoh Elite Four

Unova Elite Four

Frontier Brains

The Frontier Brains (フロンティアブレーン Furontia Burēn?) are a fictional group of powerful Pokémon trainers from the Battle Frontier that appears in Pokémon Emerald and Pokémon Platinum. Each Brain resides at a Frontier facility and has his or her own title. After defeating a Frontier Brain, the trainer will receive a Silver Symbol (1st time) or Gold Symbol (2nd time). In Platinum, the trainer will receive a Silver Medal (1st time) or Colored Medal (2nd time).

In the anime, Ash Ketchum travels the land of Kanto after his journey in Hoenn, defeating the Frontier Brains. Instead of being on the Battle Frontier island, the facilities are in cities in Kanto.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, a mysterious boy called Emerald, who has a connection with Latias and Latios, comes to the Battle Frontier island to defeat the Frontier Brains. Todd, a character from the anime and the Pokémon Snap games, watches Emerald go through the frontier. Similarly, Platinum Berlitz challenges the Frontier Brains of Sinnoh alongside Looker in order to learn more about the Distortion World in a later chapter of the manga.

Hoenn/Kanto

Sinnoh/Johto

Subway Bosses

Similar to the Battle Towers and Battle Frontiers of the third and fourth generations, the Battle Subway (バトルサブウェイ Batoru Sabuwei?) is a venue in Pokémon Black and White where the player can fight a series of trainers in succession, before eventually challenging the Subway Bosses (Subway Masters (サブウェイマスター Sabuwei Masutā?)).[3]

When challenging the two Multi Battle lines (two players or one player with an NPC challenging two NPCs), both Emmet and Ingo are fought in a Multi Battle.

Other recurring characters

Pokémon Professors

The Pokémon Professors give new Pokémon trainers a starting Pokémon appropriate to their region, and entrust them with a task (be it completing a Pokédex, delivering an object, or otherwise offering encouragement). They are also leading researchers of Pokémon-related topics, and mentor Pokémon trainers in a general way. It's interesting to note that almost all Pokémon Professors have the name of some sort of woody plant: Oak, Ivy, Elm, Birch, Rowan, and Juniper, with the exception of Professor Hastings.

PC developers

Games

Recurring "clones"

These characters are actually a group of women with identical appearances (although Brock demonstrates the ability to tell them apart). They don't individually recur, but they do appear in each town in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova regions and the Orange Islands, an identical-looking and -sounding woman with the same name filling the same role. Their identical appearance may be a reference to or parody of the identical sprites used in the video games, a common practice in video game RPGs.

See also

References