Strongest Pokemon Trainers In The Games, Ranked

When it comes to powerscaling in the Pokemon franchise, the community often focuses on the Pokemon themselves, and how could they not? After all, these creatures are incredibly strong, and many of them hold the power to destroy the world in their hands, whether they’re Legendary or not. But… what about the people who are able to catch, befriend, and train these potent pocket monsters?

Mainline Pokemon games are filled to the brim with Pokemon trainers so skilled and so smart that they have managed to secure an important title in their home regions, like Gym Leader, Elite Four Member, or Champion, and defeating them in battle is always extremely challenging. Naturally, there are a lot of capable trainers to choose from, but the following 10 are the absolute strongest ones in the entire series so far.

This list focuses mainly on NPCs, as player characters were excluded (with one notorious exception) because it would have been way too repetitive otherwise.

10

Urbain/Taunie

Rank A In The Z-A Royale

• Debut: Pokemon Legends: Z-A
• Region: Kalos
• Frequently used Pokemon: Meowstic, Goodra, Avalugg, Manectric, Meganium, Emboar, Feraligatr

The recently released Pokémon Legends: Z-A put a lot of its focus on battling, which is why it heavily featured the Z-A Royale, a huge tournament held in Lumiose City where trainers can face each other to earn points and receive promotions based on their skills. Sitting comfortably at the top of its rankings, at Rank A, is the player character and their eternal rival and close friend: Taunie/Urbain.

Not only did they reach Rank A of the Z-A Royale (meaning they’re better at battling than characters like Grisham or Jacinthe), but they also participated in numerous raids against Rogue Wild Pokemon. Additionally, Taunie/Urbain are so strong that the plot will continue seamlessly if you lose against them during the climax, because the game considers them to be at the same level as the player character. They don’t specialize in a specific type, but they do use multiple Pokemon that are capable of Mega evolving, which becomes especially evident during the super difficult final fight against them at the end of the Mega Dimension DLC.

9

N (Natural Harmonia Gropius)

The Real King Of Team Plasma

• Debut: Pokemon Black and White
• Region: Unova
• Frequently used Pokemon: Zekrom, Reshiram, Zoroark, Carracosta, Archeops, Vanilluxe, Klinklang

N is undoubtedly one of the most complex and fascinating characters in the Pokemon universe. He was basically manipulated by Ghetsis from a very young age, so he would become the king of Team Plasma and convince people to stop using Pokemon for battles. As a result of this unique philosophy, N has successfully befriended multiple creatures that he often rotates through, meaning that he doesn’t have a set team of six like most other characters in the series.

The final fight against N in Black and White is very challenging, not to mention that he got even stronger when he came back in Black 2 and White 2, since he was able to befriend and train with Zekrom/Reshiram for over two years. Furthermore, his tendency to switch teams became a major aspect of his rematches in the sequel, seeing as he has a different team of Pokemon depending on the season, which proves his innate adaptability and brilliant strategy skills.

8

Cyrus

The Boss Of Team Galactic

• Debut: Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
• Region: Sinnoh
• Frequently used Pokemon: Houndoom, Honchkrow, Crobat, Gyarados, Weavile, Dialga, Palkia

All the main antagonists of the mainline Pokemon games are very strong, but Team Galactic’s Cyrus stands out because his objective was much more ambitious in scope. Since his plan involved capturing Dialga/Palkia to create a new world solely for himself, he naturally needed to be quite powerful, and he certainly did not disappoint in that regard.

While Cyrus has a clear preference for Dark-type Pokemon with high Attack stats (as evident by his usage of Houndoom, Honchkrow, and Weavile), the star of his team is his Gyarados, who can single-handedly take down an entire team of six if the player is not careful. Additionally, the fact that he has a Crobat, a Pokemon who can only evolve via friendship, is proof that he actually cares for his team on some level. The original battles against him in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum were already quite difficult, but his rematch in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon’s Episode RR is even more brutal, since he can actually use Dialga or Palkia against the player.

7

Blue Oak

The Original Pokemon Rival (And Former Champion Of The Kanto Region)

• Debut: Pokemon Red and Blue
• Region: Kanto
• Frequently used Pokemon: Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Exeggutor, Arcanine, Gyarados, Alakazam, Machamp, Pidgeot, Rhydon, Tyranitar, Heracross

There’s no denying that Blue is one of the most impressive and memorable Pokemon rivals in the series. He starts off as an arrogant and annoying kid who constantly berates the player throughout their mutual adventure, but he was eventually able to defeat the Elite Four, enter the Hall of Fame, and become Champion shortly before his rival arrived in the Pokemon League and took that title for themselves.

As the final boss of the Kanto games, Blue uses a diverse team of strong, fully-evolved Pokemon that varies depending on the player’s Starter. But that’s not all, because he was later chosen to become the new Gym Leader of Viridian City in Generation Two, and he stood out because he didn’t specialize in one type and used an even stronger team made up of Pokemon ranging from level 55 to 60 instead. Lastly, a grown-up, more mature version of Blue appeared in subsequent titles like Black 2 and White 2 and Sun and Moon, where he got to showcase his growth by becoming one of the strongest trainers of the Pokemon World Tournament and the Battle Tree, respectively.

6

Mustard

The Dojo Master Of The Isle Of Armor

• Debut: Pokemon Sword and Shield (The Isle of Armor DLC)
• Region: Galar
• Frequently used Pokemon: Mienshao, Kommo-o, Corviknight, Luxray, Lycanroc, Urshifu

Recent Pokemon games have played around with the idea of letting you visit smaller areas where the strongest trainers don’t fall into an existing category (like Gym Leader or Champion), and Sword and Shield’s Isle of Armor DLC is a perfect example of this newfound practice. In this expansion, players can travel to the titular Isle of Armor and meet the owner of the Master Dojo, Mustard, who will assist them on their journey to find, train, and evolve the Legendary Pokemon Kubfu.

At first, Mustard seems like any other capable Pokemon trainer who should only be faced in the post-game, but players eventually find out that he used to hold two important titles in the Galar region: Fighting-type Gym Leader and Champion (not to mention that he remained undefeated for almost 50 years). His battle prowess immediately becomes evident during the final battle of the DLC, where he uses a team of high-level Pokemon and even reveals that he has an Urshifu (Kubfu’s evolved form) of his own, which is capable of Gigantamaxing. It should be no surprise that most fans agree that this is one of the most challenging fights in any modern Pokemon game.

5

Kieran

The Champion Of Blueberry Academy

• Debut: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (The Teal Mask DLC)
• Region: Kitakami
• Frequently used Pokemon: Poliwrath, Dragonite, Porygon-Z, Grimmsnarl, Incineroar, Hydrapple

Kieran, one of the protagonists of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, has one of the most intricate and interesting character arcs in all of Pokemon. He makes his debut in The Teal Mask, where he’s presented as a shy but friendly young boy who admires Ogerpon, but becomes heartbroken when the Legendary Pokemon chooses the player character instead of him. As a result, The Indigo Disk reintroduced him as a more serious and more determined trainer who used his grief to become stronger and rise through the ranks of Blueberry Academy’s League Club, eventually becoming its newest Champion.

Much to the surprise of Pokemon fans everywhere, this new version of Kieran is incredibly strong and nearly impossible to defeat, mainly because he wields the team composition of a competitive player, complete with hidden abilities and held items. All of his companions are powerful, but the two standouts are Incineroar (who is infamous for being one of the best Pokemon in the competitive scene) and his Hydrapple, a 540 BST Dragon/Grass Pokemon who can change into the Fighting Type thanks to Terastallization.

4

Volo

The Strongest Antagonist In The Series

• Debut: Pokemon Legends: Arceus
• Region: Hisui
• Frequently used Pokemon: Spiritomb, Roserade, Togekiss, Hisuian Arcanine, Lucario, Garchomp, Giratina

The main villains in the Pokemon franchise are usually faced and defeated around the mid-to-late game, right before the player confronts the Elite Four and the Champion. As a result of this design philosophy, they’re usually not the most challenging or potent opponent of their respective games. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a notorious exception because, since this game broke the mold in various ways, its main antagonist got to showcase his full strength during the climax instead.

Volo serves as one of the game’s final bosses (since he’s faced right before Arceus), and he certainly did not disappoint because he uses a full team of high-level Pokemon of various types that feel worthy of a Champion (which makes sense, considering he’s Cynthia’s ancestor). His Garchomp, his Lucario, and his Spiritomb are particularly powerful, but Volo is infamous for basically cheating by summoning Giratina, meaning that he technically uses 7 Pokemon in total. To make things even worse for the player, said Giratina can transform into its Origin Forme once its HP reaches 0, which practically gives it a full revive in the middle of the fight. Volo is incredibly strong both gameplay-wise and lore-wise, which is why he’s widely considered the strongest villain in the entire series by fans.

3

Leon

The Undefeated Champion Of The Galar Region

• Debut: Pokemon Sword and Shield
• Region: Galar
• Frequently used Pokemon: Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Dragapult, Aegislash, Haxorus, Rhyperior, Mr. Rime, Charizard

Truth be told, every single Pokemon Champion belongs on this list, but Leon is one of the most notorious ones because the plot of his debut games, Pokemon Sword and Shield, has a blatant sports theme, so he’s framed as this legendary unbeatable trainer from the very beginning. This is precisely why even the Pokemon anime chose Leon as the strongest trainer Ash Ketchum had to defeat to become World Champion.

Leon’s team is quite diverse and has basically every Pokemon archetype an undefeated champion like him should use: a Starter Pokemon (Rillaboom/Cinderace/Inteleon), a Pseudo-Legendary (Dragapult), a regular Pokemon with a unique gimmick (Aegislash), and even a powerful Pokemon that makes use of his region’s signature mechanic (Gigantamax Charizard). Even after being defeated by the player character, Leon remained as one of the strongest trainers in the Galar region, since he became the master of the Battle Tower and added even more Pokemon to his various team compositions.

2

Cynthia

The Champion Of The Sinnoh Region

• Debut: Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
• Region: Sinnoh
• Frequently used Pokemon: Togekiss, Spiritomb, Milotic, Roserade, Gastrodon, Lucario, Garchomp

The name Cynthia will always strike fear in the hearts of Pokemon fans everywhere, as most of them agree that the iconic champion of the Sinnoh region is one of the most powerful characters in the entire series. For starters, she wields a diverse team of strong Pokemon of various types that perfectly complement each other, from physical attackers like Lucario or Garchomp, to more defensive tanks like Togekiss and Gastrodon.

It’s also worth pointing out that Cynthia is considered very strong in-universe (even after the player defeats her in Sinnoh) as other characters repeatedly mention her skill in subsequent games she’s featured in, like Black and White or Sun and Moon. Lastly, what recently cemented Cynthia as a major powerhouse is her rematch in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, wherein she boasts a team of Pokemon leveled between 85 and 88, all of which hold items and have perfect EV spreads. Similar to Kieran, this team would actually do quite well in the current competitive format.

1

Red

Went From Playable Character To Living Legend

• Debut: Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green
• Region: Kanto
• Frequently used Pokemon: Pikachu, Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Snorlax, Lapras, Espeon

Red is the only player character on this list because, unlike his successors, he has appeared as a non-playable boss in way more games. He was originally supposed to be a generic stand-in for the player. After becoming the new Champion of the Kanto region, he grew into his own character and ultimately cemented himself as the strongest character in the entire franchise.

Not only did Red successfully defeat the Elite Four and Blue in his original adventure, but he also abandoned the Champion title on his own accord to continue on his journey. Those who completed Gold/Silver/HeartGold/SoulSilver can attest that neither Lance nor Blue is the ultimate challenge of those games: it’s the climactic final showdown against Red in Mt. Silver. Additionally (and similarly to Cynthia), a grown-up version of Red can be fought in recent games, like Sun and Moon or Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, and it immediately becomes evident that he maintained his massive strength and skills after all those years. Curiously enough, Red has been able to accomplish all of that while using a traditional team made up of mostly Starters and regular Pokemon, which makes his reputation all the more impressive.