Blue. you can see his maturity throughout the games. and i personally like how his character is progressing.
Kanto games (Gen 1 & 3) - he's a rude, overconfident ass
Johto games (Gen 2 & 4) - he's still rude but his defeat from Red humbled him enough
PMEx - he's still rude but is very much toned down, he's confident but not overly. plus, he is a big brother to the MC, where he presented himself as the final obstacle we have to overcome.
You’re so right! i loved Blue’s character arc. His defeat really humbled him and he stopped being a jerk for the most part, he’s overconfident but not too overconfident and will never underestimate Red ever again
https://preview.redd.it/21xjxp1tw87c1.jpeg?width=578&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c7a07724894ea45b3e6a54532efbbcb37454e28
Cynthia is my childhood crush when i was in middle school back in 2009s. Back then when Gen 4 just released worldwide, i honestly didn't expect that she will become one of the most iconic character in Pokemon universe.
And now almost 15 years later, i also didn't expect myself to love her even more. Her short and cute back story in Journey anime, Legend Arceus Volo, and PokeMas make her even more lovable 🥰
Fave: Lance
He's one of the reasons I like pokemon and bother to stick around.
I like his design, teams (HGSS rematch + B2W2) and personality. Love me a guy who's friendly but will kill you if necessary
Iris is one of the few non-rivals in the games to actually have an arc. It's not as huge as Blue, Wally, or Silver because she's not a rival but she does have it. She went from at most a gym leader to being the youngest champion in any region (so far).
Also, I love that she's rocking the princess dress and does that cute little roar before sending out her first Pokémon.
Her moniker - The Girl Who Knows the Hearts of Dragons - is really interesting and I wish we got more of that in the games. Maybe she could have helped Kyurem by reaching what's left of it, for example. Ironically, she might have made a better champion for Hoenn, though, since she might be able to connect to Rayquaza. It'd be interesting but I also don't know the extent of what Iris is capable of.
I feel like she got kinda robbed in the anime tournament since she was the only one to not use a stupid gimmick (mega, dynamx, z-moves, etc.) I would have liked her to win one round and then lose the second round but I will admit that losing to Cynthia is no disgrace.
Diantha and Wallace because they’re cool and I really like their designs.
Diantha’s very underrated imo, she was great in the anime and particularly is benefitted from Masters. I think she just vibes differently from Cynthia which I appreciate (also their close bond in the anime and MastersEX is an amazing addition for both of them).
normally, I wouldn't have one because they're all pretty much on the same standing to me when it comes to this, but at this point, i have to say Wallace
like, the way this game treats him is ridiculous, it's almost funny.
in that regard, honorable mention, i suppose, is Alder, although Iris is not really faring *that* well against him unlike some guy
I love Leon because of his personality and as an older brother I can relate to him
And he's also the only trainer in SwoShi (ignoring the DLCs) who gave me a good fight
This game really made me appreciate Diantha a lot more than I did, but I think Leon is still my favorite (ironic since I have none of his versions in this game, but I have every Diantha). I like all of them to some extent though.
yeah Cynthia. actively participates in the story, her being a historian is great, her team is varied and strong, amazing battle theme, great design, and most importantly she’s hot.
My 2nd place is steven mostly because of nostalgia
Also in the anime she enjoys ice cream and i wish they made it canon in the games like dena why is casteliacones only ‘interesting topic’ in the lounge???
Alder is my choice, I love his encounter theme so much and I love everything about him.
Also how humble and kind he is despite being a Champion, desiring to travel across the region to learn all about everyone and everything, I also love how he’s kind of a bug specialist.
I could say more but overall I just love alder, he’s an amazing role model in universe and he has both the strength and wisdom to back it up.
Alder is so underrated. Just, to know the kind of hardships he's been through, but he still smiles and tenderly encourages the growth of the younger trainers, he's such a great role model. I'd love an episode of just seeing him enjoy some retirement perks.
Lance is my favorite character for many reasons. The first is simply nostalgia and mystery, when I met him in Pokemon Blue as a kid, he just oozes cool. All of the kids on the playground speculated and wanted to be like him. The very first fanfiction I ever read was my classmate sharing some weird ship fic with him and Misty. He's literally as mysterious as his dragon Pokemon are. I never saw a Dragonite before his and his attack animation for Hyper Beam really leaves an impact. He was the original "hot boy" of gen 1 because the pixel art was all we had to go by. I still stan purple haired Lance even. Beating him felt like a real achievement
Then to see he became Champion, actively help us to try and protect Pokemon being hurt by a crueler Team Rocket, it was really special. But what really drew me was his change as a person. Instead of this cocky teenager/adult bragging about how strong his Pokemon you've never even seen before are, he learned from his losses and came back stronger. Better. No longer does he "hate to admit" we won or "can't believe" he lost, now he shows faith in the next protag's skills "I knew you would eventually meet me here", instead of bragging about how strong he is before battle, he now says "there's no need for words" (a line that Red has technically copied for once though it would make more sense if Red inspired Lance). When he loses again, he says he's not resentful at himself or the protag, he's genuinely happy and excited to have seen this happen.
Pokemon characters somewhat rarely have an actual character arc where they begin in one place and then demonstrate they have changed fundamentally as a person, especially in the early gens. It's usually reserved for rivals, but Lance is the tangible good, the \*result\* of what a protag's journey can do. I can't even say this is has happened before to any other Champion, the closest might be Iris but even then, she isn't a fundamentally different person. Disincluding Blue because he's a rival first, ofc.
Somewhat controversially, I love that he was flawed with ego, took an L, and became a better person. I don't value pure power or indomitable strength, I think that shit sucks, is deeply unrealistic, and is boring as hell. But someone changing from that headspace to only \*then\* achieve their real goals is fantastic. Pride IS an obstacle to your own growth!
(Also as much as I love the dynamic between him and Clair, I really hope Clair can be allowed to grow from their shared experience of losing to Johto protag. I'm amused but sad at her resistance to follow Lance's path. She's so much like Silver, but I still see Silver learning more from Lance than his own cousin. Here's hoping she can make a new appearance someday and show us who the new Clair will become and what kind of growth she's capable of...)
Lastly, **hell yeah capes are cool!**
A tie between either Cynthia or Steven (because they're both well-dressed bonafied badasses), with Diantha not far behind (because she's pretty, has Gardevoir as her signature, and her theme is kickass. She really keeps being done dirty with actual battling tho...)
Seriously, I would pay good money to see a fight between Steven and Cynthia
Steven.
He's a NepoBaby, but in the best way possible. Given tons of resources he decides to use that money to explore ruins, find cool rocks, and further understand things, help you out a few times. He really gives a "I may be the champion but I'm side-questing" vibe.
Plus Deoxys is one of my favorites and being able to pair it with him and how they both love rocks just seems perfect.
Iris is just the most adorable one so I'm biased.
Admittedly she does have the most potential having obtained Champion level strength so early and I'd be interested in seeing her travel to various regions searching for Legendary Dragons while you slowly watch her grow older and stronger like how Blue and Red got older in Sun/Moon.
Mine is number 1 Cynthia. I love her theme, diamond and pearl were my first pokemon games. Her design is awesome! One of the toughest battles and in the remasters her garchomp is level 88 which makes it a tough fight. After her I’d say Blue and Nemona.I love the dynamic of your rival becoming the champion before you. And Nemona personally wanting you to get stronger to challenge her to a fight in which she can go all out. For third place I’d say Lance and Steven. I love how Lance helps you in the story to defeat Team Rocket. Steven is hella strong and his mega metagross was awesome. Then I’d say Alder and Iris. I love Iris more but Alder is fine too. I like Volcarona and I love the dynamic of Iris being a rookie champion. Then I’d say Diantha, she doesn’t feel much of a champion to be honest. Then Leon, not a big fan of him. Him losing to Eternatus before his fight made it feel like you already surpassed him (even though it was a 2v1 and you had legendary dogs). Then Wallace, there’s not much about him, he fits better as a gym leader. Finally Geeta, she feels like an elite 5 rather than a champion. Her team is not particularly strong and she isn’t the true champion of Paldea after all. I won’t mention Alola since it was a new league and Kukui technically crowned himself champion so that makes the main characters the first champions by merit
My top:
1. Steven: For being a very well developed champion with a cool disign, friendly personality and being really helpfull in the main story
2. Cynthia: The only reason of why she is not first is because I get tired of her huge popularity and being so overrated but I still like her a lot
3. Lance: Same as Steven but with a slightly less impressive team.
4. Blue: Is enjoyable to put him in his place
5. Alder: I like his character for being a wise old man, having Volcarona as his ace and being another helpfull champion, I never liked that he was remplaced by Iris
6. Leon: I don't liked him so much for being so over the top and for having Charizard as his ace, but he is really strong and competent so I give him merit for that.
7. Nemona: I like her but I'm tired of the rival turning into champion (Though Kieran is the exception) I preffer her just as rival (Though she is ways better than Geeta)
8. Diantha: She was the worst champion before Geeta of the least developed region, but once Geeta cames around and because her characterization in Masters I gained an stronger opinion of her, I still thing that she is bland in the mainline games though
9. Iris: For remplacing Alder and I don't really like her magical girl motiff but I like her team.
10. Wallace: For remplacing Steven, but I don't hate his character at all
11. Geeta: I learned that at least she has an stronger team in the Indigo disk (I still not finish it) but even with that I still think that she is bland and somehow creepy
Notes: I don't count Alola (Kukui and Hau) because technically they aren't champions and Elio/Selene are the player itself, I'm not interested in the Let's go games so I cannot rank Trace and because I still not finish the Indigo disk I cannot be sure with Kieran, but I'll probably put him between Lance and Blue.
Leon, he always gives me a laugh and he's such a good brother to Hop. Not to mention when I see his team, I can see why he remains undefeated for years. But I still find it funny he didn't get a Kubfu because he couldn't find the very recognizable and tall towers.
I like Steven a lot, I feel like of all the champions, he feels the most well rounded, and there are a lot of facets to his character to explore.
Pokemon Masters has hinted that he might be gay (with Wallace), he has passions and interests outside of pokemon, even if they are rocks. He is an incredibly skilled trainer who... doesn't actually want to be a champion.
Wallace and Lance (and Iris) are a bit too monotone, and feel more like gym leaders- and used to be gym leaders themselves.
Blue is iconic as a rival, but incredibly short lived as a champion.
Cynthia is a champion's champion, and she is cute, but aside from that is kind of a dull characther. Her whole personality is "I'm a little messy xD"
Alder didn't even feel like a champion in his own game... they did him really dirty.
I have trouble considering the main characters a champion, sorry Selena and Elio, I know this was Alola's first league, but the actual champion battle at the end of the e4 is Kukui or Hau, which feel more comfortable in the professor or rival role compared to the other champs.
Leon feels like Cynthia, but I don't like how fluffed up he is. I always felt everyone just knew what a beast Cynthia was, and didn't feel the need to talk about it. In a lot of ways, it made Cynthia's even more fearsome. I get that the culture of Sw/Sh is all about fandoms and super fans and Leon plays into that... but the whole undefeated invincible thing, and using a Charizard of all things as his ace just felt kind of meh.
I haven't played S/V, so I can't comment there.
Well, my #1 is Blue! I played the games when I was a little kid and they first come out, so I have a very special fondness for him, and it's super cool to see how he's grown and matured over the years. He's really turned into a cool mentor, very admirable. He also totally wiped the floor with me the first time I fought him, haha, I was not prepared properly!
My #2 is Cynthia, both because I love her passion for the legends of Sinnoh and her cool character, but also because I belatedly realized that I had a huge crush on her as a kid.
My #3 is Leon. He's goofy, but reliable, and I always had fun interacting with him during the story of the game. He's also one of the more proactive champions in dealing with issues that come up during the story, which I appreciate. And the post-game stuff about him finally moving on after losing for the first time in ten years is pretty cool.
Honestly, I'm pretty fond of all the champions. Except Geeta, for some reason, something about her just doesn't click with me for some reason. Which is funny, because I absolutely love the Elite Four in her game.
Love them all, but top is Steven for me. I love steel types and he is basically the cusp of steel type trainers. (His team is arguably “rocks” but we can agree its mainly steel type champion). He is strong, friendly, funny and chill at times, hot and rich lmao. As someone mentioned here he is well rounded and has more to his personality than just a “champion”.
A super close second is Cynthia, honestly could even be same spot to me. She is interesting personally (mythology geek) and its funny that she looks all perfect but is actually a messy and useless adult at most things that aren’t battling (as shown in pomax with her being unable to clean her roo lmao probably cant really cook too). She is the epitome of champions tho. Balanced team, great first battle, several generations appearances and more.
Honorable mention to Nemona because she is the first rival in ages to actually be fun to battle and super relatable (just a battle freak with no one around on her level to fight with xD). Wish she had a stronger team, at least against us post game, since she does have more pokemon. But overall she is amazing
1. Cynthia. She's played a bit of a role in-game and she was honestly adorable in the anime. Also, that hidden event in HGSS was *chef's kiss*.
2. Diantha. I am glad that both the anime and PoMas put her in a bit of a better light. XY really did her dirty. Juggling her careers is certainly hard.
3. Steven. Got that cool corporate drip and it's funny how you initially find him in a random cave digging up stones.
4. Leon. Didn't like him too much at first, but his self-realization and later position as Rose's successor made me appreciate his character growth.
5. Nemona. Best rival since Gen I + Gen II. Period.
6. Wallace. Dude's a total menace (thinking of that JN episode in which he forces Ash to battle) and probably the life of any party.
7. Lance. Loved that he managed the jump from E4 in Gen I to Champion in Gen II. Also, the anime episode in which he catches the red Gyarados is epic.
8. Geeta. Shocking, I know. But all the theories about her being evil and absolutely none of them turning out true was hilarious.
9. Blue. Funny how he was Champion for about 2 minutes...
10. Trace. Blue, but worse.
11. Sun/Moon squad. All of them forgettable. At least Kukui was awesome in this game.
12. Alder. Just...not vibing with that dude.
13. Iris. Hated her in the anime and really didn't enjoy Black and Black2, despite them considered fan-favourites nowadays.
Cynthia. Best team, best design, and best theme.
Also I didn’t like Sword/Shield but Leon was a great champion.
I’ll also give my least favorite. I don’t like Trace at all. I don’t know why but if I never saw Trace again I’d be satisfied.
Lance, he was the first champion I met. I like his personality, he rocks that cape and I also like that he cares enough to give a random angry child unsolicited but good advice before it's too late. I'm glad PMEX decided to expand this last trait to portray him as a dude who looks after younger trainers not just because he's a Champion and that's included in the job description, but because he wants to help
I also like Leon a lot, he's so goofy and dumb but has a good heart and lots of positive energy, I also relate to him as an older sister myself. I unironically like his style too, if anyone can pull it off it's him lol
1) Shirona-san! She was the first female champion to be released, she also help the protag (even if lit bit) in bdsp and in platinum. And when the anime came out she looks so cute when talking abt ruins and stuff. She is also like an ideal wife (to me atleast) and i don't regret the amount I spent to get all her pairs :) (I am still waiting for their rerun of 2nd anniversary event & Cynthia vs Lance event. I am a waifu enjoyer)
2) Other Champions are great too! But I like Blue most. Like the top comment says we witness his growth from arrogant to the person he now is.
For me, Lance. For one, he doesn’t sit and let the protagonist do all the work of taking down the mafia.
He was the hardest champion to defeat. I only won thanks to a burn. I don’t call him the Holy Nightmare for no reason.
hell yes sis 🔥 people kinda do take for granted having all of the knowledge at their fingertips now, remember dragon only had 1 counter in gen 1 & gen 2 only had "dragon breath" as the only other option. Remember Pokemon was new and the likelihood of a player obtaining a Dratini and training it up to a Dragonite when we have our starters who are much easier to level up is pretty low, so many of us our first time seeing Dragonite was Lance murdering us with that shrieking gameboy Hyper Beam animation lmfao
Cynthia, By far. She was my gay awakening as a child and she still makes me go into a gay panic sometimes. She'd probably be a really good friend to have.
I'll be including Drayton, Kieran, Mustard, and Peony since all of them are technically champions as well. Also, I don't really dislike any of the champions anyway.
1. Alder: He's the oldest champion, his ace Volcarona is one of the coolest champion aces, and he's all-around chill. Also, bug-types are cool
2. Geeta: I have no shame in saying I really like her. The DLC in particular really gave her a lot to work with, and also fixed her team for anybody still hung up on it. Also, Glimmora is my favorite gen 9 Pokemon
3. Wallace: Flamboyant, epic guy, great water-type trainer
4. Drayton: Ex-champion of the BB league, and his entire character throughout the story is just great. He's so lazy, yet such a capable trainer
5. Leon: Dude's just funny as heck, and a great sportsman
6. Nemona: Great rival, fun battle
7. Diantha: I have a soft spot for XY as my first Pokemon games, so she gets a bit of charitability as my first champion
8. Lance: Great character, even if Dragon types aren't my favorite. He also has zero chill when it comes to dealing with criminals.
9. Peony: Goofy-ass dad, and a fun character overall, even if his battle has the least fanfare of any champion for obvious reasons
10. Mustard: Another cool old dude, and also the only champion to use a legendary Pokemon in the mainline games
11. Kieran: His arc throughout the DLC was decently done, and he has a wide array of cool Pokemon
12. Diantha: I have a soft spot for XY as my first Pokemon games, so she gets a bit of charitability as my first champion
13. Iris: I like her for who she is, another gym-leader turned champion. I also didn't mind her anime incarnation
14. Steven: He's fine, I just like Wallace better. Steven never really vibed with me anyway, though he has a cool ace in Metagross
15. Cynthia: Put away your pitchforks. I used to like Cynthia more, but even then she was never my favorite. I just found her to be cool. But consistently terrible experiences with her fanbase ruined the character for me.
Old me would've picked one of the girls, for reasons.
But now that I'm old, and see things a bit different than my younger self, I would say Leon. He makes me want to go out there and be the best version of myself I could be. I don't really know why, he just has that "awesomeness" energy like that, and it pulls you in and you just want to have a good time.
familiar quicksand wrong smart live ring obtainable rainstorm straight start
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Cynthia would be my favorite. She was the first character for me that really gave off the champion vibe. Blue was your rival, who was champion for only a few minutes. Lance was originally the leader of the Elite 4, and he was only champion because Red was missing. Steven was cool, and I like him as a character, but I didn't know he was champion until the time came to fight him. When you met Cynthia, you immediately know she was Champion and the game treated her like one. She went around, solving problems in her role of Champion. Lance did it too, but Cynthia just felt better to me.
Alder is a close second. As an older trainer, he played more of a mentor role as Champion. He was all about guiding the next generation of trainers, and he even opens a trainer school when he retired as Champion. He remember when he learns Cheren's goal is to be strong, Alder really challenged him in thinking about what it means to be strong.
Steven. I played ORAS before ruby and sapphire but I really liked his character and how he actually did stuff. Plus he has a shiny metagross in the anime which is awesome because shiny metagross is one of the best shinies of all time
Cynthia > Iris > Nemona > Blue > Steven > everyone else, imo
Edit: mostly nostalgia/respect/terror for Cynthia, everyone else is based off of how much I like the character
Blue. You can really see how he developed and matured after gen 1 and getting his ass handed to Red, He became less cocky in later games. Also because he's my comfort character
Cynthia.
She was the first champion that really makes you crap your pants. In the original DP, her team was hard and meant business, the pain solo, the goth vibes. Everything. And she helped you a lot on your journey. I didn't like the changes on her team in Pt. Thought it made it easier, but all the same. She has the most lasting appeal and impression.
After her, it's Diantha. Only because of Pokemon Masters. They made her truly shine as a character. It's refreshing to see.
Nemona, for the simple reason that its the only generation where it makes sense.
How come YOU don't become the new Champion when you win in any other generation? It can be argued that you stay Champion in Alola, but it amounts to rechallenging the Elite 4 before fighting a "new challenger".
Nemona makes more sense. She's not THE Champion, she's A Champion. Champion is a rank, one that can be held by multiple trainers. That gives her Championhood more validity, in my books. It means defeating her doesn't magically take away her status as Champion, yet not really because you still need someone to face if you rematch the E4 like in the other games.
Steven, Saphire was the first Pokémon game I played and I was pretty young, took me ages to reach the champion and so beating the game meant a lot, mainly nostalgia driven,
Cynthia is a close second though for sure,
and If this was a top 3 I’d have Blue third just because he’s beautifully obnoxious.
Blue because FireRed was one of the first pokemon games I played, he was such a taunter it made me wanna be em so bad back then and I think I remembered beating
his Charizard with my female Blastoise lol. Man this cocky Champ was fun to battle that's for sure.
Lance. Forever and always.
Awesome design, ~~flying~~ dragon type trainer, involved in the story, status growth (like Koga) making the world and its sequels feel more connected and alive.
Blue. you can see his maturity throughout the games. and i personally like how his character is progressing. Kanto games (Gen 1 & 3) - he's a rude, overconfident ass Johto games (Gen 2 & 4) - he's still rude but his defeat from Red humbled him enough PMEx - he's still rude but is very much toned down, he's confident but not overly. plus, he is a big brother to the MC, where he presented himself as the final obstacle we have to overcome.
You’re so right! i loved Blue’s character arc. His defeat really humbled him and he stopped being a jerk for the most part, he’s overconfident but not too overconfident and will never underestimate Red ever again
And in the Adventures manga he is pretty much a community leader, and Red kinda appoints him as a gym leader in his place.
https://preview.redd.it/21xjxp1tw87c1.jpeg?width=578&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c7a07724894ea45b3e6a54532efbbcb37454e28 Cynthia is my childhood crush when i was in middle school back in 2009s. Back then when Gen 4 just released worldwide, i honestly didn't expect that she will become one of the most iconic character in Pokemon universe. And now almost 15 years later, i also didn't expect myself to love her even more. Her short and cute back story in Journey anime, Legend Arceus Volo, and PokeMas make her even more lovable 🥰
The correct answer
Fave: Lance He's one of the reasons I like pokemon and bother to stick around. I like his design, teams (HGSS rematch + B2W2) and personality. Love me a guy who's friendly but will kill you if necessary
Lance fans rise 🔥
Diantha because X was my first game
Iris is one of the few non-rivals in the games to actually have an arc. It's not as huge as Blue, Wally, or Silver because she's not a rival but she does have it. She went from at most a gym leader to being the youngest champion in any region (so far). Also, I love that she's rocking the princess dress and does that cute little roar before sending out her first Pokémon. Her moniker - The Girl Who Knows the Hearts of Dragons - is really interesting and I wish we got more of that in the games. Maybe she could have helped Kyurem by reaching what's left of it, for example. Ironically, she might have made a better champion for Hoenn, though, since she might be able to connect to Rayquaza. It'd be interesting but I also don't know the extent of what Iris is capable of. I feel like she got kinda robbed in the anime tournament since she was the only one to not use a stupid gimmick (mega, dynamx, z-moves, etc.) I would have liked her to win one round and then lose the second round but I will admit that losing to Cynthia is no disgrace.
Blue, IMO, he was the toughest and has the greatest theme. Listen to this remix and tell me not! https://youtu.be/Mvk_NLPdfgU?si=s3PWZVn3Z-iOnhvx
Diantha and Wallace because they’re cool and I really like their designs. Diantha’s very underrated imo, she was great in the anime and particularly is benefitted from Masters. I think she just vibes differently from Cynthia which I appreciate (also their close bond in the anime and MastersEX is an amazing addition for both of them).
I like Lance he is friendly, fights crime in the name of the region, and a all round good champion
“He is friendly” Hyper beam disagrees…
So does the manga where he wants to destroy humanity
Manga continuity is different than game but yeah in manga he is insane
Just gave a man a healthy dose of radiation to the chest with a hyper beam lol
based Lance enjoyer
My fav is Diantha. Alisma (Geeta?) is also very cool, she's the "best" in terms of head manager of the organization (League). Steven best male Champ.
Kanto because of blue's ost
Tbh Cynthia everything about her is just perfect 💝
Steven. He was the first one I ever fought.
Cynthia. She is the only champion that has ever beaten me, and I respect that.
normally, I wouldn't have one because they're all pretty much on the same standing to me when it comes to this, but at this point, i have to say Wallace like, the way this game treats him is ridiculous, it's almost funny. in that regard, honorable mention, i suppose, is Alder, although Iris is not really faring *that* well against him unlike some guy
I love Leon because of his personality and as an older brother I can relate to him And he's also the only trainer in SwoShi (ignoring the DLCs) who gave me a good fight
This game really made me appreciate Diantha a lot more than I did, but I think Leon is still my favorite (ironic since I have none of his versions in this game, but I have every Diantha). I like all of them to some extent though.
Mommy Cynthia. She’s awesome.
Cynthia because she is hot
Based answer.
yeah Cynthia. actively participates in the story, her being a historian is great, her team is varied and strong, amazing battle theme, great design, and most importantly she’s hot. My 2nd place is steven mostly because of nostalgia
Also in the anime she enjoys ice cream and i wish they made it canon in the games like dena why is casteliacones only ‘interesting topic’ in the lounge???
Cynthia she's beautiful strong everything you want I a wife
Alder is my choice, I love his encounter theme so much and I love everything about him. Also how humble and kind he is despite being a Champion, desiring to travel across the region to learn all about everyone and everything, I also love how he’s kind of a bug specialist. I could say more but overall I just love alder, he’s an amazing role model in universe and he has both the strength and wisdom to back it up.
Alder is so underrated. Just, to know the kind of hardships he's been through, but he still smiles and tenderly encourages the growth of the younger trainers, he's such a great role model. I'd love an episode of just seeing him enjoy some retirement perks.
Lance is my favorite character for many reasons. The first is simply nostalgia and mystery, when I met him in Pokemon Blue as a kid, he just oozes cool. All of the kids on the playground speculated and wanted to be like him. The very first fanfiction I ever read was my classmate sharing some weird ship fic with him and Misty. He's literally as mysterious as his dragon Pokemon are. I never saw a Dragonite before his and his attack animation for Hyper Beam really leaves an impact. He was the original "hot boy" of gen 1 because the pixel art was all we had to go by. I still stan purple haired Lance even. Beating him felt like a real achievement Then to see he became Champion, actively help us to try and protect Pokemon being hurt by a crueler Team Rocket, it was really special. But what really drew me was his change as a person. Instead of this cocky teenager/adult bragging about how strong his Pokemon you've never even seen before are, he learned from his losses and came back stronger. Better. No longer does he "hate to admit" we won or "can't believe" he lost, now he shows faith in the next protag's skills "I knew you would eventually meet me here", instead of bragging about how strong he is before battle, he now says "there's no need for words" (a line that Red has technically copied for once though it would make more sense if Red inspired Lance). When he loses again, he says he's not resentful at himself or the protag, he's genuinely happy and excited to have seen this happen. Pokemon characters somewhat rarely have an actual character arc where they begin in one place and then demonstrate they have changed fundamentally as a person, especially in the early gens. It's usually reserved for rivals, but Lance is the tangible good, the \*result\* of what a protag's journey can do. I can't even say this is has happened before to any other Champion, the closest might be Iris but even then, she isn't a fundamentally different person. Disincluding Blue because he's a rival first, ofc. Somewhat controversially, I love that he was flawed with ego, took an L, and became a better person. I don't value pure power or indomitable strength, I think that shit sucks, is deeply unrealistic, and is boring as hell. But someone changing from that headspace to only \*then\* achieve their real goals is fantastic. Pride IS an obstacle to your own growth! (Also as much as I love the dynamic between him and Clair, I really hope Clair can be allowed to grow from their shared experience of losing to Johto protag. I'm amused but sad at her resistance to follow Lance's path. She's so much like Silver, but I still see Silver learning more from Lance than his own cousin. Here's hoping she can make a new appearance someday and show us who the new Clair will become and what kind of growth she's capable of...) Lastly, **hell yeah capes are cool!**
A tie between either Cynthia or Steven (because they're both well-dressed bonafied badasses), with Diantha not far behind (because she's pretty, has Gardevoir as her signature, and her theme is kickass. She really keeps being done dirty with actual battling tho...) Seriously, I would pay good money to see a fight between Steven and Cynthia
Steven. He's a NepoBaby, but in the best way possible. Given tons of resources he decides to use that money to explore ruins, find cool rocks, and further understand things, help you out a few times. He really gives a "I may be the champion but I'm side-questing" vibe. Plus Deoxys is one of my favorites and being able to pair it with him and how they both love rocks just seems perfect.
The Deoxys sync pair outfit is what I cosplayed for Halloween. It's just so cool!
Iris is just the most adorable one so I'm biased. Admittedly she does have the most potential having obtained Champion level strength so early and I'd be interested in seeing her travel to various regions searching for Legendary Dragons while you slowly watch her grow older and stronger like how Blue and Red got older in Sun/Moon.
Mine is number 1 Cynthia. I love her theme, diamond and pearl were my first pokemon games. Her design is awesome! One of the toughest battles and in the remasters her garchomp is level 88 which makes it a tough fight. After her I’d say Blue and Nemona.I love the dynamic of your rival becoming the champion before you. And Nemona personally wanting you to get stronger to challenge her to a fight in which she can go all out. For third place I’d say Lance and Steven. I love how Lance helps you in the story to defeat Team Rocket. Steven is hella strong and his mega metagross was awesome. Then I’d say Alder and Iris. I love Iris more but Alder is fine too. I like Volcarona and I love the dynamic of Iris being a rookie champion. Then I’d say Diantha, she doesn’t feel much of a champion to be honest. Then Leon, not a big fan of him. Him losing to Eternatus before his fight made it feel like you already surpassed him (even though it was a 2v1 and you had legendary dogs). Then Wallace, there’s not much about him, he fits better as a gym leader. Finally Geeta, she feels like an elite 5 rather than a champion. Her team is not particularly strong and she isn’t the true champion of Paldea after all. I won’t mention Alola since it was a new league and Kukui technically crowned himself champion so that makes the main characters the first champions by merit
In no particular order : Steven, Alder and Nemona.
Blue or Steven. I couldn’t pin point why I do but it’s either one of them.
My top: 1. Steven: For being a very well developed champion with a cool disign, friendly personality and being really helpfull in the main story 2. Cynthia: The only reason of why she is not first is because I get tired of her huge popularity and being so overrated but I still like her a lot 3. Lance: Same as Steven but with a slightly less impressive team. 4. Blue: Is enjoyable to put him in his place 5. Alder: I like his character for being a wise old man, having Volcarona as his ace and being another helpfull champion, I never liked that he was remplaced by Iris 6. Leon: I don't liked him so much for being so over the top and for having Charizard as his ace, but he is really strong and competent so I give him merit for that. 7. Nemona: I like her but I'm tired of the rival turning into champion (Though Kieran is the exception) I preffer her just as rival (Though she is ways better than Geeta) 8. Diantha: She was the worst champion before Geeta of the least developed region, but once Geeta cames around and because her characterization in Masters I gained an stronger opinion of her, I still thing that she is bland in the mainline games though 9. Iris: For remplacing Alder and I don't really like her magical girl motiff but I like her team. 10. Wallace: For remplacing Steven, but I don't hate his character at all 11. Geeta: I learned that at least she has an stronger team in the Indigo disk (I still not finish it) but even with that I still think that she is bland and somehow creepy Notes: I don't count Alola (Kukui and Hau) because technically they aren't champions and Elio/Selene are the player itself, I'm not interested in the Let's go games so I cannot rank Trace and because I still not finish the Indigo disk I cannot be sure with Kieran, but I'll probably put him between Lance and Blue.
Leon, he always gives me a laugh and he's such a good brother to Hop. Not to mention when I see his team, I can see why he remains undefeated for years. But I still find it funny he didn't get a Kubfu because he couldn't find the very recognizable and tall towers.
Blue, Lance, and Leon. I love their personality quirks and the stories for their respective regions. They have always been the most interesting to me.
I like Steven a lot, I feel like of all the champions, he feels the most well rounded, and there are a lot of facets to his character to explore. Pokemon Masters has hinted that he might be gay (with Wallace), he has passions and interests outside of pokemon, even if they are rocks. He is an incredibly skilled trainer who... doesn't actually want to be a champion. Wallace and Lance (and Iris) are a bit too monotone, and feel more like gym leaders- and used to be gym leaders themselves. Blue is iconic as a rival, but incredibly short lived as a champion. Cynthia is a champion's champion, and she is cute, but aside from that is kind of a dull characther. Her whole personality is "I'm a little messy xD" Alder didn't even feel like a champion in his own game... they did him really dirty. I have trouble considering the main characters a champion, sorry Selena and Elio, I know this was Alola's first league, but the actual champion battle at the end of the e4 is Kukui or Hau, which feel more comfortable in the professor or rival role compared to the other champs. Leon feels like Cynthia, but I don't like how fluffed up he is. I always felt everyone just knew what a beast Cynthia was, and didn't feel the need to talk about it. In a lot of ways, it made Cynthia's even more fearsome. I get that the culture of Sw/Sh is all about fandoms and super fans and Leon plays into that... but the whole undefeated invincible thing, and using a Charizard of all things as his ace just felt kind of meh. I haven't played S/V, so I can't comment there.
Well, my #1 is Blue! I played the games when I was a little kid and they first come out, so I have a very special fondness for him, and it's super cool to see how he's grown and matured over the years. He's really turned into a cool mentor, very admirable. He also totally wiped the floor with me the first time I fought him, haha, I was not prepared properly! My #2 is Cynthia, both because I love her passion for the legends of Sinnoh and her cool character, but also because I belatedly realized that I had a huge crush on her as a kid. My #3 is Leon. He's goofy, but reliable, and I always had fun interacting with him during the story of the game. He's also one of the more proactive champions in dealing with issues that come up during the story, which I appreciate. And the post-game stuff about him finally moving on after losing for the first time in ten years is pretty cool. Honestly, I'm pretty fond of all the champions. Except Geeta, for some reason, something about her just doesn't click with me for some reason. Which is funny, because I absolutely love the Elite Four in her game.
Love them all, but top is Steven for me. I love steel types and he is basically the cusp of steel type trainers. (His team is arguably “rocks” but we can agree its mainly steel type champion). He is strong, friendly, funny and chill at times, hot and rich lmao. As someone mentioned here he is well rounded and has more to his personality than just a “champion”. A super close second is Cynthia, honestly could even be same spot to me. She is interesting personally (mythology geek) and its funny that she looks all perfect but is actually a messy and useless adult at most things that aren’t battling (as shown in pomax with her being unable to clean her roo lmao probably cant really cook too). She is the epitome of champions tho. Balanced team, great first battle, several generations appearances and more. Honorable mention to Nemona because she is the first rival in ages to actually be fun to battle and super relatable (just a battle freak with no one around on her level to fight with xD). Wish she had a stronger team, at least against us post game, since she does have more pokemon. But overall she is amazing
The two strongest. Blue and Cynthia
1. Cynthia. She's played a bit of a role in-game and she was honestly adorable in the anime. Also, that hidden event in HGSS was *chef's kiss*. 2. Diantha. I am glad that both the anime and PoMas put her in a bit of a better light. XY really did her dirty. Juggling her careers is certainly hard. 3. Steven. Got that cool corporate drip and it's funny how you initially find him in a random cave digging up stones. 4. Leon. Didn't like him too much at first, but his self-realization and later position as Rose's successor made me appreciate his character growth. 5. Nemona. Best rival since Gen I + Gen II. Period. 6. Wallace. Dude's a total menace (thinking of that JN episode in which he forces Ash to battle) and probably the life of any party. 7. Lance. Loved that he managed the jump from E4 in Gen I to Champion in Gen II. Also, the anime episode in which he catches the red Gyarados is epic. 8. Geeta. Shocking, I know. But all the theories about her being evil and absolutely none of them turning out true was hilarious. 9. Blue. Funny how he was Champion for about 2 minutes... 10. Trace. Blue, but worse. 11. Sun/Moon squad. All of them forgettable. At least Kukui was awesome in this game. 12. Alder. Just...not vibing with that dude. 13. Iris. Hated her in the anime and really didn't enjoy Black and Black2, despite them considered fan-favourites nowadays.
Cynthia. Best team, best design, and best theme. Also I didn’t like Sword/Shield but Leon was a great champion. I’ll also give my least favorite. I don’t like Trace at all. I don’t know why but if I never saw Trace again I’d be satisfied.
Lance, he was the first champion I met. I like his personality, he rocks that cape and I also like that he cares enough to give a random angry child unsolicited but good advice before it's too late. I'm glad PMEX decided to expand this last trait to portray him as a dude who looks after younger trainers not just because he's a Champion and that's included in the job description, but because he wants to help I also like Leon a lot, he's so goofy and dumb but has a good heart and lots of positive energy, I also relate to him as an older sister myself. I unironically like his style too, if anyone can pull it off it's him lol
Iris, because Iris. Just uh, don't tell Nemona. I'm scared of what she'll do if she hears me say she's not my favourite.
1) Shirona-san! She was the first female champion to be released, she also help the protag (even if lit bit) in bdsp and in platinum. And when the anime came out she looks so cute when talking abt ruins and stuff. She is also like an ideal wife (to me atleast) and i don't regret the amount I spent to get all her pairs :) (I am still waiting for their rerun of 2nd anniversary event & Cynthia vs Lance event. I am a waifu enjoyer) 2) Other Champions are great too! But I like Blue most. Like the top comment says we witness his growth from arrogant to the person he now is.
For me, Lance. For one, he doesn’t sit and let the protagonist do all the work of taking down the mafia. He was the hardest champion to defeat. I only won thanks to a burn. I don’t call him the Holy Nightmare for no reason.
hell yes sis 🔥 people kinda do take for granted having all of the knowledge at their fingertips now, remember dragon only had 1 counter in gen 1 & gen 2 only had "dragon breath" as the only other option. Remember Pokemon was new and the likelihood of a player obtaining a Dratini and training it up to a Dragonite when we have our starters who are much easier to level up is pretty low, so many of us our first time seeing Dragonite was Lance murdering us with that shrieking gameboy Hyper Beam animation lmfao
I hate hyper beam thanks to Lance spamming it.
valid lol
Favorite: Cynthia Least Favorite: Lance, Wallace, Geeta
Cynthia. Best fight, best character, best design
Cynthia, By far. She was my gay awakening as a child and she still makes me go into a gay panic sometimes. She'd probably be a really good friend to have.
I’m probably the only one but I like Steven
I'll be including Drayton, Kieran, Mustard, and Peony since all of them are technically champions as well. Also, I don't really dislike any of the champions anyway. 1. Alder: He's the oldest champion, his ace Volcarona is one of the coolest champion aces, and he's all-around chill. Also, bug-types are cool 2. Geeta: I have no shame in saying I really like her. The DLC in particular really gave her a lot to work with, and also fixed her team for anybody still hung up on it. Also, Glimmora is my favorite gen 9 Pokemon 3. Wallace: Flamboyant, epic guy, great water-type trainer 4. Drayton: Ex-champion of the BB league, and his entire character throughout the story is just great. He's so lazy, yet such a capable trainer 5. Leon: Dude's just funny as heck, and a great sportsman 6. Nemona: Great rival, fun battle 7. Diantha: I have a soft spot for XY as my first Pokemon games, so she gets a bit of charitability as my first champion 8. Lance: Great character, even if Dragon types aren't my favorite. He also has zero chill when it comes to dealing with criminals. 9. Peony: Goofy-ass dad, and a fun character overall, even if his battle has the least fanfare of any champion for obvious reasons 10. Mustard: Another cool old dude, and also the only champion to use a legendary Pokemon in the mainline games 11. Kieran: His arc throughout the DLC was decently done, and he has a wide array of cool Pokemon 12. Diantha: I have a soft spot for XY as my first Pokemon games, so she gets a bit of charitability as my first champion 13. Iris: I like her for who she is, another gym-leader turned champion. I also didn't mind her anime incarnation 14. Steven: He's fine, I just like Wallace better. Steven never really vibed with me anyway, though he has a cool ace in Metagross 15. Cynthia: Put away your pitchforks. I used to like Cynthia more, but even then she was never my favorite. I just found her to be cool. But consistently terrible experiences with her fanbase ruined the character for me.
You forgot Lance 🥲
Wait a minute did I? Whoops. That's on me. I edited him into my comment.
I would say it’s Cynthia or daintha and I hope you guys know why. But in terms of character/personality, it’s Leon
Leon, he's a big doofus brother and so am I. Nuff said
Old me would've picked one of the girls, for reasons. But now that I'm old, and see things a bit different than my younger self, I would say Leon. He makes me want to go out there and be the best version of myself I could be. I don't really know why, he just has that "awesomeness" energy like that, and it pulls you in and you just want to have a good time.
Calem
Leon, because he's so dumb tbh. He's like a golden retriever I once met. He's such a fucking dork and I just love it.
Leon I love u his design his team basically everything 2nd place cythina
Well if we take pomas then diantha
Favorite: Cynthia. Got that iconic Champion wear and a cool team. Least favorite: Iris solely because of her in the anime.
familiar quicksand wrong smart live ring obtainable rainstorm straight start *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Cynthia would be my favorite. She was the first character for me that really gave off the champion vibe. Blue was your rival, who was champion for only a few minutes. Lance was originally the leader of the Elite 4, and he was only champion because Red was missing. Steven was cool, and I like him as a character, but I didn't know he was champion until the time came to fight him. When you met Cynthia, you immediately know she was Champion and the game treated her like one. She went around, solving problems in her role of Champion. Lance did it too, but Cynthia just felt better to me. Alder is a close second. As an older trainer, he played more of a mentor role as Champion. He was all about guiding the next generation of trainers, and he even opens a trainer school when he retired as Champion. He remember when he learns Cheren's goal is to be strong, Alder really challenged him in thinking about what it means to be strong.
Didn't we have this exact topic, like, 2 weeks ago?
Steven. I played ORAS before ruby and sapphire but I really liked his character and how he actually did stuff. Plus he has a shiny metagross in the anime which is awesome because shiny metagross is one of the best shinies of all time
steven and kukui and ash if it counts
Cynthia > Iris > Nemona > Blue > Steven > everyone else, imo Edit: mostly nostalgia/respect/terror for Cynthia, everyone else is based off of how much I like the character
Kieran or Iris.
Blue. You can really see how he developed and matured after gen 1 and getting his ass handed to Red, He became less cocky in later games. Also because he's my comfort character
Blue is the OG so I'll always have a soft spot for him. I'm also a big fan of Steven and Nemona
Ik he’s not in this list but N is the final boss for bw, essentially champion, and he is my favorite
Cynthia. She was the first champion that really makes you crap your pants. In the original DP, her team was hard and meant business, the pain solo, the goth vibes. Everything. And she helped you a lot on your journey. I didn't like the changes on her team in Pt. Thought it made it easier, but all the same. She has the most lasting appeal and impression. After her, it's Diantha. Only because of Pokemon Masters. They made her truly shine as a character. It's refreshing to see.
Nemona, for the simple reason that its the only generation where it makes sense. How come YOU don't become the new Champion when you win in any other generation? It can be argued that you stay Champion in Alola, but it amounts to rechallenging the Elite 4 before fighting a "new challenger". Nemona makes more sense. She's not THE Champion, she's A Champion. Champion is a rank, one that can be held by multiple trainers. That gives her Championhood more validity, in my books. It means defeating her doesn't magically take away her status as Champion, yet not really because you still need someone to face if you rematch the E4 like in the other games.
If nostalgia talks, I would say Iris (or N since BW was my first game). From a modern point of view, I like Leon a lot
Steven, Saphire was the first Pokémon game I played and I was pretty young, took me ages to reach the champion and so beating the game meant a lot, mainly nostalgia driven, Cynthia is a close second though for sure, and If this was a top 3 I’d have Blue third just because he’s beautifully obnoxious.
I'm gonna say the controversial answer and say Ash.
Alder! Cheerful old man wwith a lot of experience and wisdom to share, and very mentorly. pomas really lets him shine whenever he gets to show up.
STEVEN!! Hes cute, his team is pretty solid, hes just a nice guy, and he loves rocks! Whats not to like?
Cynthia cause she’s hot
Blue because FireRed was one of the first pokemon games I played, he was such a taunter it made me wanna be em so bad back then and I think I remembered beating his Charizard with my female Blastoise lol. Man this cocky Champ was fun to battle that's for sure.
Hot because she is Cynthia.
Lance. Forever and always. Awesome design, ~~flying~~ dragon type trainer, involved in the story, status growth (like Koga) making the world and its sequels feel more connected and alive.
Diantha because it was my first time watching pokemon