While the monsters might be the main attraction, Game Freak’s iconic series wouldn’t be the same without all the different Pokémon gym leaders to challenge you on your path to the Elite Four. So, we thought we’d put this guide together celebrating our favorite gym heroes and villains, from Giovanni to Larry the salaryman, with a few details you might not know alongside every entry. Did your favorite make the list? Keep on scrolling to find out.
For more guides to help you on your quest to be the best there ever was, check out our bunny Pokémon, cutest Pokémon, monkey Pokémon, dog Pokémon, and cat Pokémon guides. Or, if it’s another kind of monster you’re after, see our guides to My Singing Monsters breeding, My Singing Monsters mods, and My Singing Monsters friend codes.
With that out of the way, grab your most powerful party members, and let’s get into our list of our favorite Pokémon gym leaders.
Brock
The first gym leader in the history of the series, and famous for his inclusion in the classic anime, the battle against Brock in Pewter City gym is the stuff of legends (even if you only need a Squirtle to ease past the old Onix). It’s the true beginning of thousands, if not millions, of shared Pokémon journeys and marks the moment that so many of us started to fall in love with the franchise.
Misty
I can’t mention Brock and leave out Misty, Ash’s second companion and the host of Cerulean City’s gym challenge. Misty is so non-plussed by the prospect of battling you that she doesn’t even stop paddling to pay attention to the battle, leaving her trusty Starmie to frustrate you into submission with its torrent of supersonic attacks. Sure, like Brock, Misty isn’t much of a challenge, but that doesn’t make her any less important in the history of the series.
Blaine
Blaine makes the list of our Pokémon gym leaders because of his interesting change between the first and second games. In the short time between the two generations, Blaine’s gym burns to the ground in a volcanic eruption, forcing the fire-type user to take up a new office in the Seafoam Island caves. A new home doesn’t mean a dousing for Blaine’s team though, with the challenge souped up in Gold and Silver compared to the original bout.
Giovanni
Ok, this is the last first-generation gym leader, I swear. I can’t not include Giovanni, the original final challenge of the eight gym gauntlet in Kanto, the leader of Team Rocket, and the man who is going to use fissure to make you hate, and I mean hate, one-shot K.O. attacks. Like the other two Kantonians we’ve included, Giovanni is pretty easy work with a water-type on side, but that doesn’t make him any less intimidating a foe the first time around.
Whitney
Of all my Pokémon memories, the most prominent is endlessly trying to take down Whitney’s Miltank to no avail. Really, this entry shouldn’t even be Whitney, it should be Miltank, Miltank is the real boss here, with high HP to keep it alive and a rollout that never seems to miss continuously taking out your entire party until you have to try the whole thing again. Admittedly, taking on Whitney is a little easier when I return to Johto these days, but that doesn’t mean this battle isn’t infamous for making kids question how much they really want to be the champion of them all.
Clair
The first dragon-taming gym leader, Clair is a personal favorite on this long list of Pokémon gym leaders, with her killer Kingdra offering Johto’s last big challenge before you face the Elite Four. Sure, she doesn’t quite match Lance in terms of dragon strength, but we get a little insight into her story before facing off in battle, and there’s an interesting story behind how Clair became the leader of Blackthorn Gym. She’s also a big reason why we’d love to see a Pokémon Let’s Go game set in Johto.
Norman
Norman is noteworthy for two reasons. First, he’s your dad, so that makes for the first and only gym leader battle against your own flesh and blood, though your in-game old man isn’t so keen on giving you an easy time. The second reason we love Norman is that he’s brazen enough to make Slaking, a Pokémon that does nothing half the time, his star player, providing all of us with a spare turn to use some much-needed max potions. To make this battle even more special, I like to play Father and Son by Cat Stevens and imagine Norman with a tear in his eye as I leave his gym with a badge in hand.
Tate and Liza
It’s the first double trouble entry on our list, Tate and Liza. The co-leaders of Mossdeep City’s gym are a force to be reckoned with in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, with their combination of Solrock and Lunatone proving tricky for any trainer who doesn’t turn up prepared. Their gym is also one of the best GBA-era designs, with a labyrinth of puzzles keeping you from the final battle in a similar manner to Giovanni’s gym from the first generation of Pokémon games.
Fantina
If this were a list of the most glamorous Pokémon gym leaders, Fantina would take pride of place at the top of the pile, but she still makes the cut for our favourites. With her team of ghost-types, Fantina is the most memorable gym battle in Diamond and Pearl by a good margin, with her ghosts running havoc on any team unprepared with dark-type attacks. She also uses her style and grace to win plenty of Pokémon contests, using her majestic ghouls to take the prize time and time again.
Elesa
Pokémon Black and White’s Elesa is the owner of what I’d say is the most fun-filled gym in the history of the series, with a veritable rollercoaster ride necessary to get you to the gym leader. Once you arrive, the battle isn’t particularly difficult, but Elesa’s Emolga can pull some surprises out of its cute little cheeks, making for a battle where you can’t take anything for granted.
Piers
Punk rock Piers is our favourite of the Pokémon gym leaders out of Galar. Equipped with a tricky team of dark-types, this battle is made more fun by the back and forth between Marnie, who made the list of our favorite Pokémon characters, and Piers, who happens to be her brother. We also like Piers because he’s not afraid to go against the herd, being the only Galarian gym leader who doesn’t indulge in dynamaxing. Everyone loves a purist.
Larry
Oh, Larry. Despite his purposefully bland nature, we can’t deny that this salaryman is our favorite of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet gym leaders. You also can’t deny his battling prowess, with Larry one of the few gym leaders from across the series to also appear as a member of the Elite Four. The ninth generation of Pokémon might not be full of unforgettable characters, but Larry is one of the few we hope to see more of in the future.
There you have it, our favorite Pokémon gym leaders. For more tips and tricks to catching ‘em all, check out our Pokémon Go event, Pokémon Go raids, and Pokémon Go Community Day guides, as well as our complete Pokedex. Or, if you’re more into making money than catching monsters, see our free Monopoly Go dice guide.