15 Best Gym Leader Character Designs in Pokémon (Ranked)

Fitness center leaders play an enormous half within the Pokémon video games, regardless of not getting the love that I feel they deserve.

I’ve determined to have fun them in my very own method by rating health club chief based mostly on their designs.

It’s laborious to separate design from character, I’ll admit. And there are just a few occasions on this record the place I mix the 2. So if you happen to disagree with me and assume I’m a complete hack, I get it.

I additionally get if you happen to assume my admittedly male mind has influenced this record in any important method, as a result of it has.

Regardless of my flaws, I nonetheless assume my conclusions are pretty stable. Should you’re into character design in any respect then you definately’ll discover loads right here to agree with.

15. Winona

You’re going to appreciate that there’s a massively disproportionate variety of feminine trainers to male trainers.

I truthfully do not know why that might be, however it’s what it’s.

Beginning off that development (and this record) is Winona, the flying sort health club chief from Gen III.

I fought with the thought of placing her on right here as a result of, realistically, she isn’t all that memorable. It’s been some years since I’ve visited Hoenn, however I forgot all about her.

She has design, although. The wings on the boots, vambraces, and hat make her seem like a Pokémon Quicksilver, and the tail-like ponytail solely provides to that aesthetic.

Her white and silvery blue colour mixture can also be one of the serene I’ve seen on any health club chief. She’s bought an important design, even when I utterly forgot that she existed within the first place.

14. Korrina

Korrina is a combined bag for me.

On the one hand, she’s the favored lady in highschool that you just used to crush over, however couldn’t inform anybody since you had been punk.

And alternatively, she’s a main instance of certainly one of X and Y’s largest points: the problem.

By way of uncooked design, although, she’s a curler skater. And that’s fairly superior.

The crimson and white colour scheme works extremely properly, and the truth that she really has considerably of a job to play in X and Y helps her memorability immensely.

13. Clemont

There’s a bizarre factor about X and Y having just a few stellar characters, after which a bunch of rubbish.

Clemont simply misses out on that rubbish heap.

He’s a bizarre little youngster prodigy that, for some cause or one other, has a backpack that shoots out a satellite tv for pc and robotic arm.

He doesn’t want both of these issues; he simply has them for fashion factors.

The truth that he’s the one health club chief(after Korrina) that I may bear in mind from Kalos says all the things about Clemont and why he’s on this record.

12. Nessa

Sword and Protect have some critically standout designs.

Nessa is certainly one of them.

There’s simply one thing about her design that reveals a sure stage of care was put into her design.

Even all the way down to her sandals, which have life rings on them.

The flowing blue streaked hair, her intimidating eyes, and the admittedly skimpy albeit tasteful clothes, all go in the direction of cementing Nessa as certainly one of my favourite health club chief designs.

11. Skyla

For no matter cause, Skyla is the one health club chief that I bear in mind essentially the most from the complete sequence.

It might need to do with my TCG deck on the time relying closely on her coach card. However I’m undecided that’s all there’s to it.

I imply, she has one of many best-designed gyms of all time.

It basically acts as an enormous center finger to all well being and security regulatory officers, one thing which we’ve all needed to do in some unspecified time in the future.

By way of design, although, she’s one other flying sort chief. Not like Winona, there’s not all that a lot alluding to that on her design. The truth that I nonetheless adore it regardless of that speaks volumes.

She’s merely bought a multi-shaded blue crop high, shorts, boots, and a few straps thrown across the place. It’s an extremely cute design that’s so simple as it’s efficient.

10. Clair

I really feel sorry for Clair.

She’s Lance’s cousin, however as a substitute of being the Champion, she’s relegated to health club obligation. Simply think about how terrible these household get-togethers have to be for her.

Regardless of the inferiority points that I’m optimistic she’s working by way of, Clair overcompensates huge time with regards to fashion.

The high-rise excessive heel boots, Lance-like flowing cape, the gloves that seem like they’re made from satin and value greater than my internet price, the costume that reveals off simply sufficient leg to be each enticing and intimidating… and naturally, these piercing blue eyes.

Overlook her Gyarados’ skill; she’s going to be the one intimidating any 10-year-old coach that wanders by way of the entrance door, therefore the quantity 10 spot.

9. Crasher Wake

Crasher Wake has an actual man’s physique.

He’s huge, he’s chunky, and he may simply rip you in two.

He one way or the other balances being each a health club chief and an expert wrestler, though he looks like a little bit of a Hulk Hogan as a result of he by no means does the job on tv, apparently.

There’s additionally the truth that the primary time you meet him in Platinum, he sings his personal theme music.

That doesn’t play into the design, however it’s humorous to think about.

Crasher Wake’s design is definitely fairly easy however very efficient. He has orange and blue wrestling tights that form of make him seem like Mermaid Man. He doesn’t put on a high, which is truthfully extra alluring to me than any of the feminine health club chief designs on this record, and he’s bought a extremely bizarre and spikey masks.

All of it comes collectively in not only a well-designed health club chief, however a real character. And that needs to be the objective of all character design.

8. Koga

I’m going on and on about Koga in my lists, so I’ll give the inspirational story a relaxation for this one.

Design-wise, Koga is a literal ninja. That’s all.

Do I must say anything?

7. Clay

Ninjas are cool and all, however you already know what I actually wish to battle towards in my Pokémon video games?

Oil barons!

Okay, he’s a mining baron, not an oil one. However let me have my fantasy all the identical.

He kinda seems like Doug Dimmadome if Doug misplaced the spouse and children and turned to consuming as a coping mechanism.

Clay has this fixed scowl on his face, is at all times on the cellphone, and at all times checking the time. He seems like a nasty piece of labor, in addition to a wannabe cowboy.

I really feel sorry for anybody that works for him. However there needs to be factors for no matter multi-million Pokédollar tailor dressed him.

6. Elesa

The Pokémon League should actually have horrible wages with all these health club leaders turning to different professions to get by.

In Elesa’s case, it’s vogue.

Elesa is a mannequin. Which immediately places her on any record of mine, so far as I’m involved.

Nevertheless, it’s laborious to speak about her design as a result of she alters it up fairly dramatically from BW to BW2.

Her outfits are easy, however they had been a dream come true for 11-year-old me. That nostalgia issue may play into my bias, however check out her design and inform me that it’s not unimaginable.

5. Bea

Bea is the top of badass Pokémon character design.

She’s completely chiseled and is all the things Crasher Wake wished he might be.

The ashen grey hair with the headscarf works extremely properly, and I’ve completely no concept why. Probably due to the distinction between the orange and the grey, however both method, it seems unimaginable.

There’s not a lot room for creativity within the Gen 8 health club chief designs due to the jerseys that they must put on.

However Bea makes it work.

It’s easy, sturdy, and efficient, which is oftentimes more practical than some loopy OTT design.

4. Whitney

Whitney is easy, I’ll provide you with that.

However she’s so near the highest for one very particular cause:

Her design matches her character completely.

She’s the kind of lady that places on this cute entrance, however when it comes all the way down to it, she’s an absolute little terror.

She’s continuously happening about cute Pokémon, however once you beat her, she throws a tantrum and refuses handy over your badge… yeah.

You’ll be able to inform she’s like this simply from a look.

Knee-high socks, pink hair and eyes (a traditional anime trope for a psychopath), and a happy-go-lucky demeanor that you already know is ready to implode.

3. Valerie

Valerie is what I imply once I speak about how good the X and Y designs are, however how dangerous the precise characters are.

I forgot who Valerie was, which ought to by no means occur with a personality this properly designed.

If I can bear in mind Whitney after preventing her 15+ years in the past, then I ought to be capable to bear in mind a coach I fought just a few years again.

Valerie was the primary fairy-type health club chief, and you may inform.

Her eyes have this large dreamy anime feeling to them, which solely combines with the clear fairy wings that she wears as sleeves.

Sport Freak clearly went out of their strategy to make the fairy sort debut particular; it’s only a disgrace the writing workforce was absent that day.

2. Roxie

Keep in mind once I stated that Korrina is the lady you secretly had a crush on?

Roxie is the one you had a crush on and made completely no effort to cover it.

She’s a punk rocker, and never simply in look.

You combat her when she’s on stage together with her band in her health club. Which has been was a dingy underground membership.

The punky hair, the large boots, and the outsized jumper had been sufficient to seize my younger coronary heart. And even to this present day, Roxie continues to be certainly one of my favourite health club chief designs of all time.

1. Misty

May or not it’s anybody else?

Like Elesa, Misty will get a redesign between video games.

Additionally like Elesa, each designs are unimaginable.

She’s probably essentially the most recognizable facet character in Pokémon historical past. Which says all of it, actually.

She’s meant to be tom-boyish, and the design leans into that very properly. It’s not overly masculine, in addition to not being overly female.

Shorts and a crop high, or a swimsuit.

It’s such a easy design that I’m certain we will all instantly visualize Misty in our collective minds. If for nothing else, that cause is greater than deserving of giving Misty the highest spot.