First airing in 1998, the Pokémon anime offered a new way to enjoy the budding franchise about catching, training, and befriending elementally-themed creatures. For most of its run, it followed Ash Ketchum (Rica Matsumoto/Veronica Taylor and Sarah Natochenny) as he traveled the various regions of the Pokémon world to become a Pokémon master. Beginning with Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the anime has started following other characters in the newest region, Paldea.
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During the anime's impressive twenty-seven-year run, fans have witnessed many impressive trainers who can bring out the full potential of their Pokémon partners. Some of these characters come from the games, while others were made for the show. Regardless of their origin, these are the best trainers in the Pokémon anime, each bringing a unique skill set to their battles and inspiring fans when creating their teams or thinking of individual stories in the Pokémon world.
10 Paul
From 'Pokémon the Series: Diamond & Pearl'
Ash has had many rivals during his adventures, but none pushed him quite like Paul (Kiyotaka Furushima/Julián Rebolledo) from Sinnoh. After watching his older brother lose to Pyramid King Brandon (Masayuki Omoro/Craig Blair), Paul went on his Pokémon journey, determined to become stronger. When he returns to Sinnoh, Paul develops a cold style of training, seeing Pokémon's worth only in battle and not as individuals.
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One of the best characters exclusive to the Pokémon anime, Paul's rivalry with Ash was one of the highlights of the Diamond & Pearl era, thanks to their opposing worldviews and Paul's battle strategies. Paul carefully constructs his team around his opponent so that he can take full advantage of their weaknesses and pushes his Pokémon to bring out their full potential, making each one a force to be reckoned with. Though he couldn't defeat Ash in the Sinnoh league, Paul did mature and began treating his Pokémon with more respect, and by the time of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, he was offered the chance to become a gym leader.
9 Raihan
From 'Pokémon Journeys: The Series'
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None of Galar's eight gym leaders love to perform to the same extent as Raihan (Tatsuhisa Suzuki and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka/Danny Kramer). He keeps his Rotom phone on hand so he can snap a quick selfie of himself and his fans and always does his best to give the people what they want. Though he is considered the strongest gym leader in Galar, Raihan aims to surpass his limit and one day defeat his rival, Leon (Daisuke Ono/Alejandro Saab).
When Raihan sets his mind to a goal, he dedicates himself to it wholeheartedly. This allowed him to rise through the ranks of the World Coronation Series, and when he lost to Ash, he showed good grace and bounced back quickly. Though he is considered a Dragon-type specialist, Raihan's strategies utilize various weather effects to power up his Pokémon and leave his opponent off-balance.
8 Alain
From 'Pokémon the Series: XY'
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While studying Mega Evolution for Professor Sycamore (Hiroshi Tsuchida/Jack Paque), Alain (Kenshō Ono/Jonathan Silver) met the wealthy philanthropist Lysandre (Hideaki Tezuka/H.D. Quinn), who revealed that he was also researching Mega Evolution for the betterment of mankind. He convinced Alain to work with him to protect Sycamore's reputation from those who would abuse his research and gifted Alain the means to Mega Evolve his Charizard. Alain's quest brought him into contact with many powerful trainers, including Ash, whom Alain defeated in the final Kalos league.
Alain is a highlight of the X & Y season, constantly trying to push himself to be stronger so he can achieve his goal, be it to help his friends and mentor or become a Pokémon Champion. His Charizard mimics his drive to succeed, and the bond between the two is so powerful that they overpower Ash and his battle-bond Greninja. However, Alain has a habit of pushing away those he cares about, and when he focuses too much on his goal, he risks losing sight of other important things around him.
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7 Iris
From 'Pokémon the Series: Black & White'
After befriending a wild Drilbur and evolving it into an Excadrill, Iris (Aoi Yūki/Eileen Stevens and Anairis Quiñones) challenged the Dragon-type gym leader, Drayden (Masaki Terasoma/Mike Pollock), but was beaten so badly that her Excadrill closed itself off to her. Years later, she was given an Axew and set off on a journey to become a dragon master, eventually meeting Ash when he came to Unova. Not only did she repair her relationship with Excadrill and capture a Dragonite, but after Ash's departure, she became the champion of Unova.
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While Iris' immaturity keeps her from being one of Ash's best companions in the Pokémon anime, there's no denying that she earned her position as Unova's champion. Many of her star Pokémon distrusted her at first, but with time, patience, and understanding, she won their trust and brought out their full potential. Though she was knocked out of the final eight of the World Coronation Series rather quickly, Iris proved she had the skill and tenacity to stand alongside more experienced champions.
6 Lance
From 'Pokémon: Master Quest'
Due to Kanto and Johto sharing a Pokémon League, they also share a champion: the Dragon-type master Lance (Susumu Chiba/Wayne Grayson). When not defending his title, Lance also works as a member of the secretive Pokémon G-Men, who infiltrate villainous organizations to bring those who would abuse Pokémon to justice. He has joined forces with Ash several times when the young trainer stumbles into the evil plans of Team Rocket and Team Magma.
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Lance is one of the anime's most proactive league members, taking the fight to villainous teams and doing everything he can to ensure Pokémon are well cared for. His achievements include capturing a rampaging shiny Gyarados that was forced to evolve by Team Rocket, which he rehabilitated and turned into one of his most trusted partners. Lance favors overwhelming offense in battle and isn't afraid to let his Pokémon take a hit if he knows they can weather it.
5 Diantha
From 'Pokémon The Series: XY'
When they're not defending their titles, most champion-level trainers have a secondary job to attend to. Diantha (Fumiko Orikasa/Vanessa Gardner), the champion of the Kalos region, is a famous actress who has starred in movies seen across the Pokémon world. She also enjoys shopping and sampling desserts, which often brings her into contact with up-and-coming trainers with great potential.
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Diantha is described as an enigma when she battles, often switching her strategy based on which Pokémon she is using and what details she can pick up from her opponents through quick observation. Regardless, Diantha always treats her battle like a performance and ensures that everyone, from the Pokémon to the audience, is having a good time. As befitting a Kalos trainer, Diantha can Mega Evolve her Gardevoir, making her a formidable trump card for opponents to overcome.
4 Steven Stone
From 'Pokémon: Advanced'
As the son of the president of the Devon Corporation, Steven Stone (Rintarō Nishi and Kenichi Suzumura/Andrew Paull) had a comfortable life and quick access to his father's various new technologies. He used them to search the Hoenn region's ancient past, becoming interested in fossils and studying the legends of the mighty legendary Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre. Steven also proved to be a skilled trainer of Rock, Ground, and Steel-type Pokémon, eventually becoming Hoenn's champion.
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Steven is one of the best champions in the franchise, and like in the games, his anime counterpart sets himself up as a mentor for up-and-coming trainers. Though he acts serious when the need arises, Steven is usually pretty laid back and friendly, with a hint of playfulness that presents itself through banter. His defensive Pokémon are difficult to overcome through brute force, especially his shiny Metagross, which can Mega Evolve.
3 Cynthia
From 'Pokémon the Series: Diamond & Pearl'
As a child, Cynthia (Tomo Sakurai/Emily Jenness) received an egg that hatched into a Gible, with which she set off on her Pokémon journey. After many trials, it evolved into the iconic Sinnoh dragon Garchomp and helped Cynthia claim the title of her home region's champion. She now travels the Pokémon world to study ancient myths related to legendary Pokémon and often joins forces with Ash to take down villainous organizations who seek to use them for their evil ends.
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Cynthia is possibly the most iconic Pokémon Trainer after Ash, and many characters in the show and players in real life suffered devastating losses at the hands of her mighty team.
Just like in the games, anime-Cynthia is a fan favorite character thanks to her impressive battling skills and proactive personality. She never loses her cool and enjoys keeping her opponents guessing by rotating which Pokémon she has on hand, swapping mid-battle to gain an advantage and choosing between Mega Evolution or Dynamaxing. The one consistent is her Garchomp, which stands as one of the most respected Pokémon in the franchise thanks to her numerous victories and legendary strength. Cynthia is possibly the most iconic Pokémon Trainer after Ash, and many characters in the show and players in real life suffered devastating losses at the hands of her mighty team.
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2 Leon
From 'Pokémon Journeys: The Series'
In his youth, Leon showed a natural talent for Pokémon battles, especially when commanding his trusty Charizard. As a young man, he not only rose to become champion of the Galar region but also the highest-ranked trainer in the Pokémon world. Being at the top doesn't mean Leon rests on his laurels, and he eagerly awaits the day when he can test himself in battle against an equally skilled opponent.
Leon is the perfect final rival for Ash to face because he shares many of Ash's personality traits, such as his fiery spirit, sense of righteousness, and how deeply he loves his Pokémon. He's even able to adapt his strategy on the fly, allowing him and his Pokémon to master their opponent's techniques and throw them right back at them. If Leon has any weaknesses, they'd be his poor sense of direction and how hard he can be on himself.
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1 Ash Ketchum
From 'Pokémon: The Series'
On his tenth birthday, Ash Ketchum departs from Pallet Town with his first Pokémon: a stubborn Pikachu who disobeys Ash until he protects it from a flock of Spearow. Afterward, Ash and Pikachu witness the legendary bird Ho-oh fly across the sky, marking the young trainer for greatness. After many adventures with friends in numerous regions, Ash defeats Leon and becomes recognized as the number one trainer in the Pokémon world.
Ash isn't just the greatest because he defeated Leon, but because of the long and arduous journey to reach this moment. Audiences have watched him from the very beginning, witnessing Ash pick himself up after every failure and adapt his strategy in unconventional ways to overcome any challenge. He is also the best because of his character: whenever Ash sees someone in need, whether human or Pokémon, he won't hesitate to throw his all into solving their problem. Ash eventually retired from the Pokémon series, but his legacy as one of the most iconic characters in anime had been long-secured.
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NEXT: The 10 Most Iconic Kanto Pokémon, Ranked
