Ranking Pokemon Adventures Characters
Mainly ranking the central pokedex holders and a few additional characters associated with them. This will be a tier list, followed by explanation of my rankings. Only including R/B/G/Y-Black/White, as those are the ones I've read. Spoilers for all of these manga.
Silver-THAT'S MY FUCKING GOAT! I love him so much, his journey and story are incredible. I love the Johto arc a lot, but Silver just goes above and beyond, pushing himself to unimaginable lengths to try and stop the Mask of Ice and ensure that what happened to him will never happen to anyone ever again. Later, in HG/SS, he has to confront the truth about his origins and his father, Giovanni, and defy the dark path that Team Rocket wants to send him on. Beyond that, he goes out of his way to save his father, even though he knows that he's done terrible things in the name of reuniting them. ALSO his dynamic with Gold is incredible and they're so NaruSasu coded.
Ruby-Ruby/Sapphire arc is so good. Ruby's whole everything is just really compelling, especially how much of his true talent he was hiding from the people around him. He wants to protect the people around him, but has been scarred (metaphorically and physically) by his childhood experiences and considers fighting to be a misuse of pokemon's talents. His whole arc is about learning to accept that he cannot leave that part of himself behind, and he must fight when the world needs him, no matter his personal misgivings. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention his relationship with Sapphire, perhaps the best part of the entire arc. They play off each other so well. They mean so much to each other. They are soulmates in every way that matters. They are both world-class fumblers but Ruby especially and I love him for it.
Sapphire-On the other side of the coin, Sapphire's whole story is just as compelling as Ruby's. She had her peaceful life shattered by traumatizing violence, and became feral and violent as a result. What started as a defense mechanism became her life, until fighting became something that stood between her and the people she cared about. The rift that initially grew between her and Ruby started because she, as a person who could fight, recognized his hidden capabilities. Ultimately, it was her bond with Ruby, both past and present, that she reignited by confessing to him, which gave them both the motivation to keep fighting and prevail over the cataclysm they faced. And yes, she is very justified for being upset at that wonderful idiot for pretending not to remember that they have feelings for each other. She bared her soul to him because they are meant to be. They found each other again across years and an unbelievable divide and their feelings were stronger than ever before. I. Ship. It.
Diamond-THATS ALSO MY FUCKING GOAT! The whole Sinnoh trio is great but he’s just the best. I love that Diamond, who was initially one of the sillier characters in D/P/P, becomes the clear heart of the group before long. The moment where he tells Pearl that he wants to be taken seriously and isn’t just his sidekick was very impactful for me. An even more powerful moment was his answer to Cyrus at the Spear Pillar, telling him about how he and others have experienced Time and Space and how he has no right to twist it and take it away from people for his own selfish purposes. Honestly all of Diamond’s conversations with Cyrus, the other major one being in the distortion world, really showcase the profound emotional intelligence he possesses but often keeps hidden. Diamond being the representation of emotion among the trio just further cements him as the absolute best.
Red-What is there to say? He’s the quintessential Pokemon protagonist. His journey is simple but no less meaningful for it. He never stops fighting for his friends and the people around him. Known and respected far and wide as the champion of the Pokemon league, he is an icon, both to the world and the reader, who knows best the kind of pure soul that he possesses. “Care for them and they’ll always be your friends”, is there a better philosophy when it comes to the relationship with one’s Pokemon?
Green-Similar to Silver, her story is about overcoming trauma. In her case, a deathly fear of bird-like Pokemon following her abduction by Ho-Oh as a child. Not only is Green often forced to face Pokemon like that in the Pokemon League and her general adventures, but she actively exposes herself to them in some circumstances in order to overcome these fears. The moment in Gold/Silver where she reveals that she won't be hold back any longer, and has gone so far in conquering her fear to capture Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, is nothing short of incredible. Another really compelling part of Green's character is her independence. Throughout the series, she continually refuses to let herself be defined by the expectations and wants to others, unless those are aligned with her own. She's also, frankly, brilliant when it comes to strategy, responsible for crucial moments like getting Red and Blue to work together and using Ditto as a false arm to trick Lorelei's ice posession attack. Green remains a strong and distinctive presence throughout her appearances in the series.
Blue-The definitive rival. His relationship with Red is simply fascinating. Their dynamic has evolved so much and remains a treat to read. He's not up to the level of my absolute favorites, but I still love him. His skill at training Pokemon, and other trainers, is a huge part of what makes him so good at what he does. Blue is like a sculptor, taking time and care to hone himself to perfection, and is capable of learning on the fly and using his Pokemons' moves in creative ways. A particularly memorable in the series that comes to mind is when Ultima refers to Red and Blue as being "like fire and water". Red is assertive and decisive in his actions, whereas Blue is careful, measured, taking the time to consider the best path to take. Blue is, more often than not, the key to victory when any of the characters are fighting in a group. Also! I really love the moment in FireRed/LeafGreen when Green says she was the "MVP of this battle", and Blue says "you're always the MVP to me, you know". He can stop aura farming and be a sweetheart sometimes too!
Gold-Ah, the Naruto to Silver's Sasuke. I like Gold a lot, but he is below Silver because Silver is just a more compelling character to me. Part of what I like about Gold is that his attitude, while unrepentantly obnoxious, does not detract from who he is and how he acts when the situation is serious. Gold is always willing to do the tough thing and take a hit for the team (or the bystanders, or the Pokemon, or just anyone, really) if the situation calls for it (and sometimes, when it doesn't. He is still an idiot). Part of how he proves himself to Professor Oak in the first place is by jumping into a river to rescue people in danger from a situation he caused. And, at the end of Gold/Silver, he is willing to be forever lost in the crack of time if it means that Silver and Crystal can escape. He is a reckless idiot with a penchant for self-sacrifice, and no one does it quite like he does.
Yellow-She of the Viridian Forest! Love her whole journey, following in the footsteps of the previous generation of trainers in order to find Red (who didn’t need much finding, but the effort was still impressive). Her connection with her Pokemon is also a very emotional one, as she doesn’t care about battling until it becomes a necessity and wants to keep them in the form she’s known them in. Another reason I love her is her dynamic with Lance, both being Viridian-born trainers with special powers. Lance uses his abilities to further his goals of creating a Pokemon utopia by wiping out humans, while Yellow uses hers to help the Pokemon she meets along her journey, and to try and find Red (a goal both selfish and selfless). And while it is cheesy, I did find it kind of hilarious how strongly everyone invariably reacts to the reveal that Yellow is a girl. She’s being very slightly deceitful about her gender (literally just wearing a hat) and everyone (who didn’t already figure it out) gets shocked when they find out the truth. It shouldn’t be as big a deal as they make it out to be, but it’s funny how seriously the characters take it.
Pearl-Like I said, I love the whole Sinnoh trio. Pearl especially is an interesting character, because he’s the “straight man” of the group, as Diamond explains, even though they’re often generally levelheaded. He doesn’t necessarily need to be the straight man, that is, but he sort of naturally fills that role because of the way he was raised, his dynamic with Diamond, and later the protectiveness he feels towards Platinum. I see him as a guy who’s trying to be the leader, and usually does fall into that role when they’re all together, but he also has to accept that they can handle themselves when they’re separated (which they sadly are for chunks of the story). His story is one of a guy who’s had to become intense because of the way he was raised (visit your kid sometimes Palmer, smh), but grows to become more relaxed over the course of their journey. Also, I love how much he cares about his friends.
Platinum-Best of the A-tiers for last? Maybe. This is nothing if not playing favorites, but they are all my favorites...anyway, Platinum Berlitz! One of the few of these characters to have a last name (the other being Sapphire). While she was under the impression that Diamond and Pearl were her bodyguards for the first few volumes, Platinum still forms deep and meaningful bonds with them, trusting them to be her constant supporters. And then, when the truth is revealed...well, of course she's upset. But after she takes some time to think about it (and gets Darkari dreams), she realizes how much they matter to each other, no matter what things they hid from one another. The moment where she reads the letter she wrote telling them about her feelings and tells them her name is, of course, another of my favorites. And then, similar to Pearl, she has to deal with being apart from them while she investigates the Battle Frontier (and meets Pearl's deadbeat dad) and continues to excel at Pokemon battles. Platinum is, more than anything, a character whose growth has been directly influenced by the meaningful people she surrounds herself with.
Alright, the previous tiers were mostly just me glazing everyone, but now I'm actually gonna give some explanation for why they don't make it to the highest tiers.
Emerald-Ah, Emerald. I do love him, and kinda relate to him (I too am small), but he did have the misfortune of only having four volumes dedicated to his arc, which did get majorly crowded in the second half by Ruby, Sapphire, and then every other pokedex holder. Great character, doesn't get enough time to shine. His attitude is also a problem for a while, in a way that Gold's isn't, but he does get the character development it was building towards. His stance on Pokemon also thankfully changes, and we get to see the compelling tragic backstory that led him to have those feelings. Also love how he crashes out because Ruby and Sapphire were flirting around him too much.
Crystal-Crystal is in a slightly similar situation to Emerald for me. She comes onto the scene in the third volume of the manga, and spends that and another one doing her own adventures (with Yellow!) while Gold and Silver are comatose. However, what drags down her ranking (not her character) is simply how powerful the presence and chemistry of Gold and Silver is. That being said, I love the full trio's dynamic, and their first meeting is great. And then Crystal gets dragged into their usual "Silver is doing something suspicious that helps his mysterious goals and Gold is being loud while trying to save the day" routine that takes them to the Pokemon League chaos. She gets some great moments to shine both here and later down the line in Emerald, with the plan to save the Pokedex holders.
Wally-Send the asthmatic child to fight Rayquaza, said Norman. Surely this is a great idea, said Norman. Surely it's a healthy and normal thing to do to kidnap one of my son's only friends and have him fight his way up a giant tower to help me tame the titanic sky dragon in the hopes of averting the coming calamity. Jokes aside, Wally is a cool character, but gets very little screentime compared to others. Still cool, though!
Black-Black & White, I'll admit, does not hold my interest as much as the earlier stories. However, when put to the question, I will say that I do prefer Black to White, character-wise. In particular, his immediate visceral reaction to Team Plasma's whole bs and how he recognizes right away that it's wrong. Even though they do sway some people, he sees through the lie and wants to do something about it. Also it's funny that he got orbed at the end of the series.
White-The boss lady herself! As was previously stated, Black & White, not my #1 favorite of the manga gens. I don't dislike White at all, but she just doesn't really stand out to me when compared to the other protags. The whole initial premise of her and Black's relationship is very funny though, with him having to work off his debt to her after breaking a bunch of expensive cameras. She's also one of the only legitimately employed characters, and is a small business owner to boot! Good for her!
Bianca & Cheren-Doing them as one because my thoughts on them are the same. They're cool, but not memorable enough for me to rank them above any of the characters who get more focus. They also do take a backseat to Black & White most of the time, so they don't have the time to shine that any of the protags do. Ah, well.
Thank you for reading my tier list! I may do another of these in the future, perhaps for the major supporting characters like the Gym Leaders and villains. Where would I rank Cyrus and Lance, I wonder? A question for another time...
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