Marnie is a character appearing in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. She is a rival, and later succeeds her older brother's title as the Gym Leader at Spikemuth's Stadium and specializes in Dark-type Pokémon. She is also the idol of Team Yell.
Quick Answers
Who does Marnie succeed as Gym Leader in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
What is the unique feature of Marnie's hairstyle in Pokémon?
What role does Team Yell play in relation to Marnie in Pokémon?
How does Marnie's character evolve in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
What is the significance of Marnie's emerald-green eyes in Pokémon?
Appearance[]
Concept artwork of Marnie.
Marnie has a petite, slender stature and a calm, composed presence that sets her apart from her more energetic rivals. Her facial features are sharp yet delicate—she has pale skin, striking teal eyes with a slight downward tilt that gives her a cool, her black nail polish adorns her fingers and toes and serious expression, and small pink lips that are typically held in a neutral or mildly pouty look. Her jet-black hair is styled into twin pointed pigtails tied with red bands, with jagged bangs framing her face and adding to her edgy, distinctive appearance. Marnie's overall look is youthful yet commanding, with a quiet intensity in her gaze that reflects her focused and determined nature as both a Trainer and a future Gym Leader.
Casual clothes[]
Marnie's clothing reflects her edgy, punk-inspired style while also maintaining a touch of elegance and simplicity. She wears a short, pale pink dress with a scalloped hem and subtle triangular cutouts along the bottom, giving it a soft yet distinctive look. Over the dress, she dons a black leather biker jacket adorned with silver studs and buttons, which contrasts sharply with the delicate pink underneath and emphasizes her rebellious aesthetic. Her accessories include a silver choker with a spiked pendant and red ribbon ties in her twin pigtails, enhancing her tough yet stylish image. On her feet, she wears chunky black boots with pink soles and large silver studs, adding to her punk vibe while also being practical for battle. Altogether, Marnie's outfit strikes a balance between cute and cool, perfectly capturing her serious demeanor and quiet confidence.
Spikemuth Gym clothes[]
A bold and athletic outfit that reflects both her punk style and competitive spirit. She wears a black and magenta cropped top featuring angular designs and the Spikemuth Gym logo, paired with high-waisted, tight-fitting leggings that continue the vivid color scheme and sharp patterning. The ensemble is form-fitting and functional, allowing for agility and movement during battle, while the jagged designs and contrasting colors reinforce her edgy aesthetic. She completes the look with black-and-white sneakers that have thick soles and sturdy construction, emphasizing readiness and power. Her black nail polish and signature twin ponytails remain, preserving her fierce individuality even in uniform. The outfit as a whole projects confidence, attitude, and leadership—perfectly suited to her role as a tough and stylish Gym Leader.
Personality[]
Marnie's personality is calm, composed, and deeply determined, setting her apart from more boisterous rivals. She speaks softly and directly, often maintaining a cool exterior, but her quiet demeanor hides a strong competitive drive and unwavering confidence in her abilities. Marnie is highly focused on her goals, aiming to become Champion not just for herself, but to bring pride and prosperity to her hometown of Spikemuth. Despite her serious and stoic nature, she shows genuine care for others—particularly her fans, Team Yell, and her older brother Piers. She values fairness, respect, and loyalty, often calling out poor behavior even from her own supporters. Beneath her tough exterior is a kind-hearted and responsible leader, whose growth from rival to Gym Leader highlights her inner strength and maturity.
Etymology[]
マリィ (Marii) can be seen as a shortened, stylized form derived from ローズマリー (rosemary), whose name comes from the Latin rosmarinus, meaning "dew of the sea." Rosemary is a fragrant herb symbolizing remembrance and protection. In Japanese, the use of マリィ captures the softer, elegant part of the word, making it suitable as a name. Additionally, if associated with the kanji 魔 meaning "magic" or "demon," the name can carry a mystical or supernatural nuance, blending the natural symbolism of rosemary with an aura of enchantment or mystery.
Biography[]
Marnie is first met in Motostoke's Budew Drop Inn, quelling a few disruptive Team Yell members with her presence. After apologizing to the player character, she attends the opening ceremony of the Gym Challenge. She later meets up with the player character at the same location prior to the third Gym Challenge, where she challenges them to a battle. Upon her defeat, Marnie notes that she has a long way to go.
Continuing her Gym Challenge, Marnie eventually runs into the player character again outside of Spikemuth, which is being blocked off by Team Yell. At this point, Marnie is on friendly terms with the player character, so she shows them a secret entrance into the town after she is defeated in battle once again. She helps the player character advance, and in a rare display of emotion, she explosively berates some Team Yell Grunts for obstructing the Gym Challenge. Later, after Piers (Marnie's brother and the seventh Gym Leader) is defeated, it becomes Marnie's turn to fight him. Although a caring sister, Marnie scolds Piers for suggesting that she should be the new Gym Leader and states that she has her ambitions set on the championship instead. However, when the player character crushes her dream by beating her in the semifinals of the Champion Cup, Marnie gives in and replaces Piers as the newest Gym Leader of Spikemuth.
Later, the player character can barge in on Marnie attempting to train herself to smile for her fans, after which she gets shocked and runs off in embarrassment.
League Card entries[]
Regular League Card[]
Marnie's League Card.
As a child, she was timid and a bit of a crybaby. However, she became more cheerful as she played with the Pokémon she received from her brother, and her talents as a Trainer also grew greatly. She joined the Gym Challenge because she wishes to breathe life back into her dilapidated hometown, but she says she has been somewhat distracted by the boutiques throughout Galar. Though many in Spikemuth see her as a local celebrity, she herself has no interest in pursuing fame. However, she says she does appreciate the support of Team Yell, her personal cheering squad.
Rare League Card[]
Marnie's Gym Leader League Card.
She was appointed as the new Gym Leader of Spikemuth by her brother Piers. Piers caught Morpeko and gave it to her when she was five. She still finds herself at the mercy of Morpeko's mood swings even now. The local dialect of Spikemuth has a distinct kick to it, and many of Marnie's fans have started mimicking her. Marnie won't change her expression even when she gets angry, but once she's set off, she stays angry for a long time.
Other appearances[]
Pokémon[]
First battle[]
 Croagunk  
|
 Scraggy 
|
 Morpeko 
| |||
| Lv. 24 | ♀ | Lv. 24 | ♀ | Lv. 26 | ♀
|
| Ability: Dry Skin | Ability: Shed Skin | Ability: Hunger Switch
| |||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None
| |||
| Poison Sting | Beat Up | Bite | |||
| Venoshock | Headbutt | Quick Attack | |||
| Revenge | Low Kick | Thunder Shock | |||
| Sucker Punch | - | - | |||
Second battle[]
 Liepard
|
 Toxicroak
|
 Scrafty
|
Morpeko
| ||||
| Lv. 42 | ♀ | Lv. 43 | ♀ | Lv. 43 | ♀ | Lv. 44 | ♀
|
| Ability: Dry Skin | Ability: Shed Skin | Ability: Hunger Switch
| |||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None
| ||||
| Fake Out | Venoshock | Brick Break | Quick Attack | ||||
| Torment | Sucker Punch | Scary Face | Torment | ||||
| Nasty Plot | Swagger | Crunch | Spark | ||||
| Sucker Punch | Poison Jab | Swagger | Bite | ||||
Third battle[]
Liepard
|
Toxicroak
|
Scrafty
|
Morpeko
|
 Grimmsnarl 
| |||||
| Lv. 47 | ♀ | Lv. 47 | ♀ | Lv. 47 | ♀ | Lv. 48 | ♀ | Lv. 49 | ♂ |
| Ability: Dry Skin | Ability: Shed Skin | Ability: Hunger Switch | Ability: Prankster | ||||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | |||||
| Fake Out | Venoshock | Brick Break | Bullet Seed | Spirit Break | |||||
| Torment | Sucker Punch | Scary Face | Torment | Darkest Lariat | |||||
| Nasty Plot | Swagger | Crunch | Spark | Bulk Up | |||||
| Snarl | Toxic | Swagger | Bite | Torment | |||||
Post-game[]
This team is used in two situations:
- In Spikemuth, where she has daily rematches, she does not Gigantamax her Grimmsnarl.
- Grimmsnarl is not always her last Pokémon to send out.
- During the Champion Cup rematch, in which she Gigantamaxes her Grimmsnarl the first turn after it is sent to battle.
Liepard
|
Toxicroak
|
Scrafty
|
Morpeko
|
Grimmsnarl 
| |||||
| Lv. 59/73 | ♀ | Lv. 59/72 | ♀ | Lv. 59/72 | ♀ | Lv. 60/73 | ♀ | Lv. 60/74 | ♂ |
| Ability: Prankster | Ability: Dry Skin | Ability: Shed Skin | Ability: Hunger Switch | Ability: Prankster | |||||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | Item: None | |||||
| Fake Out | Drain Punch | Ice Punch | Aura Wheel | Spirit Break | |||||
| Torment | Gunk Shot | Thunder Punch | Seed Bomb | Darkest Lariat | |||||
| Nasty Plot | Earthquake | Drain Punch | Torment | Bulk Up | |||||
| Snarl | Poison Jab | Crunch | Quick Attack | Play Rough | |||||
Galarian Star Tournament[]
As an opponent, Marnie can team up with Sordward, Avery, Piers or Hop.
Morpeko
|
Scrafty
|
Grimmsnarl
| |||
| Lv. 73 | ♀ | Lv. 72 | ♀ | Lv. 74 | ♂
|
| Ability: Hunger Switch | Ability: Shed Skin | Ability: Prankster
| |||
| Item: None | Item: None | Item: None
| |||
| Aura Wheel | Ice Punch | Spirit Break | |||
| Seed Bomb | Thunder Punch | Darkest Lariat | |||
| Torment | Drain Punch | Bulk Up | |||
| Quick Attack | Crunch | Play Rough | |||
Trivia[]
- Marnie's partner, Morpeko, is a hint to her hidden nature, as it can switch between two different forms.
- Marnie's hair also slightly resembles Morpeko's ear tufts.
- Marnie appears to share many similarities with Gladion:
- Both are pale skinned with green eyes.
- Both of their outfits are mainly black.
- Both have piercings or clips on their left ears.
- Both have bangs covering or partly covering their right eyes.
- Both have their hair shaved on one side with a ripped pattern.
- Both have a connection to their region's villainous team but are not an actual member.
- Her uniform number 960 stands for 苦労 (kurou), meaning hardship. It may also derive from the Japanese term for black, kuro.
- Despite becoming a Dark type Gym Leader, Marnie has one Pokémon which is not a Dark type, Toxicroak. She is the only Galarian Gym Leader to have a Pokémon that doesn't match her specialty.
- However, starting in Generation VIII, Poison-type Pokémon are classified as Dark types in the Pokémon TCG, similarly to how Ice types are classified as Water types and Flying types are classified as Normal types (they were classified as Grass type from Generation 1 to Generation 3 and Psychic type from Generation 4 to Generation 7).
- Starting in Generation IX, Marnie now shares this feature with the Paldean Gym Leaders, although the latter use the Terastal phenomenon on the non-specialty Pokémon to add their specialty typing onto them.
- Like with some other characters (Chairman Rose being an example), Marnie's hair and outfit became available in the Isle of Armor.
Gallery[]
_zounose.jpg "TRAINERS Salon!! (Part 1) zounose.jpg (2.96 MB)")
| Locations · Pokédex | |
| Gym Leaders | |
| Others | |
| See also | |
| Characters | |
| Kanto | |
|---|---|
| Johto | |
| Hoenn | |
| Sinnoh | |
| Unova | |
| Kalos | |
| Alola | |
| Galar | |
| Paldea | |