The Pokémon Champions from Kanto to Galar in an artwork of Pokémon's 25th anniversary (2021)
Not to be confused with Pokémon Champions.
A Pokémon Champion (ポケモンチャンピオン, Pokemon Chanpion?), also known as Pokémon League Champion (ポケモンリーグチャンピオン, Pokemon Rīgu Chanpion?) (colloquially in English as League Champ), or simply Champion (チャンピオン, Chanpion?), is a very powerful and professionally skilled Pokémon Trainer who is superior in rank to both the Gym Leaders and Elite Four and stands at the top of the Pokémon League, making themselves considered the strongest of their specific region. In the mainline games of the Pokémon franchise, as it is the player's primary objective to reach and defeat them in order to gain their title, they serve as the Final Boss. By being the Pokémon Champion, one can become the most famous face in Trainer history.
In most cases, to become a Champion, a Trainer must obtain all eight Gym Badges of a certain region (in Alola's case, all 7 trials and totem Pokémon), defeat the Elite Four, and then the current Pokémon Champion - each without losing the challenge at the Pokémon League. The known Champions so far, current or former, are Blue, Lance, Steven Stone, Wallace, Cynthia, Alder, Iris, Diantha, Trace, Leon, Mustard, Peony, Geeta, Nemona, Kieran, and Drayton. Although Red is technically a player character, he is often included as Champion since Generation II in his NPC roles. They all have the most powerful team of that particular region pre-Hall of Fame (and in some cases, rematches). Being a Champion may also be the starting point to becoming a Pokémon Master, though some sources say obtaining the title automatically makes them such. As these types of Trainers are above even the Elite Four, Pokémon Champions often have very strong Pokémon, sometimes pesudo-Legendaries, and are more powerful than all other Trainers in the game (with a few exceptions such as the Battle Tower). Once the player character ultimately defeats the Champion, he/she is recognized as the new champion and the credits roll due to the game's conclusion, although the player character itself seemingly declines the position and allows the previous Champion to reclaim their spot at the League. However, some installments' post-game content confirms the player does indeed keep the title.
Despite being the last boss of the Pokémon games and are incredibly formidable in other media within the franchise (anime, manga, etc.), most of the Champion characters are known to be kind-hearted and are not in any way the main antagonist, unlike leaders of a villainous team.
As the Alola region's Pokémon League has just been established, there is no Champion. Here, after the player character defeats the Elite Four, he/she must face Professor Kukui (Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon) or the rival (Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon) as the final opponent before being the first official Champion.
In Galar, as there is no Elite Four, a Trainer who wins the Champion Cup at the end of the Gym Challenge earns the right to face Leon.
Starting in Generation VII, the player, as Champion, can defend the title against challengers. They keep the title of champion even if defeated.
Presumably, starting in Generation IX, the Champion rank is no longer a title given to a single person. In Paldea, the title "Champion" is given to those who've defeated the "Top Champion" of the region. The Top Champion, Geeta, uses a team that signifies the minimum strength someone with the Champion title should be. In theory, if you can beat Geeta, you are worthy of being a Champion.
In Pokémon the Series, Ash Ketchum became a Champion by completing the Alola League and even become the World Champion by defeating the majority of the Champions from the games in the Masters Eight Tournament, including Leon who serves as the "Monarch" Champion.
In Pokémon Adventures, Red, Blue, and Green are Pokémon Champions.
Quick Answers
Who was the first Pokémon Champion in the game series?
What are the responsibilities of a Pokémon Champion?
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Who are some of the most famous Pokémon Champions?
What is the role of a Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games?
Games[]
The Champion's chamber in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!
In the main games, 'Champion' is a Trainer class that debuted in the original Generation I games. It is the title held by the Trainer who last defeated the Elite Four and the previous Pokémon Champion. The Champion is always stronger than the Elite Four members and most other Trainers, and has a full team of six Pokémon to test their opponents' strength. Like Elite Four members, they employ the use of strong healing items such as Full Restores. To challenge the Champion, Trainers must defeat all four Elite Four members without leaving the Pokémon League area, prolonging the endurance match, and cannot access the Pokémon League's Pokémon Center and Poké Mart until the Champion is defeated or losing at any point during the challenge. If the challenger is defeated by the Champion, just like with the Elite Four, they must start over.
Since in most core series games the player goes on to defeat the standing Champion (except in Alola, in which case there is no current Champion and the player battles Professor Kukui/Hau instead), every player character is considered a Champion, and subsequently entered into the Hall of Fame, along with the player's party. However, for players in games other than Generation VII's Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, becoming the Champion is mostly a symbolic honor, as they are unable to battle challengers or take up any other league duties; the former Champion will still remain at the Pokémon League, retaining the Trainer class Champion (in Generations I and III, Blue clearly stated his reign was over; in the Delta Episode, Zinnia teases Steven that he is the former Champion). In games prior to Sun and Moon, the player may battle the Elite Four and the former Champion as many times as they like, and on each success will be re-entered into the Hall of Fame with whatever team was used in that challenge. In Alola, the player can instead battle the Elite Four and then take on a challenger, being able to do this as many times as they would like.
In Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, tells the player that once every few years, the Champions from all the regions come together and battle to find the strongest among them. At the Pokémon World Tournament in Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2, which takes place two years later, all the Champions from previous generations participate in the Champions Tournament. This special tournament does not include any player characters, with the exception of Red.
The player becoming the first Alola Champion in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon
In Generation VII, the Pokémon League of Alola, having just been established, has no Champion. Instead, Professor Kukui (the league's founder) or Hau (the player's rival), stands in as the final obstacle the player must overcome before becoming the league's first Champion. In another first for the series, the player can defend their title against challenges from non-player characters. The player keeps the nominal title of Champion even if defeated. Similarly, in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, Trace is the Champion of the Indigo League at first, but loses his title to the player. After defeating Lance in a rematch, Trace will challenge the player as a regular Pokémon Trainer in an attempt to retake the title. In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, the player character can defend their title in post-game Champion tournaments, with one of the possible challengers being Leon, attempting to reclaim his title.
In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, Professor Oak reveals that originally, Trainers who defeated the Elite Four were recorded as Champions, but now Champions were going to be established as a part of the Pokémon League challenge, meaning that now a Trainer can only become a Champion by defeating the Elite Four and the current Champion. Brock in the same game also reveals that Gym Leaders, unlike regular Trainers, have the right to directly challenge a Champion, bypassing the Pokémon League challenge themselves.
Anime[]
Ash Ketchum and Leon, Pokémon Champions of Alola and Galar, respectively
In Pokémon the Series, similar to the main games, there can only be one Pokémon Champion per region at a time, except for the Orange League. While Pokémon Trainers can freely request an informal battle from the Champion like other regular Trainers, much more popular events are the Pokémon League Conferences, which can normally be entered by Trainers with at least eight Gym Badges. The winner of these tournaments may enter the Champion League to face off the regional Elite Four members and, if successful, the League Champion. If said winner defeats the League Champion, they become the new champion.
Ash Ketchum as the first Pokémon Champion of the Alola region
In Alola, due to the Pokémon League being a new establishment, there is no reigning Champion for the majority of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and the winner of the region's first League Conference will directly become the first Champion of Alola. In addition, due to the lack of Gyms in Alola, any willing Trainer is allowed to participate in its League Conference.
The newly crowned Champion subsequently faced the League's founder, Professor Kukui (originally intended to appear as the Masked Royal), in an exhibition match. Ash Ketchum was the trainer who won the Pokémon League Conference and eventually became the first Pokémon Champion of the Alola region.
Ash's place in the Orange League's Hall of Fame
In the Orange League, Trainers who defeat the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader attain the title of Champion, but the Supreme Gym Leader is not displaced upon defeat. Winning Trainers earn the Winner's Trophy and are inducted into the Palace of Victory, but do not have to carry out any specific tasks as Champions.
In addition to gathering eight Gym Badges, the Indigo Plateau Conference is known to accept Trainers passing the Pokémon League Admissions Exam and those graduating from Pokémon Tech. There are also smaller tournaments, such as the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, where the winner gets to battle the League Champion straight away. Trip and Magnus were allowed to battle Alder and Diantha, respectively, by winning such competitions.
The World Coronation Series ranks
The Pokémon Champions, alongside Alain, in the World Coronation Series Masters 8
There is a larger tournament called the World Coronation Series, where many Pokémon Trainers, including Gym Leaders and Pokémon Champions compete. There is a special ranking system that is based on the trainers' skills and performances. Trainers battle against each other to climb through the ranks, and the Top 8 Trainers ("Master Class" trainers) will compete in a final tournament, where the winner will be declared the strongest trainer in the world and will be crown as the "World Monarch" as well. The current "World Monarch", taking the title from Galarian Champion Leon, is Ash Ketchum, the Pokémon Champion of the Alolan region. In Pokémon Journeys: The Series, nearly all Champions from regions of the first eight Generations participates in the World Coronation Series to achieve the title of Monarch. Although they still maintain their title of Champion, they start at the lowest rankings like any other participant and need to rank up within the parameters of the competition. Even if a Pokémon Champion loses an official World Coronation series battle to another trainer, they still maintain their title of Champion as the World Coronation Series won't have any effect on a Champion's title status as it only have the title Monarch in the competition.
Champions[]
Games[]
| Name | Champion | Type | Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 
|
Mix | Kanto (Formerly, now the Viridian Gym leader) | |
| Red | 
|
Mix | Kanto (I, II, III, IV) | |
| Trace | 
|
Mix | Kanto (VII) | |
| Lance | 
|
Dragon | Johto (II and IV) | |
| Steven StoneRSORAS/WallaceE | 
|
|
Steel (Steven) Water (Wallace) |
Hoenn |
| Cynthia | 
|
Mix | Sinnoh | |
| AlderBW/IrisB2W2 | 
|
|
Mix (Alder) Dragon (Iris) |
Unova |
| Diantha | 
|
Mix | Kalos | |
| Elio/Selene | 
|
|
Mix | Alola |
| Mustard | 
|
Mix | Galar (Formerly) | |
| Peony | 
|
Steel | Galar (Formerly) | |
| Leon | 
|
Mix | Galar | |
| Geeta | 
|
Mix | Paldea | |
| Nemona | 
|
Mix | Paldea | |
| Kieran | 
|
Mix | Unova (Blueberry Academy) | |
Anime[]
| Name | Champion | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 
|
Mix | Orange Islands |
| Ash Ketchum | 
|
Mix | Orange Islands Alola |
| Lance | 
|
Dragon | Johto Kanto |
| Wallace | 
|
Water | Hoenn (formerly) |
|
|
Steel | Hoenn | |
| Cynthia | 
|
Mix | Sinnoh |
| Alder | 
|
Mix | Unova (Formerly) |
| Iris | 
|
Dragon | Unova |
| Diantha |
|
Mix | Kalos |
| Leon |
|
Mix | Galar |
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Trivia[]
The Sinnoh, Unova (in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2) and Kalos Champions, Cynthia, Iris, and Diantha
- Pokémon Champions are a famous example of the rare case in any video game media where the Final Boss is not the main protagonist's archenemy, but rather another good-alignment individual. In some games, they even appear to the player as a mentor or help them stop threats before the League battle.
- The majority of the Pokémon Champions have a mixture of Pokémon types for their respective teams, excluding Lance, Steven, Wallace and Iris. For those who do specialize in a single type, Dragon type is the most common. Iris is the only female Champion who specializes in a single type.
- As these characters are the final opponent in the games' main storyline, every Pokémon Champion has a unique, climactic battle theme of their own (except for Red, Wallace, and Trace, who shares their music with Lance's, Steven's, and Blue's, respectively).
- Blue is the Rival of the original Generation I games and Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version and Trace is the Rival of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! as such are the only Champions that can be named by the player; Blue and Trace are the default names.
- Alder didn't achieve the rank as 'Champion', but was asked by the Unova Elite Four to take the position but later left the position sometime between Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version and their sequels after being defeated by his successor Iris.
- Although a Pokémon Champion's team levels are around the upper 50s to 60s on average, they can reach as high as 70s or even 80s in rematches. On the other hand, Lance in Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version, as well as Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, in the initial Champion match has his levels as low as 44 and no higher than 50, similar in line to a Gym Leader.
- Red and Cynthia in particular are the highest-leveled NPC characters in the franchise (excluding Battle Tower, etc.), with their Pikachu and Garchomp in the remakes of their respective debut games, Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl at level 88.
- Some Trainer characters that aren't necessarily Champions can have Pokémon teams equal to their strength in the post-game as seen in most installments of the core series, which had become especially common since Generation IV. This also applies to Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.
- Cynthia is the first female Champion of the franchise, followed by Iris, Diantha, Geeta, and Nemona.
- In the Generation I games, Blue claims that being the Pokémon Champion is "the most powerful Trainer in the world". However, although this is not technically true, it may be due to the fact that Kanto was the only existing region at the time.
- Lance is the only Champion who is a member of the Elite Four in the previous generation and Blue is the only Champion (and Rival) who became a Gym Leader in a later generation. Two Gym Leaders later became Champions, though—Wallace and Iris.
- As often shown in certain games and the anime, due to the raw power of the Pokémon Champions and their top status in their respective Pokémon League, the only Trainers they find capable of defeating them as worthy opponents are other Champions from different regions.
- As revealed in some games and the anime, similar to the Gym Leaders and Elite Four, various Champions are close friends with each other. For example, at the latter end of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Cynthia, Iris, and Diantha can be seen taking a selfie together.
- Most Champions have one pseudo-Legendary Pokémon in their team.
- There is a misconception among some fans of the Pokémon community that Champions hold some degree of authority within the Pokémon World, due to themselves being the highest-ranking Trainer of the Pokémon League and sometimes take on large-scale threats like the player does in the main series. Although known to be highly influential or important figures, quite powerful in battle very few can match, often have celebrity status, and can access a few restricted places only allowed for them (Hall of Fame room, Cerulean Cave, etc.), no evidence exists in the franchise explicitly depicting any Pokémon Champion having governmental power.
- Iris and Trace are the youngest NPC Champions of the series. This suggests that age is not a factor for expert Pokémon training, much like how the player characters are considered Champions themselves, as well as Acerola and Poppy being Elite Four members.
- In rare cases, Champions can be found in places outside of Pokémon League duty, even their home region, and instantly be battled, potentially catching the player off-guard. For example, Cynthia is encountered at Caitlin's villa in Undella Town, in the Generation V games.
- In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the Elite Four, specifically Hoenn's, are former Champions themselves.
- Blue and Trace are the only Pokémon Champions to use Eeveelutions in their final battles. Although Red has an Espeon in Generation II, in spite of his NPC role as the Final Boss, he is technically a player character.
- Cynthia owns a Glaceon in her optional Undella Town battle in Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2.
- Peony is the only Champion in the franchise, current or former, not to have a full team of Pokémon in a battle. He himself has only five, instead.
- Although Professor Oak is not technically a Pokémon Champion in the main games, an unused Trainer data file exists in the Generation I games of himself having a team of five Pokémon with levels between 66 to 70. This places himself slightly higher in power compared to his grandson and actual Kanto Champion, Blue (whose levels are 61 to 65), and therefore suggests he was once planned during development to be battled in the same manner as Red in Generation II. It is worth noting he is allowed to enter the Hall of Fame room, which itself is reserved only for Champions, current or former.
- An in-game hint about Oak's high-ranking status can be seen in all first-generation games except for Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition he tells the player and rival that he was once a powerful Trainer in his youth, which Kanto Elite Four member Agatha confirms. An e-mail in his lab from Indigo Plateau telling him to come visit them can also be found.
- In the Pokémon Adventures manga, however, he was indeed a former Champion.
- During Pokémon Black and White, before the player has the chance to face Alder, N defeats Alder, and the player character does not fight him, instead heading to face N in his castle. However, during the battle, N is not classified as the Champion, as he simply refused the title.
- In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, Professor Kukui doesn't count as a Champion, despite being the final challenger after the Elite Four is defeated. This also applies to Hau in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon.
- The Sun and Moon protagonists are the first ever Champions that can defend their title against many challengers.
- Ash Ketchum in the anime is the only trainer to be Champion in two regions, Orange Islands and Alola.
- Leon's mentor, Mustard, was the Galar region's longtime Champion preceding Leon himself. Peony was also once the Champion before his older brother Rose became the chairman.
- Lance and Iris' roles as Pokémon Champions had overshadowed their original roles as Elite Four and Gym Leader, respectively, with many fans did not know their initial purpose in the franchise and most modern games and the anime show them as Champions.
- Alongside Gym Leaders, it is likely Elite Four members have the right to directly challenge Champions to take their title.
- According to Professor Oak in Generations I and II, the close bondage between Trainers and Pokémon via friendship is an integral role to become a Pokémon Champion, which is prominent in some media.
- In the app game Pokémon Masters EX, a different, unique type of Champion exists, known as Neo Champion. It is a title given to a powerful Trainer who acts as an example of what everyone should measure up to. In this case, anyone can earn the title of Neo Champion by participating in a Neo Champion Stadium tournament, where the rules of which are established by the regional Champion chosen as the head judge for that tournament. Unlike the traditional Pokémon League, winning these tournaments does not guarantee that one receives the Neo Champion title, nor does losing the tournament prevent one from receiving the title of Neo Champion (such as Serena becoming a Neo Champion despite losing to Calem in the first Neo Champion tournament), as the title is awarded to any Trainer that meets the judging criteria established by the head judge. A few canonical Champions, Blue and Red, have gotten this title themselves.
- On a similar note, six Champions so far, Cynthia, Steven, Lance, Leon, Alder, and Blue have earned themselves Arc Suits, tremendously powerful suit pairs resembling the Mythical Pokémon Arceus that are obtained by forming an extremely close bond with their partner Pokémon and are blessed by said Pokémon.
- Generation IX are the only core series games with at least one reigning Champion to never play the game credits directly after their ultimate defeat.
Gallery[]
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