Top 10 Pokemon Gym Leaders

The Top Ten
1 Whitney

For how early in the game she occurs, and for how easily defeated pretty much every one of the other 15 gym leaders in her generation are, Whitney is hugely overpowered. She may only have two Pokémon of which only one is any good, but that Miltank deals out a punishment, even if you bring a ground-rock type, pretty much her ultimate counter.

That damn miltank she has knows stomp which can also flinch you, attract which can infatuate the male Pokemon (a pain in the ass), the killer-move rollout which eradicates all of your Pokemon step by step and even if you manage to land a hit on the damn miltank, it can heal itself with milk drink... What a powerhouse it is -_-

I beat Whitney on my first try, and Miltank wasn't a problem for me. But I must admit, Whitney is kind of good. But what I don't like is how she cries when she looses. A bit of a cry baby... but still good.

2 Misty Misty, known as Kasumi in Japan, is a character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri. She’s the gym leader in Cerulean city & specializes in water Pokemon. In the games, she’s known as ‘the tomboy mermaid.’

In the anime, she’s ash’s first traveling companion. She had three older sisters who did nothing but belittle her, and sick of it & wanting... read more

I like misty because she is the one main character of Pokemon and she loves water Pokemon as I. So I think misty is good Pokemon gym leader. When she battles her style is awesome.

Misty is probably the most well known gym leader and for good reason! She's a formidable foe with her Starmie in the games and in the anime Ash didn't actually even beat her

She is ambitious ad full of energy!

3 Clair

Her and Iris are the only female dragon-type gym leaders I can think of. Clair is a very unique and special character, and one of the most badass chicks in pokemon

Very cocky, very strong, she is a great female dragon type trainer especially when almost everyone that is a dragon type trainer is a male, she made a great nightmare If gold, silver, heartgold or soulsilver was your first game, you must've been screwed. (I know I was! )

At a time when dragon types had two weaknesses, ice and dragon, having a gym leader with a Kingdra was insane. To beat it you had to just over power it and Kingdra's stats were nothing to sneeze at.

4 Morty

Morty is so awesome. I like this layout of his gym. I like the type he uses (Ghost--and come on, what is cooler than Ghost type?! ) I don't know how Whitney is at the top. She is a cry baby and her Miltank is super annoying. I don't get how Clair is above Morty either. She is so stubborn and will not give you a badge until you go through a cave and do a test. Morty, however, is none of those things. That's not to say he doesn't put up a fight either, he was a worthy opponent to battle against. I eventually beat him with my Raticate--but the move "Curse" that was used in his gym was so annoying! That's also why I think he should be top gym leader. It was a challenge to beat him--but when you did, he was gracious about it. One more thing (because I noticed some comments for Clair stated she was 'sexy')... Morty is pretty cute

This guy had a gengar, considered OU at the time, and very few dark types could be found on the way. The only counter was an umbreon, otherwise you risked taking huge damage from ghost moves. They were also immune to normal/fighting types. As for the gym leader himself, he is cool, calm, collected, and a psychic

5 Sabrina Sabrina is a fictional character in the Pokemon universe as the gym leader of the Saffron City Gym who specializes in psychic type Pokemon.

She's the creeps leader we all love. Watch her anime episode if you haven't! She's actually the only gym leader who possesses some of the power that her pokemon do. Aparently she learned about her phsychic powers when she was 4 or 5 when she accidentaly bent a frickin spoon while she was eating breakfast. She doesn't like fighting, but she's somehow a gym leader. I want to know about that, but otherwise, she's SO in my top five!

She is just to awesome. I love her so much. She looks like me which is awesome and her doll, creepy but yet interesting, if you have not yet seen the episode she apeared in, you should cause I swear, you will love her!

The first time I watched the episode with her in it I was scared to death. Even now the mystery and creepiness surrounding her scares the crap out of me.

6 Brock Brock is a character from Pokemon and is created by game freak & Nintendo. He was the first gym leader in pewter city, and specializes in rock Pokemon .

In the anime, he travels with Ash after he defeats him . His parents left Brock to take care of nine children by himself while he ran the gym till his dad returned . So he knew how to cook, treat wounds/sicknesses, and took care of Misty's... read more

Remember playing red or blue, you find the first gym, but Brock at first is impossible to beat. It took me like ten tries to finally beat him. The second hardest is Watson, from ruby and sapphire, which took me three to beat him.

Brock is so awesome in the anime, and super nice in Pokemon origins, and Misty suck's by the way along with Morty! 1

He uses his trusty frying pan as a drying pan. Enough said. Absolute genius.

7 Jasmine

Not only is Jasmine a great battler and a good sport, her request before she gives you her badge is showing a Pokemon some TLC, which also shows that she is very kind-hearted.

Despite her sweet appearance and personality, Jasmine is probably the most powerful steel type trainer in all the games!

Cute, and strong. My favourite gym leader of the bunch!.

8 Tate and Liza

When I got Sapphire for the first time and encountered these guys, I didn't know what to do... So, what do you think happened? I died 23 times on my first run, of course. These guys are annoying because I'm not the greatest at double battles. Strangely, I'm better at triple battles, but these guys are tough and still tough. And on my Nuzlocke, I lost THREE Pokemon to them, and it was annoying. It's like hitting a brick wall with these guys. And in Emerald, they're even worse with another Pokemon on both sides. As if Solrock and Lunatone weren't annoying enough.

Never before and never since have I lost to a gym leader more than twice. These kick-ass twins are so much more powerful in this ruby and sapphire remake that it took me 5 times, yes 5 times to beat them. Wasome! Well deserved winners in my opinion.

I consider these two to be the best Gym Leaders of all time. They are the only gym leaders who can battle you at the same time and it really tests your skill and co-ordination in Double Battles.

9 Giovanni

Best gym leader and a very original one at that. Very powerful team and great type choice. Best backstory of every gym leader and was a great idea from game freak. He utilises some brilliant Pokemon e.g. Nidoking and Ryhperior and is no pushover. You will no doubt have a hard time with him. Unless you structure your team properly, he will take you out. Great with ground types and very threatening.

I didn't really care for him in the games and he was even worse in the original anime, but I absolutely loved him in Pokemon Origins. Amazing character development.

I can't believe he's the leader of team rocket, but what I think is crazy is that in the comics Silver is his son!

10 Elesa

I don't even have to explain how cool this chick is. Although she's highly overrated, I still love her and even more, her sense of fashion. Keep shining!

Elesa is the utmost memorable gym leader there is. What makes her most ideal to lead the top is her gym theme and her intentions. Her gym is a literal catwalk. The gym theme is beyond magnificent with the music (which I wish they brought back) and the modeling. She even built an amusement park in BW2. More significantly, she opens Bianca's father's mind and convinces him to let Bianca travel with Hilbert/Hilda. Affirmatively, I believe that Elesa belongs in the top. She's a literal model being a role model. It's a double whammy!

Gen 5 had fantastic gym leaders across the board, but the one that sticks out the most to me is Elesa. Even as a veteran Pokemon trainer, Elesa's emolga gave me quite a bit of trouble. She forced me to switch up my strategy from the typical spam-ground-type-moves-until-you-win strategy that beats literally every other gym leader.

Not only this, but Elesa is also a revelation outside of the battle scene. One of my favorite aspects of Gen 5 was how every gym leader had a different interest other than battling. Elesa being a supermodel really helped make the character more real and relatable. Walking down the runway with her after my victory in White 2 will always be one of my favorite moments in Pokemon history.

The Contenders
11 Blaine

Blaine should definitely be higher on the list by far, he has a awesome personality, He was one of the scientists who worked on CREATING Mewtwo!, and best thing of all he created the "you better have a burn heal" line back in Generation 1!

While I love Giovanni and Blue, I always liked Blue as a rival and Giovanni as the crime boss. That being said, I love Blaine in every generation!

Anybody who can mix riddles, badass looks, sunglasses, fire, and having a fire gym surrounded by Fire in one thing deserves a spot in the top 15. I don't even kniw how Tate and Liza got #1.

12 Korrina Korrina is a fictional character in the Pokémon Series as the Shalour City Gym leader in the XY series, in the anime she's a cheerful girl with a explosive personality she has a Lucario who she raised and grew up with from when it was a Riolu, she was later tasked by her grandfather Gurkinn with finding the elusive Lucarionite which would allow for her Lucario to mega evolve.

Korrina is a really tough gym leader. Simply put, once her Hawlucha uses Flying Press, you're screwed. I actually only won because I caught a Golett before I made it to Shalour, entered her gym, and wrecked Hawlucha. Seriously, Ghost-types nerf Korrina's Hawlucha. Mienfoo and Machoke were not a problem, but Hawlucha is a serious threat if you don't have a Ghost-type on your team. Now, though, my Mega Lucario is my strongest Pokemon on my copy of Pokemon Y. Her performance in the XY anime was just spectacular. Every time I watched that anime, when Korrina came on screen, I knew that it was automatically a great episode of the anime I was watching.

She's the only Gym Leader so far who can Mega Evolve a Pokemon.

In the Anime she's one of two gym leaders to have a mega evolution and in the game the only. Besides mega lucario > mega abasnow

13 Crasher Wake

Was definitely hard. Torterra was always having a difficult time with his Gyarados and Floatzel made it pretty difficult.

He is a god among gym leaders. So hot. Truly glorious.

Toughest water gym leader I ever battled!

14 Skyla

Skyla is not a good gym leader. She looks so bad and is so easy to beat.

Skyla is so bad! Winona is way better. Skyla is so fat and more fat in the manga

15 Volkner

Without ground moves, you will be screwed.

He's Naruto's father... enough said!

16 Clemont Clemont originates in Pokemon XY, created by Nintendo & game freak. is a gym leader of the lumoise city. He specialized in electric Pokemon and is known as a genius.

In the anime, he traveled along with ash in seasons 17-19. He was able to do so by building a robotic version of himself, called clembot. He went on his journey with ash to become more courageous. Mostly what he did was make inventions... read more

I can't believe how low this is! Clemont is my favorite reason being because he's smart, but I can't take him seriously in the anime series. What I mean is he's the only gym leader that has glasses. That's the reason why I can't take Clemont seriously, but come on! Why so low on the list? Clemont in my opinion is a gym leader that needs more attention. (but I can't take him seriously with Bonnie right beside him. Bonnie is just so cute.)

Clemont definitely deserves more attention, probably one of the best traveling companions after Brock and the subbed version is what many consider to be better, but I am one of the many people who prefers the dub and Clemont in some ways is a lot like Brock in terms of personality which is one of the many reasons Clemont is one of my all time favorite gym leaders.

The first time I saw this guy in the Lumiose gym, I was half "Aw!" and half "This is your gym leader...?" Plus he's really dang smart to have built a robot with practically its own intelligence. (Anime.) He's adorable and he's also one of Ash's companions! The only thing is he has a ton of fangirls like Professor Sycamore. Like, a ton. I'm not exactly one though.

17 Fantina

She may be arrogant, but she's definitely strong. I underestimated Ghost Types until she came around. Besides, she's beautiful in that dress.

I got threw her by luck when my monferno used flame wheel and burned her. Had just enough hyper potions and Pokemon to last her out.

Anime for her sucks. "I'm skipping 6 months to find myself. Screwing over all kinds of trainers that can't make sinnoh because it's impossible to get my badge." That's her. Ever wonder why the sinnoh league had the least competitors

18 Candice

She is the second hardest gym leader (See Brawly) And definitely deserves to be in the top ten (second. Brawly is really hard! ) Not only do I hate her gym (Until I memorized how to get passed it. ) and her Pokemon. If Brawly wasn't a much harder gym leader, she would get number one.

How does candice do it? I had to do it without a fire type cause it fainted. I was so close to winning! She good!

Candice is such a great gym leader, plus she uses strategy and is easily one of the more charismatic ones. She should definety be much higher on this list.

19 Blue

I'm not voting for Blue as a gym leader, but, more as a character. In Gen 1, Blue was a total ungrateful brat, always thinking he had bragging rights. His snarky attitude led to his downfall, as he lost his Raticate because of his desire to push it forward and not show it any love, and lost his possession as Pokemon master to Red, who was quite unlike Blue. Fast forward two years, Blue tries to kill himself because he doesn't think he was important. (I read it in Japanese special manga) Red gave up his position as champion to Lance, because with Giovanni gone people were getting their 8th badge for free. Red took Giovanni's spot for one year. After that, Red went missing, and Blue knew this was his chance. He became the 8th gym leader not bothering to care about his rival's disappearance. Fro, that day forward, Blue showed care and compassion to his Pokemon, and became more of a mentor to the trainers that lost to him.

20 Valerie

This gym leader had broken the glass ceiling of being the first gym leader of the fairy type. Something similar to that of Jasmine of Oliveine City was also able to achieve.

I don't know why I love Valerie so much, but I do. For starters, she's so pretty, but also, she has a range of talents. Her clothing is beautiful, but sewing in the Pokémon world is often associated with the Pokémon Leavanny, and being the first gym to introduce the Fairy Type, this further highlights new things. Plus, her gym is so creative - a teleportation dollhouse? The imagination put into that is higher than Skyla's ego. -Topaz

The first ever fairy type gym leader. Powerful, beautiful and wants to be a Pokemon herself.

21 Flannery Flannery, known as Asuna in Japan, is the Gym Leader of the Lavaridge Gym in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

With Flannery's strong offense with flamethrower as well as overheat, she is a gym leaders to look twice at, literally. Not to mention, a type advantage with the majority of types. She has a fiery passion that burns.

Her torkoal nearly fainted my marshtomp. She is great for a gym leader, just too easy...

22 Norman

Why the heck is Whitney #1? Norman is the true Normal type leader! The reason we hate her is because, Milk Drink is annoying. Norman, we hate/like him because his team is actually tough. He doesn't use cheap healing moves. Even if his Slaking has the Traunt ability, he's still a pain in the neck. Not only that, he's a serious gym leader. He's even your FATHER!

Come on, guys! How could Norman be so low in this list? Norman is the only father of the main character you actually know. In every other generation, your father is the professor! (Well, not really, but you know what I mean). And it's just awesome how you can actually battle him! Father vs Son/Daughter! Come on guys, really? How could he be below Cilan and Chilli?

All the gym leaders before him are pushovers! Until Norman and Uses Yawn and really powerful moves which get STAB to Beat your swampert up. Blaziken however has an advantage.

23 Lt. Surge Lt. Surge is a fictional character in the Pokémon series and the Gym Leader of Vermillion City who specializes in electric type Pokémon, in the anime he's extremely arrogant, aggressive and refers to other trainers as babies for not meeting his qualities his main Pokémon is Raichu who he evolved from a Pikachu as soon as he caught it, Surge serves as Ash's first real test against a Gym Leader as... read more

Awesome! Needs to be in the top five!

He has my favorite electric type!

He spawned the signle best Pokemon fan theory, so he gets my vote.

24 Wattson

This is the gym leader that pisses me off. You start off very easily beating him but once u get to his magneton, Just pray to God that his magneton won't uses shock wave over and over again because the MOVE never misses!

25 Roxanne

Interestingly enough, I didn't even consider Roxanne until I read a lot of comments on other forums that mention her because Mudkip and Treecko couldn't do enough damage against Nosepass. So then I looked at its stats. 90 Special Defense? No wonder. 135 Defense is impressive too. I remember struggling, but not that much, really. Mudkip and Treecko should win if they are leveled properly, and although Torchic will struggle in the gym, it won't have too many problems after evolution despite the high defense every Pokemon in the gym has and their Defense-raising moves. And, Nosepass is Interestingly enough, I didn't even consider Roxanne until I read a lot of comments on other forums that mention her because Mudkip and Treecko couldn't do enough damage against Nosepass. So then I looked at its stats. 90 Special Defense? No wonder. 135 Defense is impressive too. I remember struggling, but not that much, really. Mudkip and Treecko should win if they are leveled properly, and although Torchic will struggle in the gym, it won't have too many problems after evolution despite the high defense every Pokemon in the gym has and their Defense-raising moves. And, Nosepass isn't that strong anyway. 45 Attack will never one hit KO anything that isn't weak to rock. N't that strong anyway. 45 Attack will never one hit KO anything that isn't weak to rock.

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