10 Strongest Pokémon Trainers In The Anime, Ranked

With the release of “Pokémon Pokopia,” some fans may be diving back into the long-running Nintendo franchise — whether that means revisiting the games, scouring local retailers for trading cards, or simply rewatching multiple seasons of the Pokémon anime series. For many, the latter remains one of the best ways to experience the series’ epic battles and characters.

While it may be some time before the live-action Pokémon series becomes a reality, the original anime starring Ash Ketchum — a 10-year-old aspiring Pokémon master — is widely available on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. Though it took nearly thirty years for Ash to become the Pokémon master he’d always wanted to be, along the way he met some particularly powerful trainers, both from the games and original creations for the show.

These ten trainers, including Ash himself, stand out as some of the strongest to appear in the original series. Not only are their reputations stellar, but they also have the teams and victories to back them up. They may not have caught them all, as the franchise’s catchphrase encourages, but they’ve certainly proven themselves among the series’ most elite competitors.

Professor Kukui serves a similar role in “Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon” as he does in the video games. He is a teacher at the Pokémon School on Melemele Island in the Alola region, where Ash spends most of the “Sun & Moon” series adventuring with fellow classmates Lillie, Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, and Kiawe, all of whom also originate from the main series games. 

Though he’s primarily depicted as a mentor to Ash and his friends, Kukui proves himself to be a formidable Pokémon trainer in his own right. He frequently battles under his alter ego, the Masked Royal, a world-famous battle royale competitor who defeats Ash, Sophocles, and Kiawe in a four-person match. His team is equally impressive, led by his ace Incineroar and supported by Pokémon like Venusaur, Lucario, and Empoleon. 

Kukui often showcases his battling ability while supporting Ash and his friends, but he remains fiercely competitive. To commemorate the very first Alola Pokémon League, he faces Ash in an exhibition match as the Masked Royal, resulting in a neck-and-neck battle that takes multiple episodes. Despite receiving help from the Legendary Pokémon Tapu Koko (which he doesn’t even own), Kukui ultimately loses to his own student.

Paul is one of the few important characters in the “Pokémon” series who doesn’t appear in the video games, but he definitely feels like a stand-in for that friend who always beat you in Pokémon battles growing up. Introduced in the second episode of “Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl,” Paul immediately proved himself to be an ambitious rival for Ash, not only harsh towards the fellow trainer but also to Pokémon that don’t perform well in battle.

Though Paul’s tendency to be a sore loser resulted in some serious losses against trainers like Brandon of the Battle Frontier’s Battle Pyramid, he never lost a battle against Ash himself until the episode “Battling a Thaw in Relations!,” nearly 200 episodes into the “Diamond and Pearl” series. By then, his team was quite intimidating, including Electivire and Drapion.

Even though Ash lost many times to Paul, their battles remain some of the best episodes of the Ash Ketchum era of the “Pokémon” anime. Once their rivalry was set aside, Paul’s arrogance gives way to some much-needed character development. By the time we see him again in “Pokémon Journeys: The Series,” he has added heavy hitters like Gyarados, Garchomp, and Metagross, but their rematch ends in another loss for Paul — one that shows a newfound mutual respect between the two rivals.

Alain is another original character from the “Pokémon” anime, first appearing in a series of specials centered around Mega Evolution that aired during the “Pokémon the Series: XY” era. In the specials, Alain is introduced as a trainer on a mission to defeat every Mega-Evolved Pokémon with his ace, a Charizard that Mega Evolves into Mega Charizard X. He’s initially portrayed as far more serious and isolationist than Ash, making him a natural foil to the main series’ protagonist by the time he appears in the anime proper.

In the episode “A Meeting of Two Journeys!,” Alain encounters Ash and his Greninja, which transforms into a unique, bond-powered form during their battle. Alain defeats Ash, establishing a rivalry between the two trainers as the season progresses. Their occasional battles continue to test the limits of Ash’s own strength, culminating in a showdown at the Lumiose Conference, where Alain once again emerges victorious before teaming up with Ash to stop Team Flare’s plans to destroy the Kalos region. 

Alain later returns in “Pokemon Journeys: The Series,” competing in the Masters Eight Tournament to determine the world’s strongest trainer, proving that in the time since the “XY” series, Alain has only grown more powerful. However, he is eliminated before reaching the final rounds.

Often, Ash’s traveling companions have vastly different goals than becoming the very best, like no one ever was. For instance, Brock has dreams of becoming a Pokémon Doctor, while Serena, Dawn, and May spend their journeys competing in Contests, where a Pokémon’s style is valued higher than battling. However, one of Ash’s truest peers is Iris, a Dragon-type enthusiast in “Pokémon the Series: Black & White,” whose relationship with Ash is often adversarial from the start. Iris comes from the Village of Dragons, a town in the Unova region that raises Dragon Masters — trainers who specialize in training and battling with Dragon-type Pokémon, a path Iris herself follows.

Though her dream of becoming a Dragon Master is still aspirational by the end of “Black & White,” she returns in “Pokémon Journeys: The Series” as the Champion of the Unova region, even wearing an outfit inspired by her appearance in the “Black 2 & White 2” video games. Iris’ anime counterpart has similarly grown stronger as a trainer and, feeling even more determined to prove her worth, enters the World Coronation Series to test herself against the world’s best trainers.

Iris doesn’t last too long in the tournament against some other heavy hitters on this list, despite a powerful team that includes Dragonite, Excadrill, and Haxorus — the evolved form of the Axew she had when Ash met her. Still, her progress makes it clear she’s come a long way in her journey toward becoming a true Dragon Master. 

Steven Stone has quite the reputation in the world of Pokémon, both in the anime and the video games. As Champion of the Hoenn region in “Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire,” he’s the final trainer players must defeat before claiming the title themselves, with a team that includes Metagross, Claydol, and Aggron. In the anime, he’s even more powerful, as his shiny Metagross can Mega Evolve into Mega Metagross, first seen in his battle against Alain and his Charizard.

While Steven is not initially depicted as Hoenn Champion in the anime, he is introduced after encountering a lost Max, Pikachu, and Meowth in Granite Cave and escorting them back to the rest of the traveling group, where he first meets Ash. He subsequently leaves Ash and the others behind to continue his own journey of hunting down rare stones. By the time of the “Mega Evolution” specials, however, he has stepped into his Champion role.

Steven later appears in both “Pokémon the Series: XY” and “Pokémon Journeys: The Series,” the latter of which sees him competing in the World Coronation Series against elite trainers like Ash, Iris, and Alain. Though we could’ve watched an entire anime series following Steven’s journey, his scarce appearances in “Pokémon” help him live up to the mythology behind his status as a powerful trainer. 

Lance was a recurring figure in the “Pokémon” video games in the earliest generations, first appearing as a member of the Elite Four in “Pokémon Red & Blue” before later becoming Champion of the Pokémon League in “Pokémon Gold & Silver.” His longstanding presence across the franchise cements his reputation as one of its toughest trainers, especially given his entry into the Masters Eight Tournament.

Prior to this world tournament, Lance’s appearances in the anime established him as a Dragon-type specialist worthy of Ash’s admiration. He frequently aided Ash and his friends in battling organizations like Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua, often alongside his ace Dragonite. He also captured a shiny red Gyarados in “Pokémon the Series: Gold & Silver,” which returns in later appearances as an even more powerful battler.

Despite his reputation, Lance falls short against the top competitors in the World Coronation Series. While he demonstrates his strength by Dynamaxing his Gyarados, he is unable to secure a victory against Leon’s Gigantamax Charizard.

Diantha is the Champion of the Kalos region’s Pokémon League, serving as the final opponent players must face in “Pokémon X & Y.” A renowned movie star, she brings a much different vibe than many of the other Champions frequently seen in the franchise, but remains a very intimidating trainer in battle. She appears several times in “Pokémon the Series: XY,” where her strength is especially evident when she Mega Evolves her ace, the Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon Gardevoir, including during her battle against Ash and his special Greninja.

By the time Diantha returns in “Pokemon Journeys” to compete in the Masters Eight Tournament, she has only grown stronger as a trainer. Alongside her Mega Gardevoir, she proves capable of holding her own against some of the world’s best competitors, advancing to the tournament’s semifinals before facing the Galar region Champion, Leon. 

Though she is defeated by Leon, Diantha’s level-headedness and bond with her Gardevoir keep her among the best of the best in the world of Pokémon. However, her Mega Gardevoir proves no match for Leon’s Gigantamaxed Charizard in battle.

When it comes to Champions in the Pokémon games, few are as well-known as Cynthia, the Sinnoh League Champion who debuts in “Pokémon Diamond & Pearl.” Though she’s supposed to be an archaeologist, many players remember Cynthia as one of the hardest battles in the fourth-generation games, boasting a powerful team led by her ace, a Garchomp, alongside Pokémon like Lucario, Spiritomb, and Roserade. Her popularity also led to appearances in titles like “Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver” and “Black & White,” among others.

In the anime, Cynthia is a recurring presence in “Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl,” “Black & White” and, of course, “Pokémon Journeys: The Series.” She’s as much a mentor to Ash as she is a frequent opponent in Pokémon matches, retaining her status as Champion even though Ash is determined to someday defeat her. 

Cynthia’s battle against Ash in the Masters Eight Tournament reinforces her status among the world’s strongest trainers, as her Spiritomb alone is able to knock out half of his team. Despite her experience and the power of her Togekiss and Garchomp, she is eventually defeated by Ash, though she later postpones her planned retirement from battling.

Following his debut in the “Pokémon Sword and Shield” games, Leon quickly establishes himself as one of the anime’s most formidable opponents. As Champion of the Galar region, he appears in “Pokémon Journeys: The Series” as the top-ranked competitor in the World Coronation Series. However, it’s not until the Masters Eight Tournament that Leon’s prowess as a trainer really shows.

Leon remains undefeated throughout the tournament, besting the likes of Alain and Diantha, before finally facing off against Ash in the Masters Eight final, where both trainers are operating at the peak of their strengths as Pokémon masters. Though Leon’s Charizard was a threat to many trainers’ aces, it ultimately succumbed to who else but Ash’s trusty Pikachu.

Despite his reputation Leon is defeated by Ash, marking the end of his undefeated streak. While he occasionally expresses doubt in his own abilities, his actions, including confronting the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus, strengthen his standing as one of the most powerful trainers in the franchise.

Who else deserves the #1 spot on this list other than Ash Ketchum? From the start of the “Pokémon” anime back in 1997, Ash’s goal was to become the strongest trainer possible. Along the way, he caught dozens of powerful Pokémon, befriended rare Legendary Pokémon, and placed high in many tournaments, though he didn’t win a league championship until becoming the Alola region Champion in “Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon.” 

Nevertheless, Ash has had his fair share of ups and downs as a trainer. He’s infamously lost battles he shouldn’t have, such as when Trip easily defeated his Pikachu with a newly-caught Snivy in “Black & White,” but by the time “Pokémon Journeys” aired, Ash’s determination to win results in his best battling of the entire series. Of course, part of that is due to the fact that he’s not pulling his punches when it comes to his team; the Masters Eight lineup of Pikachu, Lucario, Dragonite, Gengar, Sirfetch’d, and Dracovish is widely regarded as his most effective team in the anime.

Though his iconic status makes him one of the best TV protagonists of all time, the end of Ash’s journey proves that even though he’s won the title of being the strongest Pokémon trainer in the world, his adventures are far from over. The anime may have left Ash behind, but Ash’s final moments suggest he will continue to befriend as many Pokémon as possible.