Girls are awesome. That is an objective fact of life.
And when it comes to the media, there's no shortage of awesome girls out there. From Wonder Woman to Black Widow to Starfire to Raven to Princess Jasmine to Anna & Elsa to Sailor Moon and many more, the media has plenty to choose from when it comes to great female characters whether they're nice and pretty or strong and badass. There's a girl out there for everybody and we all have many female characters that we can't help but love.
Pokémon is NO exception to this rule. Some of the most popular characters ever to come out of the franchise are female and I guarantee that for those who engage with the games and the anime on a regular basis, they're in for it for these girls as much as the Pokémon themselves. Or at least I am, I dunno about anybody else. XD
So to celebrate these fabulous females from one of my favourite franchises, here is a list of my Top 10 Favourite Pokémon Girls. Keep in mind this list is based on my FAVOURITE Pokémon girls, not the best Pokémon girls so don't get too shirty about it if the order these girls are in may not line up with what you believe. These are just 10 of my favourite Pokémon girls listed from 10 to 1 in order of my favourites, OK? If I ever did a best list, it'd be a different story...
Oh and before we start, this post marks a big milestone for this blog as we've now officially reached 200 posts! Happy 200th for themediamanblog everybody!!! :D
So let's get started. I'm the Media Man and these are my Top 10 Favourite Pokémon Girls.
Number 10: Nemona
The latest big name Pokégirl to come from the latest Pokémon games, Nemona is our rival character for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and already has captured the hearts of players everywhere for her battle-hungry personality and friendly nature. She's already such a fan-favourite that she was officially the first ever character introduced in Scarlet and Violet to appear in Pokémon Horizons! Yes I'm technically correct on that because in Episode 10 "Nemona and Brassius" she shows up before Brassius does so therefore, she's the first to appear. XD Oh and to put that into perspective? Nemona's very presence was enough for people to take an interest in the show after Ash's departure left them sceptical. That should tell you how popular she is. XD
But that's the fandom perspective. Why do I like her so much that she got a spot on the list? Very simple. Nemona is such a battle-hungry idiot that she's just impossible not to love. She's just a riot every time she's onscreen and such a bundle of positive, energetic fun that I'm always happy to see her when she's around. She's easily the most fun rival we've had in a Pokémon game and part of the reason why I enjoy playing Scarlet and Violet. Not only is she infectiously enjoyable, but she's also a really sweet and friendly person that makes her so easy to like. She takes an instant liking to us, the player, and just wants to be our friend and battle partner so much that we want to befriend her too...and maybe smack her upside the head so we can get her to stop wanting to beat up our Pokémon all the time too. XD
As likeable as Nemona is, she is at the very bottom of the list for the simple fact that aside from her personality, she hasn't got that much going for her in terms of character and can't compete with the other girls I have on this list. All we know about her is that she's the daughter of a wealthy man who runs a Rotom phone company and has an older sister who will likely inherit said company. This sounds interesting but the game just...doesn't do much with her and it's what makes her the least interesting of the rivals in Scarlet and Violet. If this was a best Pokémon Girls list, she wouldn't have even made it here and I would've likely included Penny instead.
But for a list of favourite Pokémon girls? Nemona left enough of an impression on me to earn her spot on the list. A bundle of fun, enjoyably dorky and hilariously battle-obsessed, it's easy to see why this girl became such a fan-favourite so quickly. I sure hope she gets another episode in Pokémon Horizons because one isn't enough for her...
Number 9: Korrina
Easily the most popular Gym Leader to come out of Kalos, Korinna has forever earned her place in the fandom's hearts and it's so easy to see why.
Korrina is an absolute joy to behold. Her presence in the X & Y games introduces us to the new Mega Evolution gimmick and she ends up giving us a Mega-Evolving Lucario after we beat her. That's nice of her. ^^ But it's the anime that REALLY cemented Korrina as among my favourite Pokémon girls. She has an adorably feisty and upbeat personality that radiates strength and confidence and she's so much fun whenever she's onscreen. I love how she even becomes a pseudo-companion of Ash and friends for a few episodes in the series. That was such an awesome idea and I wish we got that more often in the anime. Korrina had a great arc in the anime and watching her grow closer to her Lucario and help tame its wild-side during its Mega Evolved state was peak anime writing and I loved it so much. Combine all that with a wonderfully energetic performance from the legendary Lisa Ortiz and you have the complete package for one lovable character.
Korrina is among my favourite Pokémon girls for how much of a badass yet sweet and caring trainer she is. Her skating theme is a fun gimmick that makes her standout from the crowd while also fitting into the X & Y games due to the roller-blading feature the game introduced, she has an appealing character design and her skills as a Gym Leader aren't to be underestimated. Her Mega Lucario especially is a powerhouse that few can stand up to. Even Ash has to work hard to beat this girl and heck, he even lost to her the first time they ever battled! All of this is what makes Korrina among my favourite female characters in Pokémon and I really enjoyed her return in Pokémon Journeys because of it. It's easy to see why she's the Kalos Gym Leader that everyone loves in this series...
Number 8: Lillie
I already talked a lot about this adorably precious girl in my vs. essay where I compared her family and the Agreste family but it bares repeating here.
I'm not sure how she's done in the anime because I haven't seen the Sun and Moon anime so my thoughts on her are strictly based on the games. And from what I've seen in the games? Lillie easily became one of my favourite female characters to ever come out of this franchise and I even consider her among the best characters ever created for Pokémon. If this was a best list, I might've put her in the Top 5 at least. But for my favourites, she still earns a spot here for a myriad of reasons.
First of all, her story is amazing and surprisingly dark and somewhat realistic by Pokémon standards. She's the abused daughter of a broken mother who's obsessed with finding out about Ultra Beasts to get her missing husband back and her neglectful behaviour has only pushed her and her brother Gladion away as a result. It is VERY unusual to get writing this deep and complex from a POKEMON game of all things and it's why Lillie is such a standout character for me! Her story was the most engaging thing about the Sun and Moon games and her arc is top-tier writing without question. Watching her grow from this shy, meek girl lacking in confidence to a stronger, brave and more confident girl who journeys with the player to the end, stands up to her mother and joins us in defeating Lusamine in the end was just a joy and I loved it so much. Seeing what a sweetheart of a human being she is to the point even her emo brother can't find anything bad to say about her and how she has a positive impact on those she interacts with also speaks volumes of what a great person she is. How can you ever hate someone this sweet and endearing to the point even the most cynical of people warm up to her? ^^ It's even to the point that she manages to befriend the mascot Legendary of the games. How many people can say that they managed to befriend a LEGENDARY Pokémon because of what a sweetheart they are? XD
With such a strong story, a fully-realized and fleshed out character arc, a lovably sweet personality and an adorable design, Lillie is among the best characters in the Pokémon franchise and easily among my favourites ever. This is a Pokémon girl who has well and truly earned her spot on this list, and she sure didn't need Lusamine's approval for that.
Number 7: Serena
Ah yes, Serena. Now we're REALLY getting into the fan-favourites! Among Ash's travelling companions, she is easily among the top three most popular of the bunch alongside Misty and Dawn. And yeah, I can easily see why Serena has become such a beloved character for many for I too can say I absolutely love her.
Pokémon XY was one of the anime's best seasons out there and Serena was a large part of the reason why that was as well as Ash and the Team Flare arc. Serena not only has one of the most adorably appealing character designs of all the Pokémon girls out there (her second costume and short hair you see in the pic above is especially my favourite look for her), but her personality makes her really appealing too. Yes she's your typical nice girl who cares for her friends and all but that's precisely WHY it's appealing! We love a nice girl who really cares for her friends and it's what makes us love these characters to begin with! Serena is an absolute sweetheart of a human being and I adore her for that. Her bonds with Ash, Clemont and Bonnie give us some of the anime's most heart-warming moments, especially whenever the anime gives us some shameless AshXSerena ship-teasing, and the bonds she has with her Pokémon are even more so. I know I loved watching her relationship with Fennekin grow over the course of the anime and I also loved watching her bond with Pancham and Eevee grow. The fact her Eevee became a Sylveon especially shows how lovely this girl is. For context, Eevee can only evolve into Sylveon with high friendship while knowing a Fairy-move. That should tell you what a lovely person Serena is. ;)
But it's not just how nice she is that makes her a favourite for me. I also enjoyed her story throughout XY, even if it kinda felt like a mix-up of Dawn and May's stories at times, and I like how she's not afraid to get in on the action despite her girly nature. I mean she even joined in with the battle against Team Flare for crying out loud! That speaks volumes how brave she is! Her arc was well-told and she developed wonderfully over the course of the series as spending time with Ash, Clemont and Bonnie helped her grow in confidence, find a direction she wanted to take her life in and helped her realize her dream as she became a Pokémon performer. She started off as just wanting to meet Ash again and in the end, she got more out of her journey than she expected.
Oh and that happened too I guess. Nothing too important to mention. XD
With a lovable personality, an enjoyable arc, an appealing design and great chemistry with her companions, Serena is one of my favourite Pokémon girls for all those reasons and one of my favourite parts of Pokémon XY. Ash has had some wonderful girls travelling with him and Serena is definitely one of them.
Number 6: Bea
Unquestionably everyone's favourite Gym Leader in the Galar region, Bea stands as an example of how Pokémon Sword and Shield gave us some of the best Gym Leaders ever created. For that reason alone, she's among my favourite female characters in Pokémon.
Bea is the Fighting-type Gym Leader for those who play Pokémon Sword (Shield players get the Ghost-type Allister instead) and it's probably for that reason why Sword is the more popular of the two. I mean who wouldn't want to play Sword to get the chance to battle this kickass karate chick? XD Bea has a design that combines both beauty and strength in it, making for a design that few Pokémon fans will forget anytime soon. I especially love how her stout figure, thick legs and the design of her hair bow somewhat give her a hare-like appearance. That's pretty clever. Bea is as strong as she looks, so much so that she takes a punch from a freaking Machamp and withstands it for the most part! If that's not strong, I dunno what is. XD She is a Fighting-type trainer like Korinna before her but her appearance makes that more clear and it gives me the impression that without her Pokémon, she could still kick people's asses with just her bare hands. I love a strong woman as much as anyone else does so you can bet Bea appeals to me in that regard.
But it's not just her strength that I love about her. Her personality is great too with this hard, stoic demeanour that fits a hard-working, serious and determined trainer like her but she's also still pretty nice and isn't too arrogant about herself (something that Pokémon Journeys screwed up on) and she even has an endearing quirk of being a secret sweet lover. That's pretty funny if you ask me. XD And while the anime messed up her personality, her battle skills are nothing to sneeze at. Her Pokémon are strong, heavy hitters and put up a tough fight for anyone she faces, even Ash and her ace being a Gigantamaxing Machamp is the icing on the cake for me. Her World Coronation Series battle with Ash in the Ultra Class even stands as one of the best battles in Pokémon Journeys for how epic and intense it was to watch.
An absolute badass with a nice side to her and a Gym Leader who makes you work hard for your badge, Bea is a girl who can kick my ass any day.
Number 5: Misty
Can't have a list of Pokémon girls without one of the original Pokémon girls now, can I?
For those who played the games, she was the first female Gym Leader we ever faced as she's the second Gym Leader we battle after Brock and for those who watched the anime, Misty was the first travelling companion who ventured out in the world alongside Ash so you can imagine the nostalgia for Misty is IMMENSE. Just about every Pokémon fan knows her and even those who have a casual knowledge of the franchise will recognize her. She's arguably the most popular and recognizable character you'll see on this list. And I'm sure many will admit as well as me that Misty was one of their first cartoon crushes too. I know she was my first at least. (Sorry if that sounds awkward readers...) But Misty's not on my list out of nostalgia, oh no. She's still a favourite of mine for many reasons.
Misty is a fiery tomboy who doesn't take crap from anybody, a fine quality for anyone to have as nobody could ever let themselves be pushed around. A lot of her interactions with Ash and Brock in the early anime especially has her snarking at their expense and not taking their crap lying down, especially Ash. She was always knocking him down a peg when he got too big for his boots and if anybody insulted her, she'd make sure you regretted it very quickly. Misty is a tough girl but like Bea and Korrina, she also has a soft side to her. When she's in a good mood, she's really nice and friendly and can be very sympathetic to those who have family issues given her own family issues. She suffers an inferiority complex when compared to her three older sisters so she feels the need to prove herself as a result, which drives her desire to be a strong Gym Leader and Water-type specialist. This makes Misty easy to relate to, especially if you're someone who has family issues or an inferiority complex as well.
Much like Ash himself, Misty wasn't the best trainer when she started off but over time, she grew to be a much stronger, more capable person and has not only become a more skilled Gym Leader to the point she tamed a Gyarados and was able to beat Ash despite him currently being the reigning monarch after defeating Leon, but she's more confident in herself too and after a rocky start, she also has a better relationship with Ash and Brock, even if they're still not afraid to heckle each other from time-to-time.
Misty was a well-developed character who marked the beginning of great female characters to come out of Pokémon. I do love her for all the childhood memories she gave me (and also for being my first cartoon crush as a child) but I also love her for her spunky personality, great character development, her motherly side that we see whenever she interacts with Togepi and her capabilities as a trainer. She was a great first impression for what was to come with great female Pokémon characters...
Number 4: Marnie
You may remember me last year talking about how much this poor girl got screwed over and deserves much better from the anime and games. That alone tells you that I love Marnie so you shouldn't be surprised to see her here.
Marnie is the biggest example of wasted potential in the entire Pokémon franchise and that is NOT an exaggeration. She has the best story of all three rivals in Pokémon Sword and Shield and yet is given the least amount of screen time, has no conclusion to her story and come the anime she's just another character of the week for Ash to fight. WASTEFUL! And it's even worse that she's so wasted because she's such a lovable and interesting character! Marnie not only has a highly appealing design as an adorable little Goth girl who's tougher than she looks, but her story again makes her the most interesting rival of all the rivals in Pokémon Sword and Shield. She comes from a rundown town called Spikemuth that struggles to attract much attention because Dynamaxing isn't possible there and her whole reason for being in the tournament and wanting to become Champion is because she wants to save her town from complete ruination and poverty. That's such a compelling story and it makes Marnie an insanely sympathetic character as a result. How can we NOT root for this girl and want her to succeed with this in mind? I even feel bad having to kick her ass in a battle because it feels like I'm stopping her from trying to save her town and thus I'm dooming her and the rest of Spikemuth to a life of poverty. Sorry Marnie. ^^;
Marnie is not only interesting, but she's really likeable too. Despite her stoic personality, she's actually really friendly by nature and isn't a jerk in the slightest. I always do like it when we have someone who's nicer than they seem as it's a great "don't judge a book by its cover" sort of thing. She also manages to be really endearing too with her practicing smiling by herself when we see her in her hotel room at one point.
I dare you to tell me this doesn't make you chuckle or at least endear you a little. =P
I also like how Marnie's much stronger than she seems, just like a lot of Pokémon girls when you think about it. Not only can she shout like a boss and put Team Yell in their place with ease, but she commands a team of strong Dark-types, including a Gigantamaxing Grimmsnarl that gave Ash's Gengar a tough time. This girl doesn't mess around and knows how to kick ass!
Adorable, interesting, badass, lovable and endearing, Marnie may not get what she deserves in the media she's present in, but she sure gets the appreciation she deserves from the fandom. She'll forever be one of my favourite Pokémon girls.
Number 3: Liko
This character hasn't even existed for a year yet and she's already captured my heart like so. That's impressive. ;)
Many of you likely are still yet to see Pokémon Horizons because the English dub is taking forever to come out and fans like me have to resort to watching the Japanese version just to see it. Once you do see it, you'll see why Liko has become the fandom's next favourite Pokémon girl they feel compelled to protect at all costs. Liko is a special case for not only is she the brand new protagonist we have after Ash's long overdue departure, but she's the first main female character we've had in the anime. And needless to say, she didn't work hard to win the fans over. XD
Liko is instantly lovable thanks to her great character design and endearingly shy, adorkable personality that many people find insanely relatable. I've noticed autistic people especially relate to her given she can't always say what she's thinking, is socially awkward, gets shy when meeting new people and doesn't handle stressful situations all that well. As an autistic man, I definitely relate to her in that regard. This personality not only allows Liko to stand out from Ash and be her own person but it also makes her a really adorable and appealing lead that we want to see grow over time. While she may not be as battle-focused as Ash before her, she's definitely showing potential as a trainer with her Sprigatito especially being tougher than it looks.
Liko is also an absolute sweetheart of a human being, which is another thing I love about her. She cares so much for Pokémon even if they're not her own that she'll help them out no matter what and she just seems to have a positive impact on the people she interacts with. Even a reclusive shut-in like Dot comes out of her room just to help her when Spinel's Beheeyem left her with memory loss and wandering aimlessly in Levencia City! Not even her own uncle could get her to come out and touch grass but Liko did it! If that doesn't tell you what a great person she is, I don't know what will! All this plus the intriguing mystery surrounding her pendant and her connection to it makes Liko a compelling protagonist and a welcome breath of fresh air after Ash long overstayed his welcome. I tune into Pokémon Horizons week after week precisely because of Liko and I'm always excited to see what her next adventure holds.
With a sweet personality, relatable traits, great character design, strong potential and plenty of mysterious intrigue to hold our attention, Liko makes me glad that Ash is finally gone because now we can have a brand new story with a brand new protagonist to make things interesting again. And with this precious little girl, the anime is in good hands. I hope Liko will stay with us for a long while with how lovable she is...
Number 2: Dawn
Objectively the best female companion Ash has ever had, Dawn more than deserves the Number 2 spot for me.
When watching the Diamond & Pearl season of the anime, Dawn was my absolute favourite thing about that series alongside Ash and Paul's rivalry and it's no surprise that so many fans absolutely love her too because Dawn is such a bundle of sunny delight that it's impossible NOT to love her! Not only does she have an adorable design that also makes her look outgoing and adventurous but her personality is an absolute joy to behold. She's a very confident and caring trainer who starts off as a new trainer starting her journey for the first time and she exudes the same excitable enthusiasm that Ash did when he started. Her optimism which she displays with her positive attitude and her famous catchphrase of "No need to worry!" is palpable and I just want to go on an adventure with her because she's just so darn fun! She also commands quite a strong team of Pokémon too with Piplup, Mamoswine, Pachirisu, Togekiss, Buneary and Quillava proving to be heavy hitters in battle and also talented performers in contests. The fact she's also Ash's first female companion to consistently command a full team of six Pokémon is also really cool about her.
And yet Dawn isn't just my second favourite because of her adorable design, awesome team and endearingly optimistic attitude. She's also one of my favourites for her development over the course of the series. She starts off as an overly-confident trainer who means well but does get a bit too in over her head and as a result, she loses her first contest and doesn't exactly take it well. Even her own mother essentially tells her to just buck up and not cry over her losses. She does show signs of improvement but even then, she experiences a pretty bad losing streak where two contests in a row, she fails to even make it past the appeals round! And what does she do next? She trains more, she takes advice from other coordinators more experienced with her, puts in the effort to improve and she starts to perform much better as a result. It gets to the point she actually beats the experienced May in the Wallace Cup finals and she finishes the Grand Sinnoh Contest as a runner-up to her long time friend and rival Zooey after an extremely close match. Dawn is a great role model for boys and girls everywhere for she teaches us to remain confident, view your losses with optimism and work on your defeats to turn them into victories. She put a lot of hard work into her training and as a result, she's become one of the Pokémon world's finest coordinators and one of Ash's strongest companions.
Combine all this with an utterly endearing performance at the hands of Emily Jenness really makes for one of Pokémon's most appealing characters. Seriously Emily's work in the English dub plays a large part in why I love Dawn so much.
Dawn is an absolute treasure and one of the best characters to come out of the franchise period, not just in terms of female characters but characters in general. She's kind, she's fun, she's well-developed, she's bursting with confidence and is a proper ray of sunshine whenever she's onscreen. Her return in Pokémon Journeys was especially very welcome. Of all the girls Ash has travelled with, Dawn is easily my favourite of them all...
And my Number 1 Favourite Pokémon Girl is...Cynthia:
It's freaking Cynthia. Do I need to explain why she's Number 1? Well...yeah because that's the point of this list so here we go. XD
Cynthia is among the most popular and beloved female characters in the entire Pokémon franchise and the impact she's left on everyone CANNOT be overstated. She's consistently ranked as among the strongest Champions in the franchise and she's so popular that she gets to show up in multiple games outside of her debut such as Black & White, Black 2 & White 2 and even the Sun & Moon games! Her appearances in the anime especially are met with overwhelmingly positive responses, excitement and joy with her battle against Ash in Pokémon Journeys being considered a series highlight. Cynthia's reputation proceeds her and it's that plus many other reasons as to why she's my overall favourite Pokémon girl.
So why do I love her so much? First of all, her design is absolutely gorgeous. She's this strikingly attractive woman with Rapunzel length blonde hair and dresses in black clothing that only highlights her badass, elegant and attractive nature. This is a woman that is the quintessential example of "Beautiful but deadly" for she looks like you'd want to date her, yet also looks like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. And that brings us to what else I love about her: what a badass she is. I LOVE strong women and Cynthia is no exception! She commands a team of six powerful Pokémon that are heavy-hitters in their own right with her Garchomp especially sending shivers down every fan's spines whenever it hits the field. Cynthia battles with strength and skill, demonstrated perfectly in her battles against Iris and Ash in Pokémon Journeys where she proves to be quite strategic when in battle and even when her Pokémon take the fall, she remains cool and collected no matter what. Ash especially had to rely on Mega Evolving his Lucario just to be able to win in the end! In the games she remains a consistently tough challenge to the point she's among the few Champions to ever beat me and she tends to be the only Champion I actually need a strategy for in order to beat her. The Diamond and Pearl remakes are the best example of this for those remakes REALLY ramped up how tough she is! So yeah, this woman is the perfect combination of sexy and strong and I love her for it! :D
But her strength and beauty aren't all she has going for her. Her personality is also endearing too. She's none of those people where yes she's a strong and powerful champion that has trainers quaking in their shoes at the mere sight of her, but she's also a surprisingly dorky and quirky person when you get to see her outside of battling. Seriously, it's quite funny how Cynthia outside of battles is as quirky as the rest of the cast can be with her love of ice-cream, her tendency to take forever to decide on a flavour to pick and even one time where she left her change at an ice-cream stand and had to fetch it. It's hard not to love someone as dorky as that, eh? XD Also the fact she's actually a nice person when not in battle and can be really polite and friendly makes her even more appealing. Yet at the same time, Cynthia commands total respect whenever she's mad and she also doesn't mess around when lives are at stake. Team Galactic's Jupiter especially learned that the hard way. It's no wonder Cynthia won the hearts of so many fans with this kind of personality.
Beautiful, powerful, endearing, nice but serious when the situation calls for it, likeable and memorable, all this and more is what ultimately makes Cynthia my Number 1 Favourite Pokémon Girl...
And that's all I have for this list. I hope you enjoyed it and I invite you all to share your comments down below on the list. Do you like my choices? What are YOUR Top 10 Favourite Pokémon Girls? I'd love to hear your choices.
Next week my friend The Wandering Fox has an essay where he conjures up some interesting crossover ideas for Marvel, Alien and the Predator while I have another Pokémon related essay in which I tackle the ridiculous stigma behind the franchise promoting animal abuse and prove it does anything but. See you then media fans!
Honourable Mentions: Dot, Bianca, Penny, Shauna, Maylene, Hilda, Karen and Sabrina