Inthe Pokemon series, the Elite 4 is a team containing some of the strongest Trainers in each region. All four must be beat to have a chance of fighting the champion, which is typically the end goal of every adventure.
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Some Elite 4 members are barely relevant outside this purpose, but others manage to become memorable by contribute to the story or having a really distinct personality. This list features the best Elite 4 trainers in the series.
10Caitlin (Black / White / Black 2 / White 2)
Caitlin is the only Elite 4 member to be features in multiple games prior to joining the team in a newly introduced region. She was originally in Sinnoh and Johto’s Battle Frontiers, where she would spectate some of the player’s fights.
In Black and White, she returned as a member of Unova’s Elite 4, and she remained in that position in the direct sequels. Her connection between games is very unique, but also very easy to overlook.
9Acerola (Sun / Moon / Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon)
Acerola was one of the last Trial Captains fought in the Alola region. She used Ghost types, and her trial involved walking through an abandoned shopping center. She didn’t believe the place was haunted and thought the protagonist was pranking her when they show her proof.
She’s the second character we ever see get upgraded from a lower position to an Elite 4 members. Her multiple appearances make her a lot more memorable than the Elite 4 members that only appear last second.
8Koga (Gold / Silver / Crystal / Heart Gold / Soul Silver)
Koga is the very first Gym Leader to ever be upgraded to an Elite 4 member. He was the Poison-type Gym Leader in the original Pokemon games. He keeps the same type in the sequels, but his team became much stronger.
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Most of the other Kanto Gym Leaders remained in their positions, but Janine spices up the Kanto region by replacing her father. Seeing Koga’s family gives him more depth than we see from many of the older Elite 4 members.
7Malva (X / Y)
The Elite 4 essentially acts as the government of each region, and they are seen as a force of good most of the time. Malva is, however, a part of an evil organization. She is a member of Team Flare, although where she ranks in the organization’s hierarchy is unknown.
She would be higher on this list if she was fought multiple times throughout the main storyline. A major villain being the member of an evil team is a wonderful idea, but she lacks screen time. Her inclusion is last second, as she doesn’t appear until long after Team Flare’s leader is already defeated.
6Karen (Gold / Silver / Crystal / Heart Gold / Soul Silver)
There is a Gym Leader for nearly every type in the Kanto and Johto regions. The only one missing is Dark. There were very few characters that fought with Dark types at the time. This made Karen stand out among the other Elite 4 that reused types.
Karen is also well known for her dialogue: “Strong Pokemon. Weak Pokemon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.” She prioritized friendship over pure power, which is a message that the series has always focused on.
5Olivia (Sun / Moon / Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon)
Olivia started as one of the four Kahunas in the Alola region. She is a humble yet strong opponent. To fight her, players need to beat the three Trial Captains on her island.
That makes her a step above Acerola who started as just a Trial Captain. Since Trial Captains are the equivalent of Gym Leaders, her status as a Kahuna also makes her feel more important than Koga.
4Drake (Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire)
At first glance, Drake appears to be just another random Elite 4 member, but he actually has some lore that connects to the Hoenn region’s map. He was once a captain of a ship that got destroyed on the rough seas around and throughout Hoenn.
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A dragon saved his life just in time, which resulted in him wanting to become a Dragon-type specialist. His ship is an actual location that can be explored when navigating one of the many watery routes in Hoenn.
3Hala (Sun / Moon)
Like Olivia, Hala is one of the island Kahunas. Few Elite 4 members have extreme relevance to their games, but not Hala. He is the very first in the game, and the grandfather to the game’s main rival.
That combination makes him one of the most important citizen on Melemele island. His team jumps from level 14 to 54 due to the large gap between his initial fight and the final showdown, so showing an additional bit of growth along with his move into the Elite 4.
2Grimsley (Black / White / Black 2 / White 2)
Grimsley is a gothic character that occasionally speaks philosophically. His losing dialogue is a fan favorite: “There are bad ways to win and good ways to lose. What’s interesting and troubling is that it’s not always clear which is which. A flipped coin doesn’t always land heads or tails. Sometimes it may never land at all.”
In some regions, such as Korea, he is the most popular character. He was one of the few characters brought back with a redesign in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon.
1Larry (Scarlet / Violet)
What makes Larry special is his lack of individuality. He’s just a simple businessman that only uses Normal-type Pokemon. Upon entering his restaurant-style gym, it’s very hard to tell that he isn’t just another NPC.
Just like Koga and Acerola, he returns as an Elite 4 member. This time, he uses Flying-type Pokemon, which is also a fairly basic type that fits him well. Is he one of the few trainers with multiple teams of different types.
