Pokémon Characters Who’d Make Better Protagonists Than Ash Ketchum

Pokémon‘s most recognizable main character is by far Ash Ketchum, but there are characters from the games who could make a better protagonist. Ash Ketchum is retiring as the show’s main character in the next season, albeit with his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master now complete. The anime’s new protagonists have unknown backgrounds but are not taken from the games. The likelihood is also that the new series will be starting in Generation 9’s Paldea region.

In the Pokémon games, the main character is more of a shell for the player to fill, with the last few titles becoming more focused on customization. Even before that, characters like Red or Gold had minimal character, and what they did get usually came when they weren’t the player’s avatar. However, some of Pokémon‘s side characters – especially in the last five generations – have brought great characterization that could make them enticing protagonists. This new style would push the series toward a less personalized story, but it could be worth it if done correctly.

Pokémon’s Favorite Champion, Cynthia, Would Be A Great Follow-Up To Ash

Cynthia is one of the most popular characters in all of Pokémon. Little is known about her backstory, which makes for the perfect backdrop for the plot. Her adventure through Sinnoh after receiving her Pokémon from Professor Rowan would be a fun experience, while her love for history and mythology could also be a perfect backdrop for discovering pieces of the region’s lore before the events of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This would also give the Sinnoh region a much-deserved development phase that could help bridge some of the time after Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘s Hisui region.

N’s Story Could Be Seen Through The Player’s Eyes In A New Pokémon Game

N is one of the most interesting characters in the franchise, so making a story centered around him is an equally exciting option. As told in Pokémon Black and White, N was abandoned as a child and raised by wild Pokémon until Ghetsis brought him to Team Plasma. N is a good-natured person, however, making his side compelling up until the twist. Once defeated by the player, Ghetsis reveals that he used N this whole time to befriend the Legendary Dragon and use its powers to rule the Pokémon world. Once Team Plasma is defeated for the first time, N becomes someone who is trying to keep the harmony between Pokémon and humans.

A story focused on Pokémon Black and White‘s N could work in one of two ways, the first of which is following his adventure through the Generation 5 games. This would be an interesting take as it lets the player see the same game’s different sides. The experience of losing battles, as N would lose to the regular game’s protagonists, and continuing on would also be new to the franchise. The second idea would be playing as N as Team Plasma raises him. Both opportunities allow the player to play as the “bad guy” and experience a Pokémon adventure like never before.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s Best Boy Arven Would Be A Great Protagonist

While any of the three main side characters from Gen 9 could make compelling protagonists, Arven has the most to work with. Arven was raised with missing parents, with only his Mabosstiff to take care of him. Throughout the game, he enlists the player’s help in gathering Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s unbalanced Herba Mysticas so he can heal the closest thing to a family to him. Once Mabosstiff is healed, the post-game reveals to Arven the parent he could have reunited with had actually been dead for a while. Not many Pokémon characters have gone through what Arven has, making his story an interesting one to follow.

The best scenario for a story focused around Arven would be covering his adventures through Scarlet and Violet. Arven has a lot of off-screen areas that could be covered, and his story could even begin prior to the regular games. His story would largely focus on his struggle to save Mabosstiff while also exploring a bit of his character after Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s big story reveal of his parent’s death. It would also be interesting to have a protagonist that actively struggles and loses battles, with no option to retry them.

Pokémon Could Focus On Sword & Shield’s Leon And His Rise To Power

Generation 8’s Leon is the second most prominent Pokémon Champion and a compelling character in his own right. After being endorsed at age 10, he went undefeated, becoming the Champion of Galar. Throughout the game, he stands as the ultimate goal for players but is also part of the strange activity around Galar. After the story, Leon takes over as Chairman of the Galar League with the hopes of making the Galar region one of the strongest.

A story around Leon could work similarly to how N’s could, either following Leon through the events of Scarlet and Violet or as he was becoming arguably the best Champion in Pokémon. Option one would be more focused on the region as a whole, however, and its stride to avoid losing power in the future. Option two would be similar to a regular game, as the player never really loses, and it could go more in-depth on how Galar became what it is. Both options do give more chances to see Leon and explore more of his character.

Pokémon Gold & Silver’s Silver Could Be A Great Ash Replacement

Generation 2’s rival and son of Team Rocket’s Giovanni, Silver, would be an exciting choice for a protagonist. When he was last seen, Silver showed much more care for his Pokémon but still could not beat the player. The best choice for this would be to continue his story after Pokémon Gold and Silver‘s post-game or slightly before. This shows his growth as a character, both in accepting his own life and becoming more sociable. Silver being the protagonist also opens up the opportunity to see Giovanni return to the series as Silver’s chief antagonist.

The emotional impact of Pokémon‘s story has increased over the past few games, but the protagonists have also become less creative. For any of these five to become the main character of a game would be a switch for the franchise, but it could also be a nice reprieve from the usual. Either way, these five Pokémon characters would make more compelling protagonists over Ash Ketchum.

Source: Mixeli/YouTube