Pokémon: Ash’s 15 Best Rivals, Ranked

Rivals are a core part of the Pokémon franchise, both creating a challenge for players in the Pokémon video games, as well as for Ash in the Pokémon animated series. As the anime often loosely follows the storyline and structure of each new video game title by keeping the new region, gym leaders, and key opponents, many of Ash’s rivals come directly from the games. Having already traveled over eight regions, Ash has met many challengers–yet some stand out significantly over others for their strength, friendliness, or wisdom.