In Pokemon Sword & Shield, trainers still embark on a quest to obtain victories over gym leaders, but in the Galar region, they make it a bit more of a public spectacle. On top of that, all of the gyms require you to complete a set of challenges before facing off against the leader of the gym.
Some of these are fun or challenging, while others just end up being a bit boring and lackluster. It's time to take a look at each of these gym leaders and rank them from worst to first.
Updated April 27, 2022 by Jerrad Wyche: Though it's been years since the initial release of Pokemon Sword & Shield, the expansion DLC packs The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra provided plenty of additional content for fans to make their way through. With the ninth generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, set to release in 2022, it's important to look back at the challenges, characters, and Pokemon battles with the Galar gym leaders that made the eighth generation so memorable.
15 Avery
The Isle of Armor DLC expansion for Pokemon Sword & Shield not only added a handful of new Pokemon and areas to explore, but it also included two new Galar Gym Leader battles. You'd face off against one of two characters, based on which game you had between Sword and Shield.
Owners of the latter would face off against a Psychic-type user named Avery, who looked like a magician working at a circus. His final team at the conclusion of the Galarian Star Tournament features a level 68 Galarian Slowbro, level 68 Galarian Rapidash, level 68 Swoobat, level 69 Alakazam, and for his main attraction, a level 70 Galarian Slowking that packs an astounding punch.
14 Klara
Pokemon Sword owners who purchased The Isle of Armor DLC expansion had the chance to face off with a Gym Leader, of sorts, named Klara. Her specialty was Poison-types, which were in stark contrast to her adorably approachable fashion sense.
Her final team featured a Galarian Slowking, Galarian Weezing, Drapion, Scolipede, and Galarian Slowbro. They range from level 68 to 70, with her highest level being that Galarian Slowbro — a Poison and Psychic dual-type.
13 Bede
Bede is a neat character in Pokemon Sword & Shield as he is introduced as a feisty Psychic-type trainer, but over the course of the game, he is selected to succeed Opal as the Fairy-type Gym Leader of Ballonlea Stadium.
When players battle him once he's a gym leader, his team is now comprised of four strong Fairy-types. You'll face a level 61 Mawile, a level 61 Gardevoir, and a level 62 Galarian Rapidash, while his ace-in-the-hole is a level 63 Hatterene. Bede provides a fun matchup for trainers looking to be challenged in the post-game.
12 Marnie
Like Bede, Marnie is another case in the Galar region of someone replacing the reigning Gym Leader of a town in the post-game of Pokemon Sword & Shield. For Marnie, she takes on her brother's role as the Gym Leader for Spikemuth, and sports a team of mostly Dark-type Pokemon.
Her team is anchored by a Grimmsnarl, but she also has a Morpeko, Scrafty, Liepard, and a Toxicroak rounding out the lineup. The latter is the only non-Dark-type, and it can really shake up a battle as its Poison/Fighting dual-type could be nasty in certain circumstances.
11 Milo
When simply discussing the design of the character Milo and his personality, it's hard to argue he's one of the best. He's a country kid who grew up in shape because of the labor, and is willing to help anyone and everyone.
His gym challenge is unique, as it has you herding Wooloo down a hill, but there's very little chance to train against other Grass-type trainers before the fight. As the first gym leader, he also only has a team of two that can be run through easily, even if you didn't choose Scorbunny as your starter.
10 Nessa
It may seem like this list will be in chronological order of the gyms, but that's just the case with the first two. Nessa not only sports a pretty uninspired team of three Pokemon, but her challenge also involves flipping levers.
Additionally, the most disappointing thing in new generations of Pokemon games is when the gym leaders aren't using an entire team of new creatures. Nessa isn't just guilty of having an older Pokemon, she has a Goldeen on her team who was part of the original 151 Pokemon of the Kanto region.
9 Piers
If this list was purely based on personality, it'd be hard not to have Piers near the top of the list. He occupies an abandoned city and the challenge facing trainers before fighting him is simply a string of battles against Team Yell.
When it comes to the actual battle with Piers, though, his team is pretty disappointing, considering he's the second-to-last gym in the game. Outside of his Obstagoon, the rest of his Dark-type team is made up of older Pokemon, including the lackluster choices of Skuntank and Scrafty.
8 Gordie
Gordie in many ways looks like the alternate reality where Lt. Surge didn't join the military. His challenge isn't challenging at all and becomes pretty frustrating quite quickly. The challenge has trainers avoiding hidden pitfalls as they traverse a sand-filled walkway.
Despite half of his Rock-type team being made up of a Barbaracle and a Shuckle, the fight against him will likely be the first time trainers see the Galar Pokemon called Stonjourner. Gordie's Gigantamax Coalossal isn't anything to sneeze at either.
7 Allister
Depending on which version you get, the fourth and sixth gyms in this generation of games will be different. Allister happens to be the fourth gym leader in Pokemon Shield, and unfortunately the inferior of the two Stow-on-Side leaders.
He happens to be a Ghost-type gym leader which is pretty neat, despite his team being filled with only one new Pokemon. Cursola, the Ghost-type evolution to Corsola, may be the only Galar specific member of his team, but the Gigantamax version of Gengar he uses will have you seeing nightmares.
6 Opal
Opal is the very old woman who serves as the leader of the Fairy-type gym, the fifth gym in the Galar region. In search of her replacement for the gym, she has trainers taking a quiz and answering questions in their pursuit to face her.
Her team is comprised of only one Galar native creature, but she also has the scholarly Galarian form of Weezing on her team as well. Opal also gets bonus points as her story concludes with someone taking over for her by the time the credits roll.
5 Raihan
Whenever a Pokemon game has a Dragon-type trainer, they automatically get cool points simply for choosing that type. Unfortunately for Raihan, he may be the least cool dragon-type leader trainers have ever seen.
Despite having the cool Gigantamax form of Duraludon at his disposal, the rest of his team includes a Flygon, Gigalith, and a Sandaconda. As the final gym standing between you and the Galar Champion it would have been neat for Raihan to have a stronger team.
Additionally, he's a bit more focused on weather effects than his Dragon-type specialization.
4 Kabu
Here's the truth about Kabu, the third gym leader in the Galar region: He stinks. His team consists of only three Pokemon, with two of them being Arcanine and Ninetales from the Kanto region.
The real reason he landed this high on the list is that his gym challenge was pretty unique and involved. It has trainers capturing or defeating wild Pokemon in hopes of earning enough points to move on to the next round. It's always great to see them pay tribute to the core of what makes Pokemon fun.
3 Bea
Bea is the gym leader of the fourth gym for trainers who journeyed along in Pokemon Sword. As a Fighting-type specialist, she falls in line with a typing that has seen numerous gyms in numerous regions. Bea happens to stand out with a unique design and a personality that's fierce and friendly at the same time.
She quickly became a fan favorite and it's unclear why exactly that was, but it could be that she has a Sirfetch'd on her team. Maybe her Gigantamax Machamp scared people into being fans.
2 Melony
Melony happens to be the Ice-type Circhester gym leader if you're playing Pokemon Shield and she sports a full team of Ice-type Pokemon. She's also the only gym leader in either game to have a team entirely comprised of Galar-native or Galarian form Pokemon.
Her team consists of Frosmoth, Galarian Darmanitan, Eiscue, and Gigantamax Lapras. Upon defeating her you get the normal grouping of rewards, but the TM for Icy Wind is a pretty solid move to teach one of your Pokemon.
1 Leon
Leon is the reigning Pokemon League Champion of the Galar region, and though he's not technically a Gym Leader, he is the toughest challenge you'll face before entering the post-game.
His team has four mainstays: Aegislash, Dragapult, Haxorus, and Charizard. The other two spots change depending on which starter Pokemon you chose, so he can have a better advantage against you at the end of the game. You face him at Wyndon Stadium, and upon beating him you'll earn the title of Galar Pokemon League Champion.