We've covered several different aspects of Pokémon Sword and Shield on The Gamer already, but one thing we haven't ranked yet is the many gym leaders by difficulty. Now that being said, most battles in the game be easily won if you know ahead of time what your opponent's roster looks like.

Related: Pokémon Sword & Shield: Every Gym Leader, Ranked

If you're given ample time to prepare a team with all the perfect weaknesses against the offending Pokémon then you're almost guaranteed a win. Still, there are some surprises along the way in terms of what you might face-off against in every gym. One of the biggest changes in Sword and Shield is the version-exclusive leaders. Depending on which game you picked, some of the leaders on this list may be unfamiliar to you.

10 Nessa

Nessa is the Hullbury Gym Leader and her Pokémon are all water-type. You'll want to stock up on some electric-type Pokémon if you hope to take her down easily. Even though Nessa comes after Milo and is the second gym leader overall, she is the easiest to beat so long as you come prepared.

She'll have a Goldeen, Drednaw, and Arrokuda but you should be able to one-hit K.O. each of them with a well-placed electric-move. You might meat some formidable Drednaws later in the game but for this fight, it's not much to sweat even after it Dynamaxes.

9 Milo

Milo is the sweet leader of the Turffield Gym and his specialty is grass. If you've already fought Milo then you might know that his face is one that has launched one thousand memes. Many people have become partial to Milo because of his adorable features but as a gym leader, he's super easy to beat.

Related: Pokémon: The 10 Best Gen I Pokémon In Sword & Shield

If you picked Scorbunny as your starter Pokémon you can essentially sweep the floor with his Eldegoss and Gossifleur. He will Dynamx his Eldegoss if given the chance but again, any fire-type Pokémon will make quick work of Milo's team.

8 Kabu

Kabu is the third gym leader you'll face off against in your trek to beat everyone and become champion. His gym is substantially more difficult than either Nessa or Milo before him but you can beat him without too much trouble if you bring a water-type Pokémon.

If you picked up Sobble as your starter, you should try to evolve him at least once before facing off against Kabu. You'll want your water moves to be pretty potent if you're hoping to one-hit K.O. Kabu's Arcanine, Ninetales, or Centiskorch. If you don't have a fire-type Pokémon then a ground-type is always a good alternative!

7 Opal

Opal presents a first for the Pokémon world in that she is a Fairy-type user and gym leader. Her gym is one of the most memorable in the game since it is located in Ballonlea, which is gorgeous in terms of graphics. However, you don't want to underestimate her team just because they happen to be super cute.

Related: Pokémon: The 10 Best Gen III Pokémon In Sword & Shield

Opal will not pull any punches when she sounds out her Weezing, Alcremie, Mawile, or Togekiss. She's got Pokémon that can drain you with nasty status afflictions or even put you to sleep! Now is the time to break out your steel or poison-type moves if you have them available. If not, buckle down for a long fight.

6 Melony

If you bought Pokémon Shield then expect to face-off against Melody's ice-type Pokémon when you reach Circhester. While Melony can be easy to beat if you have a strong fire-type Pokémon at the front of your party, she can also deal some serious damage and should not be underestimated.

Her roster consists of Darmanitan, Eiscue, Frosmorth, and then she wraps it all up with her Lapras. Don't be shy when you fight this chilly blonde, she won't hold back and neither should you.

5 Bea

Bea in a kicking pose in a stadium

Bea is a fighting-type leader who you'll find in the Stow-On-Side gym exclusively in Pokémon Sword. Fighting Pokémon are no joke so don't underestimate her.

She's not one of the most difficult leaders in the game but the battle can turn tough quite easily if you're not prepared. Her Hitmontop and Machamp are particularly powerful and can knock you out pretty easily if you're not careful.

4 Allister

Allister can be a very tricky gym leader for Pokémon Shield players. You'll fight Allister and his ghost-type team while you're in Stow-On-Side. One of the trickiest things about ghost-type Pokémon is that they're weak to their own kind.

Related: 10 Gen 3 Pokémon That Should Get Galarian Forms

So if you throw out your own ghost then you risk getting killed by his team which is composed of Cursola, Mimikyu, Yamask, and Gengar. His Gengar can be quite the beast if you're not prepared. Be sure you beef up some dark-type fighters!

3 Piers

The worst thing you can do when facing Piers is to underestimate him. No, Spikemuth is not nearly as fancy as the other gyms you've gone to and Piers doesn't do Dynamaxing, but he's still a formidable leader.

There's a reason they save his gym for last one before Raihan. Piers has a dynamic dark-type team but each one is also another type, including fighting, psychic, and poison. You'll want to grab fairy, fighting, and bug Pokémon in this battle but be careful he doesn't surprise you with a move that is weak to your Pokémon's type.

2 Gordie

Some people might disagree with ranking Gordie so high up this list but the truth is, if you're unprepared for the fight against this rock-type gym leader in Circhester, you're going to be in for a very long and tough fight. Be sure you stock up on revives and super potions because you'll probably need it.

Related: Pokémon: Every Gym Leader In The Galar Region, Ranked

That said, if you have a water-type Pokémon, you'll probably be able to make quick work of Gordie's team. If not, then your next best bet would be grass, fighting, or steel. Rock-type Pokémon are tough and they generally have a very strong defense. Even the most powerful moves can take a while to whittle them down. Luckily, you only have to worry about Gordie if you bought Pokémon Sword.

1 Raihan

As the final gym leader and the rival of Champion Leon himself, you should prepare yourself for a difficult battle against Raihan. His Sandaconda is surprisingly capable of causing a lot of problems and the same can certainly be said for his Duraludon.

His Flygon and Gigalith are less problematic in comparison to the other two. You'll want a varied team when you go up against Raihan. Since his Pokémon are dragon-type, it's a good idea to get a dragon of your own but you'll also want a fire Pokémon to take out Duraludon before it has the chance to do too much damage to you.

Next: Pokémon: 5 Ways Sword & Shield Moves The Franchise Forward (& 5 Why It's Stuck In The Past)