What Makes a Pokémon Rival GREAT?

Рет қаралды 7,794

Күн бұрын

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Rivals in Pokémon have been a staple of the franchise ever since the days of Red and Blue. And over the years, many fans have discussed and decided which ones are amazing and which ones are far from it. In this video, I'll go in depth on what I believe truly makes a rival GREAT!

Пікірлер: 71

@TophDaGreat 10 ай бұрын

I really liked Hugh and feel he doesn't get enough praise. He wasn't a buddy buddy rival and had a story with a reason to dislike Team Plasma but at the same time wasn't a jerk to you the player. He was a good balance.

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

Hugh is so underrated. I think too many people skipped B2W2, which is a huge bummer considering how amazing it is.

@josephcirrincone9596 10 ай бұрын

Ikr

@lipika2841 9 ай бұрын

Most talk about Blue, Silver or N (if counted as a rival tho not untraditional) being on the top, but Hugh is a sleeper pick.

@Acacius1992 9 ай бұрын

@@shepskydad My main/only issue is with his bland team

@Acacius1992 9 ай бұрын

@@lipika2841 Tbh, Silver is so god damn overrated. He is just a whiny edgelord and his team is so damn blaand. (They are strong but truly just generic and give him absolutly NO identity of his own.) His team in a Crystal rom hack fits him so much better while keeping the core.

@alanwatterson6238 10 ай бұрын

Hop as rival feels like kicking a puppy

@MousaThe14 10 ай бұрын

“Never lost to Brendan or May” look at this guy, the only person who apparently saw the Route 110 fight a mile away and wasn’t ambushed after wading though a treacherous path of tall grass and trainers just trying to get to the other side. I’m not saying they’re great rivals but I’m not the only person who’s had a Route 110 story.

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

You can see them a couple steps before they ambush you 👀

@Redfork2000 4 ай бұрын

I feel like this battle is a bit overrated. I remember not struggling with it at all my first time playing Ruby. The only time I remember having a hard time with this fight was during my solo run challenges, and the whole point of those is making the game a lot harder by trying to solo all battles with an underwhelming Pokémon.

@SomeoneInTheInternet-mk6ku 10 ай бұрын

For me what makes a great rival are two things: they actually present a challenge and they have different goals. When the goal is just becoming a champion or filling the pokedex they fill bland. But when the goal is becoming stonger and they all have a different personal reaso, that make them an actual character, with their own struggles, some you can relate and some you can hate. I would love a hackroom where you have rival and even if you loose, you dont need to repeat the battle and the story will just move on.

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

Oooh the hack rom would be cool because you can have different things happen to the rival depending on what battles they win/lose! Overall I agree with you that they need personality and substance outside of “champion for the sake of champion”

@rudysarmiento8700 10 ай бұрын

This is also the reason why in the anime, rivals like Paul are so good

@Acacius1992 9 ай бұрын

Well honestly the Anime is already so sickenly sweet and happy go lucky often, such a sour drop is a refreshing breath of Air

@piranha64 10 ай бұрын

Rename of the video: Shepsky Dad dunks on Trevor for 8 minutes straight

@shadowmarauder6033 10 ай бұрын

I agree with you on basically everything, especially that from gen 7 onward all rivals have had something interesting about them or at least have more personality than most older rivals. I also like how many recent friendly rivals have been handled. Hop, USUM Hau and Nemona demonstrate that you can be both a friend and a challenge to the player.

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

It’ll be interesting to see if they go forward with mainly friendly rivals or if they start mixing it up!

@jenshast1488 9 ай бұрын

Hugh bros stay winning

@TimToonsTalks 6 ай бұрын

Sir, I suggest you watch what you say about May and Brendan not being challenging. To this day I can’t cross a bridge without observing every angle

@palyername 2 ай бұрын

I cannot believe their theme song was not brought up as a point a single time

@trevorpacelli8056 3 ай бұрын

Another big problem with rivals in modern games is that they're more placeholders for tutorials and telling you where your next stop is rather than being compelling characters or actually challenging opponents. The fact that the rival as of Gen 6 now default picks the starter weak to the one you chose further evidences that they're just there to make the player feel they've accomplished a lot without actually achieving much of anything.

@wikiuser92 2 ай бұрын

Nemona did so to actively challenge herself. She was doing a challenge run, deliberately putting herself at a disadvantage.

@joopvanhedel1372 10 ай бұрын

Wally gets a huge update in the remakes

@seanroughley4060 2 ай бұрын

Honestly, if May/Brendon showed up around each gym to fight you, it would have been AMAZING to meet Wally on routes exploring himself after the 2nd encounter with him, and then you meet him near the end of Victory Road as the final fight, would have made him stand out more even if he isn't a challenging fight

@lvl5Vaporeon 10 ай бұрын

You missed one thing about Barry that I feel is incredibly important. Barry's team. You see, Barry is a hotheaded impatient guy. In my eyes, it makes ZERO SENSE how this person has both a SNORLAX AND A HERACROSS on their team when the only way of obtaining those is to wait PATIENTLY on a honey tree. It just kills the character to me because I honestly can't see Barry doing anything like this. As for Blue? I can see him totally assembling a team that can take on any type. He seems like a guy who would cover up loose ends and plan ahead. You also immediately saw this trait when he picked your starters weakness and instantly thinks of grabbing the map from his sister. I don't think Barry thinks that hard...honestly I feel like he would throw his pokemon at a brick wall if it would made them stronger...

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

I really want to know if GameFreak knew what they implied when they gave him Munchlax/Snorlax. I’m assuming Barry just got really lucky 😂

@lvl5Vaporeon 10 ай бұрын

@@shepskydad Yeah but then a heracross on top of that? Barry should have entered the pokemon lottery and ran off with all the master balls easily!

@brendan6555 10 ай бұрын

I think maybe the thing with that is that he's so hyper he can run back and forth between the honey trees like the flash.

@Acacius1992 9 ай бұрын

Honestly? I think they gave him Munchlax/Snorlax exactly because of that. He is so hyperactive and impatient. Giving him one of the most slowest, laziest and needing the most patience to catch ist just peak irony xD

@lvl5Vaporeon 9 ай бұрын

@@Acacius1992 I wish they double downed on it then by giving him calm/lax natures for his pokemon

@pisz1267 10 ай бұрын

Speaking of challenging rival battles he forgot about battle at route 110 in ruby and sapphire

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

Only difficult if you’re speedrunning or solo running with Mudkip 😂

@melvint-p9500 9 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure that team doesn't have a move with more than 40 base power

@animevillainscourge8074 3 ай бұрын

i think silver has to be one of my favorite rivals, i love how much of an edgelord he is. while he does come off as a bit of a tryhard, he goes about it in such a funny way that i was sad when i finished the last battle with him. the silence of the player character juxtaposed against his monologues about power and strength is just so amusing. im glad you can rematch him at the indigo plateau, as i recently finished heart gold and its fun to be able to see him again.

@thalastprophet4657 10 ай бұрын

Great video, well put together. Looking forward to seeing more

@cparle87 2 ай бұрын

I can see some folks in the comments have gen3 bridge trauma.

@dozzy9984 7 ай бұрын

I'm not sure if I remember Bianca correctly, but isn't part of her story that she can't beat the player and that she's not as good at Pokemon fights? Aren't we just her rival, and it's player who is compelling her to grow etc.? The question is, does rivalry has to be mutual? Btw. isn't Colress a rival as well? I know he's a grown man, but we encounter him few times through the game, fight and even end up changing his world view due to our actions.

@ToxicAtom 2 ай бұрын

I'd say Colress is as much of a rival character as N is. Also I very much like your point about Bianca. From the player's point of view, she's a pushover that's trying too hard. From her point of view, you are her biggest obstacle getting in the way of self-realization. You are to her what, say, Silver or Gary is to you (minus being a jerk about it, hopefully.)

@tommymdladlana8255 10 ай бұрын

I've lost a ton to may and her marshtop 😭

@Didyouknowthatiexist 29 күн бұрын

Choose mudkip then

@tommymdladlana8255 29 күн бұрын

@@Didyouknowthatiexist no I just caught shroomish

@sonofksmith 22 күн бұрын

Sooooooo Marnie and galadion, got it

@GengarLover1342 2 ай бұрын

I havent played B2W2 in several years but I remember hating Hugh. Maybe I'll go back and see what the fuss is about.

@almeidachannel7121 10 ай бұрын

Nice Video ! Sub & Big Like ! And love Pokemon games !

@mitshah9869 2 ай бұрын

I’d say blue is the best and hau is the worst

@sagetmaster4 10 ай бұрын

Pogggg

@EinSilverRose 9 ай бұрын

I gotta be honest. Blue/Gary is extremely overrated. He talks big but you trounce him every time you battle. He's really only challenging due to the limited roster of Pokemon to choose from being the 1st generation after all. His only claim to fame is being the first rival of the series, being a dick, and getting every gym badge before the player does. Even as a kid who first played Red version he never left an impact on me. He's still likeable but he's such a push over. At least someone like Barry is the funny friendly rival whom we eventually find out has a bone to pick with his dad who is one of the best trainers in the world. Not every rival has to be compelling either. A lot of friendly rivals are just fine whether they have a good character design or have their own little character arc.

@christophermitchell9739 8 ай бұрын

100% on this. Honestly he's one of the least compelling rivals to me. I never lost to him, even as a kid, and he didn't make me dislike him as much initially as Silver did or have enough of a turn around to make me really like him like Silver did in the remakes.

@ComradeMaryFromMars 7 ай бұрын

It's weird he's so cocky for someone who gets completely destroyed everytime you fight him that was weird to me as a kid

@Quartermistress 10 ай бұрын

If Hau 50% less i would like him a lot more

@Dionysus626 28 күн бұрын

I disagree. Barry's monkey dance made me smile. Therefore he is the best rival. In a tier list of funny monkey dances, Barry is S tier and everyone else is F tier.

@sweetwolfsteve5583 4 ай бұрын

A good rival needs to be 1. They need to be there and add to the story 2. They need to have a challenge and not be a pushover 3. They need to have a decent team 4. They shouldnt be friendly

@Alexs23743 3 ай бұрын

What makes a Pokémon rival great? Not being a yandere. Whoops; there goes Nemona! I had a fruitful battle with her, all right...Spoiled Apricorns! >xD

@KEATONSTOOS 10 ай бұрын

60 seconds

@sweetwolfsteve5583 4 ай бұрын

Im sprry but nemona is not better then hop hop is a really bad rival but at least you could breath thekugh the game with nemona you cant bc nemonas down your throat every route every town with i want to battle i want to battle

@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle 2 ай бұрын

Lmao, it's not even close, Nemona is miles better than Hop for many reasons.

@sweetwolfsteve5583 4 ай бұрын

1:24 the only good rival in that photo is blue silver hugh and n the rest were way to easy pushovers or just way way to annoying like nemona hop and hau who want to battle you every 5 steps i swear gen 5 was the last time we got good rivals nemona isnt near the top for a rival she sucks and shes beyond annoying wanting to battle you every route not to mention that shes a massive pushover the enitre game

@brendan6555 10 ай бұрын

Unpopular opinion (?) But Hugh is one of the worst rivals to me. Everytime he shows up he's just yelling at team plasma for stealing his sisters cat and its minorly obnoxious to me. This would be fine if he at least had good battles, but im pretty sure when you fight him after having 6 badges he only has 3 Pokémon... 2 of them being an elemental monkey and an Unfezant.

@shepskydad 10 ай бұрын

A totally valid take. Hard not to criticize somebody when they use… *UNFEZANT*

@evawhite1144 10 ай бұрын

I absolutely agree with you 100%. Hugh's team sucks. His motivation is shit too, like why should we, as the players, care bout his sister’s Purrloin? Holy shit dude, there's tons of them on the 1st route of the game. Go get her another one. It would’ve been a tiny bit better if the Purrloin was his, and not his sister’s. That way, his anger would be a little bit more justified. Another thing to make him better, would’ve been if perhaps, halfway through the game, he started having these realizations that the "past team Plasma" the ones that are good in the remakes and follow N, aren't so bad after all. I can kinda understand him hating team Plasma, even if his motivation really doesn't warrant it, but him indiscriminately hating on all of them, even after being shown and told and given proof that a big facet of them are actually good, he still hates them all the same, because they don't have his fucking cat. Also, he really doesn't seem to really care that team Plasma wants to control the region or anything? The only thing he's fixated on is finding that cat and nothing else. He literally only wants you to be strong so that you can help him find that Purrloin instead of actually saving the region. Like, idk Hugh, perhaps it doesn't make sense to save that Purrloin if by then there isn't a region left to live in, lol. But the thing I'll never forget is how he literally leaves you to fight the Shadow trio on your own, because he's "too traumatized and shocked that the Purrloin evolved into Liepard and it's evil now". Like, no kidding dumbass, you really thought they were going to keep your cat safe and cozy, waiting for you to find it? It evolved. He really expected it to not evolve in what, 3 years? That's what pokemon do. Honestly, Hugh's being surprised at that is as dumb as Shawna being surprised that you can catch pokemon inside the pokeballs in the X/Y catching tutorial at the beginning of the game. His edginess also feels forced. He doesn't have a tragic backstory to justify the emo/goth/punk teen vibe he has going on. Silver/Gladion/Guzma and heck even Bede! Have actual tragic backstories to justify why they're so asshole-ish and edgy. Hugh really doesn't, so it comes out forced. He's definitely one of the worst rivals, like Holly Heck, I think I would’ve preferred another Bianca to this Hugh guy. 😅

@ToxicAtom 2 ай бұрын

I feel like Hugh gets a pass because his battle theme is great and colors his personality better than his actual dialogue, no pun intended.

@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle 2 ай бұрын

@evawhite1144 Do you seriously not understand why Hugh would be pissed that Team Plasma stole his little sister's beloved pet? Really? How about you go tell someone in the real world to just get a new pet after their pet is stolen, see how they respond to that.

@dartagnanearl1467 10 ай бұрын

The XY rivals were handle better in Anime anyways so who cares right and even Black and White don't try hate black and white try watching a play through or let's play to understand why you can't being Pokemon over you need contacted for that and this was before the Dex got cut and being use for DLC

@3twibles4sweetrevenge Ай бұрын

I said barry

@melvint-p9500 9 ай бұрын

Bad video. Hau is awesome

@sweetwolfsteve5583 4 ай бұрын

No he's not he was a massive pushover and was way to whiney

@iwannaseehowlongyoucanmakethis 4 ай бұрын

shoutout to silver and cheren for having the exact same character arc beat for beat. A kid obessessed with power that was convinced otherwise by the champion. Gamefreak thought they were slick.