The Pokemon franchise isn’t exactly famous for its fantastic character design, however, across eight generations, a highly successful anime, and a multitude of spin-off games, there are a few diamonds that certainly deserve to be brought back out of the rough. Recent games have seen the return of Professor Oak, Team Rocket, Red, Blue, and many more iconic characters from the first and later generations, but there are so many more that deserve another chance in the spotlight.
Fans can see old characters make their return through mobile games like Pokemon Go and Pokemon Masters, but some fan favorites deserve to make a comeback in the main series.
10 Gladion
The pseudo-rival from Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon was one of the more interesting characters players met on their journeys through the Alola region. With an actually compelling narrative throughline, the games slowly revealed Gladion's familial trauma and his guilt about (spoilers!) abandoning his sister.
The games also hint that Gladion and Lillie’s father might be the man on Poké Pelago. As Gladion is one of the Pokemon series’ few truly rich characters, seeing him return in another region or through another story would be an excellent opportunity to bring some much-needed depth to a series of repetitive narratives.
9 Ethan/Gold
Alola’s battle tower saw the return of Red and Blue, two classic characters from Pokemon’s first generation. Arguably, many fans feel more nostalgia for the protagonist of the second generation of Pokemon, Ethan (or as fans called him, Gold).
Gold, Silver, and Crystal were three exceptionally good, and also exceptionally long, games compared to the first generation. With a strong foundation, many consider these to be the best Pokemon games because of their more dynamic legendaries and succinct story. So, why doesn't Game Freak bring back Ethan? Even just a cameo?
8 Silver
Silver was the rival of Ethan/Gold in the second generation of Pokemon games and was one of the most complex and interesting rivals players have ever faced. As the son of Giovanni and heir to Team Rocket, Silver offers a lot of unique opportunities for new post-game stories, much like the Team Rainbow Rocket post-game of the Alola Region.
Bringing back Team Rocket in a similar vein to how Team Plasma worked in Black 2 & White 2 would be an interesting and fascinating post-game story opportunity.
7 Tim Goodman
Step aside Ash Ketchum, there's a better protagonist in the Pokemon world. The protagonist of the Detective Pikachu game and movie was Tim Goodman. With a name that spells out exactly who Tim is, seeing Tim and his detective Pikachu strolling around a populous city in a mainline Pokemon game would really add some nice flavor to the world.
Who doesn’t love a good side mystery? Tim and his Pikachu could show up throughout the world to provide some nice side-quests. And hey, maybe Pikachu really is Tim's dad? Wouldn't that be something?
6 Nobunaga (Pokemon Conquest)
One of the more obscure Pokemon spin-offs is Pokemon: Conquest, a tactical role-playing crossover with the Nobunaga’s Ambition series. The lead antagonist of the game is Nobunaga, a feudal lord who seeks to unite the world under his control in a war to end all wars and finally install peace.
As a truly interesting villain with unique motivations in the Pokemon world, Nobunaga would make an incredible main series villain for a larger and more dynamic region.
5 Gordor (Pokemon Rangers)
Gordor is a unique character in the Pokemon world. A spurned Pokemon Professor who establishes an evil team in order to achieve revenge and gain power is an interesting story that could fit nicely into a new region.
The themes of betrayal, loss, and potential all play into Pokemon’s themes of the natural world and friendship. If Gordor himself doesn’t come back, this is definitely a narrative and character concept that Game Freak should put into a mainstream Pokemon game at some point in the future.
4 The Professors’ Assistants
Remember the good ol’ days when Professor Oak’s assistants lined the routes examining the player's Pokédex and awarding them nice bonuses and useful equipment for certain milestones? Bring those characters back! With them, they bring a sense of accomplishment, the implication of far-reaching research, and the potential for dynamic storytelling.
Make Pokemon Professors matter again by having the completion of the Pokédex be another main goal of the series. This would add some nuance to the increasingly stale narratives players face in the recent games.
3 Cyrus
One day, in a region dealing with the temporal and spatial distortions of legendary beasts, players will once again roam the roads of Sinnoh.
When that Gen 4 remake comes along, players better face-off against Cyrus, one of the more interesting evil team leaders of any Pokemon game. With the improved graphics potential of the Nintendo Switch, a distortion world remaster could be an incredible adventure. Let’s hope Game Freak brings Cyrus back and gives players that world to play in.
2 Looker
The mysterious trench coat wearing detective, Looker, has made several appearances in the Pokemon series. However, his return as a main character could be an opportunity for the franchise to develop some greater reaching consequences throughout the Pokemon narratives. Evil Teams appear and disappear without any consequence across games. Looker presents the opportunity for a through-line; a way to connect it all.
Now, wouldn’t that be something? An element of mystery and branching narratives are features that newer Pokemon games sorely need.
1 Miror B.
One forgotten character stands, posed in a disco point, above all the rest. His red and white afro and golden onesie shining brilliantly against the darkness of the world. Of course, the character who most needs to come back is Miror B. from Pokemon: Colosseum and XD Gale of Darkness.
Miror B.'s groovy music and wonderful Ludicolo are an iconic duo that brings joy to even the stalest moments of any Pokemon game. This character serves as a reminder that NPCs don’t need to be bland, one-note, or boring. Characters can and should have – well – character.