The role of a Gym Leader is to test the ability of Trainers who wish to go and challenge the Pokémon League. Gym Leaders are strong-willed, dedicated, and distinctive characters who hone their skills, pride themselves on being hard to beat, and often found their own Gyms themselves.

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From Lt. Surge in Kanto to Clemont in Kalos, Gym Leaders often provide memorable battles with Ash and his Pokémon. The anime world is filled with characters who would make great Gym Leaders, each with their own ready-made specialty and set of Pokémon that suits them to a tee.

10 Usagi Tsukino From Sailor Moon Would Have A Team Of Foodies

Usagi Eating Cake

Usagi Tsukino is the brave heroine and lover of all things cute in Sailor Moon. Trainers hoping to get a Badge off of her would be wise not to let her charming appearance fool them.

Lunatone, which looks like a crescent moon, would be on her team, but she would specialize in Fairy-Type Pokémon. Her main would be Diancie as it is encrusted with crystals, which relates to the Earth-protecting Silver Crystal in Sailor Moon. As Usagi loves sweet foods, her team would be rounded out by Alcremie, Appleturn, Slurpuff, and Vanilluxe.

9 Simon The Digger From Gurren Lagann Would Specialize In Ground-Types

Gurren Lagann Simon fierce

At the beginning of Gurren Lagann, Simon is similar in age and appearance to Ash, and he is also brave, determined, and has an aptitude for battle. It would make for an interesting match-up if these two were to battle in Simon's Gym. Being a digger who once lived in a subterranean village, it would be only natural for Simon to use Ground- and Rock-Type Pokémon in his team. Excadrill, the Drilling Pokémon, would be his main, while Dugtrio, Sandslash, Marowak, Rhydon, and Trapinch could make up the rest of the roster.

8 Yusuke Urameshi From YuYu Hakusho Would Give Trainers A Good Fight

yusuke yuyu hakusho

Cocky brawler Yusuke Urameshi from YuYu Hakusho would be the leader of a Gym that specializes in Fighting Pokémon. Similar to Lucario's ability to sense auras, Yusuke can sense spirit or demon energy by using his Spirit Awareness, which he gained as a result of being revived from the dead. As well as Lucario, Pokémon such as Urshifu, Machamp, Hitmonchan, Poliwrath, and Spiritomb could all feature in his team.

7 Lelouch Lamperouge From Code Geass Would Be A Formidable Gym Leader

Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)

The sophisticated narcissist Lelouch Lamperouge, or Lelouch vi Britannia, is the chief antihero of the Code Geass series. Lelouch's Geass ability, "Power of Absolute Obedience", allows him to use direct eye contact to plant commands in a person's mind, so in this vein, his team would be made up of Psychic Pokémon.

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Alakazam, Hypno, Espeon, Gallade, Meowstic, and Hoopa would all fit the bill. Trainers would need to prepare for a tactical battle against a very intelligent Gym Leader.

6 Mikasa Ackerman From Attack On Titan Wouldn't Make It Easy To Earn A Badge

Mikasa prepares to fight

Mikasa is the quiet and compassionate soldier of the Survey Corps in Attack on Titan. Given that Mikasa soars through the air with the use of the Omni-Directional Mobility gear, it would make sense for her to have a team composed of Flying-Type Pokémon. Scyther, Talonflame, Braviary, Salamence, Corviknight, and Unfezant would all be suitable. Given that Mikasa is said to be a military genius, it would not be easy for a Trainer to earn a badge from her if she were a Gym Leader.

5 Edward Elric From Fullmetal Alchemist Would Conjure Up A Strong Team

Edward Elric bleeding

Edward Elric is the strong-willed alchemist from Fullmetal Alchemist. As a Gym Leader, Ed would use his skill in alchemy to create a strong team that has all the right ingredients. Given alchemy's associations with darkness and mystery, Edward's team would be primarily made up of Dark-Type Pokémon, using Umbreon as his main. Absol, Darkrai, Honchkrow, Sableye, and Bisharp could make up the rest of his team, and his Gym could be in a gothic cathedral.

4 Motoko Kusanagi From Ghost In The Shell Would Have A Team Of Ghostly Fighting Machines

Major Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell wielding a gun

Motoko Kusanagi is the cyborg protagonist of Ghost in the Shell. As the field commander of Public Security Section 9, she would be a tough Gym Leader to beat as her Pokémon will have been trained with militaristic precision.

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Predictably, she would specialize in Ghost-Type Pokémon. Her main would be Porygon, given that it was created entirely out of programming code. The Electric/Ghost Pokémon Rotom would also fit on her team, as well as Marshadow, the Fighting/Ghost-Type, as Motoko herself excels in hand-to-hand melee combat.

3 Violet Evergarden Would Be The Leader Of A Gym Filled With Flowers

violet evergarden

The subdued and elegant titular protagonist of Violet Evergarden was educated as a weapon, but deep inside she has feelings. As a Gym Leader, she would want to give Trainers a big test of their strength in order to help them on their way to becoming Pokémon Champions.

Given that the word 'garden' is in her name, her team would be comprised of Grass-Type Pokémon that match her serene personality, such as Meganium, Leafeon, Lurantis, Roserade, Virizion, and Tsareena. Violet's Gym could be a greenhouse filled with flowers and plants.

2 Spike Spiegel From Cowboy Bebop Would Run A Jazzy Gym

Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop

The ambivalent bounty hunter Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop would make a formidable Gym Leader—as long as he were able to settle down somewhere. Spike is calm and collected and would provide a stern test for anyone looking to enter the Pokémon League. As a skilled martial artist, Spike would have fighters such as Mienshao, Medicham, Blaziken, and Hitmonlee, but there'd also be room for scrappy fighters like Scrafty and Pancham. Spike's Gym could be a converted jazz bar.

1 San From Princess Mononoke Would Test Trainers' Skills In Nature

Princess Mononoke San and wolf goddess

Warrior-princess San (also known as "Wolf Girl" and Princess Mononoke) has a deep appreciation of nature and deep mistrust of human beings. Her team would consist of Lycanroc, Mightyena, Mangetsu, Zacian or Zamazenta, who are wolf-like creatures like Moro; Phantump, who is a spirit that possesses a tree stump; and Xerneas, who shares similarities with the Forest Spirit. There may be no tougher place to earn a Badge than at San's Gym, which presumably would be located deep in the woods.

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