Pokemon Sword and Shieldwere the first mainlinePokemongames to release for Nintendo Switch, and they brought a lot of new features to the table that changed how the series can be played moving forward. Among such things, there was the addition of the Wild Area, a semi-open world area where players can explore freely and catch a great variety of Pokemon. However, there’s one more thing thatPokemon Sword and Shielddid right apart from their features and DLCs, and that was the inclusion of plenty of characters that were fun to interact with.
There are a lot of those characters in the main game forPokemon SwordandShield, but then the DLCs also introduced several unique trainers and other NPCs to help (or try to sabotage the player with sneaky moves) along the way. Not all of these characters were memorable, but some more than others would make fans of the series happy if they returned with generation 9Pokemongames. Obviously, this is a bit of a stepaway from traditional approaches, as few characters have appeared across generations, but it would still be interesting to see some familiar faces in the new games. Gen 9Pokemongames are very likely to come at some point, but this begs the question which characters should be brought back, if Game Freak decided to do so.
Hop
Hop is the main rival inPokemon Sword and Shield, and throughout the game, he never really shines a lot both in terms of personality and how he trains and fights with his Pokemon team. The game emphasizes Hop’s story arc to be one where he very slowly grows and matures up to the very end of the game, and this could be a great springboard for an adult or more grown-up version of Hop inPokemongen 9. When the game begins, Hop has the dream of becoming the new champion of the region of Galar and take his brother Leon’s title, but obviously that doesn’t work out.
After the events leading to players and Hop capturing Zacian or Zamazenta, Hop declares that he has a new dream, and that’s becoming aPokemon Professorto help people. This could potentially lead to Hop actually being the gen 9 Pokemon Professor that gifts players with their starter Pokemon, and the story would come full circle.
Sonia
Much like Hop, Sonia spends the great majority of her screen time inPokemon Sword and Shieldpondering about what direction to take in life and what to do with it. She was Leon’s childhood friend and also the assistant and granddaughter of Professor Magnolia, who is not really a very relevant character inPokemon Sword and Shieldif not for helping Soniafigure out what she wants to do. Sonia is intelligent and driven, qualities that surface the most when she finds something worth doing, and for her that’s studying and researching the Darkest Day and the history of the region of Galar.
Sonia ends up publishing her findings in a book, and then decides tobecome a Pokemon Professoras well. Just like with Hop, this could mean that Sonia might end up being gen 9’s Pokemon Professor, or at least make an appearance as she learns the ropes of the trade.
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Leon
Leon has quite a different character arc than that of Sonia and Hop, and that’s because when the game begins he has fulfilled his purpose and is living life the way he wants.Leon is the champion of Galar, and he works alongside Chairman Rose on making Galar a better place and inspiring new generations of trainers with his battles against other renowned challengers. Leon is very self-confident and knows he is a talented trainer, but at the same time, he loves Pokemon battles and lives for them.
However, Leon’s title is taken away from him by the player, and despite his acceptance of defeat and sportsmanship, Leon’s story arc ends with him not having a purpose. This is sort of false in a way, though, as in the post-campaign Leon challenges the players repeatedly in the Battle Tower to regain his title. Still, this is more implied than actually confirmed during the story, and it makesLeon’s return in gen 9something that could make his character interesting again.
Marnie
Pokemon Sword and Shieldintroduced the goofyTeam Yell, which doesn’t have a true leader and is only there to support Marnie and bother other trainers to give the young girl an edge. However, Marnie never signed up for all this, and she is a nice character to interact with despite her being a rival, in a way. Marnie is supportive of the players and even helps them alongside her brother, Piers, and Hop facing Chairman Rose’s goons to stop his plans. Eventually, like Bede with Opal, Marnie finds her purpose in becoming the new Spikemuth Gym Leader after her brother Piers quits. Marnie would make a great addition to gen 9 if she got to return, somehow.
Piers (Or Other Gym Leaders)
AlthoughPiersis not exactly the most fleshed-out character, he is very unique both in terms of personality and looks, and his story arc inPokemon Sword and Shielddoes leave room for more adventure for him. As a matter of fact, with Piers not being a Gym Leader anymore, there’s a lot of potential to reintroduce this character in gen 9 games while also expanding on his traits and explore what might be next in store for him.
Piers could come back either as a recurring supportive character or maybe as one of the NPCs that play a role in the unfolding of the events of the main plot. Either way, Piers and otherGym Leaders fromPokemon Sword and Shieldwere great characters to encounter and talk to, which does bode well for at least one of them returning in future installments of the series. Some of them include Bea, Nessa, Milo, and Raihan, all of which were fan favorites and would make many players happy if reintroduced. Overall, there will likely be a lot going on inPokemongen 9, and having a familiar face or two come back could help ease the transition to a new game.
NoPokemon Generation9games are known to be in development.
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