The Elite Four is supposed to be the final wall of intimidation, the last hurdle before you can face the Champion and claim victory in Pokemon. For many players, this lineup of trainers is designed to be unforgettable with each member a powerhouse representing their region’s strongest.
Yet not every Elite Four member is...elite. Some are pushovers, bring poorly-designed teams, or simply disappointing. This is that list.
Who Are The Worst Elite Four Members In Pokemon Video Games?
While many come to mind, certain trainers have gained infamy for being especially underwhelming. Bruno from Kanto has the audacity to bring not one but two Onix. Glacia from Hoenn decides that repeating Sealeo is a strong idea.
Meanwhile, Marshal from Unova shows up with four Fighting-types without variety. If you think that sounds rough, wait until you hear about the rest.
Bruno
Honestly, he should be intimidating with his Fighting-types ready to knock you out while he does it sitting down. The problem is his bizarre attachment to Onix. Twice. Yes, this Elite Four member wastes two slots on one of the weakest non-evolving Pokemon in the game.
Onix has really bad Special Defense and by the time you reach Bruno, Water and Grass Pokemon are everywhere. His Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Machamp are respectable but those rock snakes drag his entire team down. Facing Bruno feels less like a challenge and more like an endurance test of patience.
Glacia
Ice-types already suffer from being one of the weakest typings in Pokemon with frailty and too many weaknesses to count. To make matters worse, Hoenn has a limited number of Ice-types to draw from. The result? Glacia enters battle with two Sealeo and a Walrein.
Using duplicate pre-evolutions of your ace is seems too desperate. Not only does it make her feel repetitive but it also makes her far easier to prepare for. An Electric-type, Fire-type or a strong Fighting-type can wipe her team in minutes. For someone deemed as elite in the game, Glacia just feels coldly unprepared and easy.
Marshal
This Elite Four member from Unova does not help the case for Elite Four integrity. Generation V decided to shake things up by limiting Elite Four members to four Pokemon instead of five. Marshal’s lineup consists of nothing but Fighting-types, with little to no coverage outside of their typing.
Conkeldurr and Sawk can pack a punch, sure, but the lack of variety makes him too predictable. His entire squad is slow which means any half-decent Flying or Psychic Pokemon can sweep him with ease. As far as final hurdles go, Marshal feels more like a sparring session.
Malva
This fiery diva from Kalos at least had the potential to be cool. She is involved in Team Flare’s story which gave her an edge in personality compared to the rest of the Elite Four. Sadly, her team does not match the hype. She also suffers from the Generation VI curse of having only four Pokemon.
Worse, her lineup is so bland and uninspired. A Torkoal without Drought makes no sense, especially when Fire-type specialists have much scarier options available. Without personality in her battle and without power in her Pokemon, Malva is one of the easiest forgettable fights in the franchise.
Olivia
Rock-type trainers are always fighting an uphill battle due to the typing’s many weaknesses and Olivia barely tries to improve that. Relicanth and Carbink on an Elite Four team feel lazy, adding nothing but slow and unthreatening walls to the mix.
At least Alola's Lycanroc brings some speedy flavor but her team overall struggles against the wide range of counters that any competent player would have by that stage of the game. To her credit, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon upgraded her squad with more dangerous choices, but in her first outing, Olivia was bit... rocky.
Rika
Her appearance and personality is charming and her laid-back vibe makes her stand out as a character. Unfortunately, her team does not hold up. Ground-types are versatile in theory but her choices are far too easily countered. Two of the three starter evolutions, Quaquaval and Meowscarada, can sweep her with minimal setup.
Her Clodsire could have been an interesting ace, but terastalizing it into a pure Ground-type Pokemon reduces resistances and makes it even weaker to common threats. Without coverage or setup moves to back her up, this is Paldea's "meh" Elite Four member
At their best, the Elite Four should make your heart race and your palms sweat as they are supposed to be a celebration of everything you learned on your journey, a final test before the Champion. Yet trainers like Bruno, Glacia, Marshal, Malva, Olivia, and Rika never stood up to that level.
Instead, they highlight the flaws of their type specialties, lack creativity in team building, or simply feel like filler. Pokemon has delivered some incredible Elite Four challenges over the years but these particular members prove that being an Elite Four member might not be really that special.