Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire/Characters

For the Pokémon introduced in these games, refer to this page.

Brendan (Yuuki)/May (Haruka)
The hero. Whichever one you don't choose becomes your rival. Also, note that, unless examples for both are given, what applies for May does not apply for Brendan, and vice versa.

As the protagonist

 * Badass Adorable: The protagonist has no problem standing face-to-face with a beast that can shift continents, raise the sea, or Hyper Beam them to death, depending on the version. Or all three of them in Emerald.
 * Took a Level In Badass: The protagonist saves the world from utter annihilation of the awakened pissed-off Legendary (depending on version of course) by either defeating or capturing them.
 * Averted in Emerald, as technically  is the one to solve the crisis. You just go to awake him.
 * Free-Range Children: As with all of the games, no one seems to care that you're traveling around the country and fighting villains even though you're only 11.
 * Disappeared Dad: So far, the only aversion in the main series--the protagonist's father is Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader.

As the rival

 * Break the Haughty: You do this to Brendan if you play as May.
 * Cute Clumsy Girl: NPC May gives off this vibe.
 * Gotta Catch Em All: NPC May, somewhat; after you fight her in Lilycove City, she seems to be more interested in filling her Pokédex than continuing training.
 * Plucky Girl: NPC May is clumsy and shy but never lets any losses get her down.
 * The Rival: Quite obviously, though to a lesser extent than the previous rivals.
 * Ship Tease: In Emerald, the rival states "I just saw a huge green Pokémon flying across the sky!....I wish you were there, ." Take of that what you will, but the way NPC Brendan acts toward you..
 * Tsundere: Brendan plays a Type B version of this as a NPC.
 * Totally Radical: In Emerald, their Poké Nav nickname is "Rad Neighbor."

As both

 * Blue Eyes: May.
 * Brown Eyes: Brendan.
 * Meaningful Name: Their Japanese names. Haruka means "Spring flower" but also means "far away", which goes with Norman's name Senri which can also refer to "1000 li" (2440 miles, but also an idiomatic way to say far away). Yuki, also known as Brendan, just means "bravery".
 * Two of Brendan's default names are Landon and Sean; referring to the 2 legendary Pokémon.
 * Two of May's default names are Terra and Marina; also referring to Groudon and Kyogre.
 * In Emerald, one of Brendan's default names is "Rald."
 * Nice Hat: As is tradition, both protagonists have stylin’ hats - a ski cap/head band for Brendan and a bandanna for May.
 * One Steve Limit: Very nearly broken in Emerald, as Brendan's name is similar to Pyramid King Brandon.
 * Skirt Over Slacks: May.
 * Sleeves Are for Wimps: In Emerald.
 * To Be a Master: May as the protagonist, and Brendan as either role. (NPC Brendan states that he wants to take over a gym, while NPC May goes help Birch with the research)

Wally (Mitsuru)
A sickly boy that starts his journey when you help him catch his first Pokémon.


 * Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: His green and white color scheme matches up perfectly with the Ralts line (his starter Pokémon).
 * Blue Eyes
 * Cute Shotaro Boy
 * Ill Boy
 * The Rival: He tries to be this to you and pretty much becomes it by the end.
 * Took a Level In Badass: You see him in Mauville, and he's hardly Rival material compared to the ones in the last two games or even to the non-chosen Player Character. Then you run into him on Victory Road, and HOLY SHIT HE'S GOTTEN AWESOME! Pokémon gave him hope to overcome his weaknesses, and in becoming stronger himself, he raised his Pokémon into total badasses. He's like Theodore Roosevelt, but with Pokémon.
 * At their highest levels, his Pokémon could actually pick a fight with Wallace.
 * You Gotta Have Green Hair

Professor Birch (Odamaki-Hakase)
The Hoenn region's professor, an expert on Pokémon habitats. Also the father of your rival.


 * Fan Nickname: Some people call him "Professor Bitch" for being chased around by a level 2 Poochyena/Zigzagoon at the beginning of the game.
 * Happily Married: With a kid (two in Emerald).
 * Nice Guy
 * Professor Who Actually Does Something: He's the first Regional Professor to actually go out into the field himself to study Pokémon in the wild, instead of just sending a kid to do it and leaving it at that. He kinda sucks at it, though.
 * Theme Naming: Once again, a regional professor named after a tree.

Roxanne (Tsutsuji)
Rustboro Gym Leader--The Rock-Loving Honor Student!


 * Dishing Out Dirt: Of the Rock-type variety.
 * Proper Tights With a Skirt
 * Punny Name: Roxanne = Rocks.
 * Selective Magnetism: Her Nosepass's magnetism traps Steel-types in battle with it. Not that you'd have Steel types by that point, but this can apply in rematches in Emerald version.
 * Wake Up Call Boss: If you chose Torchic - prepare to grind to either evolve the chicken or until you have a decent Water or Grass-type.

Brawly (Touki)
Dewford Gym Leader--A Big Wave in Fighting!


 * Bare-Fisted Monk
 * Blackout Basement: His gym does this; oddly enough, it's the one that unlocks Flash.
 * Crippling Overspecialization: All damaging moves his team uses in battle in Emerald are Fighting-type, which means that anything that resists said type has a very easy time against him.
 * Punny Name: His Japanese name refers to a type of herb. It's also a homonym for "fighting spirit".
 * Meaningful Name: Brawly in English.
 * Surfer Dude: Only minus the Totally Radical (except in the dub of the anime). He surfs to train himself and his Pokémon.
 * Wake Up Call Boss: Just like in the anime, Brawly will tear you apart if you go in unprepared.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Wattson (Tessen)
Mauville Gym Leader--The Cheerfully Electrifying Man!


 * Big Fun
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Gadgeteer Genius: He's in charge of the underground power plant, New Mauville, so he might count as this.
 * The Hyena: Just look at his battle sprite!
 * My Greatest Failure: Under his cheerful laugh, he seems to have a lot of regret over the whole New Mauville construction.
 * Punny Name: Wattson.
 * Shock and Awe

Flannery (Asuna)
Lavaridge Gym Leader--One With a Fiery Passion that Burns!


 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Fiery Redhead: Geddit?
 * Genki Girl
 * Hot Blooded
 * Hot Springs Episode: Her gym basically is one.
 * Playing With Fire
 * Punny Name: Her Japanese name is an anagram for "sauna", since her Gym is in a town famous for its hot springs. Also, "Flan" = "flame".
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: Shades of this - much like Falkner back in Generation II, she's big on living up to the family legacy. When you beat her, she decides that attempting to emulate her grandfather just hampers her and resolves to be herself.

Norman (Senri)
Petalburg Gym Leader--A Man in Pursuit of Power!


 * Climax Boss: Pretty much the halfway-point boss - he's built up as an important future opponent (he's your father), defeating him gives you access to Surf and the other half of Hoenn, and he's roughly midway through the main story's plot
 * Good Parent: Unlike in the manga. This is also seen in the anime.
 * Happily Married
 * In the Blood: Birch hints that you have "your father's blood in your veins after all."
 * Like Father Like Son: Or daughter.
 * Meaningful Name/Punny Name: Norman = Normal.
 * Non-Elemental
 * Parents As People
 * So Proud of You: When you beat him, he is more proud of you than upset at losing.

Winona (Nagi)
Fortree Gym Leader--The Bird User Taking Flight into the World!


 * Ace Pilot: Implied by her attire.
 * Blow You Away
 * Expy: Her clothing style, color scheme, and connection to flight are very similar to Nausicaa.
 * Flight
 * Mercurys Wings: For ornamental purposes only though.
 * Nice Hat: Her aviator helmet.
 * Instant Awesome Just Add Dragons: Aside from her signature Altaria, the Emerald rematches adds the Dratini family to her team.
 * Punny Name: Her Japanese name refers to a type of tree as per the usual Theme Naming, but is also a homonym for a "lull" in a storm.
 * Wind From Beneath My Wings
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair

Tate and Liza (Fuu and Ran)
Mossdeep Gym Leaders--The Mystic Combination!


 * Dual Boss: Thus far the only Gym Leaders to engage you in a double battle.
 * Hair Decorations: Liza's bow.
 * Finishing Each Other's Sentences
 * Half-Identical Twins: Tate is a boy, Liza is a girl.
 * Half-Identical Twin ID Tag: Liza has two long pieces of hair around her face, while Tate doesn't.
 * Meaningful Name/Punny Name: All Gym Leaders have a punny and meaningful name, but theirs is really clever. Reverse the order of their names, and you get Liza and Tate. Liza and Tate really fast sounds like "Levitate".
 * Psychic Powers
 * Single-Minded Twins: Possibly, as being twins seems to be their main shtick.
 * Stock Foreign Name: They have Chinese names in the Japanese versions.
 * Twin Telepathy

Wallace (Mikuri)
Sootopolis Gym Leader (Ruby and Sapphire)--Artist, and Lover of Water!; Champion (Emerald)


 * Ambiguously Gay: Camp appearance, high-heeled boots, boasts about his "elegance"...
 * Badass Cape
 * All Encompassing Mantle: In official art, anyway.
 * Bishonen
 * The Casanova: Apparently, seeing as his Gym is full of female trainers...
 * Final Boss: In Emerald.
 * Helping Would Be Killstealing: Oh gee, thanks for sitting on the sidelines and not offering to help fight Groudon/Kyogre/summon Rayquaza!
 * It's slightly justified in Emerald - he goes to the Sky Pillar with you, but then starts to become worried about Sootopolis when he notices the storm spreading rapidly and states he has to go back.
 * Making a Splash
 * Nice Hat
 * Took a Level In Badass: In Emerald.
 * You Gotta Have Teal-ish Hair

Juan (Adan)
Sootopolis Gym Leader (Emerald)--The Gym Leader with the Beauty of Pure Water!


 * Badass Mustache
 * The Casanova: Apparently, seeing as his Gym is full of female trainers...
 * Making a Splash
 * Retired Badass: Wallace's mentor and the former Sootopolis Gym Leader. He returns to his previous position, taking Wallace’s place, in Emerald.
 * Badass Teacher

Archie (Aogiri)
Team Aqua's leader, he aspires to awaken Kyogre and expand the seas. Unlike Giovanni before him, his motives are very much selfless, but it doesn't change the fact that his activities are criminal in nature, and his underlings are all dicks. Therefore, you must stop him. Even though you're eleven.


 * Affably Evil: He's quite civil to the player at some points in the game (especially in Emerald).
 * Also, between the two different versions he's slightly more politely-spoken than Maxie is.
 * Anti-Villain: He wants to raise the seas since water is the source of life. He is willing to do low things to succeed, but in his mind, it's the right thing.
 * Beard of Evil
 * Badass Beard
 * Big Bad: In Sapphire.
 * Big Bad Ensemble: In Emerald, more so than Maxie is.
 * Big Badass Wolf: Mightyena.
 * Enemy Mine: Sort of in Emerald, where despite still being an antagonist, he and his are also trying to stop Team Magma from erupting Mt Chimney.
 * Everything's Even Worse With Sharks: Sharpedo
 * Hypocrite: Despite totting about how wonderful Water Pokémon are, he only has one in his team of three Pokémon, despite them being pretty much everywhere in Hoenn.
 * Making a Splash
 * Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds
 * Morality Pet: His Crobat.
 * Mr. Fanservice: To a degree.
 * Nice Hat
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Maxie's blue.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gives the impression of being the Manly Man to Maxie's Sensitive Guy.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants to expand the seas so that Water Pokémon have more places to live. And just to drive the point home that he is a nice (but stupid) guy, he has a Crobat.
 * Obliviously Evil: He does not seem to realize the bad parts of his plans or why people try to stop them, only when it is too late to stop does he realize the bad parts of . Realizing it causes him.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants to expand the seas so that Water Pokémon have more places to live. And just to drive the point home that he is a nice (but stupid) guy, he has a Crobat.
 * Obliviously Evil: He does not seem to realize the bad parts of his plans or why people try to stop them, only when it is too late to stop does he realize the bad parts of . Realizing it causes him.

Matt (Ushio)

 * Ascended Extra: More important (and characterized) in the Pokémon Special manga.
 * The Brute
 * Demoted to Extra: In Ruby especially, where he only appears with his leader twice - at Meteor Falls, and at the Seafloor Cavern. He only appears once in Emerald - at the Aqua Headquarters - but is more significant in that he battles you, providing a distraction while his boss escapes.
 * Nice Hat
 * Satellite Character: He's just there to provide a battle (in Sapphire and Emerald).
 * Shirtless Scene
 * Theme Naming/Meaningful Name: His Japanese name means "tide".

Shelly (Izumi)

 * Ascended Extra: In the anime, where she appears to be Archie's sole lieutenant and appears in most Team Aqua episodes.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Dark Chick
 * The Dragon: To Archie.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * Nice Hat
 * Theme Naming/Meaningful Name: "Spring/fountain" in Japanese.

Maxie (Matsubusa)
Team Magma's leader, he aspires to awaken Groudon and expand the landmass. Unlike Giovanni before him, his motives are very much selfless, but it doesn't change the fact that his activities are criminal in nature, and his underlings are all dicks. Therefore, you must stop him. Even though you're eleven.


 * Anti-Villain: Like Archie, he thinks he is doing justice to the world, since draining the sea would allow humans to travel more easily and would make more room to live.
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Badass Long Hair
 * Big Bad: In Ruby.
 * Big Bad Ensemble: In Emerald, though somewhat less so than Archie.
 * Big Badass Wolf: His Mightyena.
 * Bishounen: To a lesser extent than some, but still....
 * Dual Boss: In Emerald, you have to battle him three times. The third time, he faces you in a double-battle alongside Tabitha. You get to fight them both alongside Steven, and each person is allowed no more than three Pokémon to balance the odds.
 * Evil Redhead
 * Gender Blender Name: Sort of, at least in English...
 * It's not as bad as Tabitha, though.
 * In Emerald,
 * Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds
 * Morality Pet: His Crobat, almost certainly- it even gets a decent amount of focus in fanart.
 * Mr. Fanservice: Possibly, to a greater extent than Archie.
 * Playing With Fire
 * Recurring Boss: In Emerald, he's fought three times in total (once in a Dual Boss situation on both sides). This sharply contrasts Archie, who is only fought once (after all three battles with Maxie).
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Archie's red.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gives the impression of being the Sensitive Guy to Archie's Manly Man.
 * Sharp Dressed Man: In a manner of speaking.
 * Sympathetic Criminal: While he is leading what is essentially an eco-terrorist group, his cause to make the rather rare Fire-type more common and dry up the sea is considered to be rather sane compared to Archie's plot to make Water-types even more common when the Water-type is already is the most common Pokémon type in the whole series.
 * Especially given how Fire types are among the rarer and and less diverse elements - in fact, Gen. V is the first time since Gen. I that any new Pokémon which evolve via Fire Stone were introduced. Not to mention that Hoenn does have one of the smallest number of Fire type species introduced to the overall list (6, not including Castform).
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants to make more land so that land based Pokémon have more places to live, and like Archie, he has a Crobat to prove that he is not really an evil person.
 * Obliviously Evil: Like Archie, he doesn't seem to realize the bad parts of his plans until it is too late.
 * You Fail Geology Forever: Waitwaitwait - You want to expand the landmass by using a meteor to (somehow) trigger a volcanic eruption in THE MIDDLE OF THE CONTINENT? (Ruby and Emerald) And when that works, you want to JETTISON A LOAD OF ROCKET FUEL INTO SAID VOLCANO? (Emerald) To MAKE IT ERUPT?! How many science classes did you sleep through, Maxie?
 * There's some implication that in Emerald at least, the plan was actually to empty out the volcano's contents in order to search for Groudon inside it (hence why their base is later built at the Jagged Pass near Mt Chimney, and why Team Magma is absent for a while). The "jettison a load of rocket fuel" was likely the start of a Villainous Breakdown since
 * You Fail Geology Forever: Waitwaitwait - You want to expand the landmass by using a meteor to (somehow) trigger a volcanic eruption in THE MIDDLE OF THE CONTINENT? (Ruby and Emerald) And when that works, you want to JETTISON A LOAD OF ROCKET FUEL INTO SAID VOLCANO? (Emerald) To MAKE IT ERUPT?! How many science classes did you sleep through, Maxie?
 * There's some implication that in Emerald at least, the plan was actually to empty out the volcano's contents in order to search for Groudon inside it (hence why their base is later built at the Jagged Pass near Mt Chimney, and why Team Magma is absent for a while). The "jettison a load of rocket fuel" was likely the start of a Villainous Breakdown since
 * There's some implication that in Emerald at least, the plan was actually to empty out the volcano's contents in order to search for Groudon inside it (hence why their base is later built at the Jagged Pass near Mt Chimney, and why Team Magma is absent for a while). The "jettison a load of rocket fuel" was likely the start of a Villainous Breakdown since

Courtney (Kagari)

 * Ascended Extra: In Pokémon Special, she receives a surprisingly strong level of characterisation and a larger role.
 * Dark Chick
 * The Dragon: To Maxie, but only in Ruby. In Emerald, she surrenders this role to Tabitha.
 * Demoted to Extra: Worse than Matt (from Team Aqua) in this regard. While both only cameo in the game opposite their team's role (in her case, Sapphire), she doesn't have any importance in Emerald and only appears at the Seafloor Cavern.
 * And given how the admins and grunts have the same overworld sprites in these games... It's relatively easy to miss the fact that it's supposed to be her in the Seafloor Cavern.
 * Nice Hat
 * Satellite Character: She's just there to provide a battle (in Ruby).
 * Theme Naming: Her Japanese name means "bonfire".

Tabitha (Homura)

 * Ascended Extra: In Emerald, he's more important and more prominent than in Sapphire or even Ruby.
 * Also in the anime, where he appears to be Maxie's sole lieutenant and appears in most Team Magma episodes.
 * Badass Cape
 * The Dragon: To Maxie, but only in Emerald. More so because he's fought thrice, and the third battle makes him a new...
 * Dual Boss: Along with Maxie himself.
 * Evil Genius: Somewhat characterized as such.
 * Gender Blender Name: "Homura" can go both ways or be a last name, but Tabitha is always female. The game translators may have gotten confused by the way the sprite looked, although 4Kids used the much more masculine "Harland" for his first appearance in the anime before lining up with the games.
 * Nice Hat
 * Psycho Supporter
 * Recurring Boss: Fought three times in Emerald.
 * Theme Naming/Meaningful Name: His Japanese name means "flame".

Sidney (Kagetsu)

 * Balding of Awesome.
 * Big Badass Wolf: Mightyena.
 * Casting a Shadow
 * Dark Is Not Evil
 * Glass Cannon: His strategy says it all: "Offense over Defense". His team consists of: two actual Glass Cannons (Absol, and, depending on version, Sharpedo/Crawdaunt), two with a quadruple weakness (Cacturne, another Glass Cannon in fact, and Shiftry) and a Mightyena with a recoil-inducing move.

Phoebe (Fuyou)

 * Ambiguously Brown: Arguably the first in the game series; although some might think she's Hawaiian because of her rather stereotypical dress.
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Does Not Like Shoes
 * Flower in Her Hair: And for bonus points, they're her (Japanese) namesake.
 * I See Dead People: Gained the ability to communicate with ghosts while training on Mt. Pyre.
 * Mana Burn: Her first Pokémon in Emerald, Dusclops, has Protect, which, coupled with its Pressure ability, was specifically designed to wear down the Power Points (PP) of your Pokémon. The second one, Banette, is no slouch either, with Spite in its arsenal (in Emerald, Spite is replaced with Grudge).
 * Soul Power
 * Stone Wall: Her Badass Boast before your battle, openly challenges you to try and damage her team.

Glacia (Prim)

 * An Ice Person
 * Luck Based Mission: Her Walrein knows Sheer Cold. Unless you outlevel her (meaning you have effectively already won), you have at least a 30% chance of losing.
 * One Steve Limit: Glaceon's Japanese name is also Glacia.

Drake (Genji)

 * Badass Grandpa
 * Badass Longcoat
 * Badass Mustache
 * Cool Shades
 * Instant Awesome Just Add Dragons
 * Name's the Same: No, this is not the Dragonite-loving chap Ash battled on the Orange Islands.
 * Nice Hat
 * No Shirt Long Jacket
 * Sidetracked By the Golden Saucer: Lampshaded in Emerald, where he tells you over the Pokénav that fighting the Elite Four is better than engaging in the Battle Frontier, regardless of fun value.
 * Walking Shirtless Scene

Steven Stone (Daigo Tsuwabuki)

 * Alliterative Name: His full name is Steven Stone.
 * Back-to-Back Badasses: With the player in Emerald, teaming up against Maxie and Tabitha during the invasion of Mossdeep City's Space Center.
 * Bonus Boss: In Pokémon Emerald only, where he's given up the title of Champion.
 * Extra Ore Dinary
 * Dishing Out Dirt: Two of his Mons are Rock-types and one is Ground-type.
 * Final Boss: In Ruby/Sapphire.
 * Helping Would Be Killstealing: Same deal as Wallace.
 * Infinity+1 Sword: Post-game, he leaves behind a Beldum in his house as a gift for the player.
 * MacGuffin Delivery Service: His father, the president of Devon Corp., asks the player to deliver a letter to him in the Granite Cave near Dewford Town.
 * Sharp Dressed Man
 * Silver Haired Pretty Boy

Noland (Datsura)

 * Badass Labcoat
 * Meaningful Name: Nol...add a "k" to the beginning, and replace the "l" with a "w". Makes sense, since he is the Brain that represents knowledge.
 * Nice Hat
 * Perma Stubble

Greta (Kogomi)

 * Cute Bruiser
 * Genki Girl
 * Meaningful Name: Greta is the Brain that represents guts.

Tucker (Heath)

 * Always Camp: His sexuality is debatable, but he does fit this trope.
 * Large Ham
 * Incoming Ham
 * Meaningful Name: Tucker represents tactics.
 * Tournament Arc: His facility is the first time in the main series games where actual tournaments (against NPCs) are depicted.
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair

Lucy (Azami)

 * Animal Motifs: Snakes
 * Bare Your Midriff
 * Luck Based Mission: The gimmick of the Battle Pike.
 * Rule of Three: ...wherein you have to choose one of three doors, with each door having random effects.
 * Meaningful Name: Lucy tests luck.
 * Smug Snake: Snakes being her theme, and she's quite full of herself too ("I am Pike Queen Lucy. I am the law!")
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo

Spenser (Ukon)

 * Badass Beard
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Fashionable Asymmetry: His robe.
 * Meaningful Name: Spenser judges spirit.
 * Name's the Same: Not to be confused with a green-haired ranger from Ringtown, Fiore.
 * The Power of Friendship: The primary focus of his facility.
 * Tron Lines: The patterns on his cane mimic those of Kyogre's Volcanic Veins.

Brandon (Jindai)

 * Adventure Archaeologist
 * Badass: He captured the legendary golems. With Pokeballs. And that's just in the anime-the next time you face him, he has the legendary birds.
 * Big Badass Bird of Prey: His second battle with you has all 3 elemental birds.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Dishing Out Dirt: Regirock
 * Drought Level of Doom: The gimmick of the Battle Pyramid, mixed with The Maze and Blackout Basement.
 * Extra Ore Dinary: Registeel
 * An Ice Person: Regice
 * Large Ham: Especially in the anime. He must be related to Byron.
 * One Steve Limit: Almost done with Brendan, the male protagonist of the game.
 * Theme Naming: Brandon is the Brain of bravery.

Anabel (Lila)

 * Bifauxnen
 * Bokukko
 * Good Is Not Nice: Apparently, she tells losing trainers that they have no talent, and when she loses, she's fond of creepy laughter ("Fufufufufufu....")
 * Little Miss Badass
 * Meaningful Name: Anabel represents ability.
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair