Pokemon Legends: Z-A has been out for a while now, and fans are speaking up about their favorite elements of the game. While some have praised the bustling Lumiose City setting, the unique real-time combat elements, and the many new Mega Evolutions introduced in the game, many have focused their praise on the title's characters. Pokemon Legends: Z-A's cast of characters are unique and multi-layered, with a variety of motivations and opinions that raise them above the often cookie-cutter Gym Leaders and Elite Four members of the past. Pokemon's tenth generation has a high bar to clear if it hopes to match Legends: Z-A's well-rounded characters.
Many Legends: Z-A Characters Have Quickly Become Fan Favorites
Like Legends: Arceus before it, Legends: Z-A dispenses with the "earn Gym badges" plot in favor of an overarching story, filled with mind-blowing Pokemon reveals, about investigating mysterious phenomena affecting Lumiose City. As players progress through the game, they meet a wide variety of characters who have become fan favorites for different reasons. These include:
- Urban/Taunie, who is liked for their cheery attitude, close relationship to the player, and genuinely challenging battles.
- Jacinthe, who is popular due to her cute appearance, offbeat personality, surprising love of battle, and role in hidden post-game content.
- Mable, who is enjoyed for her role as the game's professor and her unique status as a reformed ex-Team Flare member.
- Corbeau, who fans are drawn to for his quirky behavior, memorable appearance, and interesting backstory.
These are only a few of the Legends Z-A characters who fans have expressed their fondness for since the game's release. Clothing designer Naveen, returning Pokemon X and Y character AZ, streamer and mascot of the Colorful Screw side content Canari, enthusiastic Fist of Justice member Ivor, and more have all developed devoted fan bases among Pokemon players.
Loving a character in a Pokemon game is nothing new — Scarlet and Violet's permanently-exhausted salaryman Larry went on to become one of the franchise's most beloved characters, and many previous Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, villains, and more have earned love from fans. But Legends Z-A's characters feel developed in a way that few other games' casts do. Players get to know their motivations, their histories, and their interactions with one another. They're more than just a Pokemon Trainer faced in battle (although Legends Z-A does have those in the form of some of the early Z-A Royale opponents).
Generation 10 May Struggle To Replicate This, But It Should Try
It will be difficult for a mainline Pokemon game to replicate Legends Z-A's success with its cast of characters. Due to its more contained story and singular setting, the characters are able to feel cohesive in a way Pokemon casts rarely can: they all live in Lumiose City, most of them know each other, and many share the same goal. They have rivalries, friendships, and opinions on each other, from Corbeau's distate of Jacinthe to Canari and Gwynn's developing bond. They interact with the player beyond a single battle, and, through a combination of the main story, side quests, cutscenes, and post-game content, the player truly gets to know each one of them.
It's hard to develop Gym Leaders or Elite Four members in the same way. They're generally spread out over a large geographic area, don't have many connections with each other beyond their shared profession, and interact with the player briefly and only sometimes reappear. Many Gym Leaders from earlier generations got most of their character development from the Pokemon anime, especially those who got to travel with protagonist Ash Ketchum, such as Brock, Misty, and Iris.
However, it would be worth it for the Generation 10 Pokemon games to feature richer character development and cast interactions similar to Legends Z-A. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet took steps in that direction with its Team Star storyline and the main characters' journey into Area Zero. Generation 10 could learn from Legends Z-A and feature even more well-rounded and compelling characters for players to get to know.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
