Pokémon Generation VIII launched Worldwide on 15th November 2019 with the games Pokémon Sword and Shield. The expansion sets Isle of Armor released in June 2020 and Crown Tundra in October 2020. These games are all set in the Galar region. Legends Arceus was released in January 2022 and is set in the past in the Hisui region. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl were released in November 2021as remakes of the Generation IV games Diamond and Pearl and are set in the Sinnoh region.
Pokémon Generation VIII Trainers are those trainers that are found in the Generation VIII games – Pokémon Sword and Shield, Legends Arceus and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Pokémon Trainers are people who capture and train Pokémon and then compete to become a Champion. Along their journey they compete with other Pokémon trainers.
Trainers are grouped into different classes depending on their ability. There are a total of 26 different Trainer Classes introduced in the Generation VIII games. The majority of these are generic trainers that are not individually named but are known by a descriptive noun e.g. Café Master or Postman. They can be found in many different locations where they challenge the player to a match.
More experienced Trainers become Gym Leaders and these Trainers are named. In the Generation VIII games Sword and Shield and Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl there are eight Gym Leaders. Legends Arceus is set in the distant past before the introduction of Gyms so does not include Gym Leaders.
The Elite Four are four very experienced and strong Trainers. These Trainers are also given names. Once the Elite Four are defeated, the player can go on to battle the Champion who is the generally the last Trainer to defeat the Elite Four. In Sword and Shield there is no Elite Four but instead the player has to take part in the Champion’s Cup and become the winner before taking on the Champion, Leon. In Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl the Champion, Cynthia is faced after defeating the Elite Four. There is no Champion in Legends Arceus but players face a final battle with Arceus.
Team Yell are malevolent Trainers that are led by boss Piers. They work to make Marnie the Pokémon Champion, believing that she will gain publicity for their home town, Spikemouth.
Pokémon Generation VIII Trainers – Complete List
Champion (Sword & Shield)
Leon
Favoured Pokémon Type – None
Stadium – Wyndon Stadium
Champion (Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl)
Cynthia
Favoured Type – None
Stadium – Battle Tower
Generation VIII Trainers – Champion’s Cup Opponents (Sword & Shield)
Role – Galaxy Team Member
Favoured Pokémon Type – None
Peony
(Sword and Shield)
Role – Gym Leader / Champion
Favoured Pokémon Type – Steel
Trainer Classes
Complete list of all new Generation VIII Trainer Classes in alphabetical order
Bandit
Cabbie
Café Master
Clan Leader
Colleagues
Champion
Daring Couple
Dojo Master
Dojo Matron
Elite Four
Ginko Guild Member
Gym Challenger
Gym Leader
League Staff
Macro Cosmos’s (Workers)
Master Dojo Student
Medical Team
Model
Music Crew
Pokémon Wielder
Postman
Security Corps
Survey Corps
Team Galaxy
Team Yell Grunt
Warden