Best Pokémon rivals

6506 duels later, Blue remains #1 in the Pokémon favorite rival ranking with 1361 ELO points, while Silver holds firm at #2.

Blue edges out Silver by just 10 points at the top, but the tightest race sits lower: only 16 ELO points separate Wally in fourth from Serena / Calem in fifth. The original rival from Red and Blue still commands respect after decades, winning 66% of his matchups across 82 duels. Hugh sits third with 1341 points, rounding out a top three dominated by characters from the first two generations. At the opposite end, the bottom reveals a harsh verdict on newer companions: Arven languishes at #20 with 917 points and a 24% win rate, while Tierno and Trevor occupy the penultimate spots. The Generation VI crew struggles to connect with voters, suggesting nostalgia holds strong in this particular debate.

This ranking draws from 6506 duels submitted by 105 players across 20 contenders, updated on 11 October 2026. Each duel forces a choice between two rivals, and the accumulated results shape the ELO ratings that determine the order. Whether you side with the classics or champion an underdog from a later generation, the platform remains open for your vote. Head to the ranking and pick your side in the next matchup.

Updated on October 11, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →