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The Pokemon series certainly has its challenges, but few tasks are as daunting for trainers as taking on a region's Elite Four. These high-level trainers utilize well-trained and powerful Pocket Monster teams, and players who aren't prepared for them can be sent back to Victory Road's staging area to try again. However, not all Elite Four groups are created equal, and some are more capable than others.
As of Generation IX, there are naturally nine distinct Elite Four groups in the Pokemon series. An additional team will be introduced in Scarlet and Violet in The Indigo Disk DLC, but it doesn't hurt to take a look at the current slate of teams and rank the most fearsome in Pocket Monsters history.
Note: This ranking is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
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Ranking the strongest Elite Four groups in the Pokemon series to date
10) Kalos (Generation VI)
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Although Pokemon fans may not consider Generation VI to be the easiest game compared to the likes of Generation VII, the Kalos Elite Four don't live up to their reputation. Each member only uses four Pocket Monsters on their team compared to a full team of six. Some members don't even have fighters with full movesets.
Throw in the fact that opponents like Siebold's Gyarados and Wikstrom Scizor have 4x elemental weaknesses (Electric- and Fire-type moves, respectively), and Kalos' final gauntlet of opponents is far from intimidating. These four combatants don't even utilize Mega Evolution, which most trainers can use to their advantage against them.
9) Alola in Sun & Moon (Generation VII)
Pokemon fans tend to consider the original Sun and Moon games as arguably the easiest in recent memory, and this is partially due to the Alola region's first Elite Four. Overall, each member has incredibly easy Pocket Monsters to counter, including the likes of Olivia's Alolan Golem and Relicanth. However, the team does have some heavy hitters in Hala's Hariyama and Acerola's Sableye.
Once more, some members of the Elite Four's teams in Alola don't even have full movesets to utilize. Plus, the ability to challenge them in any order gives trainers ample time to strategize and reign supreme.
8) Alola in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon (Generation VII)
Alola's Elite Four got a little bit of a facelift in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, albeit not a huge one. Molayne takes Hala's place and has a competent Steel-type team that includes a pretty strong Metagross. Olivia receives a capable Gigalith, but Kahili inexplicably drops her Skarmory for a Hawlucha instead.
All told, this iteration of Alola's Elite Four is a tad bit tougher to beat, primarily due to Molayne's presence, but it's far from a difficult set of encounters as a whole.
7) Hoenn (Generations III and VII)
Although Hoenn's Elite Four deserves appreciation for using powerful Pokemon like Drake's Altaria and Salamence or Glacia's Walrein and Glalie, this group has a major issue: they carry duplicates to fill out their six-creature teams. Glacia uses two Glalie and two Sealeo, Phoebe uses two Banette, and Drake uses two Flygon.
This makes Hoenn's Elite Four quite easy to counter once trainers have already developed a counter strategy, as the same moves that beat one Pokemon will beat a duplicate. The saving grace of this team comes in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where rematching allows them to use Mega Evolutions like Mega Sableye, Glalie, Salamence, and Absol.
6) Paldea (Generation IX)
Paldea's Elite Four in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is a pretty decent challenge but is far from the most difficult encounter in the franchise. Even though each member only utilizes five creatures per team, most utilize competent dual elemental typings that aren't always easy to counter. Additionally, each member has access to Terastallization, allowing them to change a creature's type on the fly.
Moreover, although trainers encounter Larry as a Gym Leader earlier on in their Paldean adventures, he opts for a Flying-type team instead of a Normal-type one as a member of the Elite Four. This certainly throws a curveball for players thinking he'll roll over easily.
5) Johto (Generations II and IV)
Technically, Johto's Elite Four is based in the Kanto region. However, since they're the penultimate challenge in the Generation II games and their Gen IV remakes that primarily take place in Johto, they get the nod as the region's representatives. Though they sport lower levels for their Pokemon, they have team lineups that are rife with dual combination creatures that can be tough to counter.
This iteration of the E4 can be pretty simple to beat after receiving eight badges. Their teams are tougher to overcome after collecting all 16 badges between Johto and Kanto. Moreover, opponents like the Dark-type trainer Karen don't always use Pokemon that fit her team lineup, as first-time challengers will notice she utilizes Gengar and Vileplume in her lineup as a curveball.
Additionally, Bruno, a Fighting-type user, keeps an Onix in his lineup, and the Poison-type ninja Koga holds a Forretress in reserve. If trainers think they can use one Pocket Monster to counter each Elite Four member in battle, they may be in for a change in strategy.
4) Kanto
Before the previous team on this list took over, Kanto had a different lineup of Elite Four members seen in Generation I, the Gen III remakes FireRed and LeafGreen, and who also make an appearance in Generation VII's Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! Unfortunately, the Kanto Elite Four shares a similar weakness to Hoenn's in Generation I and III games, as they have repeat Pokemon in their lineups.
This changes substantially in Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee! as the Kanto Elite Four gains incredibly strong Pocket Monsters in their lineups (though Agatha still uses duplicate Gengar). Bruno retains curveball options like Onix while gaining Alolan Golem, and Lorelei gets an Alolan Sandslash. Agatha gets an Alolan Marowak, and Lance's Charizard gains the ability to Mega Evolve into Mega Charizard X.
Though they're fairly straightforward to battle, Kanto's Elite Four isn't an easy obstacle to overcome in most circumstances. Trainers will want to ensure they have a counter strategy in place and train their creatures to as high a level as possible.
3) Sinnoh (Generations IV and VIII)
Sinnoh's Elite Four is quite unconventional due to the presence of a Bug-type member in Aaron and a Ground-type member in Bertha. Though that may not seem like a major change, Sinnoh's Elite Four teams are chock full of tricky type combinations like Bertha's Mamoswine, Aaron's Flygon, and Lucian's Bronzong in Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl after completing Stark Mountain.
Though Sinnoh's teams are simpler to tackle in the original Diamond/Pearl/Platinum titles, the type combinations used by nearly every member save for the Fire-type trainer Flint are tricky to gameplan for.
2) Unova (Generation V)
Sporting six different teams between each member across Pokemon Black and White and their sequels, Black 2 and White 2, Unova's Elite Four are the only team with the distinguished honor of having a Challenge Mode configuration, and they certainly don't disappoint. Between Shauntal's Chandelure, Marshal's Lucario, Grimsley's Tyranitar, and Caitlin's Metagross, this E4 doesn't lack firepower.
Even outside of Challenge Mode, Unova's Elite Four is high-level, incorporates great type combinations, and utilizes more than a few pseudo-legendary Pokemon. Compared to just about every other Elite Four team, Unova's final four are simply far and above the competition.
1) BB League Elite Four
The newest arrival of a Pokemon Elite Four team and an incredibly strong one at that, the BB League Elite Four may be the strongest group assembled in Pocket Monsters games thus far. Their teams consist of Level 80 creatures before rematches. While each member fits a theme like other Elite Four teams, they all contain one creature that exists solely to deal with a trainer's counterpicks.
Throw in the fact that the BB League Elite Four's Pokemon are faced in a Double Battle format and have team compositions not too far removed from those seen in some Scarlet and Violet PvP lineups. It's no surprise that some fans faced a tougher challenge with this group than just about any other.
If that wasn’t enough, each member can utilize Terastallization, cementing their firepower regardless of whether players are battling them for the first time or not.
Thanks to their Double Battle team synergies, pocket counterpicks, and tough-to-crack elemental dual-type combinations, the BB League Elite Four are worthy of being the late-game opponents in Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC.
Even getting the chance to battle them in the first place is tough because they require the completion of their Elite Trials to do so.
