Here is our Complete Guide on the Gym Leaders in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Find out their Pokemon lineups, weaknesses, and more!

One of the franchise’s classics has returned with the arrival of Pokémon Sword and Shield: gym leaders. The gym leaders played a key part in Galar this time. Players take on the Gym Leader Challenge, which requires them to gather eight badges in order to be considered for the title of Champion of the Region.

Unlike past games, where players had to defeat the Elite Four to win, this time they will have to compete in a tournament of the region’s best trainers. Gym leaders, the main character’s rival Hop, and the undefeated, reigning Champion himself, Leon, are among these trainers. The number of gym badges the trainer obtains determines the game’s progression. As their number increases, they will be able to catch stronger Pokémon and explore new locations. Because each gym leader focuses on a specific Pokémon type, having a well-balanced team is key.

Pokemon Sword and Shield Gym Leaders Guide

Before entering the tournament, players must defeat eight gym leaders in total, but for the first time in Pokémon history, each game has its own set of gym leaders. Bea, a fighting Pokémon expert, is the fourth gym leader in Pokémon Sword. Allister, the fourth gym leader in Pokémon Shield, is a Ghost-type user. Gordie, who Uses Rock-type Pokémon, is the sixth gym leader in Pokémon Sword. Players will face Melony, an Ice-type trainer, in Shield. Here is our Complete Guide on how to beat all the Gym leaders in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Milo – Pokemon Sword and Shield

Milo, a master of grass-type Pokémon, resides in the first gym you face in Turffield. He only has two creatures on his team because he’s the first gym leader, and both of them may be wiped off with a fire-type Pokémon. Otherwise, a good flying type like Rookiedee, once it evolves into Corvisquire, or a Bug-Type like Caterpie, once it evolves into Butterfree, would help you in earning your first badge.

You’ll have to lead a flock of 20 Wooloo through a series of obstacles while avoiding distracting Yampers and fighting inevitable Gym Trainers who are all using Grass Type Pokemon.

• Gossifleur – Level 19 Grass-type
• Eldegoss – Level 20 Grass-type, can be Dynamaxed

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 25, train Pokemon up to Lv. 30, TM10 Magical Leaf, and the Grass Uniform.

Nessa  – Pokemon Sword and Shield

The second gym leader is Nessa, who can be found in Hulbury. Her preferred type is a water pokemon, which is particularly vulnerable to attacks from grass and electric-type pokemon. This fight will be done before she even realises what’s going on if you picked Grookey. The hills, on the other hand, have lots of possibilities for you to explore if you need some type advantage. Bounsweet may be found throughout the Wild Area, and Shield players have access to wild Lotad on Route 2, while Sword players can pick up a Seedot in the same location. Both Pokémon can evolve into powerful anti-Water types.

Nessa is at the lighthouse when you first arrive in town. If you don’t talk to her here, she won’t come back to the gym. Following that, you must navigate a maze that changes routes and fills with water. You can face Nessa once you’ve gotten to the other side.

• Goldeen – Level 22 Water-type
• Arrokuda – Level 23 Water-type
• Drednaw – Level 24 Water and Rock-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 30, train Pokemon up to Lv. 35, TM36 Whirpool, and the Water Uniform.

Kabu – Pokemon Sword and Shield

On the Gym Challenge, players will meet Kabu, a fire-type user and the third gym leader. Many common types, including as Water and Ground, are weak to Fire-type Pokémon. Trainers who choose Sobble will have no trouble getting around this gym, but the rest of us have a lot of options to choose from. Players can catch Drilbur, a Ground-type Pokémon that evolves into Excadrill, one of the game’s most powerful Pokémon. Lotad or Rolycoly, a Rock Pokémon that evolves into the amazing Rock and Fire-type Coalossal, are other options. Trainers can catch Chewtle, which evolves into Drednaw, Nessa’s Ace Pokémon.

One of the more delightful gym challenges in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Sure, you’ll have to face others, but that just means you’ll be able to feel good about how awesome you are. You must get five points before your opponents, which is easy enough to do if you capture any wild Pokémon. You get one point for defeating one, but three points for making them happy in a Poké ball.

• Ninetales – Level 25 Fire-type
• Arcanine – Level 25 Fire-type
• Centiskorch – Level 27 Fire and Bug-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 35, train Pokemon up to Lv. 40, TM38 Will-O-Wisp, and the Fire Uniform

Bea – Pokemon Sword 

Bea, a Fighting-type specialist, is the first Pokémon Sword Exclusive gym leader for Stow-on-Side. Her Pokémon will hurl powerful punches, and trainers who aren’t prepared will be quickly blindsided. Psychic, Flying, and Fairy Pokémon are weak to Fighting-type Pokémon, whereas Fighting-type attacks cannot hit Ghost-type Pokémon. Several of Bea’s Pokémon, though, have Dark-type attacks that are super effective against Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon.

Trainers are recommended to use Flying or Fairy-type Pokémon. Flying Pokémon such as Corviknight and Rufflet are excellent options. Inteleon, Sobble’s final evolution, can also learn a few Flying-type moves. Even though its half Psychic-type makes Bea’s Dark-type attacks deal neutral damage, Gardevoir, the final evolution of Ralts, can be a good option if players prefer to utilise a Fairy-type.

Both the Pokemon Sword and Shield Gym Leaders have an identical Gym Mission for Stow-on-Side. In Pokemon Sword, you must slide down a slope while spinning the control stick to go left and right and punching gloves to move around even more.

• Hitmontop – Level 34 Fighting-type
• Pangoro – Level 34 Fighting and Dark-type
• Sirfetch’d – Level 35 Fighting-type
• Machamp – Level 36 Fighting-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 40, train Pokemon up to Lv. 45, TM42 Revenge, and the Fighting Uniform.

Allister – Pokemon Shield

Pokémon Sword may have Bea and her team of Fighting-type pokemon, but on the fourth stop of the Gym Leader challenge, Pokémon Shield players will face a far spookier opponent. Allister is waiting for you in Stow-On- Side’s, and he’s prepared with a gang of Ghost-type Pokémon. When the weather turns snowy, your best hope is to rely on Dark-type Pokémon like a Sneasel in the Motostoke Wild Area, or an Impidimp and its evolved form Morgrem which can be found in the Motostoke Outskirt.

The Ghost Gym will have you drive a cup-shaped automobile, moving the joystick left or right to navigate in those directions, avoiding obstacles, and using glowing green hands to propel you up as needed. Although there are occasional Gym Trainer fights to complete between sections of track, it’s very simple to go around.

• Yamask – Level 34 Ground and Ghost-type
• Mimikyu – Level 34 Ghost and Fairy-type
• Cursola – Level 35 Ghost-type
• Gengar – Level 36 Ghost and Poison-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 40, train Pokemon up to Lv. 45, TM77 Hex, and the Ghost Uniform.

Opal – Pokemon Sword and Shield

Trainers will meet Opal as the fifth gym leader in their Gym Leader Challenge. She has a bunch of Fairy-type Pokémon with a lot of different secondary types. Fairy Pokémon are generally weak to Steel and Poison-type Pokémon. Galarian Weezing is Poison/Fairy, hence Poison attacks have no effect on it. It does, however, become vulnerable to Ground and Psychic Pokémon. Because Mawile is Steel/Fairy, it is immune to Poison attacks and receives neutral damage from Steel attacks. With the addition of typing, it becomes vulnerable to Fire and Ground-type moves. Excadrill is the strongest Pokémon that players can have for this gym. The Ground/Steel type will deal massive damage to every single one of Opal’s Pokémon.

We hope you’re prepared for a brief Q&A, because this gym mission will require you to answer to some questions. You must fight other trainers in battles, and occasionally, Opal will ask a question.

• Weezing – Level 36 Poison and Fairy-type
• Mawile – Level 36 Fairy and Flying-type
• Togekiss – Level 37 Fairy and Steel-type
• Alcremie – Level 38 Fairy-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 45, train Pokemon up to Lv. 50, TM87 Draining Kiss, and the Fairy Uniform.

Gordie – Pokemon Sword 

Gordie, a Rock-type trainer, is the sixth gym leader players will meet in Pokémon Sword, and the region’s second version-exclusive gym leader. While many Rock-type Pokémon have good defense stats, they also have a lot of weaknesses. Rock Pokémon are vulnerable to following types of attacks – Fighting, Water, Grass, Ground, and Steel. Because Gordie’s Coalossal is 4x weak to Water, Inteleon, the final evolution of Sobble, is an excellent choice for this gym. Excadrill, like many of the other gyms, is a good pick because its Ground and Steel attacks are extremely strong against all of Gordie’s Pokémon.

Gordie’s challenge in his Circhester gym is extremely difficult: you’ve got a pair of rods, a room full of traps, and many gym trainers to defeat. When your controller begins to vibrate, you know a trap is ahead, so move cautiously and slowly to avoid it. Alternatively, you can activate all of them and simply walk around them once you’ve been warped back to the start of the room.

• Barbaracle – Level 40 Water and Rock-type
• Shuckle – Level 40 Rock and Bug-type
• Stonjourner – Level 41 Rock-type
• Coalossal – Level 42 Rock and Fire-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 50, train Pokemon up to Lv. 60, TM48 Rock Tomb, and a Rock Uniform

Melony – Pokemon Shield

In Pokémon Shield, the Circhester Gym Leader is Melony, an Ice-type trainer. Ice-types are incredibly strong offensively, but they are weak defensively, with the exception of Lapras. Many common attacking moves, like as Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Steel, are weak to Ice-types. Excadrill, as well as Cinderace, Scorbunny’s last evolution, are still excellent choices for trainers. Trainers should bear in mind, though, that Melony’s Lapras is also a Water-type, making it immune to Fire and Rock. Conkeldurr is one of the strongest Fighting-types with a tremendous punch, while Aegislash is a solid Steel/Ghost-type that may be used at many points in the game.

Melony’s gym, like Gordie’s, has a surface that hides a variety of traps. To avoid them, you’ll have to utilise the rods available, or throw caution to the wind and take a tumble as you clumsily dismiss every option. Several gym trainers are also waiting to put you through your tests, so be prepared for a fight.

• Frosmorth – Level 40 Bug and Ice-type
• Darmanitan – Level 40 Ice-type
• Eiscue – Level 41 Ice-type
• Lapras – Level 42 Water and Ice-type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 50, train Pokemon up to Lv. 60, TM27 Icy Wind, and an Ice Uniform.

Piers – Pokemon Sword and Shield

Piers is an expert in Dark-type Pokémon. He’s also odd in that he doesn’t Dynamax his Pokémon, and the battle doesn’t take place in a typical stadium. Although Dark-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Fairy, Bug, and Fighting-type attacks, Piers’ Pokemon all have secondary types that trainers can use. Scrafty is 4 times vulnerable to Fairy-type moves, Malamar is 4 times vulnerable to Bug, and Obstagoon is 4 times vulnerable to Fighting-type attacks. A Fairy type, such as Galarian Weezing, Alcremie, or Ribombee, to be used by the players. 

The sole purpose of your gym mission is to beat Team Yell, a faction led by Piers. Surprisingly, Marnie assists you, preferring to prove her superiority through fair competition rather than having her big brother decline to compete against other trainers.

• Scrafty – Level 44 Dark and Fighting type
• Malamar – Level 45 Dark and Psychic type
• Skuntank – Level 45 Dark and Poison type
• Obstagoon – Level 46 Dark and Normal type

Rewards: Can catch Pokemon up to Lv. 55, train Pokemon up to Lv. 70, TM85 Snarl, and a Dark Uniform.

Raihan – Pokemon Sword and Shield

Raihan, the Galar Region’s second-best trainer, is the eighth and final gym leader. Despite the fact that he is a Dragon-type expert, half of his team isn’t made up of Dragon-type Pokémon. Instead, he uses Pokémon that take advantage of Gigalith’s ability to create Sandstorm weather. This battle is unique in that it is a Double Battle, requiring players to battle two Pokémon at the same time.

Because there isn’t a single type that can hit all of Raihan’s Pokémon for super-effective damage, players will need to have a decently balanced team. Gigalith and Duraludon are vulnerable to Ground Pokémon, whereas Flygon and Sandaconda are easily defeated by Ice-type Pokémon. When entering battle, Abomasnow is an excellent choice because its ability removes Gigalith’s Sand Stream by establishing Hail conditions. Its Grass/Ice type also enables it to deal super effective damage to three of his four Pokémon.

To wrap up the Gym Challenge, there’s one more semi-straightforward mission. All you have to do is defeat three Gym Trainers in double battles, which entails planning your battle pairs ahead of time. These are the Gym Trainers:

1. Gym Trainer Sebastian

Pelipper (Water / Flying Type) and Sliggoo (Dragon Type)

2. Gym Trainer Camilla

Turtonator (Fire / Dragon Type) and Ninetales (Fire Type)

3. Gym Trainer Aria

Hakamo-o (Dragon / Fighting Type) and Abomasnow (Grass / Ice Type)

• Gigalith – Level 46 Rock-type
• Flygon – Level 47 Ground and Dragon-type
• Sandaconda – Level 46 Ground-type
• Duraludon – Level 48 Dragon and Steel-type

Rewards: Can catch and train Pokemon of any level, TM99 Breaking Swipe, and a Dragon Uniform.

This was our Pokemon Sword and Shield Gym Leaders Guide. You can select the Best Pokemon according to type and beat the Gym Leaders. By the time you have beaten the 8th Gym, you will have enough Pokemon to build a well-balanced Team. 

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