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Was Team Rocket more bad-a**in kanto or unova or different region ?

Syltti

Lilligant's Loving Trainer
198
Posts
11
Years
...Team Rocket? Other than Mewtwo being created, Team Rocket was the farthest thing from "badass" until Unova. You barely see anyone but Jessie, James, and Meowth, with the rare occasions of Cassidy and Butch (and Raticate I guess) until the story in Unova takes place, which is where a bunch of Rockets start making appearances and the usual-failing trio actually attain "badass" status.
 

LividZephyr

Oxymoron, not a moron, thanks
445
Posts
11
Years
I personally think they were at their best upon their first introduction, and then after that fell flat.

In Unova, Jessie, James, and Meowth pretty much lost all of their characterization due to their sporadic appearances, and for what reason? To be more like actual villains until they got written out of the storyline?

I honestly am wondering if something big is going to happen with Team Plasma late in the arc... and they'll blow away everything Team Rocket ever did.
 

Charicific

PkMn Trainer
505
Posts
12
Years
Team Rocket is suppose to play the funny part, not the badass part. I feel sad to know they have changed them all of the sudden in Unova, and hence, eliminating the only reason of their existence. If Jessie, James, and Meowth are not to be silly, stupid, and funny as they usually do then why are they still here?

I do realize they have a significance in Team Rocket's plot but...Why the trio we know? Couldn't they let other members operate while Jessie, James, and Meowth continue their never ending failure to catch Pikachu? :D

Sure, Team Rocket is getting more successful, but I no longer pay much attention to them. In previous series, all I was waiting for in each episode was Team Rocket's idiotic debut and followed by their failure xD
It's just interesting to see how they will fail this time :P

I say this again...Team Rocket SHOULDN'T be successful or plain evil, but rather clowns to smile and laugh on.
 

CourageHound

Trust & Courage. Nothing More
823
Posts
11
Years
I personally think they were at their best upon their first introduction, and then after that fell flat.

In Unova, Jessie, James, and Meowth pretty much lost all of their characterization due to their sporadic appearances, and for what reason? To be more like actual villains until they got written out of the storyline?

I honestly am wondering if something big is going to happen with Team Plasma late in the arc... and they'll blow away everything Team Rocket ever did.

I agree. They became much more focused, serious, evil and succsesful in unova but lost their main characterization from the other regions. Its like someone took the trio and replaced them with modified clones/robots imo. Makes me kinda dislike the "unova" team rocket...
 
458
Posts
13
Years
  • Age 34
  • UK
  • Seen Jan 29, 2013
Definitely agreeing that they're more "bad" in Unova, in that they*'re actually doing some bad stuff, instead of just irritating Ash & co. every episode. And they seem to have more of a "plan". It's actually quite nice to see them getting some sort of "in depth" storyline. I'm currently watching Master Quest as well as keeping up with Rival Destinies, and they are SO much more irritating in the older seasons with their incessant attempts at stealing Pikachu.

*When I say "they", I mean Jessie and James. I think Team Rocket as a whole always had "bad" going on, but you never really see too much of other TR members.
 

Kenshin5

Wanderer
4,391
Posts
15
Years
I never had and still don't think they are badass. They for me are just a different entity then they used to be, by now playing the role of "actual" bad guys and not just comic relief that gets irritating imo after awhile. There act was so dry by now that I didn't even want to see them; it was just try and capture Pikachu come up with a plot, think of how they are going to please the boss, make fools out of themselves and fail miserably. After all the regions we have seen them in its just stagnation on their part. We say they have lack of characterization, but what significant characterization have they really added since OG?

I like their new role, even if we don't see them often at least they utilize the time given too them. And we say they can't be successful in their missions? Why, at least it is something different and at least its not something we have already seen countless times. They could have did more with them yes, but again they could also do more with Plasma...
 
2,776
Posts
16
Years
  • Age 31
  • USA
  • Seen Mar 11, 2024
I'm pretty sure the original question is meant to refer to Jessie and James (and Meowth), so to that I say: they are definitely far better in terms of "badness" and successfulness in Unova than in any other region. In their first few Kanto appearances, Team Rocket was pretty intimidating, but their antics got old quick, which subjected them to their comedic roles. There's nothing wrong with being funny characters/villains, but seeing a stronger Team Rocket trio is much more enjoyable to me. Ash's victories are actually satisfying again, as opposed to half-hearted and empty.
 

Iceshadow3317

Fictional Writer.
5,648
Posts
13
Years
I liked them in Unova the best honestly. They were more evil and not as stupid. However I did miss then parts when they teamed up with the good guys.
 

trapincher

Rocket Executive
38
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Jan 1, 2014
I have mixed feelings about the Team Rocket Trio. I do like that they are more badass in Unova. I miss the "old them". I was really excited when they made their first badass appearance in Unova... but you don't see much of them anymore.
 

Synerjee

[font=Itim]Atra du evarinya ono varda.[/font]
2,901
Posts
11
Years
I find Team Rocket to be much more serious in the Unova region with all those missions and everything. I kinda like it. I miss the old Team Rocket with all their poor disguises that everyone fails to see through and impromptu attempts to steal Pikachu that always end up in failure, but the new Team Rocket has their good points as well. (Points to posts above.)
 

LividZephyr

Oxymoron, not a moron, thanks
445
Posts
11
Years
One further thing on which I must remark is how redundant Team Rocket was in the first three arcs; it was annoying to have them become so formulaic. Basically, it was wear crummy disguises and still not get recognized, catch Pikachu or some other Pokemon, recite motto, and try to make an escape in a mecha or hot air balloon.

Team Rocket needed new juice a long time ago, and they were given that in Unova, but by completely abandoning their characterization. They went from comic relief, even though they hadn't been funny in eons, to "badass" villains that had little relevance.

It really would be good to have a happy medium. Actual character development mixed with actual villainy, while still having some comic relief sequences. Ignoring them completely is a stupid idea, and that's what they ended up doing. The anime just isn't fun to watch if there isn't this medium, yet it also isn't fun to watch if every episode follows the same formula.

Of course, they seem to have been written out of the plot. I'm still curious what direction the anime is going to go in...
 

ShinyUmbreon189

VLONE coming soon
1,461
Posts
12
Years
More badass? No. More funny? Yes. Team Rocket was never badass tho I would say in the Johto series Team Rocket had some good ideas. The whole Gyarados and Lugia thing, etc. Also the Chronicles with Jimmy Team Rocket had badass ideas to capture Raikou.

I wouldn't say Team Rocket is badass in the anime but in-game they are. Just how they tried to take things over were genious.
 

Hannah

beep bop boop
1,150
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11
Years
  • Age 23
  • Seen Nov 16, 2021
I didn't really think Team Rocket was meant to be badass. I think they were created to improve the main story plot by doing hilarious stuff.
 
13,600
Posts
15
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  • Age 31
  • Seen Dec 11, 2023
What I find interesting is that in the series itself they seem to be completely different people. However, we then get to the Victini movie and they're right back to how they were in basically most of the movies, if not all of them. This brought me to the conclusion that if they have a very specific goal in mind with specific steps thought up by someone else that they can actually amount to something. However, when they're just something on a whim or thinking of something completely on their own they don't think things completely. But I'm still fairly early in the unova series so I'm not sure if anything counters this logic or not.
 

Olli

I am still bathing in a summer's afterglow
2,583
Posts
13
Years
The Team Rocket trio have definitely had their coolest moments in Unova, since that was when they got a complete change, becoming more professionel, less kidding around, and actually creating plans with much more likeliness to succeed, and best of all, no more freaking holes! But as has aready been mentioned, they're no longer the same characters.

They may bear the same names, bodies and ranks, but all that was actually Jessie, James and Meowth has been washed out by the demands of them being less annoying and acting more as villains, rather than just showing up and wasting the episodes. And for my opinion, I really hate it. They may not have been cool in the most prominent way, but they were kind of the comic relief characters of the series, as well as they acted as part villains - part protagonists. At times they would help Ash and friends, and if it weren't for them and their crazy ideas, a lot of things would've gone differently, as well as I felt like they were really likeable before. Now all that was of the original Team Rocket just seems to have been sucked out of them, and they just remain as empty shells of a trio set on pleasing their boss in every way possible. Except now they don't have their personalities to get in the way of that, and are more or less perfect. Pffffft.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
Posts
13
Years
Unova was when Team Rocket was at their best, IMO because they were a lot more serious than in the other four regions. At that time, I liked it when they blasted off with jetpacks rather than being hurled into the sky.
 

Elements1

Meh
272
Posts
11
Years
I have not watched many episodes with the Unova team rocket (I'm starting from season 1 and working my way up Im in season 5 master quest) but what I see so far is that Unova team rocket is way more "upgraded" if you will. Their technology has gone up (as well as their brains) even the new actors that play Jessie, James and Meowth sound more intelligent and evilier(that a word?). Anyway so far I like them more in Unova than anywhere else.
 
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