Best villain group in game and anime

Started by Bestintheworld December 27th, 2013 10:30 PM
  • 1918 views
  • 28 replies
  • Poll

Which team is your favorite?

Bestintheworld

Capo de tutti capo

Male
New York
Seen June 27th, 2014
Posted June 11th, 2014
206 posts
9.6 Years
For me being a total genwunner I found team rocket to be the best and most interesting group. I mean Jesse, James, and meowth enough said.. Add in the evil Giovanni who was the viridan city gym leader in gen 1 and it's spells trouble. From their tactics to personalities I would definitely say team rocket will always be my favorite villain group in pokemon and maybe in all games/anime. So who was your favorite villain group in either the games or anime.
3ds FC: 4742-6969-1716
White 2 FC: 0133-4568-1465
BEST IN THE WORLD!!!

Alexander Nicholi

work hard, play hard

Age 25
Male
Research Triangle / Jakarta
Seen February 15th, 2023
Posted March 5th, 2021
5,498 posts
13.5 Years
The most villainous goes to Teams Magma and Aqua for me in the Anime and the games, but for the overall best (in the anime at least) I'd say Team Rocket's #1. I love how they wrote Jessie's, James', and Meowth's characters to be supposed cold crooks that have really big hearts for others. That's just so sweet. :)
the beat goes on (ノ^o^;)ノ
ヽ(;^o^ヽ) the beat goes on
the beat goes on (ノ^o^;)ノ
ヽ(;^o^ヽ) the beat goes on
( don’t stop the groovin’ )

GhastlyGastly

Crazy Pokémon Lady

Female
Lumiose City
Seen October 12th, 2015
Posted October 5th, 2015
128 posts
10.3 Years
I have a very nostalgic attachment to Team Rocket; I love them so much. Jesse and James and Meowth are embedded in my psyche forever.

However: as for the best villains, Team Rocket can't possibly win, they're too silly and incompetent. I have to vote for Team Plasma as the best villains: because theirs is a subtle villainy. They succeed because of demagoguery: their arguments and their ideals actually make some degree of sense, for a while anyway (up until they decide to forcibly take people's Pokémon away, and use them for their own purposes once they've left everyone else defenseless).
They're the Pokémon equivalent of a terrorist organization, basically: their ideas are actually reasonable enough that they can get people to follow them and comply with them, even though secretly they're total hypocrites and have a covert sinister agenda. Yeah, as villains go in Pokémon, Team Plasma is well-developed and plausible. So they have to be the best for me, hands-down.

Bestintheworld

Capo de tutti capo

Male
New York
Seen June 27th, 2014
Posted June 11th, 2014
206 posts
9.6 Years
I have a very nostalgic attachment to Team Rocket; I love them so much. Jesse and James and Meowth are embedded in my psyche forever.

However: as for the best villains, Team Rocket can't possibly win, they're too silly and incompetent. I have to vote for Team Plasma as the best villains: because theirs is a subtle villainy. They succeed because of demagoguery: their arguments and their ideals actually make some degree of sense, for a while anyway (up until they decide to forcibly take people's Pokémon away, and use them for their own purposes once they've left everyone else defenseless).
They're the Pokémon equivalent of a terrorist organization, basically: their ideas are actually reasonable enough that they can get people to follow them and comply with them, even though secretly they're total hypocrites and have a covert sinister agenda. Yeah, as villains go in Pokémon, Team Plasma is well-developed and plausible. So they have to be the best for me, hands-down.
Good perspective, team plasma is probably my second favorite after team rocket. They were also probably the best thing a about gen 5 in my opinion due to the lackluster pokes. Ghettis had a very strong presence and was a strong character much like Giovanni was in the game and anime. That being said, for me it comes down to pure nostalgia for team rocket, and although their "silly" and "incompetent", what other team has spanned multiple generations, captured pickachu multiple times, oh and genetically modified and created a pokemon(mewtwo)?
3ds FC: 4742-6969-1716
White 2 FC: 0133-4568-1465
BEST IN THE WORLD!!!

GhastlyGastly

Crazy Pokémon Lady

Female
Lumiose City
Seen October 12th, 2015
Posted October 5th, 2015
128 posts
10.3 Years
Good perspective, team plasma is probably my second favorite after team rocket. They were also probably the best thing a about gen 5 in my opinion due to the lackluster pokes. Ghettis had a very strong presence and was a strong character much like Giovanni was in the game and anime. That being said, for me it comes down to pure nostalgia for team rocket, and although their "silly" and "incompetent", what other team has spanned multiple generations, captured pickachu multiple times, oh and genetically modified and created a pokemon(mewtwo)?
I agree about Ghetsis being a strong character; yeah, Generation V was a pretty disappointing generation as far as the new Pokémon, in my opinion. Team Plasma might indeed have been the most interesting part of the whole generation.

You make fair points about Team Rocket though. I admit, when I say "Team Rocket", I'm referring to Jesse, James, and Meowth; who are indisputably incompetent (their capturing Pikachu multiple times can't possibly count: the didn't succeed in keeping Pikachu, did they?). But yes, the greater Team Rocket, with all they achieved, is one of the better villain organizations. Giovanni was a deeply interesting and complex character, and easily an equal to Ghetsis. He managed to not only be (apparently) a brilliant legitimate businessman (as well as brilliant illegitimate businessman as well), but to found and head an enormous criminal organization whilst simultaneously acting as the Gym Leader of Viridian City. And the creation of Mewtwo is greatly interesting as well. I don't think that Team Rocket can be granted all of the credit for Mewtwo, since the Mew research which led to Mewtwo was only partly connected to Team Rocket, but their contribution is noteworthy, for sure, particularly when it comes to Giovanni's training of Mewtwo.

Chocolate™

Awesome Dragon

Male
PC.
Seen May 16th, 2019
Posted June 6th, 2015
666 posts
11.3 Years


However: as for the best villains, Team Rocket can't possibly win, they're too silly and incompetent. I have to vote for Team Plasma as the best villains: because theirs is a subtle villainy. They succeed because of demagoguery: their arguments and their ideals actually make some degree of sense, for a while anyway (up until they decide to forcibly take people's Pokémon away, and use them for their own purposes once they've left everyone else defenseless).
They're the Pokémon equivalent of a terrorist organization, basically: their ideas are actually reasonable enough that they can get people to follow them and comply with them, even though secretly they're total hypocrites and have a covert sinister agenda. Yeah, as villains go in Pokémon, Team Plasma is well-developed and plausible. So they have to be the best for me, hands-down.
I personally agree with you. Team Plasma have some sort of sense while actually starting out. That's probably the first time people do something like that in a pokemon game. The leader is proably he best pokemon villain ever and is actually thinking that he is saving pokemon while doing all his stuff. Although their suits in the original black and white are ridiculous.

Brendino

The Ruins of Alph
Seen 10 Hours Ago
Posted April 6th, 2023
8,567 posts
13.4 Years
Echoing what has already been said in this thread, I'd go with Team Rocket (excluding the anime trio) and Team Plasma as the two best villanous groups within the series. Team Rocket's goal seems to be evil for the sake of being evil, while still staying in the public eye by running things like the Game Corner, and Giovanni being the Viridian City Gym Leader. As for Team Plasma, Ghetsis' diversion plan of freeing Pokemon from trainers to make it easier to take over the world is quite ingenious- much more clever than re-colonizing in space or flooding the earth.

Timbjerr

T-o-X-i-C

Age 36
Female
Texas
Seen May 30th, 2022
Posted January 28th, 2016
7,415 posts
19.7 Years
Plasma for pretty much all of the reasons GhastlyGastly already mentioned. I'll even go on record as saying that Ghetsis is probably the best villain in the Pokémon main series games to date. His lopsidded and asymmetrical design, his duplicitous nature, his implied child abuse with N, the fact that he trains a Hydreigon...badass incarnate.

I'd say Team Rocket because they created Mewtwo.
I'm pretty sure this is only canon to the anime. In the games it was merely a private endeavor that may or may not have been funded by Giovanni, but nobody knows.
Male
California
Seen May 1st, 2016
Posted May 1st, 2016
215 posts
13 Years
This one is kind of tricky.. I know pretty much nothing outside of Team Rocket as far as the anime is concerned.. and since the anime makes up it's own rules most of the time, I don't know how legit they are.

I think my favorites would have to be Team Aqua/Magma .. though the story, from what I remember, is written in such a way that it's hard to tell which one is really bad when they both have a certain degree of good intentions in mind. I would side with Magma, given Hoenns situation.. but if they get out of control and turn everything into a desert, that would be bad.. so.. I dunno I like complex "villians" I guess.

But for silly fun time non-sense, Team Flare and Team Rocket all the way. I imagine if all the teams got together in the same room, Rocket and Flare would be the life of the party while the others kind of just brood in a corner.
---
3ds Friend Code
2036-7317-0445

--Normal Safari--
Aipom -- Loudred -- Smeargle

If you add me, PM so that I may do the same :)

Crunch Punch

fire > ice

Age 25
Male
England
Seen March 18th, 2019
Posted January 16th, 2017
1,374 posts
10.2 Years
If we are talking best villain group, then I would say Team Plasma. Ghetsis is a smart villain and his manipulation skills were definitely second to none. The way he created N is just brilliant and the most sinister thing I've ever seen in Pokemon.
>> paired to gimmepie · last.fm

curiousnathan

Male
Australia
Seen October 18th, 2020
Posted October 5th, 2020
7,753 posts
13.7 Years
I find Team Galactic to be the best and most evil team within the shows and games. No other team's plans matched up against the sheer magnitude of Team Galactic's. (Perhaps...Aqua/Magma's in some respects.) I found Cyrus to be creepy sinister, especially since he wanted to erase the whole world and all of its inhabitants (including himself and his commanders) to build a whole new world. I also found them to be the most formidable team in the game; Cyrus was actually pretty hard to beat on several occasions.

Meganium

memento mori

she/her
Houston, TX
Seen February 1st, 2023
Posted February 1st, 2023
Nostalgically I really liked Team Rocket, but Team Plasma wins as most evil villain team in the history of Pokemon. If you played BW2, you can tell that Plasma has evolved from this newly formed team to a team ready to dominate.

ObnoxiousOboe

The Musical Psychic

Male
United States (South Dakota/Colorado)
Seen 1 Week Ago
Posted April 1st, 2023
104 posts
9.9 Years
Team Rocket's the most memorable villain group. But in my opinion, I would have to go with Team Magma and Aqua from the Hoenn Region. Also the idea of having two villainous teams made things more unique and interesting.
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/obnoxiousoboe

Everyone has their right to be the very best. I hope everyone accomplishes that dream.

DynamicD

Metagross Fan

Male
Seen January 22nd, 2015
Posted June 23rd, 2014
187 posts
9.6 Years
Jesse, James and Meowth are my favorite in the Johto and Kanto anime. However, I really dislike them in Hoenn and so on. For the games, like many on this list, goes to Team Magma and Aqua. I thought that 2 villainous teams would be an amazing idea.
This signature has been disabled.
sig too tall
Please review and fix the issues by reading the signature rules.

You must edit it to meet the limits set by the rules before you may remove the [sig-reason] code from your signature. Removing this tag will re-enable it.

Do not remove the tag until you fix the issues in your signature. You may be infracted for removing this tag if you do not fix the specified issues. Do not use this tag for decoration purposes.
Age 30
Male
Belgium
Seen March 29th, 2014
Posted February 17th, 2014
110 posts
9.4 Years
For me being a total genwunner I found team rocket to be the best and most interesting group. I mean Jesse, James, and meowth enough said.. Add in the evil Giovanni who was the viridan city gym leader in gen 1 and it's spells trouble. From their tactics to personalities I would definitely say team rocket will always be my favorite villain group in pokemon and maybe in all games/anime. So who was your favorite villain group in either the games or anime.
^This exactly. On the animes, I don't know. I've only watched some episodes from the first Gen and some from the second.
Shinies Pokémon X: Dugtrio (Random Encounter), Clawitzer (Chainfishing 24 Streak), Gible (Acidently MM After 14 Eggs), Shroomish (MM After 210 Eggs), Treecko (MM After 42 Eggs)

Looking for: Non-Us Tentacool

moon

they/them
Seen 12 Hours Ago
Posted 2 Days Ago
37,443 posts
15.5 Years
I haven't seen other groups than TR in the anime, and I really don't think they are any good there so I'll go with the game and manga perspective~

In the PokéSpe manga, all villain groups are pretty sinister and cool. All have their reasons for doing things. Giovanni wants to stop Mewtwo and find his son, Archie and Maxie want supreme power and change Hoenn (iirc) and later Archie wants a wish, Neo Rocket is manipulated by Pryce to find Celebi, Cyrus is evil for real and wants to recreate the universe...

Come to think of it, Team Galactic is the creepiest team. While Magma/Aqua can be reasoned with, and TR are petty thieves or at least criminals, TG has mindless followers and an ultimately sinister goal of destroying the region and enter another dimension. They are so creepy. Never played through a Sinnoh game fully, but in the manga they are downright evil, freezing people into another dimension and blowing up the lakes and stuff. I thought Archie was creepy, but this...

Then there is Team Plasma, which I think is the most interesting of the teams. It has a story and goal, moreso than the other ones. Bar Magma/Aqua perhaps. The whole thing with Ghetsis and N is smart and really, I should finish my White version already to see~

Team Flare, I don't have any clue about. They don't seem too good or cool really :p

Still, TR with Neo Rocket from the manga and later even in the FR/LG saga might be the best villain team still. Rocket and Plasma can get a shared first place from me.
paired with Ivysaur
Seen February 26th, 2015
Posted February 8th, 2015
1,908 posts
10.3 Years
Anime - Jessie, James and Meowth. I believe everyone attests to this due to nostalgia, comedy and a sense of dedication to have villains in the anime in general.

PokéSpe manga - Hmm, this is a hard choice. About all of the evil teams are real serious, and they have some deep serious desires. After TR created Mewtwo and almost destroyed Kanto, and the masked man (Pryce, was it?) capturing time itself, Magma and Aqua fighting over Hoenn itself, Team Galactic being wanted to change the universal laws itself. Team Plasma is one I haven't heard of, but from what RHCP said they seem pretty sinister.

Games - Oh, for sure Team Plasma. They had a good point, though Ghetsis ruined it at the end by the usual world domination ********. Still, N was for one a true follower of this policy. This made them a more 'Pokémon Liberators' type than stupid evil team who lose to kids with weird hats type. I truly started questioning the ethics of Pokémon in general after this (I made a few points on this subject, I once made a thread here about Pokéballism) and this opened me new ideas to toy with. I don't know, it seems that the general points they've started out with have become weird and unreal only after a gargantuan amount of new Pokémon were found. All the same, this team was really the team one had to watch for.
~