Ever since it was announced, Pokémon Sword and Shield have caused quite a stir in the game's community. One of the things that has attracted the attention of fans is the number of rivals that have appeared in this newest entry, and with yet another rival being announced, it's hard to remember who's a Gym leader and who's actually a rival.
Thankfully, iMore is here to help you with that. We'll not only tell you who the rival is, but their look and what their goal seems to be.
Hop
As traditional in Pokémon, your neighbor is usually your very first rival. With Hop, that tradition hasn't changed. For those who have been keeping up to date with the Champion in Pokémon Sword and Shield, you may feel that Hop looks awfully familiar... That's because Hop is the little brother of Leon, the Champion of Galar region.
Hop too wants to be Champion, and at the start of the game he'll pick the starter Pokémon that's weakest to your player.
Bede
From his appearance alone, Bede is a prideful young man that, like Hop and yourself, wants to become the Champion of the Galar region. What's more, his journey to become Champion by completing the Gym Challenge is sponsored by Chairman Rose, a handsome gentleman who previously sponsored Leon in his journey to become Champion.
Does Bede and Rose have ulterior motives? That remains to be seen.
Marnie
Marnie is yet another rival of your character, though unlike Hop and Bede, she seems cool and calculated in her mission to become Champion. Her reason for wanting to become Champion of Galar region is unknown, but if it is as mysterious as Marnie looks, it's safe to say we're excited to find out more.
Another thing that makes Marnie different from the other rivals of Pokémon Sword and Shield is that she has a fanbase called Team Yell that follows her around, making sure to cause trouble for anyone that gets in her way.
These are the rivals so far...
What do you think of them? If there are more rivals to be included later on, we'll update this article to show that.
