Pokemon Sword & Shield: Ranking Every Gym Leader

Opal is only the second Fairy type gym leader we’ve had, and while she’s certainly not boring, a lot of what she’s about just falls flat. Leaving aside Gordie, and considering Marnie is a great character away from her gym leader role, Opal coming this low is a testament to how good the leaders are here.

Opal’s slightly mean personality and obsession with pink do just about enough to characterise her, but like her home town of Ballonlea, it feels hollow. There just needed to be something extra to push her over the edge.

As it stands, she probably won’t live all that long in the memory. It’s a shame too, because there was a clear attempt at something different with Opal.

Choosing Bede as her successor gives her a foothold in the story, but also erodes her own importance.

Her gym trial of questions resulting in stat changes was a great idea, but again, half baked. Some questions require Pokémon knowledge, others are specific to Opal, but don’t feel like they belong. It’s nowhere near as fun as Blaine’s quiz at Cinnibar, and Opal just feels like unfulfilled potential.