All new Pokemon Scarlet & Violet characters confirmed so far

Philip Trahan
pokemon legends arceus professors header

Loads of new characters that will populate the region of Paldea in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have been revealed in the lead-up to the release of Gen 9. Here are all the new characters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, including two new professors and the latest rival trainer.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s second and third trailers revealed a ton of new information for trainers to dig into, including brand new game features and a bunch of original creatures like the adorable Lechonk.

While players will be able to meet plenty of other new Pokemon on their journey through Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, they will also encounter lots of other trainers and people to interact with.

This includes new friends and rivals, new gym leaders, the addition of two new professors that will be version exclusive, and many more.

Here are all the new characters we know of in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.


Contents


Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s new characters

The main characters

An image of Pokemon Gen 9 protagonists.
Like other mainline Pokemon entries, players can choose their preferred appearance in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

First up, there are the main characters of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

The main characters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are transfer students in the Paldea region attending either Naranja or Uva academy, depending on the version chosen.

Depending on the version chosen, the starting school uniform for the main character will change though players will be able to customize their appearance and clothing to their liking as the game progresses.

Trainers starting Pokemon Scarlet will begin dressed in a navy blue hat, a light blue shirt with an orange tie, orange shorts, and black shoes with orange accented white socks.

Trainers who choose Pokemon Violet will begin dressed in a dark grey hat, a grey shirt with a purple tie, purple shorts, and brown shoes with yellow accented black socks.

The Pokemon Professors

Professor Sada

An image of professor sada, one of the Pokemon Gen 9 professors.
Professor Sada will help guide trainers if they have chosen Pokemon Scarlet.

Next up, there’s Professor Sada who will help guide players through their Pokemon journey if they have chosen Pokemon Scarlet.

While we don’t know too much about Professor Sada just yet, she appears to be designed with a more tribalistic style in mind.

She wears a necklace with what appears to be beads and pieces of rock or bone strung along with it. Additionally, she wears a tattered orange top and shorts under her lab coat.

Professor Sada’s tribalistic appearance matches the box Legendary Pokemon of Pokemon Scarlet, Koraidon’s, more traditional and animal-like appearance.

Professor Turo

pokemon scarlet and violet professor turo introduction
Professor Turo will help guide trainers if they have chosen Pokemon Violet.

There’s also Professor Turo, who will assist trainers provided they’ve chosen Pokemon Violet.

Generation 9 is the first entry in the mainline games to feature exclusive professors depending on what version is purchased.

As for Professor Turo himself, his design is heavily futuristic featuring a sleek jumpsuit with neon purple accents across it. Again, this coincides with Miraidon, the box Legendary Pokemon for Pokemon Violet.

While no concrete details about Turo’s personality have been revealed just yet, the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet website does say that “Each [professor] is carrying out research into certain lore passed down in the region.”

School Faculty

Mr. Clavell

An image of director clavell from Pokemon Gen 9.
Mr. Clavell is the Director of Naranja/Uva Academy, where the player begins their journey.

Thanks to Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s third trailer, we know that the protagonists’ journey will begin at an academy.

Mr. Clavell serves as the Director of Naranja and Uva Academy, depending on the version players choose.

Since players will be transferred to the academy, Mr. Clavell will take the liberty of showing players around the school when they first arrive.

According to Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s official website, Mr. Clavell “He can be strict, but he can also be kind. He seems to be a friend of Professor Sada and Professor Turo.

Mr. Jacq

pokemon scarlet and violet teacher jacq
Mr. Jacq is the main character’s homeroom teacher and teaches biology.

Mr. Jacq serves as the main character’s homeroom teacher at the academy and is in charge of teaching biology.

The official website says “He is very knowledgeable about Pokémon biology and is the developer of the Pokédex app for the Rotom Phone.”

Coinciding with Mr. Jacq’s sloppy appearance, it seems he is a bit of an airhead and he often tends to lose himself in his research.

Friends and Rivals

Nemona

pokemon scarlet and violet nemona posing
It seems like Nemona will act as the player character’s rival through Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Then there’s Nemona, who is the player’s friend in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. She has “a sunny and energetic disposition” and is very skilled when it comes to Pokemon battles.

The Pokemon Scarlet & Violet website, “She’s an experienced Pokémon Trainer and serves as a reliable guide for you on your adventures.”

However, Nemona does have a weak spot as apparently “she’s not the best at throwing Poke Balls.”

This could have to do with the wrist brace-like accessory she wears on her right arm.

Arven

pokemon scarlet and violet arven rival
Arven is an upperclassman at the academy who struggles with Pokemon battles but excels at cooking.

Arven is the main character’s upperclassman at the academy who has a fondness for cooking.

However, unlike Nemona, Arven struggles with Pokemon Battles and prefers to use his time researching healthy recipes to help Pokemon feel better.

It seems as Arven will come to rely on the player character due to his lack of skill with battling.

Penny

pokemon scarlet and violet rival penny
Penny is a trainer in the same grade as the main character at the academy and is a bit shy.

Penny is a fellow student from the academy who is in the same grade as the protagonist.

Penny has a shy personality and is often absent from the academy.

The official website says Penny “is especially fond of her fluffy Eevee bag and always has it on her back.”

Gym Leaders

Ms. Geeta, Chairwoman of the Pokemon League

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Pokemon League Champion Chairwoman Geeta

Though not a Gym Leader, Ms. Geeta serves as the Chairwoman of the Pokemon League, which operates all the Gyms located around the Paldea region.

Even among the region’s other Champions, Ms. Geeta is the most skilled Trainer in all of Paldea.

As for Ms. Geeta herself, she is mild-mannered but carries a commanding presence, with many aspiring trainers and champions looking up to her.

During Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s Gym Challenge storyline, Ms. Geeta will be looking for exceptional young trainers who have what it takes to conquer the Pokemon League.

Grusha

pokemon scarlet and violet gym leader grusha
Grusha was once a professional snowboarder in the Paldea region but now serves as a Gym Leader full-time.

The third trailer for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet showed fans that gyms are returning in Generation 9.

Gym Leader Grusha will helm the Glaseado gym and specializes in Ice-type Pokemon.

Apparently, he was once a professional snowboarder in Paldea but now serves as the full-time Gym Leader in Glaseado.

As for Grusha’s personality, he is usually cool and collected but shows off fiery emotions once battles start to get heated.

Brassius

pokemon scarlet violet brassius gym leader

Brassius is a Grass-type Gym Leader from Artazon Town, which is a community surrounded by both flowers and art.

Brassius, also known as the ‘Verdant Virtuoso, treats Pokemon battles like works of art and is always in search of beauty.

According to the official Scarlet & Violet website, Brassius’ “pièce de résistance, ‘Surrendering Sunflora,’ is a statue installation depicting adorable Sunflora with somber expressions.”

Team Star Members

Mela

pokemon scarlet violet team star mela

Mela is a member of Team Star — a rebellious group of troublemaking students from the Naranja/Uva Academy.

Mela is the boss of the Schedar Squad, which specializes in Fire-type Pokemon. As such, Mela will also use plenty of Fire-types on her team in battle.

As for Mela herself, she’s considered Team Star’s best all-rounder and fixes any problem, albeit with a somewhat heavy hand.

Though she leaves a forceful and gruff impression, she’s very devotion to her own goals and Team Star itself has earned the trust of her teammates and squad.


There you have it! That’s every character we know of in Pokemon Scarlet & Pokemon Violet. There will no doubt be plenty more Pokemon trainers that players will come across during their journey through the new region of Generation 9, so be sure to check back here for the latest updates.

That’s everything you need to know about the new characters in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet! For more Gen 9 content, check out our guides below:

Are Pokemon Scarlet & Violet compatible with Pokemon home?How to get marks in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to unlock Rotom Phone cases in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids explainedStarter Pokemon details | Version differences explainedGen 9 location explained | All Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet | What is Terastallizing in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

About The Author

Philip is a Staff Writer at Dexerto based in Louisiana, with expertise in Pokemon, Apex Legends, and general gaming industry news. His first job in the games industry was as a reviewer with NintendoEverything.com while attending college. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication focusing on Multimedia Journalism, he worked with GameRant.com for nearly two years before joining Dexerto. When he's not writing he's usually tearing through some 80+ hour JRPG. You can contact him at philip.trahan@dexerto.com.