The Masters Eight is the ultimate tournament in the Pokémon universe, pitting the eight top trainers against one another to find out who will be crowned the absolute world champion. Needless to say, these are some of the most impressive trainers ever seen in the anime, and they're here to prove they deserve the title of greatest.

Earning an invitation to the Masters Eight is a tough task, even for Champions. The larger World Coronation Series tournament determines who gets to participate in the Masters Eight, meaning that interested trainers must battle and increase their rank for months leading up to the tournament. Competitors include Champions, Gym Leaders, Elite Four , and other high-tier trainers who are using their absolute best teams, meaning it can be incredibly harsh competition even to reach moderately high ranks. Those who are ranked one through eight at the time of the tournament are those who compete, all to find out who's strongest.

8 Iris' Dragon-types Round Out the Masters Eight

First Appearance: Pokémon Black and White, "In the Shadow of Zekrom!"

Iris is one of Ash’s former companions who really hit the training hard after parting ways with him. Iris went on to become the champion of the Unova region, much like her video game counterpart. A of primarily Dragon-type Pokémon, Iris is one of the youngest competitors in the Masters Eight, alongside Ash. In the initial seeding of the tournament, Iris was ranked #7, just ahead of Ash. That gave her the unfortunate luck of being up against the legendary Cynthia in the first round, which she sadly lost.

Iris may be ranked lowest, but she’s still young and has a tremendous amount of potential as a trainer, something that Drayden saw in her all along. There’s a solid chance that Iris could actually win the Masters Eight in a few years, as she gains more experience and becomes a veteran trainer.

7 Alain Regained Mastery of Mega Evolution

First Appearance: Pokémon, Mega Evolution Special I

Alain was a character introduced in the XY era, as both a rival to Ash and a main character of his own series of specials, the Mega Evolution specials. He ended up being Ash’s final opponent in the final round of the Kalos League, defeating Ash and securing himself the victor’s trophy. Despite this, Alain isn’t the Champion of the Kalos region, and is the only member of the Masters Eight who isn’t a Champion. That’s rather impressive in its own right, but Alain has also become a master of Mega Evolution, making him a tough opponent.

Alain was seeded at rank #6 in the initial rankings, and went up against the undefeated Leon in the first round, so he was facing an uphill battle all along. Alas, Alain predictably lost, but fans were thrilled to see him again regardless.

6 Steven Stone Represented the Hoenn Region Proudly

First Appearance: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, "A Hole Lotta Trouble"

Steven Stone is the Champion of the Hoenn region, and the owner of a rare Shiny Metagross, his signature Pokémon. Steven appeared prominently in the Mega Evolution specials alongside Alain as a researcher of Mega Evolution, something he’s quite competent with. He primarily uses Steel-type Pokémon, but is known to own other types as well. Steven first met Ash long before he was Champion of the region, but the two have never had a real battle—at least until their Masters Eight face off in the first round.

Having bravely faced off with Legendary Pokémon on a rampage, Steven has easily proven himself an exceptionally skilled trainer, even under difficult circumstances. Steven was initially seeded at rank #3, placing him near the top even within the already exclusive Masters Eight. However, he loses to Ash in the first round, which does harm his placement a bit.

5 Lance Has Nearly Won the Masters Eight Before

First Appearance: Pokémon Gold and Silver, "Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution"

Lance is Champion of the Johto League, and has perhaps the longest history with Ash of any other member of the Masters Eight. Lance met Ash during a Team Rocket operation where he was undercover, and ended up capturing a Red Gyarados, which would become his signature Pokémon. Lance works for a group known as the “Pokémon G-Men,” taking dangerous assignments to keep powerful Pokémon from falling into the wrong hands. Lance is also the only one, besides Leon, who is known to have participated in the Masters Eight before, having lost to Leon in the final round.

Lance was seeded at #4 this time around, and went up against Diantha in the first round, ultimately losing out to her and getting knocked out of the tournament. He didn’t get much focus during the Masters Eight, unfortunately, but it’s still reassuring to know that Lance continues ranking among the most powerful trainers out there.

4 Diantha is the Kalos Region's True Champion

First Appearance: Pokémon XY, "The Bonds of Evolution!"

Diantha is the Kalos region’s champion, and on top of that, is also a well-known actress. She’s known for her sense of style, and is extremely close to her Gardevoir, which acts as her signature Pokémon. Her bond is so strong, in fact, that Diantha is able to convey orders to Gardevoir with as little as a look, giving her no need to issue verbal commands. Diantha worked alongside Alain, Ash, and the Kalos Gym Leaders to defeat Team Flare, providing critical assistance in thwarting their plan to decimate the region.

Diantha was seeded at rank #5 initially; she defeated Lance in the first round, but went on to lose to Leon in the semi-finals, with Leon only using three of his Pokémon to defeat all six of hers. Despite that lopsided loss, though, Diantha is a force to be reckoned with, and shouldn’t be underestimated.

3 Cynthia is the Pride of the Sinnoh Region

First Appearance: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, "Top-Down Training!"

Cynthia is the Sinnoh region’s Champion and a long-time friend and mentor of Ash. Cynthia’s signature Pokémon is her Garchomp, which is capable of Mega Evolution, and it was originally her starter Pokémon as a child. Cynthia is excellent at seeing the potential in young trainers, explaining why she took an interest in Ash so quickly. She’s also helped out in many other scenarios, battling Team Galactic and stomping out their remnants. Cynthia is renowned across the Pokémon world for her skill as a trainer, and the Masters Eight was the perfect opportunity to show that off.

Cynthia was initially seeded at #3, putting her up against Iris in the first round, whom she defeated, and then Ash in the second round, to whom she ultimately lost after a long and difficult battle. Cynthia’s performance against Ash gives her a bit of an edge against Diantha, securing her spot as the third-strongest trainer in the world.

2 Leon Was Absolutely Undefeated--Until Ash

First Appearance: Pokémon Journeys, "Flash of the Titans!"

The “undefeated” Leon was the previous Monarch of the World Coronation series and last year’s winner of the Masters Eight. Champion of the Galar region, Leon defeated Lance in the final round, securing himself the title of Monarch until the whole process started over again. Leon is known for his Charizard, which is itself undefeated, and is capable of Gigantamaxing, making it a real powerhouse. Leon’s team is extremely diverse, hitting a number of different types with little in the way of overlap. Ash latched onto Leon as a rival, and the two had some crazy experiences together, such as battling and capturing Eternatus.

Ash and Leon battled it out in the final round of the Masters Eight in a brutal fight that lasted several episodes. It eventually all came down to Leon’s Charizard vs. Ash’s Pikachu, and through sheer determination, Pikachu emerged victorious, just barely outlasting Charizard and taking the crown for Ash.

1 Ash Ketchum is the Indisputable Top Trainer

First Appearance: Pokémon the Original Series, "Pokémon--I Choose You!"

Ash Ketchum is, of course, the protagonist of the series. A trainer from Pallet Town, Ash competed in many regional tournaments, coming increasingly close to the prize, before eventually winning it all in the newly-formed Alola League. Ash became a research fellow for Professor Cerise, and soon found out about the World Coronation Series, kicking off his quest to become the world’s best trainer. Ash measured himself against the likes of Leon, really pushing himself to be the best he can be. He’s had dozens of encounters with Legendary Pokémon, and he and Pikachu have one of the closest relationships a trainer and Pokémon can have.

Ash definitely had his work cut out for him in the Masters Eight. Initially seeded at #8, Ash was up against Steven Stone first, followed by Cynthia. Then, once making it past those two, he had to face down against the still-undefeated Leon. It was an incredibly close match, but Ash and Pikachu won it all in the end, taking the crown and ending Leon’s winning streak. Having defeated the undisputed world champion, there can be no doubt that Ash is the strongest trainer in the Masters Eight, and Pokémon’s world as a whole.