Pokemon anime fans debate whether Serena is “the worst character in the show”

On social media, one fan of the Pokemon anime asked fans for their most controversial takes. Based on what fans of the series said in response, fans of Serena from Kalos likely won’t be happy.

The Pokemon anime series has been around for over 20 years and has seen its fair share of interesting storylines and companions, from Brock and Misty, to Iris and Serena.

Needless to say, some fans of the series may not have been happy with every plot twist or character that’s popped up in Ash’s journeys through the Pokemon world.

Now, fans of the Pokemon anime are getting some things off their chest about Ash’s companions and a whole lot more

Pokemon anime fans discuss their hot takes…and Serena

On the Pokemon anime subreddit, one user asked fans whether anyone had an opinion on the series’ history that “you know people [aren’t] gonna be happy to hear.” Let’s just say that Reddit users were all too happy to provide answers.

Do you have an Opinion about the anime That you know people arent gonna be happy to hear
byu/whatyousayaboutmymom inpokemonanime

One subredditor opined that when compared to other anime shows, the Pokemon anime series is a “mid anime overall.” That individual claimed its nostalgia from its early days kept the show going on for too long.

Some also questioned the point of the Pokemon world and series. One user felt that the concept of evolution is “overrated.” The reason for that feeling? That individual noted that if someone feels that a certain Pokemon should have evolved, then it’s a passive-aggressive sentiment of hate towards that monster.

Another point of contention were Ash’s many companions, including the well-known Serena.

Several Redditors also chimed in on Ash’s companion in the Pokemon The Series: XY & XYZ. While Serena has been a fan favorite among cosplayers and such due to her personality and attraction to Ash, there were a few that could not share the same sentiment.

One user simply stated about the companion from Kalos, “I hate Serena and she is the worst Character in the show.” Another fan noted expressed that she’s “overrated,” due to her love interest in Ash.

Those weren’t the only opinions on her, however. One user feels that Serena was “ok” as a character, but once she starting entering contests that her character became too similar to May and Dawn from Hoenn and Sinnoh, respectively.

Serena, however, wasn’t the only companion from the series to be criticized. Several users demonstrated criticized the overall concept of companions in the Pokemon anime, particularly since aside from Brock and Iris, very few accomplished their intended goals.

In response, another commenter noted that Ash himself may not have even achieved his goal of becoming a Pokemon master, since no one bluntly stated what that entails. The user added, “So basically this anime started in 1997 and ended in 2023 and no one apart from one character can say that they’ve achieved what they set out to do, and even that character had their original goal changed.”

We should note that while it’s fair to speculate whether Ash did accomplish his primary goal of becoming a “Pokemon master,” the long-time protagonist of the series did complete a historic objective when he became Pokemon World Champion in 2022. But for those who hoped that Ash and Serena would become a thing, that never happened in the anime.