Pokemon fans pay tribute to series’ forgotten heroes
The Pokemon CompanyLong-time fans are looking back at player characters from past Pokemon titles, particularly those who were replaced in later games.
In a post titled “A Tribute to Them,” one Reddit user shared an image of the characters Red, Leaf, and Kris in a support group for “Protagonists Replaced in the Remakes.”
Red, of course, is the iconic player character of the Gen 1 games and their Gen 3 remakes, FireRed and LeafGreen. Those remakes also introduced Leaf as a female protagonist option.
As for Kris, she was the franchise’s first female player character, being introduced in Gen 2’s Pokemon Crystal.
However, none of these characters returned to their roles in later remakes. Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee replaced Red and Leaf with new characters named Chase and Elaine, though the original characters do appear as NPCs (with Leaf being called “Green” to match her male counterpart and the rival Blue).
Kris has it even worse. While the Johto remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver brought back the male player character, Gold/Ethan, Kris was replaced by a brand new character named Lyra. Since then, the character has largely been forgotten, though she does appear in Pokemon Masters EX.
While some questioned the poster including Red and Leaf—after all, Red is far from forgotten, and both Kanto protagonists appear in the Let’s Go games—fans seemed to agree that Kris is vastly underrated and neglected by the franchise.
The Pokemon Company“Kris by far has the most unique design of any pokemon protagonist, definitely one of the bests. It’s such a shame they never use her anymore,” said one commenter.
Others criticized her treatment in the anime. As one fan put it, her counterpart Marina is “reduced to a damsel to rescue,” which prompted another to add “I hated her being a damsel bc she gives off the vibe of being a very competent trainer.”
While it’s unlikely we’ll see Kris again outside spinoffs like Masters, some Pokemon fans are still holding onto hopes for a Let’s Go sequel. It would be a surprising move, but given her history, it could be fitting for Pokemon to bring her back if those Let’s Go Johto dreams ever come to fruition.