How Pokémon BDSP’s Barry Compares To Other Rivals

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl brings back Barry as the Pokémon rival character, but how does he compare to Gary Oak, Silver, or Hop?

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Since the original Pokémon games, players have been pitted against a rival character to prove their strength, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are no different. While beating the Elite Four and becoming the Champion brings satisfaction, riches, and rewards, defeating a rival along the way can provide some much-needed triumph in the endless grind to become the best. Pokémon BDSP’s rival is Barry, a somewhat rushed, enthusiastic childhood friend of the player character, but how does he hold up against Pokémon’s other rivals?

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of the fourth generation of Pokémon games: Diamond and Pearl. While the remakes don’t include Platinum, the remaster of the once pixelated world is an impressive evolution. Sinnoh’s Grand Underground has been overhauled into a hub of activity, and players are already filling their Pokédexes and conquering the region’s Elite Four. Of course, to get past these challenges, players must also regularly defeat Barry and the villainous Team Galactic.

Like most Pokémon rivals, the player character has known Barry since childhood and grew up with him. The player model doesn’t change their relationship, nor does their name. He automatically chooses the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl starter with the type advantage over the player character’s and steadily builds a party as he progresses through the region. Barry exhibits a greater speed than most characters in BDSP, tending to rush through life to get to the next journey. Thankfully, his kindness makes up for his hasty nature and somewhat annoying personality.

Pokémon Red & Blue’s Rival Gary Is Iconic

There is no rival more well-known than Pokémon Red and Blue’s Gary Oak (also called Blue and Green in some versions of the game). Unlike competitors from later Pokémon games, Gary is a cruel, malicious bully who constantly criticizes the player character and devalues their accomplishments. He frequently beats players to different gyms, flaunting his superiority and efficiency.

Thankfully, Trainers have the last laugh in Pokémon Red and Blue and defeat their rival regularly. The final encounter occurs when players beat Gary at the Indigo Plateau and take his place as Champion. Despite the similarities of their names, Gary and Barry could not be more different from one another. While Gary and Barry are lifelong companions to the player character, the former adopts a cruelly competitive nature, resulting in a strained relationship when Pokémon Red and Blue’s journeys begin.

Generation 2’s Pokémon Rival Is Gold & Silver’s Silver

Pokémon Gold and Silver provides a tragic rival for players to face who could not be more different from Barry. He first appears after stealing a starter Pokémon from the lab (which later appears in his party). Players face the passerby and later learn his name is Silver. Though he is cold and distant, this is a byproduct of his determination to become the best Pokémon Trainer in Kanto and Johto.

Players later learn that Silver is Giovanni’s son and the heir to Team Rocket. His quest to become the next Pokémon Champion is driven by an urge to prove his father wrong and reclaim control of his life. Silver’s home life, upbringing, and worldview are frequently corrupted by his criminal father, resulting in heated clashes between the player character and their rival. Unfortunately, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl don’t give Barry as much narrative weight as Silver, nor provide him with significant character development upon the game’s conclusion.

Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald’s Wally Is Gen 3’s Rival

Perhaps the most conflicting rival to defeat in Pokémon is Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald’s Wally, a sickly boy who recently moved to Hoenn hoping that his health would improve. Wally’s self-doubt and insecurities often damage his confidence and make his journey more challenging than the player character’s. Additionally, his family’s understandable concern for the boy’s Pokémon journey puts more pressure on his failures and proves his family right.

What’s worse is that players can’t lose to Wally on purpose, as Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald force players to defeat the sickly Trainer before progressing past several gyms. This includes an awkward encounter where Wally’s father attempts to bring his son back home to keep him safe. While players may get irritated with Barry’s constant appearances in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it’s rare to feel the same amount of pity toward him as is shown toward Wally.

Generation 5: Pokémon Black & White’s Cheren, Bianca, And N

Pokémon Black and White has the most layered story in any Pokémon game, presenting players with a group of friends to interact with and a sympathetic antagonist struggling against his upbringing. This is the first game where players have multiple rivals, facing off against their childhood friends, Cheren and Bianca, and the mysterious N. Cheren adopts the stereotypical by-the-books friend who plans ahead and takes his Pokémon journey very seriously. He shows concern for Bianca’s short attention span and holds himself to an impossibly high standard of success and professionalism.

Bianca is perhaps most like Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Barry, rushing ahead and often allowing her excitement to get the better of her. While she cannot keep up with the player character and Cheren’s power, she still shows boundless enthusiasm towards her goal. Instead of turning everything into a competition, she encourages her companions and keeps them company on their adventures. N provides a complex moral dilemma in Pokémon Black and White that Diamond and Pearl’s Barry lacks. As Team Plasma’s King, N strives to free Pokémon from servitude to humans and is essentially an animal rights activist turned ecoterrorist. He seeks to tame one of the title legendaries (Zekrom or Reshiram) and use it to rule the world. Understandably, Barry is not at all like N and only strives to become the Champion.

Generation 6 Rivals Are Pokémon X & Y’s Calem Or Serena

Many Pokémon games use unique, premade characters that don’t change depending on character models, but Pokémon X and Y utilize the unused player model and create a memorable rival. Players who choose the female model have Calem as a rival, and players who choose the male model have Serena. While their personalities don’t change much, they provide friendly competition throughout the game’s events.

Unfortunately, their personality isn’t as engaging as rivals from other Pokémon games and isn’t nearly as charming as Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Barry, who provides comedic relief. Calem and Serena’s only advantage against Barry is their team comps, which can pose a problem for under-leveled or underprepared Pokémon players.

Pokémon Sun & Moon’s Feature Hau And Gladion For Gen 7

Pokémon Sun and Moon introduces a unique twist to the Pokémon universe, making the player originally from Kanto and adapting to Alola’s new culture. The most welcoming character is Hau, who becomes the friendly rival for playthroughs in Sun and Moon. He takes defeat in stride, laughing it off and encouraging his new friend to continue growing in strength.

In many ways, Hau is a laidback version of Barry, who isn’t in a rush to get from one place to another. In contrast, Gladion more closely represents Pokémon Red and Blue’s Gary Oak or Pokémon Gold and Silver’s Silver. Gladion’s urge to break free from his mother’s control and permanently free Type: Null resulted in his cold, volatile demeanor. Thankfully, Gladion grows kinder as the game progresses, and he becomes more independent.

Pokémon Sword & Shield’s Hop, Marnie, & Bede Make Great Characters In Gen 8

Like previous Pokémon titles, Pokémon Sword and Shield introduces several characters to face during their journey. The first (and most sympathetic) is Hop, the neighbor boy from down the street and younger brother to the current Champion. His constant defeats at the player character’s hands and other Trainers beat down his confidence but eventually led him to become a Pokémon scientist. Marnie is another Trainer player who regularly battles throughout Pokémon Sword and Shield’s main story, trying to become the Champion without using Dynamax to bring honor to her brother’s gym.

Finally, players face Bede, an arrogant (and traumatized) Trainer desperate to gain approval from his Sponsor, Chairman Rose. Though Bede (alongside his fellow Rivals) are all defeated by the player character, he claims leadership of Galar’s Fairy-type Gym, taking control of his own life and destiny. In comparison, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Barry falls short of every rival in Pokémon Sword and Shield, undergoing little character development and struggling with no significant internal dilemma. While Barry can be entertaining to chat with and is friendlier than Marnie and Bede, his story is disinteresting and serves as comedic relief.

No matter players’ opinions on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl or Barry, it can’t be argued that the character’s personality and charm add some light to Sinnoh’s dramatic storyline. Saving the world from power-crazed maniacs intent on dragging the region into a shadow dimension comes with some baggage, especially for young Trainers. However, having company while battling the Gym Leaders provides a steady constant and makes the single-player world feel less hostile. While Barry fights the player character as vehemently as other Trainers, his backstory and frequent appearances give a deeper meaning to his in-game presence. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now for the Nintendo Switch.

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