Why Serena Is the Best Written Pokemon Anime Character

Serena, of Pokémon XY/Z fame, is a particularly controversial character inside the Pokémon anime fanbase. Some view her as utter shipping trash bait, others view her as a goddess, giving things such as #SerenaSaturday (a concept I find ridiculous, but it proves my point). Regardless of your thoughts on her, there is also an in-between ground: those who find her character good, but not goddess level. I mean, let's face it, no one can be as well written as certain other anime characters.

That said, this particular post will delve into my own personal opinion about why Serena is the best-written character. To do so, I'll be offering comparisons to characters old and new, tackling some criticisms I've heard and overall giving an analytical view of her. Note, this will leave behind my shipping preference entirely. Yes, I am an Amourshipper, but that's only a part of Serena's character, one that must be discussed, but definitely not the whole, and thus will not play as large a part.

That said, let's get right to it.


1) Characters, Past and Present

Misty: Very little tangible goal progression

May: Doesn't stand out by comparison

Brock: Great, until DP stagnated him

Clemont: Good early development
Sidelined in the back half

Cilan: Nowhere to advance

Iris: Like Misty, no tangible progression

The first issue to tackle with, right out the gate, are characters that we've seen or are seeing. I think automatically, we can take characters like Misty and Iris off the table for having minimal progress in their personalities or goals. Likewise, we have May, whose progress is good, but a little too impressive and her character, to my tastes, a little bland. She's good, but lacks something that makes her stand out when compared to those later. We also have to toss out the boys: Brock stagnated in DP, Cilan outright stagnated always, and Clemont was shoved to the back burner in the latter half of XY, while also not being a complete change in his character by XYZ 47's end. Good, we got that out of the way.

"So, what about SM? You can't really compare them since they're not done yet." And you're right, immediately throwing them out of the running. I could take a moment to argue that Mallow is useless, Sophocles is a retread and Lillie is rushed and on her way to becoming a Mary Sue, but I won't. For the purposes of this conversation, they're irrelevant.

Dawn: well-written, but same at
beginning and end

Paul: also well-written, but with
a sudden jump in how to perceive
his training methods

This leaves two characters to battle with Serena: Dawn and Paul. So why do I say Serena is better written than them? Both have their different reasons. For Dawn, she was amazingly written, growing stronger as a trainer. But by the end of DP...she's the same. There is almost no difference between Dawn at the start of DP and Dawn at the end. It unfortunately hurts her character. The subtle differences are there, oh yes, but not enough that one could watch the first and last appearances/interactions with Ash and go "wow, what happened to her?!". That's what puts her below.

"Well, what about Paul? He was an amazingly crafted character!" Indeed, he was. But my problem with him comes with the sudden intended audience viewing shift. Through many episodes of DP, we're essentially told how horrible Paul is. You're made to want to hate him. Then, you're suddenly not. What was once "how horrible you are" becomes "oh, it's just a different training style". While it was a great payoff in the end, this sudden shift is jarring and a complete counter tone to what we'd been given thus far. It's the reason his character sits at a #3 for me.

That all said, this is just comparisons to past and present characters that says nothing about Serena herself! That's no good!

2) The Early Days

Serena's mentality at the start of XY

Serena gets a lot of flak for the early part of her journey and the XY Series. The statements "she doesn't develop" and "she didn't get a goal for 40 episodes" (sometimes inflated to 60 or more) are thrown away like confetti at a birthday party. The former, of course, isn't true, while the latter is, by all rights. To this point, many would say it turns her into a shallow character with little more than a crush to cement her doing anything and that she was wasted for the first 40 episodes until she got that goal.

Of course, what a lot of people don't understand is that this is part of her character.

In XY 1, right from the beginning, we are introduced to a girl who hated what she was doing. She hated Rhyhorn Racing, and having to wake up every morning to do it. So, she jumped at the first opportunity to get away: seeing Ash on TV. Some may say it's stupid for her to chase after her crush after so many years, though I would argue that neither did she really have feelings for him yet as much as she wanted to get the hell out of there.

The first part of development: accepting different goals
comes in XY 7

Then we get to XY 7, which offers both development and explains why Serena can't pick a goal the next 33 episodes.

In this episode, not only does Serena come to understand that maybe Rhyhorn Racing isn't so bad, showcasing the empathy she would later put to amazingly good use; she's also shown to be someone that gives up the second that an obstacle gets in her way. If it gets hard, she leaves. Is it any wonder, then, that for those episodes she tries numerous activities but never commits to one? Pokevision, Fishing, Baking, Flower Arranging. All of these activities she tries over those next 33, yet doesn't commit until the mention of Showcases.

Pokevision...

Fishing...

Baking...

...and sky training are just some
of the things she tries as she attempts
to find her goal.

But why does this make her such a well written character?

Because it establishes her character and then shows us just why she hasn't chosen a goal. Not only is it amazingly refreshing for a character, but it gives her something to overcome that most characters in this kind of genre don't have a problem with: never giving up. Sure, it's her motto, but even in Reflection Cave, we see how close Serena is to despairing at that early stage, giving her that place to grow.

There's also the fact that Serena not having a goal is relatable. A lot of people seem to think that in the Pokémon world that unless you have a goal at 10, you're useless. Lest we forget that May didn't start out with a real goal. But even so, most people don't know what they want to do with their lives, and try a bunch of things. Serena is no different, which adds to how well-written she is. Maybe not for all, but it certainly is a factor.

3) The Evolution

A big step in the evolution of Serena's character:
choosing to confront her mother and not give up on her dream

So, now that we've discussed those first 40 episodes before Serena chose to become a Performer, it's time to discuss everything after this major buildup, which is just as important.

Obviously, the big thing to discuss comes with her race against her own mother: the first test of her resolve. As stated above, we know that Serena is the kind of character that doesn't stick with a single thing when problems arise, but she pushes through her will alone. This is the first step of showing her growth as a character, finally putting the part of her that gave up at every little thing away. Of course, she gets tested even further when it comes time for her first Showcase.

She loses.

The Serena at the beginning of the series would say "well, I did my best, let's move on". And, of course, Serena's ready to cry. Ready to give up on those docks of Coumarine. But she didn't, cementing her with the maxim of the whole entire series: to grow up is to never give up. And she does just that. In that moment, the haircut and change of clothes is less the change and more the visible representation of her change inside.

Eevee is the external representation of Serena's character
development, reflecting her past self

From there on, we see Serena push forward in a way she never did before. We see her train, devise new routines, test her resolve against people like Aria. Then we had Eevee, a test of her ability as both a trainer...and being an external representation of herself. Like Serena, Eevee is shy, timid, and afraid, essentially, to commit to that which is not comfortable with her. Yet, through Serena's own confidence, love and compassion, she's able to raise Eevee into Sylveon, who proves to be a natural dancer with great confidence.

This, in and of itself, shows Serena's growth in a natural, and even subtle, way, which leads to my next point.

4) The Representation of Conflict

A showcase of Serena's inner struggle,
about to give in to despair

Before the next Showcase,
choosing to overcome that despair and win

A lot of criticism that is thrown around about Serena's character is that "she didn't struggle enough", "she never completed battles" and that "her rivals weren't that great".

The answer to all of this is that Serena's source of conflict was never external: it was internal. Unlike Ash, who grows and drives forward from those around him, coming into conflict and growing from it, Serena struggles, instead, with herself. Her rivals are more characters that push that internal conflict: Nini is her first for her routine, Miette in regards to her crush, and Shauna for her plain skill, while Jessie is for her level of kindness.

Shauna represents her internal
struggle as a trainer and Performer

Jessie represents her internal
struggle for her altruism

Miette represents her internal
struggle with her feelings for Ash

Each of them push the conflict inside Serena, asking the question of whether she'll give up. Serena is rarely at odds with her rivals, but with herself and whether she has the convictions to never give up. This is further represented by her making the mistakes that cost her the Showcases she loses. It's not necessarily someone being better than her on principle (though one would argue that Serena failing at her tasks means she's inferior at that moment), but that she failed as a trainer. She made the ribbon too long; she didn't make sure Eevee was completely ready to perform, or adapt to the situation. However, in each case, she pushes on, choosing not to give up. In either case, that her failings are a representation of the fact she was her greatest enemy is a wonderfully subtle piece of writing.

To this end, it's the same reason she doesn't complete battles. For one thing, her goal doesn't require battling, but for another, more important aspect, is that the battles aren't about winning or losing, but her character. This is the reason there is no need to win. Serena does lose some battles, sure, but each major battle (Aria, Gallade guy, Ash/Tierno, and Ash as well) is about her discovering something as a character. Once she has figured each of those out (smiling no matter what, Braixen's feelings, Eevee's ability, her next step) the battle has no further need. In some part, it's also a representation of her inability to complete things, even up to that final point, though by then it's obvious she doesn't need to.

In essence, the subtlety of Serena's conflict being guided by her own internal flaws is what makes her such a well written character, and something that has not been truly done before in the series, or at least taken to an actual conclusion for the character the way it was for Serena. And speaking of...

5) The Conclusion of the Character Arc

Serena chooses to not give up, despite her sprained hand
Compare that to the girl above, at the beginning

At long last, we arrive at the Master Class: the equivalent of the end result for most characters in the Contest-esque land. May and Dawn's character development ended at these as the culminating act. One would therefore think it's the same for Serena, despite how early it happens. And it certainly comes off that way.

Serena's character, who has been building subtly over the course of all of XY to this point, reaches her end point. She reflects on the steps taken on her journey, bringing her to this point. She challenges Shauna and Jessie, no doubt her two biggest rivals as the two biggest walls in terms of Showcases, and wins...injuring her hand in the process.

Now, some would assume this is pointless. It doesn't affect her results against Aria, who destroys her. And she's totally fine later. Why include the hand hurting at all, other than bringing her in further contact with Palermo? The reason, my friends, is very simple: to show her character.

As above, in the beginning, Serena would hurt her hand and give up right then and there. She can't beat Aria, why bother? It's like how Edward Elric would refuse to make the decision he makes at the end in the beginning because his character wasn't there. However, instead of giving up, Serena gives it her all and pushes forward despite the pain. This shows the near end result of her character arc, by finally sticking with something until the very end of it all.

Serena's instant choice to help someone she barely knows
represents both her new goal, and progression of her old one
well after the old one is technically complete

Yet, even with the conclusion of the Master Class, there are two later moments that continue her character. Yet again, something that has never really been seen before for a character with a major role. As we approach the Flare arc, Serena cements the newest lesson she's learned. She's showcased never giving up and sticking with something until the end, and now that her own personal problems are finally fixed, her thoughts turn more altruistic: towards aiding those in need selflessly. That's exactly what she does with Mairin, going to help her rescue Chespie without a second thought. It's a new character trait and lesson that leads to her finally realizing that what she truly wants is to make people smile, something which she affirms to Palermo and begins taking her own path.

"What's the point your getting at?", you must be asking by now. "How does this make Serena such a well-written character?" The response is this: Serena reaches the logical point of her character development in having the conviction to see something through, and in doing so learns about herself, changing it at the same time. She gains a new dream, one that is altruistic and selfless, setting her apart from Aria (surprisingly) and giving her a next goal to aim for. This sort of conclusion shows a line between her past and present:

Serena is not the same girl we met in XY 1. She's changed, and it's for the better.

6) Amourshipping

Serena's interaction with Ash at the beginning:
shy, timid, tentative

Serena's interaction with Ash at the end:
bold, assertive, confident

Yes. No discussion of Serena would be complete without the discussion of Amourshipping itself. I have no problems declaring myself as an Amourshipper, and some may argue that it colors my perception of Serena. And it's true that Amourshipping, her crush on Ash, is as much a part of her character as everything else, but it's something that makes her dynamic. Though, now, you may ask how it does so outside of the "ship bait".

Because Amourshipping, like Eevee, becomes the external representation of Serena's confidence. If Eevee represented her inability to stick with something alongside that, Amour outright shows her confidence. Serena in XY 5 is timid, almost scared of asking Ash if he remembers her. Serena in XYZ 47 is bold and does something no other character has done before: declares she'll become a more charming woman for him and kisses him on the lips. (I could go into loving detail how much I love the ambiguous dialogue of the Japanese version here, but I won't). This shows the sharp difference in her character from beginning to end.

Now, perhaps, you may understand why I only placed Dawn as second: Dawn was the same beginning and end. Serena, however, is a very different character. She's grown, matured, and become her own person. Her crush, and eventual expression of that crush, is a clear signpost of it. More than that, it was her feelings for Ash that pushed her forward in a sense. Ash, and the concept of Amourshipping, helped her to stick with things and grow more confident, because she saw how he did. It helped her learn to give back to others such as in XYZ 28 with the Winding Woods, further done with a stranger in Mairin.

Amour is at the core of Serena's character, expanding her character not just through her internal demons, but through her internal feelings for the boy next to her, offering a different method and way of helping her grow. This is what helps to make her a well-written character, regardless of your opinion on the ship or romance itself.

Conclusion
Serena is the best written character in the Pokémon anime for a number of reasons. Unlike Dawn and Paul, she's a different person at the end and never has a sudden, unexplained leap of the way her character is portrayed to the audience.

While her path at the beginning is goalless, it is not directionless. She tries new things, but shows her state of giving up at the littlest thing until she decides to commit to Showcases. From there, her conviction is tested by numerous forces, not the least of which is her own internal problems stemming from wanting to give up. Eevee then becomes an external representation of that, which by overcoming, develops her. By the end, however, she keeps going through the pain, attaining a new selfless dream, while also enacting her own personal dream in the form of kissing Ash.

All of it cements her character as someone vastly different from day one, which allows her development to be well-planned and plotted, gradually occurring to a natural point that feels like a strong conclusion to the character that lasts from beginning to end. Whether you like the character or how she was handled or not, these are the (as objective as I could get) reasons that Serena is bar none the best written character in the series. Hopefully, it even changed your own mind a little bit!

Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity