The first Generation of Pokémon is the most recognizable aspect of the entire franchise. It’s where it all started, and Nintendo never stops promoting the Kanto Region and its inhabitants. While many video game lovers and newer Pokémon fans are aware of Red, Blue, Professor Oak, and others, they probably are not acquainted with their character and motivations.

This is the time to catch up on the characters who helped breathe life into a franchise. Here is all the information you need to know about the main characters of Generation I.

10 Lance

Lance is a Dragon-type specialist and the last member of the Elite Four in the Kanto Region. In the sequels Gold/Silver/Crystal, Lance is the Champion of the Johto Region. Lance interacts more with the player in GSC rather than RBY, such as he helps the player with the Shiny Gyarados at the Lake of Rage. Lance’s age is unknown, but based on his later design iterations, he could be over 21 years old.

9 The Elite Four

The other three Elite Four members are Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha. Lorelei is an Ice-type specialist, known for her cool and calculated battle style. Her birthday is on March 15. Lorelei is the first Elite Four member to be encountered.

The second Elite Four member is Bruno, a Fighting-type specialist. A man with unknown origins, Bruno trains with his Fighting-type Pokémon in the mountains. He prioritizes Pokémon with high Attack stats, but he also owns an Onix, who later becomes a Steelix.

Finally, and certainly not least, is the intimidating Ghost-type specialist Agatha. A mischievous and short-tempered old woman, Agatha is one of the oldest Elite Four members in the Pokémon World. She also had a friendly rivalry with Professor Oak when he was younger, but they grew apart when Oak took up research.

8 Sabrina

Sabrina is the Psychic-type Gym Leader of Saffron City and one of the most memorable Gym Leaders from the Region. She is called the “Master of Psychic-type Pokémon,” known for her psychic abilities and telepathic communication with her Pokémon during battles. Despite her fierce battling style, she actually dislikes battling. According to the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, Sabrina is 21.

7 Ghost Marowak

Ghost Marowak strikes a chord with most classic players. This Marowak is a deceased mother who haunts the Pokémon Tower in the eerie Lavender Town. She appears when Team Rocket is raiding the Pokémon Tower for Cubone skulls.

According to Cubone’s Pokédex entry, it wears the skull of its mother. It implies that this happens to all Cubones, but most fans believe that the Ghost Marowak is the mother of a particular Cubone. It is unknown how old this Marowak is. We can assume that the Ghost Marowak is 3’3”, as stated in Marowak’s Pokémon entry.

6 Brock & Misty

Brock and Misty are classic Pokémon characters introduced through the games and more intimately in the anime. Their age and birthdays are not listed, but they are assumed to be older than Red at least.

Misty is the Water-type Gym Leader of Cerulean City. She is the second Gym Leader the player will encounter and tends to be a bit difficult depending on which starter the player selects. Her main Pokémon is Staryu. In the games, she does not have a Togepi.

Brock is a Rock-type specialist and the Gym Leader of Pewter City. Unlike in the anime, Brock is quite serious and rarely drops his demeanor. He likes looking for fossils in Mt. Moon, and to complement the anime, tells the player that he wants to become a Pokémon Breeder in Pokémon Yellow.

5 Giovanni

Giovanni is the infamous leader of Team Rocket and the first enemy Boss of the mainline franchises. His aim is simple: world domination. He also has a penchant for collecting rare Pokémon, particularly the mythical Mew and the mysterious Mewtwo. There is no information about his age, birthday or height, but he is assumed to be a middle-aged man of medium height.

The player fights Giovanni throughout the course of the Red, Blue and Yellow games. It is later revealed that Giovanni is the secretive Gym Leader of Viridian City, specializing in Ground-type Pokémon. Not only does this make him the final antagonistic Boss, but he is also the last step between the player and the Pokémon League.

4 Green/Leaf

Leaf is the deuteragonist of the Kanto games, appearing in FireRed/LeafGreen and Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee. Known as the female protagonist and alternative to Red, she first appeared in FRLG. In Japan, she is known as Blue and/or Leaf in the first remakes. She was 11 years old during the events of the Kanto Region games.

Since Green is the female protagonist of FRLG, she follows the same path as Red, defeating Team Rocket, having Blue as a rival and becoming the Champion. Let’s Go transforms Leaf into an NPC and giving her a personality – an ambitious young girl who constantly throws Pokéballs at the player.

3 Professor Oak

Professor Samuel Oak is a recurring character in the Pokémon franchise. The first Professor in the series, he kicks off Red (and the player’s) journey to become the Pokémon master. He gifts the player/Red their Starter Pokémon and entrusts them with the mission to gather information on all 150 Pokémon in the Kanto Region.

He is also the grandfather of the player’s rival, Blue or Gary Oak, depending on who’s asking. The professor is pretty supportive of the protagonist and is not afraid to criticize his grandson. Oak’s age varies between 47 and 50 years old.

2 Blue

Most people know him as Gary Oak thanks to his anime adaptation, but he was originally known as Green in Japan and Blue overseas. Blue is the grandson of Professor Oak and Red’s rival. He is arrogant, hotheaded and hated losing to the cap-wearing protagonist. He became the Champion before Red, and therefore, is the final boss of the Pokémon League and the Kanto Region games. Blue is 11 years old but ages throughout the franchise.

1 Red

The first main protagonist of the franchise. Portrayed as silent and concentrated, Red starts his adventure from the modest Pallet Town and works to become the Kanto Region Champion. The black-haired boy is known throughout the Pokémon World for taking down the villainous Team Rocket.

He is found training at the top of Mt. Silver in Gold/Silver/Crystal, serving as the final boss in those games. During the Kanto Region games, Red is 11 years old and ages throughout the franchise.

NEXT: Pokémon: Ranking Every Main Member Of Team Rocket From Worst To First