Every generation of Pokémon seems to have more diverse routes and terrain. The early days, with Kanto and Johto, had mostly boring routes that all looked somewhat similar. As time has gone on, though, the routes in Pokémon games have become much more interesting.
In Generation VIII, there are exactly ten new routes introduced. The upcoming Sword and Shield DLC will no doubt introduce some more new routes, but for now, vanilla Galar is home to just Routes 1 through 10. Here are all of them, ranked.
10 Route 7
It hardly gets more boring than this. Route 7 in Galar is incredibly plain and offers basically nothing interesting to the player, setting it starkly apart from the other routes in the region. This route basically only exists to connect Hammerlocke to Route 8.
To the east, there is a large tunnel that opens up onto Route 9, which is interesting. But, the tunnel isn’t interesting enough to save Route 7 from being at the bottom of this list. Plus, the game considers the tunnel a part of Route 9 anyway.
9 Route 10
Route 10 is definitely more interesting than many Pokémon routes, but in the context of Galar, it just doesn’t rank higher in terms of interest. Route 10 is the final route the player will take, connecting Hammerlocke (via White Hill Station) with Wyndon.
Route 10 doesn’t offer much in terms of landmarks or visual interest. It’s a snowy route high in the mountains with perpetual hail and a ton of Ice-type Pokémon. With Route 9 before it offering all of this plus much more, it’s hard to find the appeal in Route 10.
8 Route 2
Many early-game Pokémon routes are fairly simple. They’re usually part of a tutorial process or the beginning of the story, with early-route Pokémon like the regional bird or rodent and not much else. Route 2 doesn’t deviate from this pattern, featuring some basic path and grass and not much else.
The reason Route 2 ranks higher than Route 7 and 10 is because it at least has a couple of things worth seeing. Professor Mangolia’s gorgeous house is on this route, as is a nice peaceful lake with an island in the center.
7 Route 6
Home to a giant Diglett statue, a terrible fossil restoration lady who should be arrested, and not much else, Route 6 also almost misses the mark, but not quite. This route has an interesting aspect of being multi-leveled. Ladders are used to travel between the various cliffs that line this route. The intense sunlight also makes the battles somewhat interesting, too.
Route 6 just seems like a more boring version of Route 8, though, which also features ladders, varying levels, and a brown desert-like theme.
6 Route 4
Now we’re starting to get to the interesting locations. Route 4 is a great route with a lot going on. Themed in browns and yellows, it’s visually distinct from the three routes that come before it when exploring Galar. It looks like a bunch of farms with wheat growing, including the small wooden fences lining the paths.
Strange rock formations also litter the area, giving the roaming Pokémon some terrain to hide behind. It’s also home to a ton of cute Pokémon, like Meowth, Wooloo, Eevee, and Joltik.
5 Route 3 (and Galar Mine)
If you don’t include the Galar Mine as part of Route 3, it will be at the bottom of this list. However, Route 3’s boring nature is turned up to 10 with the inclusion of Galar Mine. Route 3 doesn’t have much going on in the outside sections, basically consisting of just some grass and rocks.
However, Galar Mine at the far end of it is very cool. The crystal-adorned mine is extremely interesting and has a lot of visually-pleasing design themes. The rope bridges, the mine cart tracks with racing Carkol, and the mining equipment are all really great.
4 Route 1
The first route in most games is pretty boring and straightforward, typically featuring a small patch of grass or two and not really much else. It’s usually fairly short, being just a hop and a skip from the starting town to the next.
Route 1 in Galar is different, though. Sure, it still features a short length of path with some grass on it, but it’s visually a hundred times better than other Route 1’s of the past. The player is treated to a gorgeous vista of rolling hills, small buildings, and mountains. It’s impressive.
3 Route 5
Route 5 is an interesting one but doesn’t seem so at first. At first glance, it looks like many other routes, straightforward and full of foliage. But, it actually has a few things that make it stand out. First is the obvious Pokémon Nursery, which is a go-to location in any region.
There’s also the beautiful little grove next to the nursery, which looks peaceful and pretty. The lower part of the route contains a cute pond surrounded by grass. In this area, a ton of interesting and adorable Pokémon can be found.
2 Route 9
The more interesting version of Route 10 comes in the form of its immediate predecessor, Route 9. This route is perhaps the longest in the game, spanning the length between Circhester and Spikemuth and containing a multitude of terrain aesthetics.
The northern portion of the route is in perpetual winter, with ice floes on the bay and snow falling from the gloomy sky. The lower part, just outside of Spikemuth, is a grassy knoll with some old fences and the garage-door-like entrance to Spikemuth. It’s an interesting route that has a ton to offer.
1 Route 8
Finally, the most interesting route of them all — Route 8. This small route has so many interesting aspects to it. The ladders and varying heights that Route 6 is known for, the ancient ruins of civilizations past, Falinks roam from wall to wall, and march their weird selves right through your path, creating a new type of obstacle.
Several interesting Pokémon reside here, including Gurdurr, Boldore, Solrock, Lunatone, and more. The route is the closest Pokémon comes to a platforming challenge, and it’s easily the best route in the game.
NEXT: Sword & Shield: The 10 Toughest Wild Area Pokémon You Can Run Into
