Piers and Marnie are fan-favorites out of Sword and Shield. They both are Dark-type trainers and have a lot of style and personality. Also, they are siblings! The Sword and Shield games tend to have a lot of sibling relationships.

While Piers is the Gym Leader for the game, the end concludes with Marnie taking his place. However, is that for the best?

Here are five reasons Piers is a better Gym Leader and five reasons that Marnie is a better replacement.

10 Piers: Has Been Gym Leader Longer

A major way to be successful at your job is through experience. Piers has obviously been Gym Leader for a while. He already knows what the job entails and what duties belong to him.

He has already built up who he is as a Gym Leader. He does not have to start from scratch like Marnie would as a newcomer to the job.

9 Marnie: She Is Stronger

Marnie beat Piers in battle fair and square. In fact, she beat every Gym Leader in the region and almost became Champion. Champions are the best of the best. If she beat Piers, then trainers will take her even more seriously. She would weed out more trainers and make the Gym one of the greater challenges that trainers have to face.

8 Piers: He Will Be Missed By Fans

Players and in-game characters love Piers. If he is not a Gym Leader, then it is likely that we will see way less of him. By not being a Gym Leader anymore, it is likely that Piers will dedicate himself to his music. Music is not a big part of a Pokémon adventure. While that might be what Piers wants, it might disappoint a lot of his fans.

7 Marnie: She Is Not Afraid To Dynamax

Piers does not Dynamax his Pokémon, and that is not solely because his Gym doesn’t give him the ability to do so. He doesn’t Dynamax his Pokémon even if he can.

Dynamaxing is a huge part of what makes Sword and Shield special. While it is cool that Piers commits to what he considers his style, it is a weakness. Marnie does Dynamax though, and that is part of what makes her stronger.

6 Piers: His Music Is Cool

It is cool to have a Gym Leader of various talents. Piers can sing and play music like a rock star while also doing battle. He is a little like Nessa and shows that you can both have a love of battling while also dedicating yourself to other things like music. In Nessa’s case, it is modeling.

5 Marnie: She Has More Ambition

Piers is very laid-back. In fact, maybe a little too laid-back to be a good Gym Leader. He did not even go to the opening introduction of all the Gym Leaders. In a way, he does not just seem very passionate about his job.

Marnie is a different story. She is not laid-back like him. She is a go-getter, and would make sure the rest of the region took her seriously.

4 Piers: He Is Older

With age comes more experience in every regard. Marnie is still just a kid, and putting her in the position of Gym Leader at such a young age may not be fair. Trainers and other Gym Leaders may not take her as seriously as they would with an older person like Piers.

Sword and Shield is one of the few Pokémon games where the adults actually try to protect the children and do the dangerous stuff. So even in the Pokémon world where children travel and fight, age can matter.

3 Marnie: Team Yell Supports Her

Team Yell obviously also supports Piers since he is the Gym Leader of their home town. However, they are hyped about Marnie. To Team Yell, she is a beacon of hope for their town. If she keeps winning, then their town will get more tourism and become less poor.

They are loyal to Piers, but they are pushing for Marnie’s success in all regards because that is what he wants.

2 Piers: He’s More Unique

Piers is unique in many regards. It is interesting that he finds not Dynamaxing to be “authentic” and stick to that even if it means being weaker than others. It is also hard to not fall in love with his laid-back nature. It sets him apart from other Gym Leaders.

1 Marnie: Piers Wants Her To Be Gym Leader

This is the most important factor between Marnie and Piers. Even if Piers is a better Gym Leader, none of that matters because he wants Marnie to be the one. He always considered her to be more talented than him. It seems he planned a long time for Marnie to take over his position.

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