We’ve come a long way from the unchangeable character sprites seen in all Pokémon games up until the sixth generation with X & Y, and Sword & Shield, offers the most amount of character customization in the series by far.
X & Y’s and Sun & Moon’s character customization feels weak compared to the options given in the eighth Pokémon generation, especially when it comes to the number of haircuts and hair dyes available to choose from. Which dapper haircuts will create the suavest of Pokémon trainers?
8 Caesar Cut
Not to offend anyone rocking this cut, but nothing about it screams “unique” or “flashy,” especially when we’re considering that this is in a JRPG series that has featured every kind of imaginable hairstyle under the sun.
While there are a plethora of hair colors and hats to choose from, none of these options really do much to help this haircut stand out from any of the others in the game. None of the hair options in Sword & Shield look particularly bad, but this is easily the most uninteresting of the bunch.
7 Side Part
The Side Part and Undercut are two very similar styles to pick at the salon, and the Undercut just has a very slight edge on this one. All of the cuts available to choose from are pretty common to see in the real world, but this one doesn’t transition as well as the others do into the Pokémon style.
It does at least have enough going on to give a trainer some personality, as opposed to the Caesar Cut, but it still doesn’t have quite enough to create an iconic-looking protagonist that screams “I have an entire team of overpowered Pokémon that’ll lead me to become the next champion.”
6 Short Style
This is the default style featured in Sword & Shield and feels rather lacking when compared to the default female style and other default haircuts featured in previous generations. While it does wear the word “basic” on its sleeve, that doesn’t instantly make it a bad option.
This is one of the cuts in the game that looks the best when paired with a hat, as it was designed to be paired with one, just like the default hat given to the male protagonist. If you’re adamant about sticking with a hat for your playthrough, this is still a great option.
5 Bowl Cut
While the Bowl Cut may be the butt of many jokes, it’s actually a pretty common haircut to see, especially in countries like Japan or South Korea. There’s something about it that’s a bit more cute and modest compared to the previous cuts, even if there really isn’t a lot going on.
This is definitely the go-to choice for the more minimalist person, able to convey a unique sense of style without needing to completely deck out your character with a bunch of extra accessories and bright colors.
4 Undercut
While it may be strikingly similar to a previous haircut, the Undercut is a pretty important inclusion into Sword & Shield due to its gyms being modeled after soccer stadiums, and this cut is extremely common to see among pro soccer players.
This hair-do can look pretty stylish with some nice coloring and accessories along with it, making for a pretty solid choice for a player character. It may not be the most unique in the whole game, as Chairman Rose has a similar style but with a tinge of extra flair that would be nice to see here, it’s still a welcome addition to the salon.
3 Braids
Sword & Shield have done an excellent job of providing a lot of shorter hairstyle options than previous games that only provided a simple, medium-length style as the shortest option. It’s nice to see that there are shorter styles besides ones such as the Caesar Cut or the Short Style being featured.
Along with the addition of more skin tone options, this allows for a much greater diversity with how player characters can look, featuring more hairstyles featured in regions and cultures all across the world. Also, bright pink braids are just pretty rad.
2 Long Hair
This is the most “anime” haircut in Sword & Shield, so it only makes sense for it to work well in a Pokémon game. Other titles in the series have similar cuts to this one, such as the male trainer from the sixth generation in X & Y. This kind of “over the eye” style works fantastically with different colors and feels right at home next to other characters.
The only thing keeping this from taking the top spot is that we’ve seen this done in other Pokémon games before, so it isn’t the most original haircut that Game Freak could have included. That aside, this is a cut that you’ll be seeing a lot of trainers rocking.
1 Medium And Wavy
We’ve got fluff, a perfect length, and a great option for both natural and unnatural hair colors that culminate into the Medium and Wavy style. Pokémon’s crazy range of hairstyles since Red & Blue have consisted of jagged, pointy, fluffy, and wavy types alike, and this cut does a great job of feeling unique and fresh.
Like the Short Style, this cut also does very well when paired with a hat or beanie, giving it an extra layer of versatility. There’s no definitive answer for the “best” haircut, however, as any kind of hairstyle can look great on any trainer. So, be sure to choose whichever haircut calls out to you.
NEXT: The 10 Weakest Kanto Pokémon, Ranked
