Paul

[SapphireRaichu]

Hey Guys, I was just wonder what do you think of Paul do love him do you hate him let me know

 

[CyberCubed]

He was pretty much the best handled rival of the series, and did some things we never expected to see. However on the bad side, he did start to become too one-dimensional at points, but he redeemed himself toward the end.

I honestly feel like Paul was the main reason people were interested in DP. Not Dawn, not anything else, it was just to see Ash finally beat Paul.

 

[AgentPierce]

One of the worst characters the anime's ever had. That he has so many fans gives new meaning to the phrase "Fan-DUMB".

he did start to become too one-dimensional at points, but he redeemed himself toward the end.

Except he didn't. At all. His "redemption" came the frigg outta nowhere, and he never acknowledged his past sins or really did anything to atone for them, or show much of an interest in atoning for them. He was one-dimensional to the end. Silver this guy ain't.

I honestly feel like Paul was the main reason people were interested in DP. Not Dawn, not anything else, it was just to see Ash finally beat Paul.

And there's another problem. When a rival becomes a more intense focus than the likes of Team Galactic, something's gone wrong.

 

[CyberCubed]

One of the worst characters the anime's ever had. That he has so many fans gives new meaning to the phrase "Fan-DUMB".

Usually popular characters only become popular in the first place because they're well written or enjoyable on some level.

Its the characters that clearly don't become as popular that are poorly written.

Except he didn't. At all. His "redemption" came the frigg outta nowhere, and he never acknowledged his past sins or really did anything to atone for them, or show much of an interest in atoning for them. He was one-dimensional to the end. Silver this guy ain't.

How did it come out of nowhere?

 

[AgentPierce]

Usually popular characters only become popular in the first place because they're well written or enjoyable on some level.

Its the characters that clearly don't become as popular that are poorly written

Wow, that's shallow. Popularity isn't everything. Some characters became popular just 'cause fans find them "cool." All style, no substance. By contrast, some characters with more substance and value can be underrated.

Ash is popular with alot of fanboys and fangirls, and if you honestly think he's well-written, there's something wrong with you.

How did it come out of nowhere?

Like you yourself said, he was too one-dimensional beforehand. Back when he crused Ash in their first full battle, he was still acting like a jerk and didn't even acknowledge how Ash felt afterwards. In his next appearances in "Sinnoh League Victors", he's suddendly a bit kinder and more respectful of others and ends the show on good terms with Ash despite never oweing up to all the things he did, especially to Chimchar. He did not earn his redemption and was let off easy.

 

[BEANDIP]

Paul was awesome. The rival character from GSC never appeared in the series aside from a few small cameos, but Paul is almost the same character, which I thought was cool. It's interesting to see such a light-hearted show as this have such a dark character.

 

[Zweihander Nemesis]

He was pretty much the best handled rival of the serie

One of the worst characters the anime's ever had. That he has so many fans gives new meaning to the phrase "Fan-DUMB".

I love the first two responses..contrasting.. Paul's great when they first introduced him though from what i understand he pretty much stayed the way he was the entire way through. I liked how Paul's attitude and character is a complete antithesis to Ash yet he is still powerful as a trainer.

I'm biased to say I liked Gary more. But he's the best rival after him in my opinion, even more so than Ash's clone Richie at least IMO.

 

[Zino]

Lovelovelovelovelovelovelove him! Paul was pretty much the only high point in DP for me. I was starting to get pissed off with all these too friendly characters, so he was a nice break from them. And also, I liked how he only wanted/picked strong Pokémon. Doesn't most of us do it in the games too? I'd totally abandon Chimchar too if it was useless for me.

And his personality clashes well with Ash and made rivalry even better and serious.

Anyway, best character in the show<3 (And yay for giving him some backgrounds too!)

 

[CliveKoopa]

Paul was quite an interesting character even though he was an absolute jerk.

Lovelovelovelovelovelovelove him! Paul was pretty much the only high point in DP for me. I was starting to get pissed off with all these too friendly characters, so he was a nice break from them. And also, I liked how he only wanted/picked strong Pokémon. Doesn't most of us do it in the games too? I'd totally abandon Chimchar too if it was useless for me.

You do realise the games are different from the anime? Pokemon have feelings in the anime and you would probably lose a lot of respect if you abandoned your pokemon in the anime.

 

[ShadowSplash]

I didn't like him, so I just pretended he didn't exist ...

 

[Zino]

You do realise the games are different from the anime? Pokemon have feelings in the anime and you would probably lose a lot of respect if you abandoned your pokemon in the anime.

I don't think they differ that much. You still want be strong, in games and anime both. And is it better for Pokémon to never be used by their trainers again or be free again? Anyway, I was saying that I understand why Paul released his Pokémon even when people might have hated him for doing it.

 

[SoulSilverMstr411]

I liked him at first. Got bored of him.

 

[RWB]

despite never oweing up to all the things he did, especially to Chimchar. He did not earn his redemption and was let off easy.

Strict training=/= bad thing.
Chimchar was released because it didn't live up to expectations.


Paul is basically the strict, realistic coach. Are you trying to say that every coach should be sorry about doing their jobs? Pokemon Trainers ARE coaches.



I can see why you wouldn't like him, but Paul wasn't in the wrong. He just had another approach.

 

[CliveKoopa]

Paul was also very rude and arrogant to other people including Ash and Dawn. He may have his own approach to pokemon training but he has a really bad attitude.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Well I hated him but he is undoubtedly the best rival in the entire series.

 

[AgentPierce]

The rival character from GSC never appeared in the series aside from a few small cameos, but Paul is almost the same character, which I thought was cool.

Comparing Paul to Silver is an insult to Silver.

Paul's great when they first introduced him though from what i understand he pretty much stayed the way he was the entire way through.

Nah, he was actually tolerable when they first introduced him. He got worse from there up until the cop-out redemption.

I was starting to get pissed off with all these too friendly characters, so he was a nice break from them.

Everyone got tired of nice characters because they were all so one-note and uninterestingly friendly. With Paul, I find him to be at the opposite end of the extreme. He was way too one-note in what a mean prick he was.

And also, I liked how he only wanted/picked strong Pokémon. Doesn't most of us do it in the games too? I'd totally abandon Chimchar too if it was useless for me.

Like CliveKoopa said, Pokemon aren't just game data in the story; they're living, breathing creatures. To abuse them in training and then just abandon them when they weren't strong enough is animal abuse and reflects badly on the trainer if he does that rather than really make an effort to improve himself and his Pokemon. Honestly, this is a huge part of why I despise Paul; his annoying misaimed fanbase that fawns over everything he does and finds him agreeable even though Paul's sort of behaviour is sickening in real life.

And his personality clashes well with Ash and made rivalry even better and serious.

It wasn't just a personality clash; they clashed over their training methods. Yawn....

Strict training=/= bad thing.
Chimchar was released because it didn't live up to expectations.

Than maybe it was Paul's fault for having those expectations and not understanding how Chimchar really felt about the whole ordeal. AJ from the 8th episode of the original series had strict training methods but stated outright that he didn't expect any more of Sandshrew than he did of himself. It was a team effort. AJ was a true harsh trainer whereas Paul was just being a bully. AJ knew that his Pokemon were as much to credit for his victories as himself whereas Paul used them as tools to propel himself to notoriety.

Paul is basically the strict, realistic coach. Are you trying to say that every coach should be sorry about doing their jobs? Pokemon Trainers ARE coaches.

No, again: Paul was a bully. Most strict, realistic coaches aren't that harsh and unfeeling. There was no excuse for his bad attitude.

I can see why you wouldn't like him, but Paul wasn't in the wrong. He just had another approach.

And thank you for buying into what the show tried to teach us: that Paul's not a bad person or a bad trainer, he just has "different training methods". Except that lesson is bull and goes against everything else that has been taught in "Pokemon" before.

 

[Lareon]

About Paul!!!

About Paul!!!........I first hated him, when he appeared first. I hated him because of his attitude towards the Pokemon. Pokemon are not just creatures which doesn't have a heart.They are all like us. Ihated him more when he left Chimchar. But I understood that he became a good kid at the end of DP series. And I started to like him.

 

[Yeul]

That detestable boy isn't Silver's replacement, I refuse to believe so.

 

[CliveKoopa]

Comparing Paul to Silver is an insult to Silver.

How is it an insult? Paul looks exactly like Silver. I thought Paul was actually based on him. He looks just like him and even acts like him too.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

That detestable boy isn't Silver's replacement, I refuse to believe so.

Paul and Silver have a few similarities but they are totally 2 different characters.