Team Rocket is as vital to the Pokémon anime as Ash himself. The trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth first appeared in the anime's second episode, quickly becoming Ash's main threat. Their outright obsession with catching his Pikachu provides the conflict in most episodes, and their clumsiness is often the butt of the joke.
Still, and despite their lack of talent for thievery and mischief, Team Rocket are fan-favorites. Their adventures and constant failures make them relatable and engaging. And throughout the years, they've given audiences plenty of memorable moments, showcasing their unique and, at times, strange relationship and proving just how much they add to the show's overall storyline.
Breaking The Fourth Wall
The Rocket trio breaks the fourth wall constantly, one of the anime's most notorious running gags. Jessie and James often lament their shortcomings, speaking directly to the audience. At times, they even complain when they aren't doing enough in the episode.
Their most memorable fourth wall break is when Meowth realizes he doesn't have a nose. After a brief freakout, in which he touches his face desperately, he remembers "the cartoonist never gave him one" and calms down. The fact that the scene comes out of nowhere makes it even funnier.
Enter Butch & Cassidy
Jessie and James share an ongoing rivalry with another Team Rocket duo, Butch and Cassidy. Their problems start at Team Rocket Academy, where Butch and Cassidy's exceptional performance contrasts with Jessie and James' overall incompetence.
Butch and Cassidy debut in the episode "The Breeding Secret," where they successfully capture several Pokémon, including Misty's Psyduck and James' Weepinbell. In the end, they get arrested, much to Jessie and James' delight. The episode also features Todd Snap's last appearance in the original anime. Butch and Cassidy last appeared in the Diamond & Pearl season, but they could always come back, especially in the current Journeys season.
Jessie & Chansey
Before she joined Team Rocket, Jessie chooses to become a nurse. Unable to go into regular nursing school, she instead attends Pokémon Nurse School, where only Chansey attended. Jessie then becomes close friends with one of the Chansey.
In the 129th episode of the original anime, "Ignorance is Blissey," Jessie reunites with her friend, now a Blissey. The Pokémon nurse gives the trio all the hospital's food, much to Nurse Joy's chagrin. After Nurse Joy and Ash confront them, Jessie relinquishes the food and allows herself and her teammates to get defeated to save Blissey's reputation.
James & Growlie
Unlike Jessie, who had a rough childhood, James comes from a wealthy family. His parents are millionaires who forced him to live an uptight and conservative childhood, which eventually tired him. At one point, they had him engaged with a girl named Jessebelle, who he resented because of her controlling nature.
James then runs away, leaving his pet Growlithe, Growlie, behind. The two reunite in the episode "Holy Matrimony!" after James returns to his family home, believing his parents to be dead. Jessebelle locks him in the dungeon, but Growlie releases him and defeats her Vileplume, chasing her out of the family estate. James then gives up his inheritance and leaves again after shearing a heartfelt goodbye with Growlie.
Meowth's Tragic Past
When it comes to tragic backstories, no one beats Meowth. In the episode "Go West Young Meowth," he reveals he grew up as a stray and starving Pokémon before heading to Hollywood, believing it would be a paradise. There, he joins a gang led by a Persian and falls in love with a female Meowth, Meowzie.
Meowzie rejects him, saying she prefers humans. Undeterred, Meowth learns how to speak and walk like a human, hoping to impress Meowzie but she turns him away again, calling him a freak. Heartbroken, Meowth joins Team Rocket, inspired by the first word he ever learned: rocket.
Wobbuffett Joins The Action
After Meowth, Wobbuffett is Team Rocket's most emblematic Pokémon. During the episode "Tricks of the Trade," Wobbuffett belongs to a young Trainer named Benny, who wants to trade it for a stronger Pokémon. Jessie gets Wobbuffett by chance after she trips and drops a Pokéball containing her Lickitung into the trading machine.
Wobbuffett quickly became a star and even received its own moment at the end of the team's motto. It is as odd, incompetent, and stubborn as Jessie and James, which is why it's such a great fit with the trio.
Team Rocket No More?
In the episode "The Ole' Berate and Switch," the trio gets into one of the anime's most heated arguments after losing yet another fight against Pikachu. The three start blaming each other for their shortcomings, eventually deciding to go their separate ways. Jessie joins Butch, James goes with Cassidy, and Meowth remains a solo agent.
After Ash and his friends discover Team Rocket's newest charade, they alert the other Trainers, and a showdown begins. In the chaos, Jessie, James, and Meowth meet and, remembering the good old times, reunite as friends. They, of course, still lose, but at least they still have each other.
Saying Goodbye To Bewear
Throughout their journey around Alola, a wild Bewear becomes quite fond of the Rocket trio. The giant bear's attention often hurts Jessie, James, and Meowth, because of its overwhelming strength. In fact, its hugs leave them sore and with a couple of bruises. Still, Bewear genuinely cares for them, and it saves them multiple times, always taking them back to its lair.
When it's time to say goodbye, Jessie and James give a heartfelt goodbye to Bewear, thanking it for everything it did for them. The pink and brown bear gives them one last hug, and the trio departs Alola, leaving their friend behind. Bewear is one of Sun & Moon's best characters, so it was painful to see it go.
Their Grand Debut
Jessie, James, and Meowth make their debut appearance in the anime's second episode, "Pokémon Emergency." While Ash waits for Nurse Joy to treat his wounded Pikachu, Team Rocket burst into the hospital, intending to steal every Pokémon. After Ash unsuccessfully tries to fight the trio's Koffing and Ekans, Pikachu joins others like it, and they blast the trio for the first time.
During their first appearance, Jessie and James were much more serious and sinister. They would soon settle into the comedic personality that made them so successful with audiences. Still, their grand debut remains one of their finest moments.
Releasing Arbok & Weezing
Jessie and James' first Pokémon are Ekans and Koffing. The four of them go through countless adventures together, and fans get to see both Pokémon evolve into Arbok and Weezing. However, all good things come to an end, and the Rocket duo eventually has to say goodbye to their beloved mons in one of Pokémon's most iconic scenes.
Arbok and Weezing meet a gang of wild Ekans and Koffing, and the Rocket trio soon learns that a dangerous Pokémon poacher is hunting nearby. Heartbroken, they release Arbok and Weezing, allowing them to lead the Ekans and Koffing to safety. The trio then stays behind and fights the poacher and his Tyranitar, sacrificing themselves to give the Pokémon time to escape. It's a very emotional scene that finally proves that Jessie, James, and Meowth are not that bad. In fact, quite the opposite.