2025 Pokémon Worlds VGC Champion Kevin Han Achieves Historic First

Pokémon World Championships rival Kevin Han conscionable won the 2025 Video Game Seniors World Champion rubric successful Anaheim, CA, making him the archetypal to triumph the VGC Pokémon World Championships successful some the Junior and Senior property divisions. To marque this accomplishment adjacent much impressive, Han took these titles back-to-back, and this year, with a wholly undefeated record.

“I person nary words to picture it. It’s an unreal feeling, I inactive can’t judge it,” Han said aft being asked astir his unprecedented achievement.

Kevin Han astatine the Anaheim Convention Center Arena aft securing his 2025 Pokémon VGC Senior World Champion title. Image from the Play Pokémon livestream.

Han, a 12-year-old from Pennsylvania, US, faced Sian Lee from South Korea successful the Senior part finals. Last year, Han was defeated lone doubly during his ascent to the Junior Championship title, and 1 of those defeats was astatine the hands of Lee, making this finals match-up particularly nerve-racking.

Before the match, Han’s brother, Chris Han, was asked astir however Kevin Han was feeling.
“I tin archer you 1 thing, he’s ace nervous… but Kevin’s got this,” Chris Han said. “I don’t person immoderate words of advice, conscionable spot your gut Kevin–you cognize precisely what to do.”

Kevin Han's 2025 VGC Pokémon team. Image from the Play Pokémon livestream.

Chris Han’s religion successful his member rang true, arsenic Kevin Han won 2-0.

“I deliberation aft crook 1 of each game, wherever I got my positioning up, I deliberation I felt a batch better,” Kevin Han said. “Sometimes if you’re excessively tense it tin wounded you, but, successful my opinion, having astatine slightest a small spot of nerves tin assistance you a lot.”

Kevin Han secured his triumph successful the 2nd lucifer with a Double K.O. with his Ice Rider Calyrex’s Glacial Lance, ace effectual connected Lee’s Rillaboom and conscionable almighty capable to decorativeness disconnected the previously-damaged Zamazenta.

Sian Lee's 2025 VGC Pokémon team. Image from the Play Pokémon livestream.

Ray Rizzo is the lone erstwhile Pokémon rival to person won the VGC Championship successful 2 divisions: the Senior part successful 2010, past the Master part successful 2011. This makes Kevin Han the first-ever contender with the quality to instrumentality the World Championship rubric successful each 3 divisions: Juniors, Seniors, and Masters. We’ll person to hold 3 years earlier helium ages into the Masters division, wherever helium conscionable mightiness marque past yet again.

Kevin Han’s triumph isn’t the lone humanities archetypal astatine this year’s Pokémon World Championships. This is besides the archetypal ever clip Championship Sunday was held successful a dedicated arena alternatively than connected the signifier connected the normal halfway floor.

Picture of the arena signifier astatine the 2025 Pokémon World Championships successful Anaheim, CA.

Casey DeFreitas is simply a lawman exertion connected the guides squad astatine IGN and this twelvemonth is the 2nd clip she's covered the Pokémon World Championships successful Anaheim, CA. Catch her connected socials @ShinyCaseyD.