So, you think you know the League.
Most people who’ve watched the movie or read the comics at least once can rattle off the basics. Seven evil exes. One League. A lot of coins flying everywhere when someone dies. But honestly? If you’re still looking at the evil exes Scott pilgrim faces as just a "boss rush" in a video game metaphor, you’re missing the actual point Bryan Lee O'Malley was making.
It's not just about Scott being a hero. In fact, by 2026 standards—and definitely by the time the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime finished subverting everything we knew—it's pretty clear the exes are just as much victims of their own baggage as Ramona was.
The League of Evil Exes: More Than Just a Grudge
The League wasn't some ancient cabal. It started because Gideon Graves was a pathetic, rich man-child who couldn't handle being dumped. He literally posted a drunken rant on Craigslist. That is the "epic" origin story.
Think about that.
Seven people (well, eight if you count the twins separately) bonded over the fact that they all dated the same girl and had a bad time. They aren't "evil" in the Sauron sense. They’re "evil" in the "I haven't been to therapy and I’m making it everyone else's problem" sense.
Matthew Patel and the "First Boss" Curse
Matthew Patel is the one everyone underestimates. He’s the mystic pirate. He summons demon hipster chicks. In the original books and movie, he’s basically a speed bump for Scott. He gets $2.40 for beating him.
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But if you look at the 2023 anime and the recent 2025 updates to the Scott Pilgrim EX game lore, Matthew is actually a powerhouse. He’s the only one who actually manages to "kill" Scott (well, kind of) in the alternate timeline. He even takes over Gideon’s empire. Matthew represents that first high school heartbreak—the one that feels like it has magical significance but was really just a week-long fling in the seventh grade.
Lucas Lee: The Sell-Out
Lucas Lee is "pretty good." That’s his whole thing. He’s a pro skater turned movie star who sold his soul for a paycheck.
Honestly, Lucas is probably the most "normal" guy in the group. He doesn't have fireballs or vegan telepathy. He just has a lot of stunt doubles and a very thick neck. He’s the guy who peaked in high school and now uses his fame to mask the fact that he’s actually pretty lonely. Scott doesn't even beat him with a sword; he beats him by tricking him into doing a grind that's too dangerous for his ego to refuse.
The Power Ranking Nobody Agrees On
If we're talking raw power, the evil exes Scott pilgrim deals with are all over the map. You’ve got Todd Ingram, who can literally punch a hole in the moon. Then you’ve got the Katayanagi twins, who just build really loud robots.
- Todd Ingram: The vegan. His powers are honestly broken. He has telekinesis and can fly because he doesn't eat gelato (wait, milk and eggs are vegan?). He only loses because he cheats on his diet and his girlfriend.
- Roxie Richter: She’s a half-ninja. She’s fast, she’s aggressive, and she’s the only one who actually makes Scott feel weird because he "can't hit a girl." Her "sexy phase" with Ramona is the most grounded part of the League’s backstory because it highlights Ramona’s tendency to run away when things get real.
- The Katayanagi Twins (Kyle and Ken): They represent the "synergy" of a relationship. In the movie, they're just a DJ battle. In the comics, they're much more psychological. They try to convince Scott that Ramona will leave him just like she left them.
- Gideon Graves: The G-man. The final boss. He’s not the strongest physically, but he’s the most manipulative. He literally has "The Glow"—a psychological parasite that traps people in their own heads.
What Most People Get Wrong About Gideon
Gideon isn't just a jerk. He’s a literal representation of "emotional baggage."
In the comics, he keeps his ex-girlfriends cryogenically frozen in the back of his club. It’s dark. It’s a metaphor for how some people "collect" their past relationships instead of letting them go. When Scott fights Gideon, he isn't just fighting a guy; he’s fighting the idea that you can own another person's past.
Interestingly, by the time we get to the Scott Pilgrim EX expansion (the one Tribute Games announced for early 2026), Gideon is portrayed as a total loser who lost everything. It’s a recurring theme: the "evil" goes away once they stop being obsessed with Ramona.
Why the League Still Matters in 2026
The reason we’re still talking about the evil exes Scott pilgrim fought two decades after the first book came out is simple: everyone has a "League."
Maybe not seven people with superpowers, but we all have that mental list of the people our partner dated before us. We compare ourselves to them. We wonder if we're better, cooler, or "more vegan" than they were.
The "League" is just the physical manifestation of that insecurity.
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Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're revisiting the series or playing the games, keep these things in mind to actually "get" what's happening under the hood:
- Look at the numbers: Each ex has their number hidden in their design. Lucas Lee has "2" on his car and his trailer. Todd has "3" on his shirt. It’s a countdown to Scott’s own self-actualization.
- The Anime Change: If you haven't watched Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, do it now. It completely flips the script and shows what happens when the exes actually move on. It’s the "growth" version of the story.
- Check out the "Evil Ex Editions": The hardcover color comics have "Behind the Scenes" notes from O'Malley that explain exactly which real-life people inspired these characters.
- Play the new DLC: With Lucas Lee and Roxie Richter becoming playable in the latest game updates, you can finally see their move sets from their perspective. It turns out Roxie’s swordplay is way more technical than Scott’s button-mashing.
The real "boss" of the story was never the exes. It was Scott’s own inability to remember his mistakes. Once he accepts that he’s also a "bad ex" to people like Knives Chau or Kim Pine, the League loses its power.
Basically, the best way to defeat an evil ex isn't a flaming sword. It’s just growing up.
To dive deeper into the technical side of the fights, you should check out the frame-data breakdowns for the 2026 Scott Pilgrim EX release, as the character stats for the twins have been completely overhauled for better balance in co-op play.