Ash (Pokémon)
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Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a character in the ''
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'' franchise owned by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
,
Game Freak is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games. History Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self- ...
, and Creatures. He was the
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of the ''Pokémon'' anime for the first 25 seasons, as well as the protagonist of several manga series. In Japanese, the character is voiced by
Rica Matsumoto is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rika Matsumoto. She was one of the founders of the anison band JAM Project. After early stage work, she began both voice ...
. In the English dub, he was voiced by
Veronica Taylor Kathleen Charlotte McInerney, known professionally as Veronica Taylor, is an American voice actress known for her dubbing work in English-language adaptations of Japanese anime, in particular for voicing Ash Ketchum and his mother Delia in the ...
in the first eight seasons and
Sarah Natochenny Sarah Natochenny (; born 1987) is an American voice actress. She is best known for voicing Ash Ketchum and various other characters in the English dub of ''Pokémon'', as well as Alicia in the video game '' Bullet Witch''. She has also edited do ...
afterwards. Ash is a young man who travels with various companions, aiming to fulfill his dream to become a Pokémon Master; his
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
lineup constantly changes over the course of the series, with its sole constant member being
Pikachu Pikachu (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the franchise's mascot. First introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', it was created by Atsuko N ...
, Ash's first Pokémon. Ash is loosely based on
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
, the player character from the Generation I games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue''.
Satoshi Tajiri is a Japanese video game designer and Creative director, director who is the creator of the ''Pokémon'' franchise and the co-founder and president of video game developer Game Freak. A fan of arcade games in his youth, Tajiri wrote for and ed ...
, the creator of ''Pokémon'', has stated that Ash represents the 'human aspect' of the series, and that Ash reflects what he himself was like as a child. Ash has been criticized for being stuck in a '
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not at all while the setting around them remains contemporary to the rea ...
', as well as for his long-lasting inability to win many major Pokémon League competitions in the series. However, his longevity and persistence have also been positively received, and his character has received attention for teaching important and relatable lessons to children. Ash ultimately became Alola League Champion in '' Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends'', and World Champion in '' Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series''. Due to the huge popularity, success, and longevity of the ''Pokémon'' anime series around the world since its debut, Ash has gone on to become one of the most well-known and recognizable fictional characters of all time. He is considered a
pop culture icon A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
and a figurehead character of the wave of anime in the late 1990s. He has been used extensively in merchandise for the series.


Conception and design

Ash was designed by Atsuko Nishida, and named after creator Satoshi Tajiri. The character was designed to represent how Tajiri was as a child, obsessed with catching bugs. During localization of both for North American audiences, the character's name was changed in the anime to "Ash Ketchum", the first name taken from one of the possible default names players could select for the player character in ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', and the surname tying into the tagline for the series, "Gotta catch 'em all!". He is loosely based on Red, the player character of ''Pokémon Red and Blue''. Tajiri noted in an interview that between Japanese and US reactions to the series, Japanese consumers focused on the character
Pikachu Pikachu (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the franchise's mascot. First introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', it was created by Atsuko N ...
, while the US purchased more items featuring Ash and Pikachu, his Pokémon, together. He stated that he felt the character represented the human aspect of the franchise, and was thus a necessity. The character was given a
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
named
Gary Oak Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;United States *Gary (Tampa), Florida *Gary, Indi ...
(Shigeru Okido in the Japanese version, after Tajiri's idol/mentor
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
), loosely based on Red's rival
Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
. In an interview Tajiri noted the contrast between the characters' relationship in the games and anime; while in the games they were rivals, in the anime, Shigeru represented Satoshi's master. When asked if Satoshi would equal or surpass Shigeru, Tajiri replied "No! Never!" Ash's character design was initially overseen by Sayuri Ichishi, replaced by Toshiya Yamada during the ''Diamond & Pearl'' series of the anime. Ash received a redesign in the ''Best Wishes!'' series, which included larger brown irises. In the ''XY'' series, he received minor changes, such as a decrease in the size of the thunderbolt shaped 'birthmarks' on his cheeks. Ash received a major design overhaul for the ''Sun'' ''&'' ''Moon'' anime series.


Voice actors

In Japan,
Rica Matsumoto is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rika Matsumoto. She was one of the founders of the anison band JAM Project. After early stage work, she began both voice ...
has provided the original Japanese voice of Ash since the series' start. Matsumoto highlighted a past experience in which she recorded a message for a hospitalized child as the character, which she stated caused her to feel "more aware of the work I was putting out there." This caused her to change her approach to voicing the character. Her role has been considered highly iconic. Matsumoto voiced Ash as a kind character, and stated that she did not stray away from that portrayal in her performance, even under special circumstances. Hana Takeda briefly voiced the role in '' Pokémon Journeys: The Series'', portraying Ash when he was a child. For the English dubbing,
Veronica Taylor Kathleen Charlotte McInerney, known professionally as Veronica Taylor, is an American voice actress known for her dubbing work in English-language adaptations of Japanese anime, in particular for voicing Ash Ketchum and his mother Delia in the ...
provided the voice of Ash in the first eight seasons of the ''Pokémon'' anime, which was dubbed by
4Kids Entertainment 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation; stylized as 4K!DS ENTERTAINMENT) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production ...
. At the time of her audition, Taylor stated that the character was temporarily named Casey. After the script was translated from Japanese, the lines were adapted to fit the movements of the character's mouth (called ''lip flap''). All the voices were recorded separately, so Taylor was the only one in the booth when she recorded her lines, which took approximately six to eight hours per episode. Taylor was often the first person to record, so she had to "imagine how the previous line will be said". A director worked with Taylor to help with interpretation of the line, as well as matching with the lip flap and voice consistency. Taylor enjoyed playing Ash because of his "low, husky voice" and "energy and excitement". Taylor was first introduced to the role via a brief voice clip from the Japanese airing. The job moved quickly, and Taylor's past acting experience allowed her to embody the role in the time allotted for recording. Taylor commented that Ash and the other characters "loosened up" after the first ten episodes of the anime; she believed the writers were more relaxed and no longer felt the pressure of making sure everything was done correctly. Taylor commented: "I enjoy playing Ash now much more than I did in the very beginning because I can have fun with him more, and we kind of know him and can work out how he really would react. We have the classic Ash responses and things like that."
Sarah Natochenny Sarah Natochenny (; born 1987) is an American voice actress. She is best known for voicing Ash Ketchum and various other characters in the English dub of ''Pokémon'', as well as Alicia in the video game '' Bullet Witch''. She has also edited do ...
replaced Taylor in season nine when
The Pokémon Company International ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
(known at that time as Pokémon USA) took over the licensing, prompting a shift in recording studios. Natochenney has cited Matsumoto's performance as inspiration for her performance as Ash.


Appearances


In the anime

Ash first appears in the anime's first episode, " Pokémon, I Choose You!". The episode takes place on Ash's tenth birthday as he wakes up late to receive his first Pokémon, resulting in the Professor,
Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
, giving Ash a rebellious Pikachu. Ash and Pikachu bond after Pikachu saves Ash from an angry Spearow flock, and the pair become close friends. Ash acts as the main character of every series of the anime up until '' Pokémon Horizons: The Series''. Ash travels with many traveling companions throughout the series, starting with the characters Brock and
Misty In cryptography, MISTY1 (or MISTY-1) is a block cipher designed in 1995 by Mitsuru Matsui and others for Mitsubishi Electric. MISTY1 is one of the selected algorithms in the European NESSIE project, and has been among the cryptographic tech ...
in the
original series Original programming (also called originals or original programs, and subcategorized as "original series", "original movies", "original documentaries" and "original specials") is a term used for in-house television, film or web series productions ...
. His companions tend to rotate throughout the series, as do his Pokémon, with Ash tending to leave most of his Pokémon (Barring Pikachu) in Oak's care when he visits a new region. Ash also comes into conflict with the criminal organization
Team Rocket is a fictional crime syndicate in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Team Rocket is a primary antagonist in the original ''Pokémon'' video games ''Red'', ''Green'', and ''Blue'', as well as in the long-running ''Pokémon'' anime TV-series. In the ...
, primarily in the form of the trio of Jessie,
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
, and their talking
Meowth Meowth, known in Japanese as , is a List of Pokémon, Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon, ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the first stage of its Gameplay of Pokémon#Pokémon evolution, evolved form, Persian (Pokémon), Pers ...
. While the trio are primarily depicted as comic relief, they often attempt to capture Pikachu in various schemes in order to send it to their boss,
Giovanni Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...
. Ash also frequently goes up against "rival" characters, such as his former childhood best friend,
Gary Oak Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;United States *Gary (Tampa), Florida *Gary, Indi ...
. Ash's main goal is to become a "Pokémon Master", and as a result often attempts to defeat the Pokémon Leaguea competition of the strongest Trainers in a given regionin whatever region he is in. Though his attempts are typically unsuccessful, he eventually succeeded in becoming a regional Champion in '' Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends'', and later became ranked as the "Monarch", of the Pokémon World Coronation tournament in '' Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series'', dethroning
Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
to become recognized as the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world. He also successfully defeated all of the Battle Frontier's Frontier Brains in '' Pokémon: Battle Frontier'', and became Honored Trainer of the Orange Islands in '' Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands''.


In the video games and manga

Ash appeared in ''
Pokémon Puzzle League ''Pokémon Puzzle League'' is a puzzle video game in the ''Puzzle League'' series developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Released in North America on September 25, 2000, and in Europe on March 2, ...
'', acting as the game's main playable character. In ''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'''s demo, the player receives a letter from Ash, along with his Greninja, which is capable of assuming its "Ash-Greninja" form through its ability Battle Bond. Ash also makes a cameo in the Abandoned Thrifty Megamart location in the main game, where a blurry photo of him and his Pikachu is plastered on a wall in the back room. Ash later appeared as an unlockable Sync Pair in ''
Pokémon Masters EX (originally named ''Pokémon Masters'') is a free-to-play ''gacha'' mobile game for Android and iOS developed and published by DeNA. It is based on the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Set on the artificial island of Pasio, the game allows players ...
'', where he is paired with Pikachu. Ash appeared in the manga series '' The Electric Tale of Pikachu'', and '' Ash & Pikachu,'' which follow similar plots to the main anime. Manga author
Toshihiro Ono Toshihiro is a masculine Japanese given name. Written forms Toshihiro can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples: *敏弘, "agile, vast" *敏宏, "agile, wide" *敏浩, "agile, wide" *敏博, "agile, doctor" ...
cited Ash as one of his favorite characters to draw for the series, stating, "I want to go on a trip with Misty just like him! (And forget about job, rent, etc.)".


Critical reception

The book ''The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture'' cited Ash as an example of cultural identification, with the character going through similar motions players of the games had to in order to progress through them. It additionally emphasized the character's growth and development as the anime series progressed. ''The Guinness Book of World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition'' lists Ash as coming 37th out of 50 in a readers' poll of their favorite video game characters. Ash has been described as a "truly admirable hero" who develops as the show goes along, with his willingness to delay his own goals in favor of helping others being highlighted. Ash's role in the anime has received a positive response overall. ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', in a retrospective for the series, highlighted how Ash's divergence from the games helped the anime come into its own as a series. They described Ash's character as "trustworthy and reliable" and his role in the series as "comforting". His friendship with his Pokémon has also been highlighted as a part of his appeal, being compared to Aristotle's virtues of friendship. Pikachu saving Ash from the Spearow flock in the first episode helped to establish "a level of equality" between the two characters, highlighting the idea of how a reciprocal friendship helped ensure further success. Their "symbiotic" relationship was described as a reason for the "personal flourishing" of Ash as a character. His interactions with his friends and companions have also been described as having helped build the dramatic core of the series as a whole. The relationship between Serena and Ash has also created a fan community of people who
ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
them together, with the ship name being called "AmourShipping," with speculation being made that Serena and Ash would end up together. Ash has also garnered praise for serving as a role-model to children by sources such as ''Business Insider'' Australia and the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. Kat Bailey, writing for ''
VG247 Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'', highlighted this as a part of both Ash and the Pokémon anime's success, stating that "Pokémon set out to teach kids the meaning of fair play, good sportsmanship, and perseverance. Whenever Ash got knocked down, he would pick himself up again, dust himself off, and keep doggedly pursuing his goals." Ash's defeat in his first tournament was praised, due to his inability to raise his
Charizard Charizard ( ), known in Japan as , is a Pokémon in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. Created by Atsuko Nishida, Charizard first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' ( ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' in Ja ...
resulting in his loss. It was highlighted as both teaching a valuable and relatable lesson to children watching the show, as well as allowing them to become further invested in Ash's character in order to see if "he'd become good enough to win next time." Ash's role in the series has also been criticized. The character's constant losses were highlighted by ''IGN'', who stated that, "The Pokemon show has become so successful and been so consistent for so long that it's like its hero is never, ever going to be allowed to actually finish what he started. If Ash ever won, it'd be over. If he ever actually became a League Champion in the series, that would be it. The end. How could the story go on? It couldn't. And so every time he gets close, the writers make sure he falls short." They also criticized the "floating timeline" the character was stuck in. Ash's journey never ending was also criticized due to its formula being unable to reach "a proper conclusion". However, Ash's constant setbacks have also been met positively, being highlighted as a way to teach relatable stories and lessons to children. Daniel Dockery, commenting on Ash's departure from the series while writing for ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'', highlighted this inability to win as a central part of Ash's character, believing it to be a valuable lesson that was "relatable for everything from going to a new, unfamiliar school to experiencing defeat in a sport". They stated that Ash's indefinite style of journeying provided a sense of comfort to returning fans, while also symbolizing the Pokémon series' core themes. The book ''Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Em All'', highlighted Ash's role, citing him as a constant and comforting companion to viewers due to his longevity, and as being a character that "each new generation of Pokémon fans could relate to." The character's farewell from the series drew a massive response, with the hashtag "#ThankYouAshAndPikachu" trending on Twitter following the announcement of the character's departure from the series. ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' highlighted Ash's significant impact on the series, stating that "New Pokemon might grace my screen, but Ash and Pikachu would be an unchanging presence, anchoring not only the show, but the entire franchise. It won't matter in a big way, but I'm quietly devastated that now, they won't be there anymore." Kenneth Sheperd, writing for ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'', wrote about Ash's longevity as a character and his influence over many generations of children, highlighting his departure as a sad one. He stated that "For fans, myself included, Ash symbolizes learning about who you are in a world that feels vast and unknowable at a young age, and that the journey to learn about this world is best taken together. I don't know many people who watched Ash's story unfold in its entirety, but every ''Pokémon'' fan I know has taken that spirit with them as they've embarked on their own journeys." It drew minor criticism, with ''Polygon'' highlighting the retirement of the character as "evolution by forced means of companies seeking a branding revamp rather than the conclusion of a satisfying and coherent emotional arc". ''The Radio Times'' cited, however, that the change was a positive one, as despite Ash's iconicity, "If Ash can't grow, how can the show itself evolve and develop? It's admirable how long Pokémon has managed to recycle the same themes and ideas, but even with new generations of cute little pocket monsters to catch, there's only so long we could have watched Ash lose his tournaments over and over again."


Further reading

* *


References


External links


Ash Ketchum
o
Bulbapedia

Ash Ketchum on Serebii
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ketchum, Ash Anime and manga characters introduced in 1997 Characters created by Satoshi Tajiri Child characters in anime and manga Male characters in anime and manga Pokémon characters