Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. He is the protagonist of the Pokémon anime for the first 25 seasons and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. In Japanese, the character is voiced by Rica Matsumoto. Hana Takeda voices six-year-old Ash in episode 1 of Pokémon Journeys: The Series. In the English dub, he was voiced by Veronica Taylor in the first eight seasons and has been voiced by Sarah Natochenny since season 9. Ash is a young man who travels with various companions, aiming to fulfill his dream to become a Pokémon Master; his Pokémon lineup greatly evolves over the course of the series, with its sole constant member being Pikachu. Ash is loosely based on Red, the player character from the Generation I games Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green. Satoshi Tajiri, 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 kid.
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 and a figurehead character of the wave of anime in the late 1990s.
Ash has been criticized for being stuck in a 'floating timeline', as well as for his long-lasting inability to win any major Pokémon leagues. However, his longevity and persistence have also been positively received by news outlets such as CNN and the BBC. Ash's outfits through the anime, especially his various hats, are also considered to be just as iconic as him, and also have good reception, in particular, his first outfit from the original series.
Concept and creation
Named after creator Satoshi Tajiri, Satoshi, whose name can be taken to mean "wisdom" or "reason", was designed by Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida, and intended 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 former tagline (and, as of Pokémon XY, revived) for the series, "Gotta catch 'em all!".
Tajiri noted in an interview that between Japanese and US reactions to the series, Japanese consumers focused on the character Pikachu, while the US purchased more items featuring Ash and Pikachu, his Pokémon, together. He stated that he felt the character represented the concept of the franchise, the human aspect, and was a necessity. The character was given a rival named Gary Oak (Shigeru Okido in the Japanese version, after Tajiri's idol/mentor, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto), loosely based on Red's rival Blue. 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 either 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 and Pearl storyline arc. 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 'birthmarks' on his cheeks. Ash received a major design overhaul for the Sun and Moon anime series, which started airing in Japan on November 17, 2016.