However, his longevity and persistence have also been positively received by major news outlets such as CNN and the BBC, as they are seen to represent that it is never too late to achieve one's dreams. He is also considered a major icon for Japanese pop culture in the United States.Īsh has been criticized for being stuck in a ' floating timeline', as well as for his inability to win any major Pokémon leagues until the 22nd season of the anime. Despite this, Ash, along with others from the series, is considered a pop culture icon, and a figurehead character of the wave of anime in the late 1990s which is credited by most anime fans as having popularized anime in the west, alongside others such as Goku of Dragon Ball Z, Yugi of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Sailor Moon of the show of the same name. However, he is often overshadowed in series representation by the franchise mascot, Pikachu. Īs the protagonist of the Pokémon anime, Ash has appeared in all but one episode of the anime, all the films, and several of the television specials.ĭue 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 due to his status as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime. Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon, with whom Ash shares his Japanese name, has stated that Ash represents the 'human aspect' of the series, and that Ash reflects what he himself was like as a kid. He is loosely based on Red, the player character from the Generation I games Pokémon Red, Green, Blue and Yellow as well as the Generation III games Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen versions.Īsh Ketchum was first mentioned in a video game at the dialogue of Pokémon Play It!, and his first appearance in a game was in Pokémon Puzzle League. Ash's dream is to become a Pokémon Master. His English name is derived from the Japanese name (as the letters 'ash' are included in 'Satoshi') and his English motto is derived from the Japanese motto (as the letters 'Gotta catch ém all!' are included in 'Pokémon getto da ze!'). In the Korean dub, he was voiced by Choi Deok-Hui in the first five seasons and first two films, An Hyeon-Seo in Pokémon films three through five, and has been voiced by Lee Seon-ho since season six and the sixth Pokémon film. 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. In Japanese, the character is voiced by Rika Matsumoto, and Hana Takeda.

He is the protagonist of the Pokémon anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. Ash Ketchum, known as Satoshi ( サトシ) in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo.

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