Ash

Ash Ketchum, known as Satoshi (サトシ) in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He is the protagonist of the Pokémon anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. In Japanese, the character is voiced by Rika Matsumoto, and Hana Takeda. 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 the Korean dub, he was voiced by Choi Deok-Hui in the first five seasons and first two films, An Hyeon-Seo in Pokémon movies 3 through 5, and has been voiced by Lee Seon-ho since season 6 and the sixth Pokémon film.

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!'). Ash's dream is to become a Pokémon Master. 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. The character's first official appearance in a game was in Pokémon Puzzle League. 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. As the protagonist of the Pokémon anime, Ash has appeared in all but one episode of the anime, almost all the films, and several of the television specials.

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 due to his status as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime. However, he is often overshadowed in series representation by the franchise mascot, Pikachu. 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. He is also considered a major icon for Japanese pop culture in the United States.

Ash 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. However, his longevity and persistence have also been positively received by major news outlets such as CNN and BBC, as they are seen to represent that it's never too late to achieve one's dreams.

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 costume from the original series. 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 ém all!" ("ポケモンGETだぜ!", "Pokémon getto da ze!").

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.