Pikachu

Lore & Background

Pikachu's origins trace back to midway through the development of Pokémon Red and Blue. Lead designer Ken Sugimori sought more "cute" Pokémon but struggled with male-centric designs, so he brought in female staff member Atsuko Nishida. She was tasked with creating an Electric-type that evolved twice, with a final evolution looking strong. Nishida initially modeled the species after squirrels due to their "comical" movement and the idea of storing food in cheeks, which translated to electricity storage. However, creator Satoshi Tajiri changed the classification to a mouse. Developer Koji Nishino encouraged making it cuter but jokingly made it rare in the original games so he could "keep it for himself." The design was finalized by Sugimori, who drew promotional art to unify the look. Originally pudgier, the character's design slimmed down over time for easier animation in the anime, a change later revisited in Pokémon Sword and Shield as a "Gigantamax" form designed by James Turner.

In Their Own Story

The decision to make Pikachu the franchise mascot was driven by its broad appeal. Initially considered alongside Clefairy, Pikachu won out due to its popularity with schoolchildren and ability to attract both boys and girls. Masakazu Kubo noted a "checklist" for the choice: warm design, non-threatening color, expressive face, child-pronounceable vocalization, and cuteness. Picking one of the three starter Pokémon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle) was avoided to prevent alienating children who chose differently in their own games. During localization for North America, staff proposed redesigning Pikachu into a muscular tiger-like creature with "huge breasts," but this was scrapped after Tsunekazu Ishihara questioned the resemblance. Satoru Iwata also recalled a proposal for a muscular redesign which he refused to submit to Game Freak, stating, "There's no way we can show this to the people who made Pokémon." The name "Pikachu" combines "pika" (a sparkling sound) and "chū" (a mouse sound), chosen by Junichi Masuda to appeal to both Japanese and American audiences.

Reader's Guide

In the world of Pokémon, Pikachu evolves from Pichu, a species added later in Pokémon Gold and Silver. It evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunderstone. Originally, Raichu was planned to evolve further into "Gorochu," but this was cut due to cartridge space constraints. In gameplay, Pikachu uses its red cheek sacs to generate electricity. Unlike other Pokémon who have different voice actors in each language dub, Ikue Ōtani voices Pikachu in all languages to keep the character's name and sound universal. While the anime initially planned for Pikachu to learn human speech gradually, this was dropped; instead, it communicates using only its own name. Digitized recreations of Ōtani's performance were used in Pokémon Yellow, and she voiced the character from Pokémon X and Y (2013) through Legends: Arceus (2022). In all other main series games prior to these, Pikachu uses a digitized "cry" sound effect.

Did You Know?

• Atsuko Nishida modeled Pikachu after squirrels because she was obsessed with their "comical" movement and the idea of storing food in cheeks.
• Developer Koji Nishino made Pikachu rare in the original games as a joke, wanting to "keep it for himself."
• During localization, Nintendo staff once proposed redesigning Pikachu to look like "a tiger with huge breasts," which was immediately rejected.
• Ikue Ōtani is the only voice actor for Pikachu across all languages, whereas other Pokémon have different actors in each country's anime dub.
• The planned third evolution for Raichu, named "Gorochu," was cut from the games due to cartridge space limitations.