Pikachu was one of 151 creatures in a Game Boy game in 1996, a small yellow mouse with red cheeks that you could catch in the Viridian Forest. It wasn't the strongest Pokémon or the rarest, and it wasn't one of the starters. Within a few years it was one of the most recognisable characters on the planet.
The reason is the anime. When Pokémon came to television in 1997, the creators gave its hero a Pikachu instead of a starter, and the bond between Ash and his stubborn electric mouse became the franchise's centre. This profile covers Pikachu as a species, its place in the games and its moves, then Ash's Pikachu and the other well-known Pikachu characters. For trainers, starters and legendaries, see the full Pokémon character guide.
Pikachu the species
Pikachu is a small, round Electric-type Pokémon known in the Pokédex as the Mouse Pokémon. It has yellow fur, long ears with black tips, two brown stripes across its back and a lightning-bolt tail. The red circles on its cheeks are electric sacs where it stores power. Pokédex entries describe Pikachu releasing that electricity when it feels threatened, sharing charges with other Pikachu, and gathering in groups where the build-up of electricity can cause lightning storms.
Female Pikachu have a notch at the end of the tail that gives it a heart shape, a difference introduced in Generation 4. Male Pikachu have a straight-ended tail.
- Pokédex number
- #0025
- Type
- Electric
- Weak to
- Ground
- Resists
- Electric, Flying, Steel
- Abilities
- Static; Lightning Rod (hidden)
- Signature item
- Light Ball
Design and name
Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida, with final artwork by Ken Sugimori, the franchise's lead character designer. Its name combines two Japanese sound words: pika, for an electric sparkle, and chu, for a mouse's squeak. Early artwork shows a rounder, chubbier Pikachu; the design has slimmed down over the years into the leaner, more expressive version in the current games and anime. Our guide to character design looks at why simple, readable shapes like Pikachu's work so well.
Abilities
- Static. Opponents that touch Pikachu with a physical attack may be paralysed.
- Lightning Rod. Pikachu's hidden ability draws in Electric-type moves aimed at its allies and absorbs them, raising its Special Attack instead of taking damage.
Evolution line: Pichu, Pikachu and Raichu
| Stage | Pokémon | How it evolves |
|---|---|---|
| Baby | Pichu (#0172) | Evolves into Pikachu when its friendship with you is high. Added in Generation 2. |
| Basic | Pikachu (#0025) | Evolves into Raichu when you use a Thunder Stone on it. |
| Stage 1 | Raichu (#0026) | The final form: larger, orange, with a long thin tail ending in a lightning-bolt shape. |
| Regional form | Alolan Raichu | Electric and Psychic, surfs on its own tail. Produced by using a Thunder Stone on Pikachu in the Alola games. |
Because Pikachu doesn't evolve without a Thunder Stone, a lot of players simply never evolve it. Its fame as Ash's partner adds to that: keeping Pikachu as Pikachu feels like the right thing to do, even though Raichu has better stats.
Pikachu has also inspired a whole family of look-alikes, which fans call "Pikaclones". Most generations have added at least one small Electric-type rodent: Plusle and Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, Togedemaru, Morpeko, and the Pawmi line in Generation 9.
Signature moves and battle style
On paper Pikachu is a fragile, fast attacker. Its base stats are modest compared with fully evolved Pokémon, which is why the games give it a special item to close the gap.
| Move or item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Thunderbolt | Pikachu's best-known attack: a strong, reliable Electric blast that may paralyse. The move most associated with it in the anime. |
| Thunder Shock | The weak Electric move every early-game Pikachu starts with. |
| Quick Attack | A Normal-type move that always strikes first. Ash's Pikachu has used it since the first season. |
| Volt Tackle | A powerful Electric charge that hurts the user too. Introduced in Generation 3 as a move for the Pikachu line only. |
| Iron Tail | A Steel-type tail strike that gives Pikachu an answer to some of its counters. |
| Electro Ball | Does more damage the faster Pikachu is than its target. |
| Light Ball | A held item that doubles Pikachu's Attack and Special Attack. It only works for Pikachu. |
Pikachu has also had exclusive special moves in individual games. In Sun and Moon it has its own Z-Moves: Catastropika, and 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt for Pikachu wearing Ash's cap. In Sword and Shield, Gigantamax Pikachu becomes a huge, round version of its original design and uses G-Max Volt Crash, which paralyses its opponents. Partner Pikachu in Let's Go has a set of cheerfully named moves only it can learn, such as Zippy Zap and Splishy Splash.
Pikachu's history in the games
- 1996 Pikachu appears in Pokémon Red and Green as a wild Pokémon in the Viridian Forest and the Power Plant.
- 1998 Pokémon Yellow (Japan; 1999 in the West) gives you Pikachu as your starter. It follows behind you on screen, shows its mood when you talk to it, and refuses to evolve, just like Ash's.
- 1999 Pikachu is one of the original fighters in Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, and has been playable in every Smash game since.
- 1999–2001 Gold and Silver add Pichu, and put Red, the silent hero of the first games, at the top of Mt. Silver with Pikachu as his highest-level Pokémon.
- 2014 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduce Cosplay Pikachu, which can dress as a rock star, a pop idol, a scientist, a wrestler or an elegant belle.
- 2016 Detective Pikachu, a talking, coffee-loving investigator, debuts in a 3DS game in Japan, released worldwide in 2018. Pokémon GO launches the same year and lets you pick Pikachu as your first Pokémon if you walk away from the three starters.
- 2016–2017 Sun and Moon add Alolan Raichu, Pikachu's Z-Moves and the Cap Pikachu forms wearing Ash's hats from each region.
- 2018 Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! remakes the Yellow idea for Nintendo Switch, with Partner Pikachu riding on your shoulder.
- 2019 Sword and Shield introduce Gigantamax Pikachu. The live-action film Detective Pikachu is released.
- 2023 Detective Pikachu Returns continues the detective's story on Switch.
Pikachu in Super Smash Bros.
Pikachu is a small, fast fighter with a deceptively strong kit. It fires Thunder Jolt along the ground, charges forward with Skull Bash, zips around the stage with Quick Attack, calls down Thunder on itself, and in Ultimate, its Final Smash is Volt Tackle. Like Minecraft's Steve, Mario and Link, it's one of the characters most people picture when they think of a Nintendo crossover.
Ash's Pikachu
The Pikachu most people know is the one that belonged to Ash Ketchum in the anime. In the first episode, which aired in Japan in April 1997, Ash oversleeps and arrives at Professor Oak's lab after the three starters are gone. Oak gives him the Pikachu nobody else would take. It refuses to go into its Poké Ball, shocks Ash repeatedly, and only warms up when Ash shields it from a flock of angry Spearow at the risk of his own life. From then on it rides on his shoulder for the next 25 years.
Its story
- Refusing to evolve. After losing to Lt. Surge's Raichu, Pikachu turns down a Thunder Stone and wins the rematch with speed. The choice defines it.
- Growing moveset. It picks up Iron Tail in Johto, Volt Tackle during the Advanced Generation series and Electro Ball in Unova, and Ash's battle strategies grow more creative around its small size and speed.
- Z-Move partner. In the Sun and Moon series, Ash and Pikachu use the Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, which the games then gave to Cap Pikachu.
- World Monarch. In Pokémon Journeys, Pikachu Gigantamaxes and is the Pokémon on the field when Ash beats Leon to win the World Coronation Series.
- Back on the road. The short final series that closed Ash's story in 2023 ends with the two of them still walking together.
Ash's Pikachu has the personality the games can't fully show: stubborn, brave, protective of smaller Pokémon, fond of ketchup, and deeply loyal. It's the reason so many people see Pikachu as a friend rather than a tool for battle. In the 2017 film Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, it speaks a short line of human language in an emotional scene, a rare moment for a character who otherwise only ever says its own name.
The voice is Ikue Ōtani, who has played Pikachu since 1997. Her performance is used in nearly every language the anime is dubbed into, so the same Pikachu voice is heard around the world. Our voice actors guide covers more performers like her.
Famous Pikachu characters and names
Pikachu is a species, not one character, so there are many Pikachu with their own stories. These are the ones people search for most.
Ash's Pikachu
Anime · 1997–2023
The partner of Ash Ketchum and the face of the franchise for a quarter-century. Unevolved by choice, never in its Poké Ball, and part of every major battle Ash fought.
Detective Pikachu
Games · Film
A Pikachu in a deerstalker hat who can talk, loves coffee and solves mysteries with a young man named Tim Goodman. He's the lead of two games and the 2019 live-action film, where Ryan Reynolds voices him.
Captain Pikachu
Pokémon Horizons
The Pikachu that travels with Professor Friede and the crew of the Rising Volt Tacklers in Pokémon Horizons. It wears a captain's hat, is unusually strong and acts as a quiet leader for the young heroes, Liko and Roy.
Red's Pikachu
Gold, Silver and later games
The Pikachu that leads the team of Red, the original game protagonist, when you face him as a secret final opponent. It's the highest-level Pokémon he has, a nod to Pokémon Yellow and the anime.
Partner Pikachu
Let's Go, Pikachu!
Your starter in the Switch remake. It rides on your shoulder, can be dressed in outfits and learns exclusive moves. It can't evolve, which is part of the point.
Cosplay Pikachu
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
A female Pikachu you receive for Pokémon Contests. It can change into five costumes, including Pikachu Libre, a masked wrestler who also turns up in Smash Bros. as an alternate costume.
Cap Pikachu
Sun, Moon and later games
A set of Pikachu that wear Ash's hats from each region of the anime. They were given away as event distributions and can't evolve.
Gigantamax Pikachu
Sword and Shield
A towering, roly-poly Pikachu with a glowing tail, closer to its rounder original design. Its G-Max move paralyses everything on the opposing side.
Mimikyu
The Pikachu impostor
A Ghost and Fairy Pokémon that hides under a rag made to look like Pikachu, because it wants to be loved the way Pikachu is. It's one of the most popular Pokémon of recent years.
Pawmi, Pawmo and Pawmot
Generation 9 Pikaclone
A small Electric mouse from Scarlet and Violet with a twist: unlike Pikachu, it evolves twice and ends as a Fighting-type boxer.
Trivia
- Chosen for the anime. Pikachu was picked as Ash's partner partly because its yellow colour and simple shape would stand out on screen and appeal to a broad audience.
- The mascot. Pikachu is the official mascot of the Pokémon franchise and appears on everything from merchandise to painted airliners and parade balloons.
- No black tail tip. Many fans remember Pikachu's tail having a black tip. It never has.
- Ketchup. Ash's Pikachu loves ketchup, a running joke from the early seasons that carried over into other media.
- Surfing and flying. Special event Pikachu with Surf or Fly appear in spin-off and older games, including the surfing minigame in Pokémon Yellow.
- Raichu's comeback. Raichu was overshadowed for years. Alolan Raichu, which surfs on its own tail, gave it a new following.
Why Pikachu matters
Pikachu is proof that a character doesn't need to be the strongest to be the most loved. It's small, easy to draw, expressive without words, and tied to the most famous friendship in the franchise. It has outlasted generations of new Pokémon and its own anime lead, and it still appears on the first page of almost every new Pokémon product. If you're comparing mascots, its closest peers are characters like Mario and Steve: simple designs that stand in for an entire world.
Frequently asked questions
What type of Pokémon is Pikachu?
Pikachu is a pure Electric type. That makes it weak only to Ground-type moves and resistant to Electric, Flying and Steel. Its evolved form Raichu is also Electric, while Alolan Raichu is Electric and Psychic.
What does Pikachu evolve into?
Pikachu evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. It evolves from Pichu, which becomes Pikachu when its friendship with its trainer is high enough. In the Alola games, using a Thunder Stone on Pikachu produces Alolan Raichu instead.
Why doesn't Ash's Pikachu evolve?
Because it doesn't want to. After losing badly to Lt. Surge's Raichu early in the anime, Pikachu is offered a Thunder Stone and refuses it, choosing to win as itself. It beats Raichu in the rematch using speed rather than power, and it never evolves in the rest of the series.
Who voices Pikachu?
Ikue Ōtani has voiced Pikachu in the anime since 1997, and her performance is used in almost every language rather than being dubbed. Ryan Reynolds voices the talking Pikachu in the live-action film Detective Pikachu (2019).
What number is Pikachu in the Pokédex?
Pikachu is #025 in the original Kanto Pokédex and #0025 in the National Pokédex. Pichu, its pre-evolution, came later and is #0172.
Does Pikachu's tail have a black tip?
No. Pikachu has black tips on its ears and a brown patch at the base of its tail, but the tail itself is yellow all the way to the end. Many people remember a black tip that was never there, which makes it a popular example of a false collective memory.
What are the names of famous Pikachu characters?
The best known are Ash's Pikachu from the anime, Detective Pikachu from the game and film, Captain Pikachu from Pokémon Horizons, Red's Pikachu from the Gold and Silver games, Partner Pikachu from Let's Go, and the Cosplay and Cap Pikachu forms. The table on this page lists them all.