Picachu^[a] is a fictional species in the Pokémon media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games Pokémon Red and Green created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which were released outside of Japan in 1998 as Pokémon Red and Blue. Pikachu is a yellow, mouse-like creature with electrical abilities. It is a major character in the Pokémon franchise, serving as its mascot and as a major mascot for Nintendo.

Pikachu is widely considered to be the most popular and well-known Pokémon species, largely due to its appearance in the Pokémon anime television series as the companion of protagonist Ash Ketchum. In most vocalized appearances Pikachu is voiced by Ikue Ōtani, though it has been portrayed by other actors, notably Ryan Reynolds in the live-action animated film Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Pikachu has been well received by critics, with particular praise given for its cuteness, and has come to be regarded as an icon of Japanese pop culture.

Concept and design

Pikachu as depicted in promotional artwork for Pokémon Red and Blue, its first appearance

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon series began in Japan in 1996, and features several species of creatures called “Pokémon” that players, called “trainers”, are encouraged to capture, train, and use to battle other players’ Pokémon or interact with the game’s world.^[5] Pikachu was one of several different Pokémon designs conceived by Game Freak’s character development team. Artist Atsuko Nishida is credited as the main person behind Pikachu’s design,^[6][7] which was later finalized by artist Ken Sugimori.^[8][9] According to series producer Satoshi Tajiri, the name is derived from a combination of two Japanese onomatopoeia: ピカピカ (pikapika), a sparkling sound, and チューチュー (chūchū), a sound a mouse makes.^[10] Despite its name’s origins, however, Nishida based Pikachu’s original design, especially its cheeks, on squirrels.^[11] Developer Junichi Masuda noted Pikachu’s name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appealing to both Japanese and American audiences.^[12]