Here’s everything we know about Pokemon’s beloved Ash Ketchum

By Melany Moncada

|

Jan 17, 2023

Reading time: 3 min

Ash Ketchum is one of the most beloved anime characters in history. The main character of Pokemon, made his debut in 1997. It’s been 25 years since he started his journey, and a lot has changed, so it is easy to forget everything we know about Ash Ketchum.

Ash Ketchum is Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town in Kanto. At 10 years old, Ash started his journey to becoming a Pokemon Master. On the day he was supposed to start his journey, Ash overslept, and when he arrived at Professor’s Oak lab, there were no starters left. Ash only had one option left, a stubborn Pikachu. This iconic duo would go on to make history.

Blog post image

On the way to get all the Gym badges in the Kanto region, Ash made friends and some enemies. His companions in the original season are Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym, and Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City. They’re constantly being followed by the Team Rocket trio, Jessie, James, and Meowth.  

In the anime, Ash follows the regions as they are uncovered in the mainline games. He starts his journey in Kanto and then makes his way to Johto. The next destinations are Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. Paldea is the only region that Ash will not visit in the anime.

The regions are not the only part of the game featured in the anime. Mechanics like Mega Evolutions and Dynamax are introduced in the tournaments. Using a Dynamax, Ash defeats Leon and is crowned as the new Monarch.

Blog post image

Since Ash fulfilled his dream of becoming a World Champion, it’s been announced that he will no longer be part of the anime. An 11-episode arc started to air on January 13, these are the final episodes of Ash and Pikachu as main characters in the show. The show announced a new pair of protagonists, Liko and Roy, who will start their journey in Paldea, the region featured in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Everything we know about Ash Ketchum dad

At the beginning of the anime, Ash lives with his mother, Delia, in Pallet Town. Delia mentions Ash’s father as she tells Ash that it took him four days to reach Viridian City from Pallet Town. According to Delia, Ash is “the apple of his eye”.

Blog post image

Ash’s father remains unnamed to this day, and his identity will probably never be confirmed, as Ash’s involvement in the show is coming to an end. According to a storyboard artist who worked in the anime, Ash’s father is on his own Pokemon journey, attempting to become a Pokemon Master like his son.  

What is Ash Ketchum’s age?

Ash starts his Pokemon journey as a 10-year-old, and by the end of the anime, he is still the same age.

Ash’s age is a point of contention among the fans. Instead of just accepting that Ash will remain a kid forever because of the magic of television, they have come up with different theories to explain it.

Blog post image

One of the most popular theories is the Ho-Oh theory. Ho-Oh is a Legendary Pokemon who appears in the first episode of the show. According to this theory, Ho-Oh grants wishes to whoever encounters it. Ash has a brief encounter with Ho-Oh, and fans believe he wishes to stay a kid forever. Of course, this wouldn’t explain why the rest of the characters don’t age, either.

How tall is Ash Ketchum?

Ash is a 10-year-old on the short side. According to some characters’ profiles, he is 4’ 7’’ or 140 cm.

Who is Ash Ketchum’s voice actor?

Through the years, Ash Ketchum had three different voice actors in English. Veronica Taylor voiced Ash from the beginning through 419 episodes. Sarah Natochenny took over and is the current voice actor for Ash. Jamie Peacock worked on the original dubbed version of The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon, a special episode that aired in 2006.

Japanese voice actress Rica Matsumoto is the original voice for Ash in anime, video games, and movies.

Recommended