Throughout its 25 years of existence, Pokemon has successfully built an expansive and diverse cast of characters in all mediums the franchise has experimented with, from the games to the manga. The anime in particular enjoyed having its own spin on the inhabitants of the Pokemon universe. Sometimes, it will take an already established set of characters, like the Gym Leaders, and twist their in-game characterization to put its own spin on the concept. Sometimes, it will create entirely original characters whose origins are independent of the source material. Sometimes, the anime will go in the middle, taking an already existing group of characters — like Team Rocket — and creating original characters out of said group.
Team Rocket is an interesting example since the organization’s reputation is stemmed from its depiction in the anime. The main trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth serves as the main antagonistic group in the anime, and people who are only superficially familiar with Pokemon will hear the words “Team Rocket” and most likely think of the petty crooks that stalk Ash and his friends. That being said, while Jessie, James, and Meowth embody the anime version of Team Rocket, they are not the only members to get some screentime. Aside from Giovanni, whose presence is expected, there is also another inept duo in Butch and Cassidy.
Pokemon Anime: What Did Misty & Brock Do After Leaving Ash?
Just like Jessie and James, Butch and Cassidy were named after a criminal. Similar to how the inspiration for the former duo’s names is Jesse James, the latter duo’s namesake is Butch Cassidy. Aside from the iconic trio and Giovanni, these two are the most prominent Team Rocket members in the anime. Their role is similar to Jessie and
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