Pokémon: How Pikachu's Design Has Changed From 1996 To 2022

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Since 1996 Pikachu has arguably been the favorite creature of the Pokémon series and has also seen a major change in design since then. The adorable mouse-like Pokémon captured the hearts of many as Ash Ketchum's right-hand pocket monster. With his brightly colored fur, red cheeks, and adorable personality Pikachu is the most popular Pokémon in over 30 countries across the globe.

Pikachu has been a major part of the Pokémon franchise since the very beginning. As the main Pokémon featured in the show, Pikachu has taken on the mantle of the most iconic Pokémon there is. It is likely that almost anyone can identify who Pikachu is, regardless of if they know the franchise or not. There have even been festivals held in Japan celebrating Pikachu where people dress up in Pikachu costumes and participate in various events.

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There have been many different versions of Pikachu over the years. From major design changes to adorable costumes, Pikachu has been given many different looks and even had a Pikachu-like Pokémon known as Mimikyu take on its appearance in order to make friends. Many of the games within the same generation kept a similar design to Pikachu, but there have certainly been some major differences that have been noticed with the lovable electric-type Pokémon.

The Pikachu that started it all was the Pikachu seen in the 1996 version of the video game and trading card game. This Pikachu was quite small, chubby, and had a smile on its face. In the Pokédex picture, they are jumping in the air and raising their arms up as if in a cheer. As the original versions of Pokémon Red and Green/Blue were black and white and it wasn't until later Pikachu was able to show