{{Availability/Entry2|v=Red|v2=Blue|t2=FFF|area=[[First partner Pokémon]] from [[Professor Oak]] in [[Pallet Town]]}}
{{Availability/Entry2|v=Red|v2=Blue|t2=FFF|area=[[First partner Pokémon]] from [[Professor Oak]] in [[Pallet Town]]}}
{{Availability/Entry1|v=Blue|ex=(Japan)|t=FFF|link=Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|area=[[First partner Pokémon]] from [[Professor Oak]] in [[Pallet Town]]}}
{{Availability/Entry1|v=Blue|ex=(Japan)|t=FFF|link=Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|area=[[First partner Pokémon]] from [[Professor Oak]] in [[Pallet Town]]}}
{{Availability/Entry1|v=Yellow|area=[[List of in-game event Pokémon in Generation I#Charmander|Received]] from [[Damian|a Trainer]] on {{rt|24|Kanto}}}}
{{Availability/Entry1|v=Yellow|area=[[List of in-game event Pokémon in Generation I#Charmander|Received]] from [[Damian|a boy]] on {{rt|24|Kanto}}}}
Charmander protecting the flame on its tail from the rain
Charmander is a bipedal, reptilianPokémon with a primarily orange body and blue eyes. Its underside from the chest down and the soles of its feet are cream-colored. It has two small fangs visible in its upper jaw and two smaller fangs in its lower jaw. A fire burns at the tip of this Pokémon's slender tail, which has blazed there since Charmander's birth.
The flame can indicate Charmander's health and mood, burning brightly when the Pokémon is strong, weakly when it is exhausted, wavering when it is happy, and blazing when it is enraged. It is said that Charmander would die if its flame were to go out. However, if the Pokémon is healthy, the flame will continue to burn even if it gets a bit wet and is said to steam in the rain. As shown in Pokémon Sleep, Charmander is known to sleep while curled up.[1] Supposedly, Charmander is drawing warmth from the flame on its tail. During quiet nights, one can hear the sound of a flame burning if you listen hard enough while Charmander sleeps.
Charmander can be found in hot, mountainous areas. It has been recently seen living in the Terarium of Blueberry Academy. However, it is found far more often in Trainers ownership. As shown in Pokémon Snap and New Pokémon Snap, Charmander exhibits pack behavior, calling others of its species if it finds food and watching the flames on each other's tails to ensure they don't go out.
PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure: Charmander is one of Pikachu's best friends. After falling through the mysterious tunnel, he almost lands into a pool of molten lava, only to be saved by the Lava Zone leader, Blaziken, who takes him in as his pupil and trains to become stronger. After he's been found, he journeys to the Meeting Place, where he helps Piplup mend the balloon and makes fireworks. He later accompanies Pikachu to the Sky Pavilion along with Piplup and Chikorita, where he meets Mew. Once the Sky Prism has been restored, Charmander celebrates by firing off the fireworks he made.
The flame on its tail shows the strength of its life force. If it is weak, the flame also burns weakly. (Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly. (Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely.
The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is happy, and blazes when it is enraged.
The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely.
Charmander followed you through the Mysterious Tunnel, landing in the Lava Zone. He's one of your best friends. His great desire is to become stronger.
Charmander live together in groups so they can all watch each other’s tail and make sure the flames never go out. If you can only see one Charmander, look around—its friends are sure to be nearby.
When it curls up to sleep, it's thought to be drawing warmth from the flame on its tail. On quiet nights, it feels like you can almost hear the sound of the flame burning if you listen hard enough.
Charmander physically debuted in Charmander - The Stray Pokémon, where Ash, Misty, and Brock found him after he was abandoned by his Trainer, Damian, who only cared about raising strong Pokémon. At first, Charmander refused to leave the spot he was at, believing Damian would return for him. However, when a rainstorm picked up, Charmander grew ill and Ash took him to a Pokémon Center. Charmander eventually realized that Damian had been abusing him, and allowed Ash to catch him. He later evolved into Charmeleon in The March of the Exeggutor Squad, and then into Charizard in Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon.
Ash's Charmander also appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. In this continuity, it previously belonged to Cross and evolved into Charmeleon after defeating a Jigglypuff in battle. It later evolved into Charizard while battling Cross's Incineroar.
In The Fires of a Red-Hot Reunion!, a Charmander was part of Professor Oak's demonstration of the Kanto first partner Pokémon during the Kanto Fair. Another Charmander was owned by the Kanto Fair host. Seeing it inspired Ash to bring his Charizard back onto his team.
Minor appearances
Charmander made its debut in Pokémon - I Choose You!, where Ash dreamed about one as his prospective first partner Pokémon.
In The Breeding Center Secret, a Charmander was seen evolving on TV for a commercial about Cassidy's and Butch's breeding center, while another one appeared in said center.
In Pokémon Pocket Monsters, Red's rival, Green, chose Charmander as his first partner Pokémon. Green's Charmander is mischievous and has a rivalry with Red's Clefairy. Green's Charmander has evolved into Charizard. It seems to be able to skip the Charmeleon stage, as it was seen evolving directly into Charizard. Although it has devolved back to the Charmander stage, it currently seems to have permanently evolved back into Charizard.
The capture of Ash's Charmander diverges considerably from Pokémon the Series. In the manga, Damian seems to have abandoned his Charmander at the beginning of the chapter Pikachu's Excellent Adventure, but it turns out that he had just been injured and went to the hospital.
Ash is shown to own a Charmander despite this, his own Charmander first appears in You Gotta Have Friends. Ash's Charmander's capture is not shown in the manga, instead, when Charmander first appears from its Poké Ball, it is simply stated that "Ash has been busy since the last comic".
"A Lizard Pokémon. It just downright likes hot stuff. The always-burning tail indicates its mood--waving gently when content and burning intensely when angry. If the tail were to go out, it would be the end of Charmander's life. Its tail is believed to emit steam when it rains. Charmander evolves into Charmeleon by leveling up."
Niue released a one-dollar coin featuring Charmander as part of a commemorative promotion for the Pokémon franchise, with Charmander on one side and the nation's coat of arms on the other.
Additionally, Charmander is depicted with an inconsistent number of fingers in its designs. The original sprites designed by Atsuko Nishida for Pokémon Red and Green featured three fingers, while the artwork Ken Sugimori drew based on those sprites had four fingers. Currently, the TCG, animated TV shows, movies, and specials, as well as artwork unrelated to games and merchandise, use the three-fingered hand design; while the 3D models and the artwork based on those (such as the ones made for Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!) feature the four-fingered hand design.
Charmander's design was based on Charizard in such a way that it was surprising to see it evolving into the latter Pokémon.[2] In particular, Charmander was designed as a lizard.[2] Based on its name, Charmander is also based on a salamander, which are amphibians that physically resemble lizards. In folklore and mythology, salamanders are often thought of as fire spirits capable of surviving in extreme heat or flames. As Charizard is based on a European dragon, Charmander's lizardlike design seems to reference how Western dragons in folklore are heavily inspired by lizards and other reptiles, as well as how various types of lizards are likened to (and named after) dragons due to this connection. Its bipedal design resembles a baby theropod dinosaur.
Name origin
Charmander is a combination of char (to burn) and salamander, as stated in the January 1999 "POCKEMON JOURNAL" on the official Game Freak website.[3] Alternatively, in a 2016 interview with Tsunekazu Ishihara by INSIDE, Charmander is stated to be a combination of charcoal (carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood) and Salamandra (a genus of salamander including four species of fire salamander).[4]
Hitokage may be a combination of 火 hi (fire) and 蜥蜴 tokage (lizard), forming together the word 火蜥蜴 hitokage (mythical salamander).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Bitter Berry (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Charmander images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Red and Green sprite
Generation I back sprite
Generation I art
Key art
XY series art
Corporate art
