From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Ash's Charizard (Japanese: サトシのリザードン Satoshi's Lizardon) was the fifth Pokémon acquired by Ash Ketchum in the Kanto region. Its voice actor in both Japanese and English is Shin'ichirō Miki. In English, Michael Haigney was the voice of it as a Charmander and Eric Stuart was its voice as a Charmeleon.
History
In Kanto
Charizard was originally obtained as a Charmander in Charmander the Stray Pokémon. The Charmander was abandoned by Damian, and Ash and his friends found and nurtured it back to health. Charmander then chose to join Ash. It was immediately one of Ash's most used Pokémon, defeating such opponents as a Golem, a Jynx, Koga's Golbat, Erika's Weepinbell, and a Primeape (which Ash subsequently captured).
Charmander evolved into Charmeleon in March of the Exeggutor Squad and quickly lost its loyalty to Ash. A few episodes down the line, it evolved again into Charizard in Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon. From the time of its becoming Charmeleon to the Orange Islands episode Charizard Chills, Charizard refused to obey Ash, the only exception being when he decided to test his strength against Blaine's powerful Magmar during Ash's attempts to win a Volcano Badge. Charizard's disloyalty especially hurt Ash the most during the Indigo League championships, causing Ash to forfeit the fifth round.
In the Orange Archipelago
After Charizard Chills, however, it became one of Ash's most reliable Pokémon, considered by many to be his strongest, even stronger than Pikachu. Charizard's return to Ash's side is due to being frozen by a powerful Poliwrath; Ash stayed up all night trying to help it, thus earning Charizard's respect and reminding it of all that Ash had done for it back when he was a Charmander.
Johto onwards
In Charizard's Burning Ambition, Ash left his Charizard in the Charicific Valley with Liza to train and become more powerful. While there, it took the role of bodyguard for Liza's Charizard, Charla, and the two have struck up a romantic relationship. The two Charizard occasionally visit the Dragon's Valley in Blackthorn City, one such visit coincidentally being when Ash was there for his final Johto gym battle, resulting in Charizard helping Ash defeat Clair's newly-evolved Dragonair.
Charizard can be called upon at any time and has been used in many major battles when Ash requires its firepower. Some of its prominent victories include the series's first double battle (it and Pikachu versus an Alakazam and a Marowak), Ash's first Johto Gym battle against Falkner (where it defeated Falkner's Pidgeot despite the latter's impressive Speed), Ash's fight against Gary Oak in Can't Beat the Heat! (during which it decisively defeated Gary's Blastoise despite the type disadvantage and having already defeated Gary's Scizor and Golem), and more recently in The Symbol Life, where it took on Noland's Articuno at the Battle Factory and won thanks to its use of the newly-learned Overheat, the unorthodox strategy of catching Articuno as it tried to use Steel Wing on it, and its trademark Seismic Toss. Charizard also battled alongside Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu in a four-on-four battle against Brandon's Pokémon in Gathering the Gang of Four! It was defeated by Brandon's Dusclops.
Since it began to obey Ash, Charizard has only lost three major battles, being defeated by Drake's Dragonite (after being weakened by an Electabuzz), Harrison's Blaziken (injuring it so badly that Harrison was unable to use it for the rest of the Pokémon League), and Brandon's Dusclops (which it weakened enough for Bulbasaur to defeat it after it fainted). It learned Steel Wing in the time between the battle against Articuno and the battle against Dusclops.
Moves used
Trivia
- Out of all of Ash's Pokémon, Charizard has used the most moves (14) followed by Snorlax (10), Bulbasaur (10), Pikachu (9) and Butterfree (9).
- Since Charizard was technically originally owned by Damian, this is sometimes used as an explanation as to why it evolved so quickly and would not obey Ash.
- Paul's Chimchar was later in a similar situation to Charmander. Likewise, the original trainer released it and it went with Ash.
- Because of his capture of Chimchar, Ash now has owned each Fire-type starter whose English name begins with a C and whose Japanese name begins with a ヒ hi: Charmander, Cyndaquil, and Chimchar. Incidentally, Charmander and Chimchar were either abused or abandoned by their former trainers, while Cyndaquil narrowly avoided being captured by a potentially abusive trainer.
- According to the anime, Charizard and its pre-evolutions die if the flame on their tails go out. Ash's Charizard was once seen falling into a pool of water, however, and it was not harmed.
- Charizard was actually Ash's third Pokémon to disobey him. The first two were Pikachu and Primeape.
- Like many other Pokémon in the anime, Charizard can fly despite not technically knowing the move.
- Sceptile and Charizard are the only starter Pokémon that Ash owned that evolved to their final stage. Coincidentally, both Pokémon were lizard-based in their first form (Treecko and Charmander).
- Charizard is the only fully evolved starter Pokémon that Ash has used in a Pokémon League tournament.
- Starting with its battle against Blaine's Magmar, Charizard, in almost every major battle it's been in and Ash has won, has defeated his opponent with Seismic Toss. The only exceptions are in the battle against Luana (though it's debatable whether this counts, since Charizard didn't deliver the finishing blow) and when it fought against a wild Dragonite with the help of Clair's Dragonair. On a somewhat interesting note, it attempted to do the same against Brandon's Dusclops, but it failed since Dusclops is immune to Fighting-type moves.
- In the manga, Charizard was much more violent, and could (normally) only be calmed by a torch that Ash carried around, which contained a flame from Moltres. Also, during the battle against Ritchie, it goes berserk and severely injures his Charizard, which causes Ash to, out of guilt, forfeit the battle, even though he technically won. It is later mentioned that Ritchie's Charizard will be okay.
- Charizard is Ash's only Template:Type2 to evolve as of yet.
Related articles
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard.
