What is the name of Pokémon’s first anime protagonist?

Pokémon’s first anime protagonist is Ash Ketchum.

Ash is a young Trainer from Pallet Town whose goal is to become a Pokémon Master. He first appeared in the premiere episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”, and traveled with Pikachu as his constant partner. His companions and Pokémon teams changed as the story moved through different regions.

Ash was loosely based on Red, the player character associated with Pokémon Red and Blue. However, Red and Ash are separate characters: Red is primarily a video game protagonist, while Ash was created for the animated series and its related media.

Ash led the Pokémon anime for its first 25 seasons. During that period, he became the Alola League Champion and later defeated Leon in the World Coronation Series, becoming recognized as the world’s strongest Pokémon Trainer. In 2023, a new anime storyline introduced Liko and Roy as its central protagonists.