Which artist designed Pikachu?

Atsuko Nishida designed Pikachu.

Nishida created the original Pikachu design at the request of lead designer Ken Sugimori during development of the first Pokémon games. Sugimori later finalized the design for its published artwork, which is why both artists are associated with the character.

Pikachu was conceived as an Electric-type Pokémon with a cute, approachable appearance. Its yellow body, pointed ears, red cheek sacs, and lightning-bolt-shaped tail made it visually distinctive in the game’s sprite art and later illustrations.

Pikachu was not initially guaranteed to become Pokémon’s mascot. The anime’s producers selected it because its design appealed broadly to children and avoided favoring one of the three game starters. Ikue Ōtani later became especially associated with Pikachu through her voice performance, but she did not design the character.