Ikue Ōtani has voiced Pikachu in the Pokémon anime since the series debuted in 1997.
Pikachu’s Japanese voice is distinctive because the character generally communicates by repeating variations of its own name rather than speaking in ordinary human sentences. Ōtani’s performance helped make those short calls recognizable across languages and generations.
She has also voiced Pikachu in Pokémon films, television specials, video games, and other franchise productions. The character’s voice is retained in many international versions rather than being replaced by a translated dialogue performance.
Ōtani is sometimes confused with Rica Matsumoto, the Japanese voice actress for Ash, whose character is known as Satoshi in Japan. Megumi Hayashibara voiced several other major Pokémon characters, including Jessie of Team Rocket. Pikachu’s consistent voice is one reason the character remained identifiable through multiple anime series and cast changes.