Who became Pokémon’s first world champion in the anime?

Ash Ketchum became Pokémon’s first world champion in the anime.

He won the Masters Eight Tournament in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series. In the final battle, Ash defeated Leon, the reigning Monarch and Champion from the Galar region, using Pikachu and his other team members.

The victory was revealed in the episode “The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!” after the final battle aired in 2022. It represented the culmination of Ash’s long-running goal to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world.

Ash had already won regional titles, including the Alola League in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Those victories made him a regional Champion, but the Masters Eight result established him as the world’s top-ranked Trainer. After this storyline, Pokémon Horizons: The Series introduced new protagonists rather than continuing Ash as the central lead.