Who designed the original Pikachu concept?

Atsuko Nishida designed the original Pikachu concept.

Nishida was a Game Freak artist who developed Pikachu during the production of Pokémon Red and Green. She worked from instructions that the character should be an Electric-type Pokémon and fit the game's broader evolutionary design requirements.

Ken Sugimori later finalized Pikachu's appearance and drew promotional artwork, which is why he is sometimes credited as the sole designer. The finished character emerged from collaboration rather than a single completely separate stage of work.

Pikachu's simple yellow design was also practical for the original Game Boy. Its strong silhouette and limited color identity made it recognizable despite the hardware's restricted display. Pikachu later became the franchise mascot through the anime, merchandise, and games.