Ikue Ōtani has voiced Pikachu in the Japanese Pokémon anime for most of its run.
Ōtani has performed Pikachu since the character was introduced in the anime. Unlike many Pokémon characters, Pikachu generally says its own name rather than speaking in ordinary human sentences. Ōtani’s performance therefore relies heavily on pitch, rhythm, emotion, and repeated variations of Pikachu’s name.
Pikachu’s voice was kept consistent across international versions, even though other characters usually received different voice actors in each language. This helped make Pikachu recognizable around the world. Ōtani has also voiced Pikachu in major Pokémon games and in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Ōtani is known for other anime roles as well, including Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece and Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya in Detective Conan. Her work made Pikachu’s voice one of the most recognizable sounds in the Pokémon franchise.