Who is credited with designing Pikachu?

Atsuko Nishida is credited with designing Pikachu.

Nishida was a graphic artist at Game Freak during the development of the original Pokémon games. Pikachu’s final design combined a small, rounded animal form with a distinctive yellow body, pointed ears, red cheek patches, and a lightning-bolt-shaped tail.

Ken Sugimori created the official artwork for many Pokémon and helped establish the visual identity of the original games, which is why he is sometimes incorrectly named as Pikachu’s sole designer. Pokémon’s development was collaborative, and different artists worked on sprites, illustrations, and later revisions.

Pikachu was not initially the only creature considered as the franchise’s public face. Its popularity grew through the games, merchandise, and especially the anime, where it became Ash Ketchum’s constant companion. That exposure made Pikachu the best-known Pokémon worldwide, even though it is number 0025 rather than the first Pokédex entry.