Who led the original Pokémon character and creature designs for Game Freak?

Ken Sugimori led the original Pokémon character and creature designs for Game Freak.

Sugimori was a longtime friend of Satoshi Tajiri and a co-founder of Game Freak. For the first Pokémon games, he headed the drawing and design work with a small team that developed the original 151 creatures.

He did not create every first-generation Pokémon alone. Atsuko Nishida designed Pikachu and several other important species, while additional artists contributed ideas. Sugimori’s major role was leading the visual development and finalizing designs so they could be rendered consistently in the games.

Sugimori later became Pokémon’s primary character designer and art director. His work extended beyond the games to official illustrations, trading cards, anime character designs, and Pokémon films. This makes him distinct from Tajiri, who conceived the franchise, and Nishida, who is especially associated with Pikachu’s design.