| Bulbasaur | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Bulbasaur artwork byKen Sugimori | |
| First appearance | Pokémon Red andBlue (February 27, 1996) |
| Created by | Atsuko Nishida[1] |
| Designed by | Atsuko Nishida[1] Ken Sugimori (finalized)[2] |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Grass and Poison |
Bulbasaur (/ˈbʊlbəsɔːr/ ⓘ), known asFushigidane (Japanese:フシギダネ) in Japan, is a fictionalPokémon species inNintendo andGame Freak'sPokémon franchise. First introduced in the video gamesPokémon Red andBlue, it was created byAtsuko Nishida with the design finalized byKen Sugimori. Since Bulbasaur's debut, it has appeared in multiple games includingPokémon Go and thePokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise and the 1996 anime. In media related to the franchise, Bulbasaur has been voiced by various voice actors, includingMegumi Hayashibara in Japanese, andTara Sands andMichele Knotz in English.
Classified as a Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon, Bulbasaur is one of three starter Pokémon players are able to select at the game's beginning. It is a quadrupedal green creature resembling a dinosaur, with a large plant bulb on its back. Bulbasaur is a central character inthePokémon anime, being one ofAsh Ketchum's main Pokémon for the first season, with a different one later obtained by supporting characterMay. It is featured in various manga and is owned by protagonistRed inPokémon Adventures.
Bulbasaur is generally considered one of the most popular and widely liked Pokémon, having ranked highly in official popularity polls.[5] Series producerJunichi Masuda has also specifically mentioned Bulbasaur as one of his favorite Pokémon. Its role in the anime has been suggested to have played a factor into its popularity.
Bulbasaur'sheight and weight are 0.7m (2'04") and 6.9kg (15.2lbs).
Bulbasaur is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for thePokémon media franchise. Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video gamesPokémon Red andGreen for theGame Boy, which were later released in North America asPokémon Red andBlue in 1998.[6] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[7] Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[8] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[7]
Bulbasaur first appeared as one of three Pokémon the player could choose as their first at the beginning of the initialGame Boy games,Pokémon Red andBlue, released inJapan in 1996.[9] Its Japanese name,Fushigidane, is a combination of theJapanese words formystery ormiracle (fushigi) andseed (tane).[10] While translating the game forEnglish-speaking audiences,Nintendo gave the Pokémon "cleverly descriptive names" related to their appearance or features as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children, with Bulbasaur being named as aportmanteau relating to its dinosaurian appearance and the large garlic-shaped bulb on its back.[11] Both the etymology and appearance of Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur show it getting increasingly more dangerous as it evolves.[12] Bulbasaur can evolve intoIvysaur, which can then evolve intoVenusaur.[13] Bulbasaur was created byAtsuko Nishida, a character designer forPocket Monsters Red andBlue, which she described as "working backwards" by basing it off the established Venusaur design.[1] Afterwards, the design was finalized by lead artistKen Sugimori who, towards the end of development, drew the promotional art of all the species to give them a unified look and make any last-minute changes.[2]
The idea to feature Bulbasaur and the otherRed andBlue starters in a significant role inPokémon X andY came around a year and a half into the development of the games. The Mega Evolutions for the three Pokémon's final forms were created, and the designers decided that they should give players an opportunity to receive one of these Pokémon fromProfessor Sycamore, the games' professor, so that players would be able to see and use these forms.[14][15]
Despite their English names, Sugimori confirmed that the design of Bulbasaur and its evolutions are based on frogs.[16] In thePokémon franchise, Bulbasaur are small,amphibian andplant Pokémon that moveon all four legs. They have blue-green bodies with darker blue-green spots. The seed on a Bulbasaur's back is planted at birth and then sprouts and grows along with it.[17] The bulb absorbs sunlight which allows it to grow.[18] They can survive for days without eating because the bulb stores energy.[19] In the video games, Bulbasaur has two "types", elemental attributes that determine strengths and weaknesses: Grass and Poison.[20] Series producer and directorJunichi Masuda considered Bulbasaur the best starter Pokémon, finding it really cute and that it exemplifies whatPokémon is for him, citing the monster and plant combination.[21] Bulbasaur has been voiced byTara Sands andMichele Knotz in English in thePokémon anime series.[3][4]
Bulbasaur is the first Pokémon entry in the Pokédex.[22] It made its video game debut in the Japanese-language gamesPocket Monsters RedandGreen. Along withCharmander andSquirtle, Bulbasaur is one of the initial three Pokémon the player can choose from at the beginning of the games. Bulbasaur and the other starters fromRed andBlue are replaced byPikachu inPokémon Yellow, and is instead obtainable elsewhere in the game.[23] Bulbasaur appears in all other entries in the main series, though inPokémon Sword andShield, Bulbasaur was not made available until the release ofPokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor.[24] Similarly, Bulbasaur was not made available inPokémon Scarlet andViolet until the release ofThe Indigo Disk.[25]
Bulbasaur appears in variousPokémon spin-offs, includingPokémon Stadium[26] and thePokémon Mystery Dungeon series, where players may be assigned Bulbasaur in a personality quiz.[27] Bulbasaur appears in bothPokémon Snap[28] andNew Pokémon Snap[29] as Pokémon the player can take pictures of. Bulbasaur also features inPokémon Go[30] and as a playable character inPokémon Unite.[31][32] Outside of thePokémon video games, Bulbasaur was also featured as a collectible in theSuper Smash Bros. series.[33] A costume forMario based on it was added toSuper Mario Maker.[34]
In thePokémon anime, multiple Bulbasaur are owned by various main characters, including series protagonistAsh Ketchum.[35] The character May also captures one inPokémon: Advanced.[36] She later makes a guest appearance, where it is revealed that her Bulbasaur has fully evolved into a Venusaur.[37] InPokémon Adventures, a manga based on the plot of thePokémon Red andBlue games, the characterRed receives a Bulbasaur fromProfessor Oak, which he nicknames Saur. Bulbasaur also appears in the movieDetective Pikachu, where several of them appear.[38] In making the film, a bulldog was used to understand the top-heavy movement of Bulbasaur, then puppeteers in London were hired to create 3D puppets of it. Facial expressions and texture details were added usingCGI.[39]
Bulbasaur has been featured in merchandise, including toys and plush dolls.[40] Bulbasaur has been depicted inaction figures sold byHasbro in the United States, whileTomy in Japan sold vinyl dolls, wind-up model kits, Singaporean popcorn with a flavor based on Bulbasaur,[41] and terry cloth bean bags.[42] It has been marketed via toys at fast-food chains such asMcDonald's andBurger King.[43][44][45] Bulbasaur has also been included in various versions of thePokémon painting on ANA Boeing 767s.[46] In 2021,Seiko made limited edition luxury watches based on Bulbasaur and its evolutionary family.[47] The island nation ofNiue issued a commemorative coin with a legal tender value of onecrown, which has a Bulbasaur on the reverse side.[48] Bulbasaur was also among the eleven Pokémon chosen as Japan's mascots in the2014 FIFA World Cup.[49][50][51] A Bulbasaur statue was installed on March 25, 2018, in the municipality ofSuzano,São Paulo, Brazil, and was the first of several other Pokémon-related statues installed.[52]
Bulbasaur has been largely praised by critics.Nintendo World Report's Pedro Hernandez highlighted its role in one episode of the anime, citing Bulbasaur's appealing storyline in the episode as endearing the species to him. He stated that this role helped him become a fan of thePokémon franchise as a whole.[53]IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" also praised Ash's "attitude-packing Bulbasaur" in the anime,[54] andOfficial Nintendo Magazine's John Vekinis attributed his "love of Grass-type Pokémon" to Bulbasaur in spite of the Grass type's weaknesses.[55] Chris Plante ofPolygon called Bulbasaur the best Pokémon; while he felt it and its evolutions "comparably dull", they were "the most true to life" as it looked more "leathery and aged" after evolving, compared to the other starters.[21] OtherPolygon writers highlighted Bulbasaur for similar reasons, mostly notably for its design, which was highlighted for providing a good balance of design elements while remaining cute.[56] Another writer highlighted Bulbasaur's appearance inDetective Pikachu, stating that its cute appearance and affectionate design helped endear him to the Pokémon. He further noted that age seemed to affect people's perception of Bulbasaur; whereas younger audiences saw it as weaker, older audiences tended to perceive it as a more cute and appealing creature.[57] Bulbasaur was ranked the third best starter Pokémon in a poll of JapanesePokémon fans byITmedia. The staff felt the popularity of Bulbasaur derived from the anime, particularly Ash's Bulbasaur, who at the time was the Pokémon that was with the series protagonist for the longest time besidesPikachu, spanning four-and-a-half years. They speculated this led to fans growing to feel attached to Bulbasaur.[35]
Bulbasaur has been noted to be less popular than Charmander and Squirtle.[58]Nerdist attributed it to a lack of attention to the line early in the series because ofVenusaur's omission from gamebox art in non-Japanese releases of the game.[59] This led to oneTwitter user creating an account named BulbaGanda to spread support for the Pokémon, which was met with considerable popularity.[60]
Pokédex: A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokémon.
Pokédex: Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. There is a seed on its back. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger.
Pokédex: It can go for days without eating a single morsel. In the bulb on its back, it stores energy.
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