Pokémon species
Fictional character
Bulbasaur[a] is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida, Bulbasaur debuted in Pocket Monsters: Red and Green (Pokémon Red and Blue outside Japan) as a starter Pokémon. Since then, it has reappeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off games, related merchandise, and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. It is the first Pokémon in the franchise's monster index, called a Pokédex, with an index number of 0001. It is a central character in the Pokémon anime, being one of Ash Ketchum's main Pokémon for the first season, and a different one later being obtained by May. It is featured in various manga, and is owned by protagonist Red in the Pokémon Adventures manga. Bulbasaur has been featured in myriad pieces of merchandise, including toys, key chains, and plush dolls. Bulbasaur can evolve into Ivysaur and eventually Venusaur.
Bulbasaur has generally been received positively, considered one of the best Pokemon and best starter Pokemon, including by series producer Junichi Masuda. Its role in the anime has been suggested to have played a factor into its popularity.
Conception and design
Bulbasaur is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.[1] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution.[2]
Bulbasaur was designed by Atsuko Nishida, one of the character designers for Pocket Monsters Red and Blue, who based its design on Ivysaur, the next evolved form of Bulbasaur.[3] The species first appeared as one of three starter Pokémon the player could choose from at the beginning of the initial Game Boy games, Pokémon Red and Blue, released in Japan in 1996.[4] Its Japanese name, Fushigidane (fu-SHI-gi-DAHN-eh), is a combination of the Japanese words for mystery or miracle (fushigi) and seed (tane).[5] In translating the game for English 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; thus Bulbasaur, a portmanteau relating to both its dinosaurian appearance and the large garlic-shaped bulb on its back.[6] Both the etymology and appearance of Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur convey a transition of this Pokémon from the harmless to the dangerous as it evolves.[7] The idea to feature Bulbasaur and the other Red and Blue starters in a significant role in Pokémon X and Y came about 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 from Professor Sycamore, the games professor, to see their Mega Evolved form.[8]
Despite their English names, Ken Sugimori confirmed that the design of Bulbasaur and its evolutions are based on onions and bullfrogs.,[9] albeit identified more with a smaller Dicynodont. In the Pokémon franchise, Bulbasaur are small, squat amphibian and plant Pokémon that move on all four legs, and have blue-green bodies with darker blue-green spots. As a Bulbasaur undergoes evolution into Ivysaur and then later into Venusaur, the bulb on its back blossoms into a large flower.[10] The seed on a Bulbasaur's back is planted at birth and then sprouts and grows larger as the Bulbasaur grows.[11] The bulb absorbs sunlight which allows it to grow, and for this reason, Bulbasaur enjoy soaking up the sun's rays.[12] They can also survive for days without eating because the bulb stores energy.[13] Series producer and director Junichi Masuda considered Bulbasaur the best starter Pokémon, finding it really cute and feeling that it exemplifies what Pokémon is for him, citing the monster and plant combination.[14]
Appearances
Bulbasaur is the first Pokémon entry on the Pokedex.[15] It made its video game debut on February 27, 1996, in the Japanese-language games Pocket Monsters Red and Green.[16] Along with Charmander and Squirtle, Bulbasaur is a starter Pokémon the player can choose from at the beginning of the games.[17] Bulbasaur's Grass typing is in contrast to Charmander's Fire typing and Squirtle's Water typing.[17] Bulbasaur is the only starter in Red, Blue, and Green that has a dual typing in its first form, its second type being Poison. Bulbasaur and the other starters from Red and Blue are replaced by Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow, the only starter available in it, and is instead obtainable elsewhere in the game.[17] Bulbasaur appears in all other entries in the series, though in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Bulbasaur is not available until the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle Of Armor, Similarly, Bulbasaur is not available in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet until the release of The Indigo Disk.
Bulbasaur appears in various Pokémon spin-offs, including Pokémon Stadium and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, where players may be assigned Bulbasaur in a personality quiz. Bulbasaur appears in both Pokémon Snap and New Pokémon Snap as Pokémon the player can take pictures of. In Pokémon Snap, players may encounter a Ditto that mimics Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur was also one of the four starters in Pokémon Go and as a playable character in Pokémon Unite.[18][19] Outside of the Pokémon video games, Bulbasaur is featured as a collectible in multiple games in the Super Smash Bros. series, including Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.[20][21]
Scenes from the Pokémon anime have depicted both the characters Ash and May training a Bulbasaur at different times, with Ash's Bulbasaur being one of Ash's most present Pokemon.[22][citation needed] Before joining Ash's team, it lives with a girl named Melanie, who takes care of abandoned Pokémon. Bulbasaur is given to Ash, but it is pessimistic about him. However, its loyalties begin to improve and it eventually becomes one of Ash's most faithful Pokémon. May catches a Bulbasaur while traveling in a grass-type Pokémon nature reserve during her journey in Hoenn. Bulbasaur defends her from the other grass Pokémon in the forest, who see her as a threat, and when May leaves, Bulbasaur decides to go with her. She later makes a guest appearance, where it is revealed that her Bulbasaur has fully evolved into a Venusaur.[23] In the original Japanese version the two Bulbasaur are each played by separate voice actresses, Ash's Bulbasaur by Megumi Hayashibara and May's by Miyako Itō. In the English dub, they are both voiced by Tara Jayne until Michele Knotz took over the job for the ninth season.[citation needed]
Bulbasaur is featured in a number of different Pokémon manga series, including Pokemon Adventures. In Pokémon Adventures, a manga based on the plot of the Pokémon Red and Blue games, the character Red receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak, which he nicknames Saur. In Chapter 15, "Wartortle Wars", it evolves into an Ivysaur after battling a wild Mankey. Bulbasaur also appears in the movie Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, where a herd of them lead Pikachu for Mewtwo to heal.[24] 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 using CGI.[25]
Promotion and reception
Bulbasaur has been featured in varying pieces of merchandise, including toys and plush dolls.[26] Bulbasaur has been depicted in action figures sold by Hasbro in the United States, while Tomy in Japan sold extensive merchandise of the character, including vinyl dolls, wind-up model kits, Singaporean popcorn,[27] and terry cloth bean bags.[28] It has also been used in promotional merchandising at fast-food chains such as McDonald's and Burger King.[29][30] Bulbasaur has also been included in various versions of the Pokémon painting on ANA Boeing 767s.[31] In 2021, Seiko made limited edition luxury watches based on Bulbasaur and its evolutionary family. The watch also depicts it using Solar Beam.[32] The island nation of Niue issued a commemorative coin with a legal tender value of one crown which has a Bulbasaur on the reverse side.[33] Bulbasaur was also among the eleven Pokémon chosen as Japan's mascots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[34] A Bulbasaur statue was installed on March 25, 2018 in the municipality of Suzano, located in São Paulo in Brazil, and was the first of several other Pokémon-related statues installed there.[35][36]
Bulbasaur has been largely praised by critics for its appearance, especially in the Pokémon anime. Nintendo World Report's Pedro Hernandez called it his favorite Pokémon, noting that it represented a number of firsts for him: his first episode of the anime, his first Pokémon, and the first one he saw in 3D. Calling Bulbasaur the reason he became interested in the Pokémon series, he stated that he was "deeply touched" by how it refused to evolve in the anime in order to "prove his self-worth as his un-evolved form".[37] IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" also praised Ash's "attitude-packing Bulbasaur" in the anime,[38] and Official Nintendo Magazine's John Vekinis attributed his "love of Grass-type Pokémon" to Bulbasaur in spite of the Grass type's weaknesses.[39] Chris Plante of Polygon 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" as it got older in comparison to the other starters.[14] Bulbasaur was ranked the 3rd best starter Pokémon in a poll of Japanese Pokémon fans by ITmedia. The staff felt that the popularity of Bulbasaur derived from the anime, particularly Ash's Bulbasaur, who at the time was the Pokémon that was with Ash for the longest time besides Pikachu, spanning four-and-a-half years. They speculated that this led to fans feeling attached to Bulbasaur.[22]
