Pokémon species
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of what each of thos ...
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of the mainline ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
History
Predating the vide ...
's ''
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
'' franchise. It is the first in the franchise's monster index, called a Pokédex. 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.
Known as the Seed Pokémon, Bulbasaur can survive for days solely on sunlight. It likes to take a nap in the sunshine. While it sleeps, the seed on its back catches the rays and uses the energy to grow. It is a central character in the ''Pokémon'' anime, being one of
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo. He is the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. I ...
'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
is a Japanese manga series based on the ''Pokémon'' media franchise created by video game designer Satoshi Tajiri and managed by The Pokémon Company. Tajiri once stated that the series is closest to how he imagined the universe of ''Poké ...
'' manga. Bulbasaur has been featured in myriad pieces of merchandise, including toys, key chains, and plush dolls.
Bulbasaur can evolve into Ivysaur at level 16, and can further evolve into Venusaur at level 32. Venusaur can also evolve into Mega Venusaur if the player equips it with a Venusaurite, but this feature was only first added to the Pokémon games in
Pokémon X and Y
and are 2013 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the main ''Pokémon'' video game series. First ...
.
Conception and design
Bulbasaur was designed by Atsuko Nishida, one of the character designers for ''Pocket Monsters Red'' and ''Blue'', who based its design on Ivysaur, the mid-evolved form of Bulbasaur. The species first appeared as one of three starter Pokémon the player could choose from at the beginning of the initial
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
games, ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', released in Japan in 1996.MacDonald, Mark; Brokaw, Brian; Arnold; J. Douglas; Elies, Mark. Pokémon Trainer's Guide. Sandwich Islands Publishing, 1999. . (pg 192–195) Its Japanese name, ''Fushigidane'' (fu-SHI-gi-DAHN-eh), is a combination of the Japanese words for and . 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
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words 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. 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.
Characteristics
Despite their English names, Ken Sugimori confirmed that the design of Bulbasaur and its evolutions are based on
onions
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...
and bulldogs, albeit identified more with a smaller
Dicynodont
Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of anomodonts, an extinct type of non-mammalian therapsid. Dicynodonts were herbivorous animals with a pair of tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'. Members of the group possessed a horny, typica ...
. In the ''Pokémon'' franchise, Bulbasaur are small, squat amphibian and
plant
Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...
Pokémon that move on all four legs, and have blue-green bodies with darker blue-green spots. As a Bulbasaur undergoes
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
into Ivysaur and then later into Venusaur, the bulb on its back blossoms into a large flower. The seed on a Bulbasaur's back is planted at birth and then sprouts and grows larger as the Bulbasaur grows. The bulb absorbs sunlight which allows it to grow, and for this reason, Bulbasaur enjoy soaking up the sun's rays. They can also survive for days without eating because the bulb stores energy. The distinctive differences of Bulbasaur from other Pokémon such as Diglett are well understood by children and so motivate their play and trading of the creature.
Squirtle
Squirtle (), known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. It was designed by Atsuko Nishida. Its name was changed from Zenigame to Squirtle during the English localization of the series in order ...
, Bulbasaur is a starter Pokémon the player can choose from at the beginning of the games. Bulbasaur's dual typing o Grass and Poison type is in contrast to Charmander's Fire type and Squirtle's Water type. Bulbasaur is the only starter in Red, Blue, and Green that has a dual typing. Bulbasaur and the other starters from ''Red'' and ''Blue'' are replaced by
Pikachu
is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which w ...
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
spin-off '' Pokémon Stadium'', and other spin-offs such as '' Pokémon Mystery Dungeon'', give the player a choice of a Bulbasaur (among fifteen other Pokémon), and in ''
Pokémon Snap
is a 1999 first-person photography game with rail shooter style gameplay mechanics developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in Japan in March 1999 and was later released in July 1999 in No ...
'', Bulbasaur are one of the Pokémon that the player can photograph. It also appears in ''
Pokémon Puzzle League
''Pokémon Puzzle League'' is a puzzle video game in the '' Puzzle League'' series developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Released in North America on September 25, 2000, and in Europe on March ...
'' as one of Ash's Pokémon. Bulbasaur also appears in '' Hey You, Pikachu!'' as a supporting character who lives in the Ochre Woods and makes the five recipes with Pikachu's help. In ''
Super Smash Bros. Melee
''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...
'' and ''
Brawl
Brawl or Brawling may refer to:
* Brawl, a large-scale fist fight usually involving multiple participants
*'' Brawl Stars'', a game desarrollated by Supercell, created at 2018
* Brawl, Scotland, a crofting community on the north coast of Scotland ...
'', Bulbasaur appears as one of the obtainable trophies. Bulbasaur appears in '' PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure'' as the host of a mini-game called "Daring Dash". In 2016, Bulbasaur was one of the four starter Pokémon in ''
Pokémon Go
''Pokémon Go'' (stylized as ''Pokémon GO'') is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game, part of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android ...
Scenes from the ''Pokémon'' anime have depicted both the characters Ash and May training a Bulbasaur at different times, with Ash's Bulbasaur garnering more prominence within the storylines.''Pokémon — Pikachu Party (Vol. 12)'' Viz Video., November 23, 1999. . Ash's Bulbasaur has remained with Ash longer than all of his other Pokémon, with the exception of his
Pikachu
is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which w ...
. 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.''Pokémon — Seaside Pikachu!'' Viz Video., July 20, 1999. . May catches a Bulbasaur while traveling in a grass-type Pokémon
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
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 on the series and it is revealed that her Bulbasaur has fully evolved into a Venusaur.
In the original Japanese version the two Bulbasaur are each played by separate voice actresses, Ash's Bulbasaur by
Megumi Hayashibara
is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for ...
and May's by Miyako Itō. In the English dub, they are both
voiced
Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds (usually consonants). Speech sounds can be described as either voiceless (otherwise known as ''unvoiced'') or voiced.
The term, however, is used to refe ...
by
Tara Jayne
Tara Jayne Sands is an American voice actress and co-host of Cartoon Network's ''Fridays'' from 2005 to 2007. Sands has voiced in anime dubs and cartoons, including Bulbasaur in the ''Pokémon'' anime series, Spyler in the US dub of '' I Spy' ...
until Michele Knotz took over the job for the ninth season.
In other media
Bulbasaur is featured in an eclectic range of different ''Pokémon'' manga series. In '' Pokémon: Pikachu Shocks Back'', '' Electric Pikachu Boogaloo'', and '' Surf's Up, Pikachu!'', which loosely parallel the storyline of the anime, Pikachu is separated from Ash temporarily, and travels with a Bulbasaur to a secret Pokémon village in the mountains. Later, Ash finds Pikachu and catches the Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur accompanies Ash throughout his journeys in the Orange Islands, and eventually fights in the final showdown with
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
, the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader. In '' Magical Pokémon Journey'', a character named Pistachio has a female Bulbasaur (nicknamed Danerina in the Japanese version), who is infatuated by him.
In ''
Pokémon Adventures
is a Japanese manga series based on the ''Pokémon'' media franchise created by video game designer Satoshi Tajiri and managed by The Pokémon Company. Tajiri once stated that the series is closest to how he imagined the universe of ''Poké ...
'', 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. A Bulbasaur owned by Red appeared in the first episode of '' Pokemon Generations''. Bulbasaur is the main character of two ''Pokémon''
children's books
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...
, ''Pokémon Tales Volume 3: Bulbasaur's Trouble'' and ''Bulbasaur's Bad Day'', published in 1999 and 2000 respectively by
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus '' Artemisia''. The best known sagebrush is the shrub '' Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrushes are native to the North American west.
Following is an al ...
. In ''Pokémon Tales Volume 3: Bulbasaur's Trouble'', Bulbasaur resolves an argument between two other Pokémon. In ''Bulbasaur's Bad Day'', Meowth traps Bulbasaur in a pit and it has to outwit Team Rocket (the antagonists of the ''Pokémon'' anime) to escape. Bulbasaur also appears in the movie ''Pokemon: Detective Pikachu'', where they helps lead Pikachu for Mewtwo to heal. 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.
Bulbasaur is set to be featured alongside other iconic Generation I Pokémon in a version of the ''Labyrinth'' board game in 2021.
Promotion and merchandising
Bulbasaur has been featured in varying pieces of merchandise, including toys and plush dolls. Bulbasaur has been depicted in
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually marketed ...
s sold by
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
in the United States, while
Tomy
is a Japanese entertainment company that makes children's toys and merchandise. It was created from a merger on March 1st 2006 of two companies: Tomy (founded in 1924 as Tomiyama, changing the name to Tomy in 1963) and long-time rival Tak ...
in Japan sold extensive merchandise of the character, including vinyl dolls, wind-up model kits, Singaporean popcorn, and terry cloth bean bags. It has also been used in promotional merchandising at fast-food chains such as
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...
and
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant c ...
Seiko
, commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...
made limited edition luxury watches based on Bulbasaur and its evolutionary family. The watches also depict its famous Solar Beam attack. The island nation of
Niue
Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...
issued a commemorative coin with a legal tender value of one
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
which has a Bulbasaur on the reverse side.
Bulbasaur was also among the eleven Pokémon chosen as Japan's mascots in the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting rig ...
.
Reception and legacy
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". IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" also praised Ash's "attitude-packing Bulbasaur" in the anime, and ''
Official Nintendo Magazine
''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo.
Originally published by EMAP as ...
''s John Vekinis attributed his "love of Grass-type Pokémon" to Bulbasaur in spite of the Grass type's weaknesses.
Chris Plante of ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two t ...
'' called Bulbasaur "the best ''Pokémon'' all along", citing that series producer and director Junichi Masuda defended Bulbasaur as the best starter Pokémon, calling it "really cute, as a character," and "a very ''Pokémon''-like Pokémon" that "kind of exemplifies what ''Pokémon'' is for me" due to its monster and plant combination. Plante called Bulbasaur and its evolutions "comparably dull", but, nevertheless, stated that they were "the most true to life", as it looked more "leathery and aged" as it got older in comparison to the other starters. Cass Marshall and Julia Lee of the same publication described Bulbasaur on ''
Detective Pikachu Detective Pikachu may refer to:
* ''Detective Pikachu'' (video game), a video game for the Nintendo 3DS
**''Detective Pikachu Returns'', sequel of ''Detective Pikachu'' for the Nintendo Switch
* ''Detective Pikachu'' (film), a 2019 fantasy film ...
'' as "unassuming and sweet," a creature who makes a "lovable friend."
The fan wiki Bulbapedia, a wiki dedicated solely to the Pokémon franchise, is named after Bulbasaur.