Can Pokemon's Anime Survive Without Ash?

03/21/2023 11:08 pm EDT

Pokemon's anime is getting ready to say goodbye to Ash Ketchum after watching his adventures for 25 years with his final episode airing in Japan later this week, but as the Pokemon anime franchise moves into its next series without him at the center, the big question now is whether or not the Pokemon anime can even survive without Ash? Following Ash shockingly winning his first League Championship in Alola, Ash shockingly then went on to become the World Champion at the end of Pokemon Journeys. This has left him without a major goal to strive for in his final slate of episodes. 

Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master has brought Ash back to his roots for a blast from the past final season bringing him back together with his original companions Misty and Brock. At the same time, it's also revealed that Ash no longer strives to become "the very best that no one ever was" and instead just wants to spend his time making as many more friends as possible without a hard goal in mind. So it seems natural for him to move on from the anime. But can Pokemon's anime actually make this work? 

Pokemon: What Happens to the Anime Without Ash? 

Pokemon has announced that the Pokemon series will be moving on into a whole new era without Ash with its next series featuring two new main characters, Liko and Roy, taking Ash's place. It's also introducing a replacement Pikachu as well, so fans missing the icon will get to see a new one in action. But the main question, however, is whether or not the new story will be as compelling for fans as Ash's has been. That's just kind of the main issue, however. 

Ash was used perfectly for 25 years as the Pokemon anime's insert trainer through various regions of the franchise. It's why he didn't age, and rarely took any big tournament wins until it was time for him to move on. If the Pokemon anime is changing up its format to focus more on story rather than just follow a trainer through a new region, then it's likely that it will be as successful without Ash and maybe even more so. There are new kids watching the Pokemon anime every day, and each new episode will help those kids to love the new main characters even more. 

It's a shocking shake up for the older fans who have been with Ash all this time, and while we would like to think the Pokemon anime won't survive without Ash, the fact of the matter is that it will be. In fact, this new future is the most promising for the franchise yet. It's the biggest shake up for the franchise in 25 years, and it's that bravery to change what worked for so long that will help Pokemon make a new character just as popular as Ash 25 more years from now. 

But what do you think? Can Pokemon's anime really work without Ash? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

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