You may have thought you knew the famous pokémon hero Ash with his beloved Pikachu and friends, but did you know that Ash based off a character before him called…(dun dun dun)Red? It’s not only Ash, a lot of other characters have been taken from previous ones. Jump right in to this latest Whatablog post, where we uncover the deep secrets of the predecessors of the pokémon trainers we know now!

ASH VS RED

Ash and Red are both pokémon characters which make their debut in different medias and circles. To be clear Ash is more widely recognized than the character Red, though he was made before Ash. Red first appearance was in the games Pokemon Red and Green(Red and Blue in the U.S) in Japan on February 27, 1996, Ash’s first debut was in the show “I Choose you!” on April 1, 1997.

Similarities

• Ash and Red both have a Pickachu
• They struggled at first to connect with their Pokemon
• Ash, Red, and their rivals normally get mistaken for each other (see Gary vs Blue below)
• Ash and Red both come from pallet town
• Many sources certify that Ash is loosely based on Red (poke beach , screen rant, etc)

Differences

Ash and Red are very different acting as their own respective characters. They may be counter parts of each other but they’re definitely not the same.

• Red is arguably stronger than Ash
• Red relies on strategy to battle while Ash relies on his connection with his Pokémon and their special moves
• Ash is more outgoing and childlike than Red, who in the games is a silent protagonist.
• Red character is less defined in the games than Ash in the series & movies.

Red and Ash are their own respective character and each played their own role in shaping the Pokémon company, from the game Pokemon Red and Blue, to the TV, taking viewers through the boundless world of Pokemon!

GARY VS BLUE

Gary vs Blue

Gary is the rival of Ash, he also had his debut in the series “I Choose You!”. Blue is Red’s rival also from the games Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green. In addition it is verified that Gary is based on Blue.

Similarities

• Both are said to have poor sportsmanship
• They are both childhood friends to their respective rivals
• Both are the grandson of professor Oak

Differences

• Gary is more of a showoff rival, than Blue who is a loner.
• Gary takes better care of his Pokémon
• Blue has more Pokémon than Gary

Blue and Gary are very different characters that each shape their rivals and their decisions, enabling them to push their rivals to be the best they can be!

GOLD VS ETHAN

Gold is the original male protagonist default name from the games Pokemon Gold, and Silver which premiered November 21, 1999. Ethan is the male protagonist default name from the games Pokémon HeartGold and Soul Silver which debuted in September 12, 2009 . They are essentially two versions of each other, and arguably the same person, this is supported because Gold was a kind of place holder name until he was officially confirmed to be named Ethan. Because of this no differences or similarities will be listed. Even though they may(or may not) be the same person this character continues to show his presence in different ways through manga, games, and anime.

Ruby & Sapphire vs Brendon & May

If you came here thinking Ruby and Sapphire came first, then with my eyes full with tears I will have to regretfully inform that Brendon and May are the canonical names for the main protagonists in Ruby and Sapphire, which premiered in November 21, 2002. The confusion over the names of these characters might be caused because of the Pokémon Adventures manga, or the title of the game itself, which was usually used as a name for the main characters.

There’s more out there!

Sources

Images

Yawning yellow Picture

Sapphire and Ruby / Brendon and May

Websites

Pokemon Fandom website

CBR website- All about Red and Ash

Game Rant – Is Blue better than Gary?

Game rant – Ash vs Red , whose the better trainer?