A recent chat has brought to light some wild design ideas for Pikachu that never made it to the screen. In a 2000 interview, Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Company, shared that Nintendo considered turning Pikachu into an anime girl with exaggerated features and even a feline look inspired by 'Cats.' Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed they also toyed with a more muscular version. While these concepts never saw the light of day, they show the unique cultural influences in character design.
Published on: 8/6/2025
View the full content at Pikachu's Wild Design Ideas Uncovered