First Look at Pokemon's New Anime Protagonists Revealed

The Pokemon anime is bringing in a pair of new protagonists to replace Ash Ketchum. Earlier today, The Pokemon Company announced that Ash Ketchum would be stepping back as the protagonist of the long-running Pokemon anime after a 25-year journey. While Ash's story will wrap up in an 11-episode special that will air in 2023, the main Pokemon series would continue with a pair of new protagonists named Liko and Roy, who will explore the Paldea region alongside Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Also appearing in the new Pokemon anime is a Shiny Rayquaza, who will somehow tie into the plot of the show. You can check out a first look at the new protagonists down below: 

Fans were quick to point out that Liko seems to have some suspicious similarities to Ash Ketchum. Not only do they have the same hair color and a few short curls that resemble Ash's hair spikes, she also wears a hairpin shaped like the iconic "L" on Ash's first Pokemon League cap. While Ash has brown eyes, we'll also point out that Liko has blue eyes just like Serena. 

No other details were given about the new Pokemon anime series, other than that it will kick off in April 2023 after the conclusion of the Pokemon Ultimate Journeys anime series in Japan. Fans will have a few more months to follow Ash on the last leg of his journey before they watch a new generation of protagonist take their first steps in the franchise. 

Let us know what you think about the new protagonists in the comment section and be sure to tune into A Wild Podcast Has Appeared on Monday to get all the news and analysis about this major Pokemon news.