The Pokémon anime is rather unique for reinventing itself every few years, a trend which helped to give the series such incredible longevity. These changes involved not only new characters and a new setting, but a revamp for Ash as well, changing his appearance and, to some extent, his personality as well.

Fans have endlessly debated which versions of Ash are the best, and they often align with which series have the best writing in general. To rank these different versions of Ash Ketchum, several factors are being considered, such as his design and appearance, his likability, and his performance in battle. This will hopefully reflect the different criteria by which fans have judged these iterations over the years, and provide a single combined ranking that accommodates all of them.

8 Unova Ash

Pokémon: Black and White

In last place is the version of Ash seen in the Black and White anime series. This version of Ash was almost a reboot, causing him to lose a lot of the skills and knowledge he had picked up over previous seasons. This iteration of Ash infamously lost to a brand-new trainer’s Snivy in the second episode, although there were mitigating circumstances. This is also the only series where Ash performed worse in the league tournament than he did previously, finishing in the top eight after hitting the final four in Sinnoh.

Unova’s Ash was also saddled with some of the least popular companions of his entire journey with Iris and Cilan, who many felt were inferior knock-offs of Misty and Brock, respectively. Ash and Iris’s relationship starts off quite rocky, with the two fighting often, and it never really develops as well as it probably should have. The main complaint about Cilan is that he’s boring, and his relationship to Ash would seem to bear that out.

7 Alola Ash

Pokémon: Sun & Moon

Pokémon Sun & Moon was controversial for a few reasons, but by far the biggest was the change in art style. Ash was given a more cartoony design to fit this new style, with exaggerated expressions and movements that many fans didn’t like. Ash is also not traveling in this series, but rather is attending a Pokémon school, which fans felt like he didn’t need to do after all his experience. Sun & Moon does have some good features, though, as this was the series which finally allowed Ash to win a league championship.

Ash does have some really great relationships with some of his Alolan classmates, such as Lillie, and his ties to Professor Kukui made for a great watch.

Rather than one or two traveling companions, Ash has several classmates, giving a much larger cast for him to interact with. Ash does have some really great relationships with some of his Alolan classmates, such as Lillie, and his ties to Professor Kukui made for a great watch. Ash’s progression was not done through badges, but instead Z-Crystals, which allowed him to power up his Pokémon and felt very earned.

6 Hoenn Ash

Pokémon: Ruby and Sapphire

Ruby and Sapphire was the first time that Ash underwent a major revision, and as such some of the kinks still needed to be worked out. Ash’s new design garnered some complaints at first, mostly just for being different, but fans gradually grew used to his new look. Unlike Black and White, Ash’s arrival in Hoenn didn’t result in him forgetting all he had learned, and so this version of Ash was a more refined, slightly more mature version of the character seen in the original series.

Ash was boosted by the continued presence of Brock, with whom he already had a strong relationship.

He was additionally ed by Max and May, two siblings on their own journey. Ash would occasionally be thoughtless in his interactions with May, skipping her performances to train, but the two mostly had a strong relationship, with Ash coaching the girl on how to be a Pokémon trainer, much like how Brock and Misty had guided him early on.

5 Kanto/Johto Ash

Pokémon the Original Series

The very first version of Ash, and the one fans are most familiar with. This is an Ash who has just started out on his journey, and still had a lot to learn. As a result, Ash underwent quite a bit of character development throughout the series. Ash’s embarrassing failure in the Indigo League proved that he still had a lot to learn, however. Ash kept learning and growing throughout his travels into the Johto region, and ultimately became a much more skilled battler, to the point of defeating Gary, even if he didn’t win the league.

The design of this version of Ash is absolutely iconic, and it’s the one most people think of when they imagine Ash. Ash’s traveling companions, Misty and Brock, were interesting and had good relationships with him, even if he and Misty fought often. Ash’s rivalry with Gary is one of the better executed rivalries in the series, and pushes him to new heights unlike any other rival.

4 Sinnoh Ash

Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl

Diamond and Pearl is a fan-favorite series for a lot of reasons. It carried over much of Ash’s character development from the previous series, and saw him improving in ways that could hardly be imagined before. Ash invented new moves, such as the Counter Shield technique, and applied clever strategies in his battles, rather than just trying to power through. Ash’s continued improvement was reflected in his league placement, putting him in the top four of the Sinnoh League.

Ash’s relationship with Dawn is arguably one of his best, as he and Dawn are very ive of one another.

Brock remained Ash’s constant companion, although this was the last series for him as a regular. Ash’s relationship with Dawn is arguably one of his best, as he and Dawn are very ive of one another. Of course, one can’t mention Diamond and Pearl without talking about Ash’s greatest rival, Paul, whose methods of Pokémon training set him apart. Ash’s rivalry with Paul is one of the strongest in the entire series, and it culminates in a supremely satisfying battle.

3 Journeys Ash

Pokémon Journeys

Journeys was Ash’s final series as the lead protagonist of the anime, and as such saw the peak of his character growth and development. Ash’s Journeys team is perhaps the strongest he’s ever assembled, and he clearly worked hard training with each of them to help them improve, something that can’t be said of every previous series. Ash’s strategies and battle skills are on point, and that’s ultimately proven by his success in the World Coronation Series, defeating the undefeated Leon.

Ash only had one traveling companion this time around, Goh, although there was also a cast of ing characters, including both new and old, such as Chloe and Gary, now a researcher. While Goh can be a controversial character, his relationship with Ash is a very strong friendship, and one certainly can’t fault Ash for people’s complaints about Goh. Ash’s Journeys design feels like an appropriate modern take on the character, with elements that hint back at the past.

2 Alternate Universe Ash

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, The Power of Us, and Secrets of the Jungle

An oft-overlooked iteration of Ash is the alternate universe version, seen in the three most recent Pokémon anime movies. However, this version of Ash may actually be one of the best. Retelling much of Ash’s origin before going in a new direction, the I Choose You! Ash is a compacted take on the series, cutting out much of the silliness, which has the net effect of making Ash look like a far more competent trainer in this story than the original series.

This Ash has different companions in each movie, as he travels alone and only meets these people as events begin to occur. As such, it’s hard to talk about his relationships with other characters besides Pikachu, who is as close as ever. Still, Ash’s characterization sees some growth across movies, and he’s generally quite likable, if lacking the edge of his original series counterpart.

1 Kalos Ash

Pokémon: XY

Finally, there’s the Kalos version of Ash, seen in Pokémon XY. Ash’s design was updated and made to look a bit older, although he was still officially just 10 years old. It gives him a more mature look, and one that was a good fit for XY’s new tone, which was more shonen in nature. Ash’s behavior was similarly more mature, and he once again took on a mentor-like role towards Serena. This was also the only series with any hint of romance, something some fans had been clamoring for, although it remained very tame.

This Ash traveled with Clemont, his sister Bonnie, and Serena, all of whom he got along with quite well. Ash was always impressed with Clemont’s new inventions, and was very ive of Serena’s quest to become a Pokémon Performer. Most notably, Ash’s battle skills and strategies were among the best they’ve ever been, as is reflected in his second-place finish in the Kalos League. Even his bonds with his Pokémon seem stronger, like with Greninja, with whom he shared a special phenomenon. For these reasons, the Kalos version of Ash is undoubtedly Pokémon’s greatest iteration to date.