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Charizard (リザードン, Rizādon, Lizardon) are one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar^[1] Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media, created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Charizard in the games, anime and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.^[2]

The name Charizard is a portmanteau of char, the first syllable of "charred" or "charcoal", referring to the act of incinerating objects with flames (or the objects themselves), and "lizard", a long bodied reptile.^[3] Charizard are famous for evolving from one of the three species of Pokémon players can choose from at the beginning of their adventure in the Pokémon Red and Blue (and their remakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen) versions of the Pokémon series.^[4] The name Charizard refers to both the overall species, and to individual Charizard within the games, anime and manga series.

Characteristics

As depicted in the Pokémon metaseries, Charizard change form through evolution, a metamorphic change within a Pokémon caused by gaining experience in battle,^[5] Charizard would grow a pair of powerful wings, which would allow them to fly at altitudes approaching 4,600 ft (1400 m), supplementing the fiery breath they would inherit from their earlier forms of Charmander and Charmeleon. However, the flames they could produce as Charizard could be even hotter than those produced by Charmeleon; at full intensity, they would have the power to melt solid rock or large glaciers. Charizard in the wild are shown to focus on finding worthy challengers. According to the Pokédex, they possess a strong innate sense of honor - relying on only claws and strength to hunt or ward off lesser foes, using their flaming breath only against opponents who they would consider equals. Nevertheless, the power of their flame attacks would have be potentially volatile enough that accidental or careless use can cause forest fires and other disasters.^[6]

In the video games

The Pokémon video games were RPG strategy games created by Satoshi Tajiri, originally in Japanese but translated into other languages, that were originally released on the Nintendo Game Boy. Worldwide, these games, and their sequels, have sold over 143 million units, making them one of Nintendo’s most popular game franchises, second only to the adventures of Mario.^[1] The games are divided by release into generations, each with three or more games, often only subtly different, which follow the same basic plot in different areas of the Pokémon world, each generation building on the game play mechanics with new features. As the main character, the player's task is to direct his or her Pokémon to battle the opponent's Pokémon, creating a scenario which has been likened to cockfighting. However, in all media, Pokémon emphasizes the nature of these fights as competition rather than brutality.^[7]

Charizard, as one of the most powerful first-generation Pokémon, is regularly used in player vs. player battles, battles between two players, via the link cable. They are commonly used for their high attack statistics, which makes their wide variety of physical attacks very strong. While they also have a high special attack statistic,^[8] they are more commonly used for their physical attacks,^[9] as they have a poor special move pool, consisting of only a few attacks like Flamethrower and Dragon Claw, as compared to their physical movepool, where they can utilize Earthquake, Rock Slide and Swords Dance to great effect.^[4]

In particular, some players like to use a setup known as "Bellyzard" which utilizes a move called Belly Drum to greatly increase their Attack power while lowering their HP.^[9] Dropping the health to half or below activates a hold item called a Salac Berry, which increases the speed of the holder, when the HP falls below one half.^[10] With high speed and high attack, they proceed to defeat each opposing Pokémon in turn before the enemy can use any kind of counterattack,^[11] known as "sweeping".^[12]

However, since the release of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, more options for a special-themed Charizard have been opened up, as its movepool now includes special-type Dragon and Flying moves like Dragon Pulse and Air Slash, and its new access to the Grass-type Solarbeam. It also can use the Fighting-type attack Focus Bomb (a special move), and the recovery move Feather Rest.

There are seventeen different Pokémon types, a special attribute determining strengths and weaknesses of each species, offsetting each other in a complicated series of rock-paper-scissors relationships. Charizard are dual-type Pokémon, with a combination of Fire- and Flying-types, which protects them from Ground-type attacks, one of the most commonly-exploited weaknesses of Fire, while augmenting some of Fire’s resistances. Their Flying-type also makes them four times resistant to Grass- and Bug-type attacks, and adds a resistance to Fighting-type attacks. These advantages are coupled with weaknesses, however; because of the Flying-type, Rock-type attacks will inflict four times normal damage on them, as well as, losing their resistance to Ice attacks, and gaining a weakness against Electric types. They are still resistant to Fire and Steel moves and vulnerable to Water-type attacks. Fire- and Flying-type attacks used by Charizard do extra damage to Grass-, Bug- Fighting-, Steel- and Ice-type Pokémon, but do little damage to Fire-, Rock-, Dragon-, Electric- and Water-types. Other types have no particular advantage or disadvantage when battling Charizard.^[6]

Charizard can only be obtained in the games by evolving a Charmeleon, which in turn can only be obtained by evolving a Charmander.^[6] Therefore, the availability of Charmander, which are not found in the wild, dictates the availability of Charizard.^[6] Charmander evolve, a metamorphic change within a Pokémon caused by gaining experience in battle,^[5] into Charmeleon, its Stage-1 (middle) form at level 16, and evolves into its Stage-2 (final) form, Charizard, at Level 36.^[6]

Charizard also appear in the Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap, in which players assume the identity of Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer. At the request of Professor Oak, Todd sets out to photograph and catalogue the 63 diverse species of Kanto Pokémon that live in varied environments on "Pokémon Island". In the third level, "Lava Pit", a Charizard can be photographed at the end of the level, by knocking a Charmeleon circling a lava pit into it, it evolves into a Charizard and spreads its wings.^[13] Charizard also has minor cameos in the Super Smash Bros. series; first in Super Smash Bros. as one of several Pokémon which may emerge from thrown Poké balls, attacking players that come near either side of it with Flamethrower; then reprising the role in Super Smash Bros. Melee,^[14] in which it also appears as a trophy.^[15]

In the Pokémon anime

The Pokémon anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from the canon that most of the Pokémon video games follow (with the exception of Pokémon Yellow, a game based on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum — an in-training Pokémon Master — as he and May (as well as several other companions^[16]) travel around the fictitious world of Pokémon along with their Pokémon partners. Various Charizard have appeared in the anime, the most notable of which was on Ash Ketchum’s team for much of the first half of the Pokémon anime.^[17]

Starting out as a Charmander which had been abandoned by another trainer and became loyal to Ash, it evolved into a Charmeleon. Charmeleon refused to obey him, something that Pokémon who become "stronger" and more experienced than their trainers sometimes do, since they lose their respect for their trainer. Charmeleon evolved when Ash summoned it for protection from an Aerodactyl which intended to devour him. Ash was ultimately saved by Charizard, but it remained unclear whether Charmeleon evolved to rescue Ash or just to fight Aerodactyl, which had injured it.^[18]

Originally, Charizard, like Charmeleon, did not obey Ash, but through its willfulness it often inadvertently helped Ash reach his goals. The most notable example of this behavior was in Episode 81, "Friend and Foe Alike", the Indigo League tournament when Ash was battling his new friend Richie. Ash, down to his last Pokémon while Richie had two remaining Pokémon, was desperate to even the score and called out Charizard. Although Charizard easily won against Richie’s Charmander, it refused to battle Richie’s Pikachu, leading to Ash’s defeat.^[19] It showed signs of loyalty, for example, in The Power of One, in which it helped save Ash from the legendary birds,^[20] but remained mostly disobedient until Episode 107, "Charizard Chills", in which Ash battled a trainer with a Poliwrath and Charizard was frozen solid. Because of Ash’s continuous self-sacrificing efforts to save it from certain death, Charizard began to obey Ash, and ultimately defeated the Poliwrath, using Seismic Toss.^[21]

It remained on Ash's team, helping him win the Zephyr badge from Falkner by defeating his Pidgeot in Episode 133, "Fighting Flyer with Fire",^[22] until Episode 136, "Charizard's Burning Ambition", in which the gang reached the Charicific Valley, a reserve where many wild Charizard battle and train to become stronger. The warden of the reserve, Lisa invites Ash and his friends to the valley, where Ash's Charizard meets Charla, a female Charizard, to whom it is attracted. It battles Charla in an attempt to be accepted into the reserve, but is easily tossed into the nearby river by Charla. To prove that it truly wants to improve itself, it stays in the river for the night, despite its flame nearly going out, and, with the help of Team Rocket, is accepted into the Charicific Valley, leaving Ash's team.^[23]

Charizard, like many of Ash’s other Pokémon, has returned on a temporary basis to battle at Ash’s side, typically when Ash faces a particularly powerful Pokémon, such as Claire’s Dragonair, Gary Oak’s Blastoise,^[24] and Noland’s Articuno. It returned from the Charicific Valley in the Battle Frontier Saga, in Episode 413, "The Symbol Life", to battle in the first frontier battle against Noland’s Articuno, but returned to the reserve after winning the battle. This gives Charizard the distinction of being the only "ordinary" Pokémon in the anime to defeat a Legendary Pokémon in single combat. Also, in Episode 59, "Volcano Panic", when Ash faced Blaine to obtain the Volcano Badge, Charizard proved to be a mighty opponent against Blaine’s strongest Pokémon, Magmar.^[25]

Another Charizard featured in Episode 405, "Shocks and Bonds", in the Hoenn Pokémon League, and was used in the preliminary rounds, against Ash's Grovyle and Glalie. It was owned by a trainer called Clark, nicknamed "The Conductor", because of his style of battling, who also used a Quilava in the battle. Grovyle and Glalie knocked out Clark Quilava easily, but Charizard used a Steel Wing sneak attack, throwing Grovyle into a wall, and out the battle. Glalie, in an attempt to stop Charizard from attacking it, created ice pillars on the field, bouncing off them with its head to pick up speed. Glalie knocked out the Charizard with a Headbutt, elevating Ash to the Victory competitions.^[26]

Jessie, of the Team Rocket trio, was given one by Team Rocket's Delibird in Episode 453, "Brock and Ash! Defend Pewter Gym in Tag Battle!", to aid her catch more Pokémon for "the boss", Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket. Jessie uses her Charizard, and James his new Aggron, to try and take over the Pewter City gym, formerly run by Brock, but are defeated by Ash's Donphan and Brock's Steelix and Geodude.^[27] Another Charizard featured in Episode 250, "One Tricky Phoney", used by Team Rocket against Ash at the Battle Park, near Blackthorn City. The three villains broke into the closed arena and pretended to be "the strongest trainers", in an attempt to steal Pikachu from Ash. James used a Venusaur against Ash's Cyndaquil, defeating it, but his Totodile defeated Jessie' Charizard, partly because she had no idea how to use it against Totodile.^[24]

A recurring character, Casey, helped an elderly Charizard regain the ability to breathe fire and fly in Pokémon Chronicles Episode 18, "Those Darn Electabuzz!". Don, the old Charizard, was owned by Tsuyoshi, the former star pitcher of the Electabuzz Baseball team, of which Casey is a huge fan. Don regained its power to battle, and Tsuyoshi regained the ability to pitch for the Electabuzz team.^[28] Other Charizard include Mewtwo’s Charizard clone, which has dark red streaks on its body.^[29] This Charizard has made several appearances, all alongside Mewtwo, among the other clones.^[30] Numerous wild Charizard live in the Charicific Valley, along with Charla, and Ash's Charizard.^[23]

In Pokémon manga

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, which loosely parallels the storyline of the anime, Ash evolves his Charmeleon into a Charizard to battle in the Pokémon League tournament, but he has trouble controlling it, and it almost kills Richie’s Charizard, Charley.^[31] Ash brings Charizard to the Orange Islands, and, having trained it diligently since the near-disaster, uses it to battle Dragonite in the final showdown with Drake, the Orange Crew Supreme gym leader.^[32]

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Blue, originally Red’s rival and later the Viridian City Gym leader, owned a Charizard which evolved from a Charmander he received from his grandfather, Professor Oak. In Chapter 28, "Peace of Mime", Blue used his to gain access to Saffron City, and ultimately help disable the Barrier, being created by a Mr. Mime, with the help of Red's Pikachu, Pika.^[33] In Chapter 31, "The Art of Articuno", Red and Blue face off against Koga's Articuno and are frozen by its Ice Beam, but ultimately defeat the Team Rocket Executive with Charizard's Flamethrower.^[34] In Chapter 33, "The Winged Legends", it teamed up with Red's newly evolved Venusaur, Saur and Green's Blastoise, Turtley, to defeat Sabrina's Zapmolcuno (a merged form of Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno) and destroy Team Rocket's control on Saffron City, splitting the three birds in the process.^[35]

Blue's Charizard re-appeared next in Chapter 40, "A Charizard... and a Champion", during the final match of the Ninth Pokémon League, against his longtime Rival, Red. The battle began with Red's Saur and Blue's Charizard facing each other, Charizard tried to use Fire Punch, but was hit by Saur's Poison Powder nearly being knocked out, despite the type advantage. As the battle progressed, Blue's Ninetails used Fire Blast to send Red's Pika and Poliwrath, Poli, flying towards the ceiling. The two trainers then use their first Pokémon to battle again, Saur binding the Charizard from attacking. Suddenly, thunderclouds began to form above the battlefield, formed from the attacks of Poli and Pika, and Saur submerged a vine into the cloud, shocking Charizard and knocking it out.^[36]

When the manga started the "FireRed and LeafGreen" volume, Red, Blue and Green, the original protagonists, returned to fight the newly formed Team Rocket and the Deoxys under their power. In Chapter 24, "FireRed and LeafGreen", the three trainers were trapped inside the Trainer Tower in the Sevii Islands, battling the main computer of the building and the Deoxys Divides. Due to the prior between Red and Team Rocket, most his team were near death, causing Blue to trade his Charizard with Red's Saur, since Blue was the person who was leading the fight against the computer, in an attempt to free Mewtwo from the binds. After struggling to co-ordinate Turtley, Saur and Charizard, the three trainers managed to focus the angle of the three powerful attacks, Blast Burn, Hydro Cannon and Frenzy Plant, to free Mewtwo from the binds, who in turn, destroyed the Trainer Tower. Red now wields Charizard in his battle against Giovanni.^[37]

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game similar in goal to a Pokémon battle in the video game series; players must use cards (with individual strengths and weaknesses) in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" all of his cards.^[38] The game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999, until Nintendo USA started publishing the series in 2003.^[39]

Charizard appears often in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as a powerful Stage-2 Fire Pokémon, including appearances in the Base Set (reprinted in Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection), Team Rocket (as Dark Charizard, normal and holographic versions), Gym Challenge (as Blaine’s Charizard) Neo Destiny (as Shining Charizard, a Basic Pokémon), Pokémon *VS (as Lance’s Charizard,^[40] a Basic Pokémon, in Japanese only), Expedition (twice, including a holographic version), Skyridge (as a Colorless Pokémon with the "Crystal Type" Poke-Power), EX Dragon (as a secret holographic card), and EX FireRed & LeafGreen (as Charizard EX).^[41] The latest Charizard outing is in EX Crystal Guardians, as a Lightning- and Metal-type Delta Species Pokémon.^[42][43]

The original appearance in the Base Set (reprinted in Base Set 2 and Legendary) sported the "Energy Burn" Pokémon Power, and the "Fire Spin" attack, which did 100 damage. In this set, Charizard was a very rare,^[41] and hence desirable card.^[44] Charizard EX is similar in structure, but it is worth noting that Charizard EX carries what is undoubtedly the most expensive and powerful attack in the entire TCG; Burn Down, taking five fire energy and requires five fire energy attached to be discarded in order to do 200 damage that is not affected by weakness, resistance, Poké-powers, Poké-bodies and any other effects on the Defending Pokémon.The only card that has any effect on the move, Defender, which reduces attack power by 10 of the opposing Pokémon, still leaves the attack power at 160, as you are only allowed four of any card except energy cards in one deck. Despite this, the attack can always knock out any Pokémon in one turn. It does have one more attack, Slash, which takes three Colorless energy to use, but doesn’t require any to be discarded. It also has the Poké-Power, Energy Flame, which causes all energy attached to Charizard EX to become Fire energy, much like the Energy Burn ability.^[41] When the Pokémon Trading Card Game became widespread in North America, the Base Set Charizard card was very popular and always in high demand. In trading card magazines, the card’s value sometimes exceeded $ 60.^[45]

In other media

Due to Charizard's appeal, it has still featured in many ranges of soft toys and action figures in the Pokémon franchise, made by Hasbro,^[46] and TOMY.^[47] In 2004, a Charizard toy, named the "Charizard Medium Plush", was part of a major recall of 13 plush toys, due to a manufacturing fault, involving tips of needles being found with the stuffing, causing makers, TOMY, to replace the toys with compensation or replacements.^[47]

A Charizard action figure was released as part of the "Pokémon Action" series, part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Pokémon franchise. The toy featured posable features and two "flaming" projectiles, which were fired out of the Charizard's mouth.^[46] Alakazam and Medicham,^[48] Weezing and Seviper,^[49] and Mudkip and Marshtomp sets were also released simultaneously.^[50] A similar figure was released alongside a Cacnea figure, called the "Charizard Deluxe Figure With Cacnea". The set featured the same projectile action as the "Pokémon Action" Charizard, but was sold with a card detailing the evolutionary process of a Cacnea.^[51] A Blaziken and Taillow set were also released, with a similar projectile action.^[52]

A Pokémon battle simulator, which was released in several different variations, was bundled with a Charizard figure attached. The system pits out against 47 different trainers, gives you the ability to catch up to 200 Pokémon and become a Pokémon Master. Earning more experience powers up the Charizard figure, allowing it unleash its most powerful attacks.^[53] The system was bundled with a Pikachu figure, allowing the player to complete the same objectives and power up the THINKCHIP+ base figure.^[54] Various other Pokémon were made into figures which could be bought by themselves, including Blaziken,^[55] Salamence,^[56] and Venusaur.^[57]

Charizard has also featured on one of the twelve pillows released periodically,^[58] as part of the "Pokémon 10th Anniversary" featured series.^[59] The plush pillow was released in the month of May, and was only made as a limited edition piece due to the fact it was only designed to be available in the one month.^[58] Skitty,^[60] Mew,^[61] and Kyogre pillows have also been released,^[62] among others.^[59]

Charizard also appeared as the main Pokémon in the short novel, Charizard Go! The novelisation, adapted by Tracey West, is the retelling of Ash's journey with his Charmander, which reaches the climax as Ash and Charizard battle in the Pokémon League at the Indigo Plateau, against his good friend, Richie. The story covers Ash and his companions finding the abandoned Charmander, the battles in which Charmeleon didn't listen to Ash, and Charizard battling Blaine's Magmar. Charizard Go! is the sixth novel in the Pokémon Chapter Books series.^[63] Another chapter novel, All Fired Up: Pokémon the Johto Journeys, adapted by Jennifer Johnson, covers the portion of Ash's journey near Violet City and the Characific Valley, in which Ash wonders if Charizard should leave his team forever. It also covers the capture of Ash's Cyndaquil, his new Fire Pokémon.^[64]

References

Footnotes

External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Charizard as a species
  • Bulbapedia’s article about Ash’s Charizard
• Template:Serebiidex
• Pokémon Dungeon Gameboy Charizard Pokédex entry
• Smogon Charizard battle strategy and Pokédex entry
• Template:WikiKnowledge