Ash Ketchum, known as Satoshi in Japan, is voiced in the Japanese version of Pokémon by Rica Matsumoto. In the English dub, Ash was voiced first by Veronica Taylor in Seasons 1–8 and later by Sarah Natochenny from Season 9 onward.

Japanese Voice Actor: Rica Matsumoto

Date of Birth

Rica Matsumoto was born on November 30, 1968. Her agency profile lists her birthday as November 30, and widely cited reference sources identify the year as 1968.

About Rica

Rica Matsumoto is a Japanese voice actress, actress, and singer best known worldwide as the original voice of Ash Ketchum/Satoshi in the Pokémon anime. She has voiced Ash since the series began in 1997, making her one of the defining performers in the franchise’s history. Beyond Pokémon, she is also known for roles such as Ryo Bakura/Yami Bakura in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kiyoshi Mitarai in Yu Yu Hakusho, and Fūsuke in Ninku, and she is a founding member of JAM Project.

Hometown

Her hometown is Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Her official agency profile lists her as being from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Career Highlights

Matsumoto’s signature role is Ash Ketchum/Satoshi, the central hero of the Pokémon anime for 25 seasons. Her performance became so closely associated with the character that even broad overviews of Ash’s history single her out as the original and iconic Japanese voice.

Her career is not limited to Ash. Official and reference sources also document major anime roles including Ryo Bakura in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Kiyoshi Mitarai in Yu Yu Hakusho, Jin Hyuga in Matchless Raijin-Oh, Seiji Takasugi in The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn, and Fūsuke in Ninku. Her agency also highlights work in Detective Conan, The Prince of Tennis, Astro Boy, Chi’s Sweet Home, and Super Robot Wars OG.

She is also important to Pokémon as a singer. Her agency notes that the Pokémon anime theme “Mezase Pokémon Master” was a double-million seller, and coverage of her later performances shows how strongly audiences still connect her voice and music with Ash’s legacy.

Full Current Filmography

The list below reflects documented credits confirmed from the cited sources and is not guaranteed to be exhaustive, because databases and official profiles vary in depth. It is organized by medium, using documented public credits from her official profile and major reference listings.

Television anime

  • Osomatsu-kun — Choromatsu

  • City Hunter ’91 — Sonya

  • Matchless Raijin-Oh — Jin Hyuga

  • The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn — Seiji Takasugi

  • Tekkaman Blade — Rick

  • Yu Yu Hakusho — Kiyoshi Mitarai, Koashura

  • Ninku — Fūsuke

  • Pokémon — Satoshi/Ash Ketchum, plus additional Pokémon voices

  • Detective Conan — Reiko Kujō, Ritsuko Usui, Jun Kataoka

  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters — Ryo Bakura (second voice)

  • Hanada Shōnen-shi — multiple roles including Catherine and Jiro

  • Astro Boy — Reno

  • The Prince of Tennis — Hanna

  • Chi’s Sweet Home — Tora

  • Waccha PriMagi! — Fes Leader

  • Boom Boomger — Bundorio Bunderas/Bunbun

Animated films and specials

  • Pokémon theatrical films — Satoshi/Ash Ketchum across the long-running movie line tied to the TV anime

  • Piano no Mori — Kanpei Daigaku

  • Riku wa Yowakunai — Boku

Music and performance work closely tied to anime

  • “Mezase Pokémon Master” and later Pokémon vocal performances as Satoshi/Ash-related performer

  • Founding member and performer in JAM Project

Critical Reception

Rica Matsumoto’s work as Ash is routinely treated as iconic. Public summaries of Ash’s character history note that her portrayal has been considered highly iconic, and media coverage of Ash’s sendoff emphasized her long association with the role and the emotional weight of her final recordings.

Coverage of her 2023 THE FIRST TAKE performance of “Mezase Pokémon Master -with my friends-” was especially positive. Polygon described the performance as “electric,” reflecting how strongly her voice remains linked with the character and franchise even outside the anime itself.

Social Media

Verified official accounts listed on her agency page:

  • X: @rica_matsumoto3

  • Instagram: @rica.matsumoto

  • YouTube: まつりかチャンネル

English Voice Actor: Veronica Taylor

English Dub Voice Actor Profile

Because Ash Ketchum’s English dub was split across two long runs, the English-side profile is best understood as two principal performers: Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash in the English dub from 1998 to 2006, and Sarah Natochenny, who took over in 2006 and remained Ash’s primary English voice through the end of his era.

Veronica Taylor

Date of Birth

Veronica Taylor’s official website does not publish her birth date. Public reference databases widely list her birthday as December 4, but I could not verify a full official birth date from her own site, so it is best treated as not publicly confirmed on an official source here.

About Veronica

Veronica Taylor, professionally also known as Kathleen McInerney, is an American voice actress best known for playing Ash Ketchum in the early English-language run of Pokémon. Her official site describes her as an actor “probably best known for playing Ash on Pokémon,” and major filmography sources identify her as Ash’s English voice from 1998 to 2006, across the original series and associated films.

Hometown

Her official website does not list a hometown. Public databases commonly associate her with New York, New York, but that detail is not confirmed on the official site I checked.

Career Highlights

Taylor’s defining anime role is Ash Ketchum, but her documented career extends well beyond Pokémon. Public filmography sources also associate her with April O’Neil in the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Amelia in Slayers, Nico Robin in the 4Kids dub of One Piece, and Sailor Pluto in the Viz dub of Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal. Her official website also highlights her work across cartoons, games, and audiobooks under both Veronica Taylor and Kathleen McInerney.

Full Current Filmography

The list below reflects documented credits from the cited sources and is not exhaustive. Taylor’s official site currently points readers to IMDb for expanded credits, while public reference sources provide a broader title list.

Television / streaming

  • Pokémon — Ash Ketchum, Delia Ketchum, May, additional voices; English dub, Seasons 1–8.

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) — April O’Neil.

  • Slayers / Slayers Next / Slayers Try — Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun.

  • One Piece (4Kids dub) — Nico Robin.

  • Sailor Moon Crystal / Viz-era Sailor Moon work — Sailor Pluto / Setsuna Meioh.

Films / specials

  • Pokémon: The First Movie — Ash Ketchum, Delia Ketchum.

  • Pokémon: The Movie 2000 — English-dub Ash credit documented in public filmography listings.

  • Pokémon 3: The Movie — English-dub Ash credit documented in public filmography listings.

  • Pokémon 4Ever — Ash Ketchum, Towa.

  • Pokémon Heroes — Ash Ketchum.

  • Pokémon: Jirachi—Wish Maker — Ash Ketchum, May.

  • Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys — Ash Ketchum, May.

  • Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew — English-dub Ash credit documented in public filmography listings.

Games / later voice work highlighted by public databases

  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses — Manuela.

  • Fire Emblem Engage — Micaiah.

  • Rune Factory 5 — Simone.

  • Code Vein — female player voice.

  • Dragon Ball Super / related game work — Ribrianne.

Critical Reception

Taylor is widely treated as the original English Ash, and retrospective coverage about the end of Ash’s run repeatedly returned to her performance as the voice many viewers first associated with the character. Reputable coverage from outlets such as AOL and Radio Times framed her portrayal as central to the character’s English-language identity and to the nostalgia of the franchise’s first era.

English Voice Actor: Sarah Natochenny

Date of Birth

Sarah Natochenny’s official website does not publish a full birth date. Public reference databases list her birthday as September 20, but I could not verify a full official date from her own site.

About Sarah

Sarah Natochenny is the second principal English voice of Ash Ketchum and, by length of tenure, the actor who voiced Ash for most of the character’s English-dub run after the 2006 recast. Her official biography says she has played Ash on Pokémon since 2006, and it also notes that she has been the voice of many additional Pokémon characters alongside major work in animation, games, podcasts, and live action.

Hometown

Sarah Natochenny’s official website does not list a hometown. Public databases commonly describe her as being from Forest Hills, New York, but that is not stated on the official site I reviewed.

Career Highlights

Natochenny’s signature credit is Ash Ketchum from Season 9 onward, but her official site also highlights many other roles, including Alya in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Mila Masaryk in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Riro Takumi in Witch Watch, Jolder in Destiny Rising, Zoya in Delta Force, and Lucinda Lavish in Date Everything. Her official bio also notes award recognition including a Webby and Voice Arts Award, plus a 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Award nomination.

Full Current Filmography

The list below reflects documented credits from Sarah Natochenny’s official website and cited public databases, and it may not be exhaustive. Her own site is unusually helpful here because it includes both a “full list of Pokémon roles” and a current résumé-style credits section.

Pokémon television / film work

  • Pokémon Seasons 9–25 — Ash Ketchum and many additional voices.

  • Officially listed Pokémon human roles include Delia Ketchum, Johanna, Cheryl, Holly, Lila, Luna, Rhonda, Skyla, and Solidad.

  • Officially listed Pokémon creature roles include Baby Kangaskhan, Baby Sandile, Blissey, Roserade, Sandygast, Shellos, Staraptor, Staravia, Starly, Surskit, Swinub, Tinkatink, Tinkaton, Wiglett, Wigglytuff, Wingull, and Wooper, among many others on her site’s Pokémon-role list.

Recent animation / anime / games on her official site

  • Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian — Alya.

  • Marvel: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man — Mila Masaryk.

  • Witch Watch — Riro Takumi.

  • Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX — Simus al-Bakharov.

  • Fortnite — Ringmaster Scarr.

  • Date Everything — Lucinda Lavish.

  • Delta Force — Zoya.

  • Destiny Rising — Jolder.

  • Krapopolis — worshipper voices.

Other public-database credits commonly associated with her

  • The Jungle Book (2010 series) — Mowgli.

  • 44 Cats — Lampo.

  • World of Winx — Silke.

  • Paladins — Tyra / Drakefire Tyra.

Critical Reception

Coverage of Ash’s final stretch in the English dub consistently treated Natochenny as the voice actor carrying the character through his later, championship-era identity. Her own press page collects interviews from outlets including IGN, CBC, The Guardian, Polygon, Vox, and CNBC, reflecting broad mainstream recognition rather than niche-only anime coverage.

Among the stronger examples, CBC’s interview coverage emphasized that she had voiced Ash for 17 years and highlighted how closely her own life had paralleled the character’s long journey, while Screen Rant described her as having spent most of nearly two decades in the role. Those accounts support the consensus that Natochenny became the defining English Ash for an entire later generation of viewers.

Published by Limarc Ambalina

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