Pikachu's Gigantamax form pays homage to the original chubby design of Pikachu which was introduced in the Pokemon anime which released decades ago
Pokemon Sword and Shield are bringing back the Pikachu that we’ve all grown up with instead of this new generation slimmer one, Pikachu as a small cuddly rat didn’t have to stick to a diet or be body-shamed in the first place.
With the announcement of his Gigantamax form in Pokemon Sword and Shield, the Pokemon Company is paying homage to the original Pikachu, which is termed as “fat Pikachu” or even “chubby Pikachu”.
But it is great to know that The Pokemon Company has not abandoned the earlier design for their character in an attempt to have global appeal. Pikachu is one of the most recognizable characters in all of history and it started with the chubby stage.
Pokemon CCG artist Mitsuhiro Arita said, “I prefer rounder Pikachu. Not really just limited to Pikachu, but in general, I feel like Pokemon isn’t really dark, negative, or depressing. They’re happy, they’re joyful. So I think that feeling has just kind of come out and expressed itself in these cards.”
The new Gigantamax form does put Pikachu’s character into perspective and will certainly be tons of fun in Pokemon Sword and Sheild.
Pokemon Sword and Sheild is developed by Game Freak and is available for Nintendo Switch and will release on 15 November 2019.