Which is your favourite Ash in terms of personality?

[Likeitornot.]

Over the span of twenty years, with several different series and approaches taken in the anime, it seems to have some effect between the series on the main protagonist, Ash Ketchum. His personality has shown some flexibility to the point that it almost adapts to the overall tone the series is attempting to convey - with this malleable protagonist, there may be several sorts of hues to Ash Ketchum's character while in general still keeping the most fundamental traits of his personality.

Similar to the thread that asks people who they felt was the best Ash in terms of battling skill, I thought it would be interesting to ask which is your favourite portrayal of Ash in terms of personality? You can factor in things like character development during the series, interactions with other characters and what they were like, mannerisms, interests, what Ash would be the best representative for the target audience, the best Ash as a role model - or do you feel that matters to his character, maturity, realism etc.

"No preference" can be for the self-explanatory purpose that you don't prefer one series' depiction of Ash over another, but it can be also for people who simply don't feel Ash's personality changes significantly between series enough to have separate depictions of his personality.

 

[Rajas20]

XY Ash for me, he had a good mix of being his usual lovable self while also knowing when to be serious about what's going on around him. It's the Ash I desire after traveling through multiple regions, someone who can have fun but also learn from their mistakes. He showed many instances where he was still pretty much dumb but at the same time it was bearable because it balanced itself out.

 

[p0pp1i0D3f3nd3r]

XY Ash; Because he comes across as MORE Competant, and He WASN'T The Target of Physical Abuse by Pokemon(like he is in alola) and He's Nowhere NEAR as Stupid as he was back in Unova!!

 

[KyseL]

Sun and Moon Ash by far. First time it actually feels like Ash has *some* personality since the original series for me. XY Ash was too much of a Mary Sue to make him likable.

 

[Daenerys]

Kanto Ash, like during the first 30 episodes. He was so naive and yet also slightly arrogant sometimes, which felt realistic at the time. His immaturity was endearing.

 

[HiroHunter]

XY Ash he feels like someone who went through 5 region (or 7 if we add OI and BF) and I like that.

 

[Cookies and Creme]

Savage Ash is Best Ash. OS Ash for me

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

OS felt like less wooden character even though was my least favorite trainer even though he still had his moments in other series.

 

[ii kanji]

SM is Satoshi's best since OS, but it still can't touch OS. Can anything beat his idiotic snarkiness (with only a layer of good-hearted friendship rather than the patronising smothering he's had since then?!) and interactions with Pikachu, Kasumi, Shigeru and the Rocket trio back in the day?

 

[Islander Princess]

OS Ash will always be my number one. He was sweet and kind, but at the same time, he had quite a bit of sass and snark that was brilliantly funny. Watching back now, I find that Ash has a ton of hilarious one liners I never picked up on as a kid. I feel like his personality really started to get flattened out towards the end of AG, and it's just now started to regain some of that charm in SM.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

XY. He was funny at the beginning but stayed competent.

 

[danh19]

dp ash has to be the clear winner in my mind for the best ash he has clearly by that point learnt from his previous travels and grown a lot without losing his personality it just matured

 

[JFrombaugh]

I don’t see too much of a difference between the various Ash’s TBH, SM is really the first time he’s really changed that much and shown a more fun loving side.

 

[Alola]

I miss how savage OS Ash could be. Definitely a trait I wished they would have kept throughout the series.

Nowadays, he wouldn't even insult a fly.

 

[Henry's Journey]

SM Ash is my fave cuz he's a mix of skilled trainer + his original goofy, dumb self.

 

[kantoskies]

I really liked Satoshi in AG, but I do miss the Kanto days when he wasn't the "chosen one" every 5 episodes.

 

[Cresselia92]

AG Ash is my all-time favorite, with OS Ash being a close second.

One of the things I liked the most was his mildly arrogant trait, which suited well with his blossoming experience as a Trainer. That allowed him to actually develop as a person throughout the saga, as we saw how he was knocked down a few pegs and humbled down by more experienced Trainers.

The perfect blend between personality and skills, in my opinion.

 

[technickal]

I find it silly to act like each Ash has a different personality; yes, different elements are emphasized for better or worse, but he's still the same character. The most noticeable difference is early OS Ash, who is significantly more self-aware, but that's mostly because they were still developing his character at that point. That said, in terms of emphasized personality traits, I'm inclined to prefer SM Ash. He actually feels like a 10-year-old for once, which I feel best suits someone who isn't apparently aging anytime soon. It feels like a nice compromise between BW Ash (who had his moments but was overly naïve) and XY Ash (who stepped up Trainer-wise but with his more charming quirks downplayed in the process).

 

[Gligarman]

I'm split between the XY/XYZ and SM. In XY he's a total badass that gives it his all but still gets frustrated when he gets losing streak. In SM he's still giving it his all but he's much more excitable and definitely appears more child like without coming off as immature or just plain stupid.

 

[Insanish Danish]

ii kanji and technickal did a pretty good job explaining why OS and SM Ash are the ones I like the best. I like Ash most when he's actually acting his age - he's 10, of course he's going to act like a kid! I never really understood why people want Ash to be more serious and mature - he's at his most enjoyable when he's acting like a goofy excitable kid, in my opinion.