Portal:Anime and manga/Selected biographies/18

Charizard, known in Japan as Lizardon (リザードン, Rizādon), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise and the evolved form of Charmeleon. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charizard first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Shin-ichiro Miki, the actor who voices James in the original Japanese version of the Pokémon anime voices Charizard in both the Japanese and English-language versions of the cartoon. Known as a Flame Pokémon, Charizard are violent yet honorable creatures that fly proudly around the sky and constantly seek powerful opponents to quarrel with.

Charizard is featured in the Pokémon anime series with the most recurring being from the main character, Ash Ketchum. It is featured in printed adaptations such as Pokémon Adventures, in the possession of Blue, one of the main characters. Charizard has received positive reception from the media, with GamesRadar describing it as "hands-down one of the coolest Pokémon out there". Charizard is the version mascot of Pokémon Red and FireRed versions, and makes an appearance on the boxarts of Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky.