Did Everyone Imagine Pikachu's Black Tail Tip or Was it Really There? (2024)

An entire generation grew up with Pokémon, starting in the late 1990s. Many viewers have fond memories of watching the anime, playing the games, collecting the cards and owning assorted merchandise. For some reason, however, a significant number of fans in this age group also distinctly remember Pikachu having a black-tipped tail.

Obviously, the tip of Pikachu's tail is plain yellow. Despite that, there are many '90s kids who will swear they remember seeing Pikachu's tail with a black tip. Some have even made Photoshop creations and fan art of what they thought the tail looked like. There are a lot of possible reasons for this false memory, as well as inclusions to the franchise that feed into it. In order to better understand what led to this misinterpretation of everyone's favorite Electric Mouse, here's a closer look at the facts and theories.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on January 30, 2024: Within the Pokémon franchise, there's no Pocket Monster more iconic and adorable than Pikachu. Even those mostly unfamiliar with the series recognize the creature's design. The result is an interesting "meme" involving a misconception of Pikachu's appearance. Belief about Ash's Pikachu having a black tail is the ultimate example of misremembered nostalgia. This Pikachu Mandela effect speaks to how vital the original series was in the childhoods of many, not to mention the influential legacy of Pikachu on pop culture and the franchise itself.

What Does Ash's Pikachu Look Like?

The appearance of Ash's Pikachu is mostly the same as any other male Pikachu: beady black eyes; long, pointed, black-tipped ears; round, red pouches on its cheeks. It has two brown horizontal stripes on its back, and a brown base to its lightning-bolt-shaped tail. The rest of its features are meant to resemble a mouse. If any of these features were to possibly fool people into believing there was a black-tipped tail, it would have to be the accompanying black-tipped ears.

There are certainly Pikachu features that have disappeared over time. For one thing, it used to be a lot chubbier. However, it has slimmed down in recent Generations. It also used to have a white muzzle, although this was more apparent in the merchandise outside the anime. Its tail was also thinner and more jagged in some pictures. None of these features, however, would lead fans to believe that Pikachu has a black tail.

Did Ash's Pikachu Ever Have a Black Tail?

Despite beliefs to the contrary, due to the Pikachu Mandela effect, Pikachu's tail was never black. It may have been seen with shade on its tail every once in a while, but it was never actually black. It was always completely yellow, save for the patch of brown at the base. Part of this belief may be due to the lightning bolt theme of the tail, with some fans almost psychologically expecting black shading to Pikachu's tail.

The only real exception to this was when Pikachu was a Pichu. Because Pichu's tail is naturally all black, Pikachu's tail should have technically been black at this time. However, Pikachu wasn't shown as a Pichu until Pokémon Journeys, which didn't start airing until late 2019. Even if this feeds into modern misconceptions, it still wouldn't explain why '90s kids thought Pikachu had a black tail.

Does Cosplay Pikachu Have a Black Tail?

Cosplay Pikachu is a special variation of Pikachu introduced in 2014's Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. These take on the familiar mouse were female Pikachu with unique outfits and moves that Pikachu can't normally learn, like Icicle Crash and Flying Press. They were designed with the intent of being used in the games' contests, which is probably why they can't be transferred to other core series games.

Excluding the outfits, Cosplay Pikachu has a unique tail to distinguish itself from other Pikachu. It has the heart-shaped notch of other female Pikachu, but it also has a distinctive black tip. Still, since this Pikachu didn't debut until 2014, it can't be responsible for '90s kids' misconceptions, either. This makes the mystery of the black tail Pikachu hard to pin down, especially given the comparative lack of the internet at that time.

Why Do So Many People Think Pikachu Has a Black Tail?

Pikachu's presumed black tail is often attributed to the Mandela effect. This is a phenomenon in which multiple people -- thousands, even -- similarly recall a past event that never happened. Think of it as a shared false memory. A popular example is people incorrectly believing Darth Vader said, "Luke, I am your father" in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In reality, the actual line is "No, I am your father." Pikachu's black tail is a possible consequence of the Mandela effect. If that theory is true, then it's possible the misconception was collectively reinforced. One kid who thought Pikachu had a black tail might have "confirmed" his suspicion with a friend under the same misconception. Eventually, entire groups of people would become convinced that was true.

Another possible cause of the misconception is off-brand toys. Companies looking to cash in on Pokémon's success might sell Pokémon-like toys with incorrect color palettes, due to inattention to detail, or a lack of quality control. Such changes would include something like a purple Aerodactyl or a black-tailed Pikachu. Or the misconception could have also stemmed from Pikachu's sprite in Pokémon Red and Blue. In these games, Pikachu had a long, black tail with a lightning bolt tip, not unlike Raichu's. That could have been misremembered by '90s kids years later as a black-tipped tail.

Pikachu's Legacy Has Inspired Numerous Imitations

Beyond just the outside world and popular culture, Pokémon is also a major influence on itself. This can be seen in the various generations of Pokémon ever since the original games and anime series. Each of these had their own "Pikachu imitation," all of which had some variation of the classic Pocket Monster's design. Once again, pre-evolution Pichu even had a black tail, adding to the "Pikachu Black Tail" misconception. This also comes into play with Emolga, a later Pokémon who has an incredibly bushy black tail. The Pikachu-Family of Pokémon isn't an official evolutionary line like the "Eeveelutions," but it is a noticeable design quirk.

It's almost strange to see the franchise essentially imitate itself with these creatures, but at the same time, it makes sense. While none of these monsters are nearly as iconic or popular as Pikachu, they do play a similar role of being cute rodents that appeal to young children. Likewise, because they're clearly made in the mold of Pikachu, they're able to continue that sense of legacy without adding to the Pikachu evolutionary line. This also means that the basic design can be played with, resulting in a "black tail Pikachu" that isn't actually Pikachu. It's perhaps the smartest thing that GameFreak can do to keep the Electric Mouse Pokémon around while also keeping things fresh, in both the anime and the games.

Pokémon (1997)

TV-Y7

Anime

Action

Adventure

Ash Ketchum, his yellow pet Pikachu, and his human friends explore a world of powerful creatures.

Release Date

September 8, 1998

Creator

Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori, Satoshi Tajiri

Cast

Veronica Taylor , Eric Stuart , Rachael Lillis , Sarah Natochenny , Bill Rogers , Rica Matsumoto , Ikue Ootani

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

25

Studio

OLM Inc.