The Pokémon franchise is one of the most popular properties of all time. It’s been incredible to watch the charming video games slowly expand into an anime series, feature films, and all sorts of spin-off material. The core tenets of the Pokémon series remain the same, but each new entry in the franchise pushes the series forward with exciting changes.
There are many friendly characters and trainers in the Pokémon world, but Giovanni is a ruthless villain for the franchise. Giovanni’s menace is well-known, but the character's specifics are still largely a mystery for many and are worthy of dissection.
10 Why Does He Want Pikachu?
Ash and his Pikachu have to contend with many obstacles throughout the Pokémon anime. Still, the biggest nuisance is that Giovanni and Team Rocket are consistently after Ash’s Pikachu. The only reason that they’re so fascinated with Pikachu is that Team Rocket is under the impression that Pikachu is abnormally strong due to it getting overcharged via bicycle in the second episode. Ash’s Pikachu is an anomaly as far as Pokémon go, but this strength develops over time. Giovanni has been interested in its power from the beginning, and it’s why Jesse and James remain on Ash’s trail.
9 Is He An Anime-Exclusive Character?
The Pokémon series has expanded into many different areas, and while there’s often overlap between concepts and characters, this isn’t always the case. Giovanni’s interest in Ash’s Pikachu is largely specific to the anime series, but Giovanni is present in basically all of the different Pokémon properties. Giovanni's debuts in the video games get fleshed out a lot in the different manga series, and he even continues to appear in more recent Pokémon titles, like Pokémon GO. Giovanni remains an antagonist in all of his appearances, but the character is used differently and even sympathetic in some series.
8 What’s His Role Within Team Rocket?
Whenever Giovanni is featured in Pokémon, it’s typically within the context of Team Rocket. Giovanni isn’t just a member of the dangerous group, but he’s the one that’s in charge of operations. Giovanni confidently leads Team Rocket for a while and even has a head office in the Johto region.
Giovanni always wants to acquire more, and he’s also been the leader of other dangerous factions, like Alola’s Team Rainbow Rocket and Team Go Rocket in Pokémon GO. He’s the only villain in the series to command multiple groups like this.
7 How Many Pokémon Does He Own?
As the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni has access to many different Pokémon. Still, only a select number is actually within his possession and that he’ll use in battle. It depends on whether the anime, manga, or video games are being consulted. Still, in the core video game series, Giovanni has around 20 Pokémon, including a powerful Mewtwo in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon, which acts as his big finish. The anime and manga show Giovanni with considerably fewer Pokémon, which usually consists of Nidoqueen, Rhyhorn, and Persian.
6 Why Is His Persian So Important To Him?
Most take no Giovanni feature a Persian within his party. In particular, the anime series makes Persian a constant companion that’s by Giovanni’s side rather than kept in a Poké Ball. Persian is far from Giovanni’s strongest Pokémon, but he prefers it because they have such a history together. The Pokémon Adventures manga explains that Giovanni rescued his Persian when he was just a child and the two of them grew up together. Giovanni is often a harsh and ruthless character, but his Persian is a link to his humanity.
5 Is He A Gym Leader Or Part Of The Pokémon League?
Characters in Pokémon can wear many hats, which means that villains are sometimes strangers or trusted members from the Pokémon community. Giovanni is the unscrupulous leader of Team Rocket, but he leads a double life of sorts where he’s also the leader of the Viridian City Gym and the person that trainers have to go through to acquire the Earth Badge.
Giovanni’s Pokémon are all Ground-Type, and his preference towards this kind of Pokémon also reveals a little more about his character. A serious reckoning happens once his ties to Team Rocket are revealed.
4 What Is His Connection To Silver?
It’s entirely possible to enjoy Pokémon purely because of the battles or collection aspect. Still, there’s also an intricate story that’s allowed to develop in many titles and across the anime series. Silver, one of the protagonists from the Generation II titles, Pokémon Gold and Silver, is actually Giovanni’s son. It’s a difficult cross for Silver to bear and creates a serious tension between the two. The Pokémon Generations anime gets into their frayed relationship even further and explains that Silver hasn’t seen Giovanni for several years and that things didn’t end on positive terms.
3 Why Is He In Hiding?
Giovanni does an effective job as Team Rocket’s leader, but it’s only a matter of time until matters catch up with the group. The defeat of Giovanni and Team Rocket actually results in Giovanni fleeing and going into hiding, which leads to the slow dissolution of Team Rocket. The Pokémon Generations anime explores this event in greater detail and shows that the International Police are after Giovanni and want to apprehend him. They raid the Viridian City Gym and put him on the run, which triggers a chain of effects throughout Team Rocket.
2 Why Is He Involved With The Celadon Game Corner?
The Celadon Game Corner is one of the more creative aspects of the original Pokémon titles. The area brings some harmless gambling into the Pokémon series, and while it’s a fun way to win some money and Pokémon, there’s also a sinister side where Team Rocket has rigged the place. Giovanni’s interest in Celadon Game Corner and owning these community pillars is because the character draws inspiration from a Yakuza boss. This gets localized to fit with a mafia don outside of Japan, but the shady business deals still fit.
1 How Old Is He?
Another aspect of the Pokémon universe that helps it remain so versatile and evergreen is that it’s full of characters covering the whole spectrum of ages. Many of the protagonists skew towards a younger demographic, but trainers, gym leaders, and villains show various variety. Giovanni is such a mysterious character, and much of his life is kept secret, but it does come forward that the megalomaniac is 41 years old. This makes sense, especially considering that he has Silver as his son. It does make Giovanni’s tendency to get one-uped by children more depressing.
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