How Old Is Ash Ketchum, Anyway?

Ash Ketchum has always been the center of the Pokémon franchise’s animated adaptation. From his first journey in the Kanto region until now, we’ve been following his progress for almost 30 years at this point. Which begs the question: just how old is Ash Ketchum? If he’s been journeying across all the regions for all of this time, then surely he must have aged, right? Or is he still the same age as always?

Ash Ketchum’s Age

According to Ash’s profile in Pokemon Journeys, Ash is still 10 years old, which has not changed from when he first debuted in the anime. This age has been confirmed in almost every iteration of the Pokémon anime, and no matter which series he’s in, Ash is always 10 years old. Granted, there are still theories as to exactly why this is the case, such as the possibility of eternal youth or the flow of time being slower than real life. However, all speculation aside, no matter what anime arc he’s in, Ash Ketchum is confirmed to be 10 years old.

Although this might still not be a satisfactory explanation to most longtime viewers or theorists, we do have a definitive answer as to how old Ash Ketchum is in the Pokémon anime. Aging is not exactly an issue that gets addressed very often (or at all) within the anime, so although we know for certain what Ash’s age is, we may never have a concrete explanation as to why he doesn’t get any older.

(Featured image: The Pokémon Company)