Why is Ash Greninja so popular?
Ash‘s Greninja holds a special place in Pokémon fan‘s hearts for good reason – its one-of-a-kind transformation ability, thrilling battle prowess and meaningful character arc came together to create the ultimate fan-favorite companion for the long-running anime‘s protagonist. Let‘s explore why this Water-type left such an impression.
The Mysterious Bond Phenomenon
Greninja was already considered a strong Pokémon in its base form – light on its feet with swift movements and able to conjure giant Water Shurikens from compressed water. But in the XY&Z anime arc, Ash‘s Frogadier evolved into a Greninja with a never-before-seen ability due to the trust between Trainer and Pokémon.
Dubbed the "Bond Phenomenon", Greninja synchronizes its heart with Ash‘s when their bond is strong enough, triggering a transformation. Greninja takes on a unique form with Ash‘s raven hair and facial markings, fiery orange eyes, and water veils its body like a battle armor.
This Ash-Greninja form unleashes Greninja‘s full potential – its speed and attack power heightens exponentially. It can strike opponents in the blink of an eye with a flurry of aerial maneuvers at close range. Water Shurikens also expand to massive sizes for long-range assaults. Greninja‘s newfound overwhelming offense truly leaves a visual impact on fans.
By the Numbers: Ash-Greninja‘s Power Level
The Pokemon anime doesn‘t often depict clear statistics, but fans have analyzed battles extensively. Ash-Greninja‘s feats prove its mighty offense:
- Traded hundreds of blows in seconds with Alain‘s Mega Charizard X, a pseudo-Legendary
- Defeated Champion Diantha‘s Mega Gardevoir with type disadvantage
- Matched Legendary Pokémon during Team Flare crisis
These accomplishments firmly place Ash Greninja as Champion tier or higher in the anime‘s power rankings. Only few exceptionally powerful Pokémon like Legendaries or Mega Evolutions can match Greninja‘s Battle Bond form. It makes you wonder – could this be Ash‘s strongest team member yet?
Greninja and Ash: Partners in Battle
While the Bond Phenomenon gives Ash‘s Greninja tremendous strength, the real heart comes from their tight relationship as partners. Much of the XY series highlighted Greninja (as Froakie and Frogadier) learning to trust Ash across various misadventures.
Unlike the disobedient Charizard from the Indigo series, Greninja embraces Ash as an equal rather than rebel against his guidance. This translates into flawless teamwork – when using telepathic vision in its Ash-Greninja form, Greninja seamlessly coordinates attacks from different angles with Ash‘s direction like a well-oiled machine.
Their mutual faith allows Ash to guide Greninja‘s power effectively. Fans love their natural chemistry – Greninja perfectly embodies the ideal of Trainer and Pokémon bringing out each other‘s best.
Standout Battles
It isn‘t just exceptional strength that won over fans but also Greninja‘s captivating battling style:
Vs. Champion Diantha:
A milestone early fight for Ash-Greninja, trading lightning-fast blows with Diantha‘s Mega Gardevoir. Its aerial maneuvers and giant Water Shurikens gradually overpowered the more stationary Gardevoir.
Vs. Mega Charizard X:
The most pivotal battle as Ash-Greninja matched Alain‘s raging Mega Charizard blow for blow in a close match, finally losing in a huge explosion of flames and water. Still, many fans argued Ash-Greninja could‘ve won with more experience in its new form.
Vs. Legendaries:
During Team Flare‘s attack, Ash-Greninja managed to counter attacks from Legendary Pokémon like Titan Zygarde. A truly remarkable feat.
Through these impressive showings, viewers witnessed the unlocked potential between Ash and Greninja both visually and emotionally in the heat of battle.
Lasting Popularity Despite Departure
At the end of the XYZ series during the Team Flare threat, Ash left Greninja behind in Kalos. Even separated from Ash, Greninja remains vigilant in defending Kalos. Ash bids farewell to his companion, their bond forever connecting them despite the distance.
It was a bittersweet but pragmatic ending to cap off Greninja’s story. Still, even years later in new anime arcs like Pokémon Journeys, fans clamor for Greninja to rejoin Ash’s current team.
Greninja‘s presence clearly touched the fanbase profoundly thanks to the meaningful themes highlighted through Ash‘s Kalos journey. The sheer volume of fan art, praise across internet communities like Reddit threads, and dominance in popularity polls cements Greninja and its Bond Phenomenon as absolute fan-favorites despite limited screentime across the anime‘s long history.
One can certainly argue few other Pokémon showcase such a uniquely strong connection and battle prowess as Ash‘s Greninja. It captures the spirit of Pokémon‘s iconic mantra “gotta catch ‘em all” – Greninja represents the realization of raising the perfect companion.
The Future of Ash-Greninja‘s Legacy
Only time will tell whether Ash-Greninja ever makes a long-anticipated return to Ash’s squad, but undoubtedly its popularity and bond shared with fans will never fade.
As the Pokémon anime enters new regions and introduces fresh faces like Dragonite on Ash‘s current roster, Ash‘s Greninja still remains an icon symbolizing the height of a Trainer and Pokémon‘s trust leading to unmatched power and skill when acting as one unified force.
