is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, director, and co-founder of Game Freak alongside Satoshi Tajiri. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew and finalized most of the original 151 Pokémon. He also co-directed Ruby and Sapphire, Diamond and Pearl and Black and White, as well as worked on various Pokémon films, trading cards, and other games like the Super Smash Bros. series.
Career From early 1981 until 1986, Sugimori illustrated a gaming fanzine called Game Freak, which had been started by Satoshi Tajiri. Sugimori discovered the magazine in a dōjinshi shop, and decided to get involved. Eventually, the two decided to pitch an arcade game design idea to Namco; they reworked Game Freak into a development company and produced Mendel Palace. Sugimori is best known as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise and designed a large majority of the first 151 Pokémon with Atsuko Nishida, Motofumi Fujiwara, Shigeki Morimoto, and Satoshi Ota. He has worked on the various Pokémon movies, trading cards, and other games.
For Pokémon Black and White, Sugimori directed a team of 17 people in designing new characters for the games, though he always drew the final designs. He drew much of his inspiration from observing animals in aquariums and zoos. Sugimori has also written and illustrated original manga, including one which was distributed with pre-orders of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. When he begins a new character, his process normally involves making a rough sketch, then tracing it onto film paper while polishing it and making the illustration more professional looking. After that, he draws the character many times, changing its proportions until he is satisfied. When designing a new Pokémon, Sugimori stated that "I do feel that I always want to show new Pokémon that people have never seen before. To do that, I think of ways that I can surprise the players."
Works Video games YearGame titleRole1989Mendel PalaceCharacter designer1991Smart BallGame designer, character designerYoshiGraphic designer 1992Magical★Taruruto-kunDirector, game designer, graphic designer1993Mario & WarioCharacter designer1994PulsemanDirector, game designer, graphic designer1996Pokémon Red, Green and BlueCharacter designer, Pokémon designerBazaar de Gosāru no Game de GosāruGraphic designer 1997Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha1998Pokémon YellowCharacter designer, Pokémon designer1999Click MedicGraphics supportPokémon Gold and SilverGraphics director, Pokémon designer2000Pokémon Crystal2002Pokémon Ruby and SapphireArt director, Pokémon designer, graphic designer2004 Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreenPokémon EmeraldPokémon DashPackage illustration2005Drill Dozer Director, game designerPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue TeamPackage illustration2006Pokémon Diamond and PearlArt director, Pokémon designer, graphic designer2007 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and DarknessPackage illustration2008My Pokémon RanchHayley character designerPokémon PlatinumArt director, Pokémon designer, graphic designer2009Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of SkyPackage illustrationPokémon RumbleGame design advisorPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Pokémon designer, graphic supervisor2010Pokémon Black and White 2D art director, Pokémon designer2012Pokémon ConquestGame design advisorPokémon Black 2 and White 2 Pokémon designer HarmoKnight Advisor2013Pocket Card Jockey Pokémon X and Y Character art director, Pokémon design director2014Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha SapphireSega 3D Reprint ArchivesPackage illustration2015Tembo the Badass Elephant AdvisorPokémon Super Mystery DungeonPackage illustrationSega 3D Classics Collection2016Pokémon Sun and Moon Pokémon designer, lead trainer graphic designer 2017Giga Wrecker AdvisorPokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Pokémon designer, design art2018Pokémon Quest SupervisorPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! Creative supervisor2019Little Town HeroSupervisorPokémon Sword and ShieldConcept Design & Planning, SupervisorSakura Wars Peanut character designer2022Pokémon Legends: Arceus SupervisorPokémon Scarlet and Violet2023Pokémon SleepPokémon Settings SupervisionPocket Card Jockey: Ride On!Senior Advisor2025Pokémon Legends: Z-ASupervisor2026Pokémon ChampionsPokémon PokopiaBeast of Reincarnation
Card games Pokémon Trading Card Game: main card artist
Anime Pokémon (anime): character design Pokémon: The First Movie: original character design Pokémon: The Movie 2000: original character design Pokémon 3: The Movie: conceptual character artist Pokémon 4Ever: conceptual character artist Pokémon Heroes: conceptual character artist
Manga Super Girl Namuko (One-shot published in Shōnen Sunday Zōkan July 15, 1984 issue) Dragon Blaster (One-shot published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday 1986 issue no. 44) Quinty (Mendel Palace) Jerry Boy (Smart Ball) Valkyrie no Bōken Gaiden: Futari no Megami (The Adventure of Valkyrie Gaiden: Two Goddess) Screw Breaker Gōshin Dorirurero (Drill Dozer) Pokémon Fushigi no Danjon Toki no Tankentai Yami no Tankentai (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness) Shin Maido Osawagaseshimasu
References
External links Sugimori's blog Sugimori's Twitter account (mostly Japanese)