All 7 Ash Ketchum deaths in Pokemon, ranked from earliest to latest

Ash Ketchum, one of the most iconic characters in the Pokemon franchise, along with his starter Pocket Monster, Pikachu, seem to be immortal. However, this cannot be any farther from the truth. The duo can almost pass as ageless, and time works differently around them for sure. Even though Ash Ketchum looks like a normal human being, he has died more than once, and somehow, he keeps coming back to life.

You might be wondering how Ash has had so many rebirths. We are almost as lost as you are. You will never find Ash talking about the afterlife or how he came back from the dead. While Ash’s multiple births might remain a mystery, one thing is undeniable - Ash Ketchum is no ordinary pre-teen.

In this article, we will walk you through every time Ash has died in the Pokemon universe.

(The following list has been ranked from Ash’s first death to the most recent)

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Here are all 7 times Ash Ketchum died in the Pokemon world

1) Tower of Terror

Scene from the Tower of Terror episode (Image via The Pokemon Company, TPC)

In the 23rd episode of the first season of the Pokemon anime series, you will find Ash Ketchum trying to catch two Ghost-type Pokemon, Haunter and Gengar. After a lot of toying with Ash, these critters vanish into the floor.

Soon after, Ash and Pikachu tumble to the floor below, and a chandelier breaks from the ceiling and falls on them. You will find Haunter and Gengar dragging their souls out of their lifeless bodies and taking them up into the night sky.

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2) Mewtwo Strikes Back

Scene from Mewtwo Strikes Back (Image via TPC)

This was the first Pokemon movie to be released in theaters. It features a clash between Mewtwo and Mew which was so intense that it almost destroyed everything in the Pokemon world. Fortunately, the tears of all the nearby Pocket Monsters, both original and cloned, are able to resurrect him.

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3) Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

Scene from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (Image via TPC)

In this movie, there is a mysterious blob in The Tree of Beginning, which is tasked with killing any human that ventures too close. Ash, being himself, does just that, and the blob consumes him and ends his life. He is later brought back to life by Mew, along with everyone else who was killed by this blob.

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4) I Choose You

Scene from I Choose You (Image via TPC)

Marshadow, a mythical Pocket Monster, orders a large group of beasts to relentlessly bomb Ash Ketchum with a barrage of attacks till both his body and soul are sent to the afterlife.

Pikachu undergoes a massive emotional turmoil and manages to find a portal. Ash gets revived once again through this portal and brought back to the mortal world.

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5) Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

Scene from Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (Image via TPC)

In this movie, you will see Ash Ketchum dying of a natural cause. He tries to restore the sea crown on the castle and does this underwater. However, while trying to fix the crown, he runs out of breath and drowns.

Thanks to the magical abilities of the sea crown, Ash manages to find a way to save himself from drowning and revive himself. So, technically, he does not really die, but was very close to dying.

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6) Pokemon Black: Victini and Reshiram

Scene from Pokemon Black: Victini and Reshiram (Image via TPC)

Ash Ketchum freezes to death in this movie. Since he is a mortal, there is no way he could survive the chills of outer space. Victini, being a mythical creature, uses its heating abilities to revive Ash and bring him back to Earth like nothing ever happened.

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7) Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution

Scene from Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution (Image via TPC)

This is technically a remake, but since it is a part of the franchise, we thought it was fitting to include it in this list. In this remake of the original movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back, Ash Ketchum suffers a similar fate where he jumps in between Mew and Mewtwo’s attacks and instantly gets turned to stone.

Similar to the original movie, the tears of the original and cloned critters bring Ash back to life.