Character Statistics

ENGLISH NAME : Giovanni
JAPANESE NAME : Sakai
AGE AT BEGINNING : 40's
HOME TOWN/CITY : Unknown
PROFESSION : Team Rocket Boss, Pokémon trainer, Leader of the Viridian City Gym
CHIEF RIVAL : The law
LIKES : Pokémon, Butch & Cassidy
DISLIKES : Jessie & James
FAMILY STATUS : Mother - Madame Boss.  She was the previous boss of Team Rocket and started the project to clone a Mew
PRIMARY GOAL : To capture all rare Pokémon and to use them to eventually take over Indigo and then the world (in other words your typical Anime bad guy)
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR : Ted Lewis
JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR : Hirotaka Suzuoki
FIRST SEEN IN : 'Battle Aboard the St. Anne'

Character Profile

At first in the series Giovanni was always in the shadows, his face blanked out by darkness, and his voice was manipulated, but now, later in the series, we've seen him totally.  He generally is only in the show when he is telling Jessie and James how much they have screwed up, or in a few episodes around the time of 'The Battle of the Badge', when we saw the incredible Mewtwo for the first time.

He, although, did not set up the notorious Team Rocket, Pokémon's equivalent of the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia).  His mother, as revealed in one of the Japanese CD dramas, was the boss before he took over.  He is a perfect model of an Anime bad guy.  He is at the head of a multinational corporation, and has his hands in everything, from control of some of Indigo Islands major cities, like Viridian, to control of Pokémon Land, a theme park ('The Island of Giant Pokémon').

Also, like any good villain, he keeps the company of a cat, at first Meowth, but after failing several missions with Jessie and James, Persian became top cat (just like Bond's nemesis).

In an attempt to conquer the world, he had Mewtwo created, a Pokémon that had been cloned from a Mew, thought to be the world's rarest and most powerful Pokémon.  Mewtwo, who's genetic code had been manipulated and enhanced by the scientists who created it, had murdered it's creators and teamed up with Giovanni as it wanted to control the planet as well.  But Mewtwo had thought it would be a partnership but Giovanni told it that a Pokémon could never be an equal to a human, so the creature left ('Mewtwo Strikes Back').

Years later, Giovanni was able to locate Mewtwo in a remote region of Johto.  He gave him an ultimatum - rejoin Giovanni in his quest to conquer Earth, or stand by as he used the other genetically enhanced Pokémon in cloning experiments they would not survive.  With the help of Ash and friends, and Meowth, one of Giovanni's own Pokémon, Mewtwo defeated Giovanni, and wiped his memory of his existence, allowing all the clones to live in peace ('Mewtwo Returns').

It's unknown if Giovanni has ever been married, but several people suspect that he may have children.  Although there is no real proof, he is the most popular choice among fans for both Ash's and Jessie's father.  Also, many people think Domino, a member of Team Rocket, may be his daughter because of the way she talks to him (she seems to be the only member who openly challenges him without being punished).

POKÉMON

• Meowth
• Persian
• Mewtwo (a Pokémon he genetically enhanced in 'Mewtwo Strikes Back')
• Kingler
• Rydon
• Golem
• Machamp, and
• Many more who have been collected by Team Rocket members
  

Character's Best

'Battle Aboard the St. Anne' - Ash-tachi. win free tickets for a cruise on the famous St. Anne, but everything isn't how it seems.  Also, Ash deals with his decision to trade Butterfree for a Raticate.

'The Island of Giant Pokémon' - After the Gyarados' Dragon Rage attack, everyone has been washed up on an island.  But where are everyone's Pokémon, and how come the Pokémon on the island are humongous?

'A Scare in the Air' - Hoping to get to the Orange Islands quickly, Ash, Misty and Brock take a trip on a blimp that hasn't exactly been kept in good repair.

'Mewtwo Strikes Back'

'Mewtwo Returns'

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