Charizard (known as Lizardon in Japan) is a character of the Pokémon anime and video game series. Ash, one of the main characters in the series, owns a Charizard. Known as the Flame Pokémon, Charizards are violent yet honorable creatures, flying proudly around the sky and always looking for powerful enemies to fight with. Charizard is also the version mascot of Pokémon Red and FireRed versions, and makes an appearance on the boxarts of many other Pokémon games. During an interview, Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara said that they knew Charizard would be popular with North Americans, because they like strong, powerful characters.