Bulbasaur’s voice actor “had no idea” how big Pokémon would become

From its very first episodes in 1998, Ash Ketchum and the Pokémon anime have played a huge part in the lives of so many Pokémon fans. From teaching us how to pronounce the names properly to making Pikachu look way stronger than it actually is, the show has an undeniable cultural impact. But, of course, the show would be nothing without the voice actors behind the iconic Pokémon noises.

Following her appearance at November 2024’s London Card Show, we got the chance to chat to Tara Sands, the legendary voice actor behind the starter Pokémon Bulbasaur in the original anime series. We asked her about her years of experience voice acting for Pokémon, how it shaped her career, and the memories she’s made through the franchise’s passionate community.

Sands always knew she wanted to be an actor, but she found her now full-time voice acting career thanks to her first talent manager. She told me “The first audition [the talent manager] sent me on was a voice-over. I booked the job and loved being in the studio.” Similarly, although Sands is best known as the voice of Bulbasaur, she never intended to book the role when she stepped into the studio that day.

Instead, Sands was in the studio recording lines for Melanie, a character in episode ten of Pokémon Indigo League, when the opportunity arose to audition for the grass starter. She said, “We finished recording a little bit early so they asked if I would try some other roles since I was already there. They played me the Japanese voice for Bulbasaur and told me to try to sound the same but to say “Bulbasaur” instead of the Japanese name. I was completely confused but tried it and luckily it worked!”

When Pokémon Indigo League was in production, no one in the West knew how big Pokémania would be, so neither Sands nor the producers realized the importance of Bulbasaur’s character. She recalled, “At the time the directors and American staff hadn’t seen many episodes and didn’t realize that these characters would be recurring throughout the series.” What began as a fun extra role turned into a huge part of Sands’ voice acting career.

She went on to work in the core voice acting cast for the first eight seasons of the Pokémon anime and later returned to voice Yamper in Season 23. While the Pokémon noises in the game have always differed from the anime, the pronunciation has also evolved as the show continues. Sands told me, “The Pokémon have more animalistic voices than before and we played around with different dog-type sounds until we were happy with it. The Pokémon names are not as enunciated as they were before, so that took some getting used to.”

She also admits that the process of voicing Pokémon can be more challenging than recording lines for their trainers. Sands reflects “The approach is similar in that we need to understand the circumstances of the scene and how our character fits in. With both, we are watching the lip flap very closely and trying to match it which I find trickier to do with the Pokémon than the human characters.”

Throughout her time working on the Pokémon anime, Sands has made tons of memories with the game’s community and garnered a lot of respect from the show’s audience. She said “One really special memory was seeing Pokémon 2000 in the theatre with my castmates. I really adore them so much, and it was the first time I understood how big Pokémon really was. Honestly, we had no idea we would still be talking about this show so many years later. I am very grateful to be a small cog in the enormous Pokémon machine.”

As well as all the Pokémon games and the dozens of seasons of anime, the trading card game is a huge part of the Pokémon community. It’s gotten even bigger recently thanks to the success of Pokémon TCG Pocket and the newest Pokémon set, Prismatic Evolutions, so going to TCG events like the London Card Show gives Sands the chance to interact directly with her fans. She says, “Meeting fans face-to-face gives me a sense of how much these characters mean to them—it’s really humbling and inspiring. Signing cards, chatting with fans about their favorite episodes, and hearing how Pokémon has been a part of their lives makes events like this so rewarding.”

Sands continues, “I attended the London Card Show in November 2024, and it was such an incredible experience! It’s truly unique to see the enthusiasm and dedication of collectors and fans all in one place. I had the chance to sign rare cards that I’ve never seen before – these collectors were on another level.” In her words, events like the London Card Show are “why the franchise continues to thrive,” so it’s definitely worth a visit if you can attend.

Luckily for die-hard Pokéfans, the London Card Show is returning from February 8-9, 2025, at Sandown Racecourse. You can still buy tickets on the event’s website to experience the unique atmosphere and event for yourself.

If you’re a fan of Tara Sands’ Bulbasaur, you’ll love our grass Pokémon and gen 1 Pokémon guides. We’ve also got a Pokémon TCG Pocket tier list for you to explore to up your TCG prowess.