>>33090434>>33090614Overall thoughts on the design changes:
Late OG Ash was the first step towards "softening" Ash as a character and was clearly done in preparation for the next series. The flat bottom of the eyes removes some of the childishness from his design, but it also modernizes it since the cheeks/round eye bottoms are more part of a bygone era in animation style.
Attempts to "soften" Ash include late OG, AG, BW, and SM. Think of them as soft-reboot Ashes after he became an icon. SM Ash is more of a different beast entirely though.
Attempts to "sharpen" Ash (as in "make him cooler") include DP and XY.
I choose you! Ash is a mix of styles combining OG Ash with DP Ash and XY Ash.
AG Ash and DP Ash don't have white on their hats, because overwhelming white symbolizes naivety and innocence which is associated with being the sole protagonist. May and Dawn were also protagonists in their series, and were both mentioned in the opening blurbs to their respective series.
BW Ash goes back to being the primary protagonist, and is noticeably more naive than AG and DP Ash. The intro doesn't mention Iris and Cilan, so this can be seen as a regression.
XY Ash has white on his hat, but it's not overwhelming. He's the protagonist moreso than in AG and DP, but he's not as naive as the original series or BW.
OG Ash: Naive kid going on a grand journey filled with growth and life experiences
Late OG Ash: Plasticizing that kid
AG Ash: Stuck between protagonist and supporting character
DP Ash: Maturing AG Ash into more of a leader
BW Ash: Regressed Ash, but still plasticized
XY Ash: DP Ash in more of a protagonist role
SM Ash: Goofball
I choose you! Ash: OG Ash with elements of XY Ash, a little bit of plastic but not as much as previous iterations
