Pokémon ・ Pokemon Center Original Items ・ Charizard

When translating the game for Western audiences, Nintendo decided to alter the names of some Pokemon species using descriptive words related to their appearance or features as a means to make the characters easier to understand and identify. Originally called Lizardon in Japanese, the Pokemon was renamed "Charizard," a combination of the words "charcoal" or "char" and "lizard." During an interview, Pokemon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara stated that Charizard was expected to be popular with North American audiences because of their preference for strong, powerful characters.

Whereas its pre-evolutions, Charmander and Charmeleon, are earthbound lizard-like creatures, Charizard resembles a traditional European flying dragon. Despite the physical resemblance and its ability to learn Dragon-type attacks, Charizard is only considered a Dragon-type while in its "Mega Charizard X" form. The video games describe Charizard as constantly seeking powerful opponents to duel while flying through the sky at an altitude of up to 4,600 feet. The intense flames they breathe can melt any material but are never directed at a weaker foe. If Charizard becomes angry, the flame at the tip of its tail can flare up in a whitish-blue color. Because of their reckless nature, Charizard are known to unintentionally cause wildfires.

Charizard has been featured in lines of soft toys and action figures in the Pokemon franchise, made by companies like Hasbro and Tomy. Retailers have attributed the high sales of Charizard merchandise to the popularity of the character's dragon-like design with children. Interviewed children substantiate this and explain that Charizard's appeal lies in its "cool-looking" appearance, which they associate with the concepts of stubbornness and power. Charizard also appears often in the Pokemon Trading Card Game, most notably in the series' initial release. Cards featuring the character have been considered the most desired of the series, quickly rising to high prices among collectors and retailers. In 2005, search engine Yahoo! reported Charizard as "one of the top Pokemon-related web searches."