Giovanni (anime)

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Giovanni
サカキ Sakaki
Giovanni BW.png
Art from the Best Wishes series
Age Unknown
Gender Male
Eye color Black
Hair color Brown
Hometown Viridian City
Region Kanto
Relatives Madame Boss (mother)
Trainer class Gym Leader
Game counterpart Giovanni
Leader of Viridian Gym
Badge Earth Badge
Specializes in Ground types
Member of Team Rocket
Rank Boss
Anime debut Battle Aboard the St. Anne
English voice actor Ed Paul
(EP015-AG132, DP080-present)
Craig Blair
(DP002-DP043)
Japanese voice actor Hirotaka Suzuoki
(EP015-AG132)
Kenta Miyake
(DP002-present)

Giovanni (Japanese: サカキ Sakaki) is the head of Team Rocket, and formerly served as the Gym Leader of Viridian City's Gym, known officially as the Viridian Gym.

History

File:Giovanni.png
Giovanni in the original series

While Giovanni very rarely takes the role of antagonist, his agents often have him in mind during missions due to the chance of power, be it through promotion or other means. This gave him a unique series of appearances, mainly during the Hoenn saga, where Meowth often saw how the Pokémon in each episode could be used to help Giovanni and win the trio promotions. These boss fantasies never show his actual personality and occasionally even show Giovanni in chibi form.

His first appearance was in the episode Battle Aboard the St. Anne, choosing a Persian as his "top cat" over Meowth, and talking to Jessie, James, and Meowth through a TV screen. His face always remained hidden in the shadows, usually with only his mouth visible. In Island of the Giant Pokémon, it is revealed that he owns the theme park, Pokémon Land, and the giant mechanical Pokémon in it, and was not happy to hear that it had been destroyed.

Up until his appearance in the episode The Battle of the Badge, his voice was altered with a vocoder effect, masking his identity. It can be inferred that they were trying to imitate the games, as in Generation I it is not outright revealed that Giovanni, the Team Rocket boss, is the Viridian Gym Leader. As this episode corresponds to the point at which players of the games would discover that the two were the same, Giovanni finally steps out of the shadows, revealing his face in a battle against Gary Oak, and defeating him utterly using his Mewtwo.

Unrevealed events in the episode (other than the events in question necessitated the use of Mewtwo) caused Giovanni to abdicate his position as the Viridian Gym Leader, handing the Earth Badge to the Team Rocket trio that constantly follows Ash (although his orders implied that he wanted the trio to defend the Gym from a possible attack). Through a combination of their own incompetence and Ash's willpower to win the Earth Badge, the Viridian Gym was destroyed at the end of the episode. Due to this, and perhaps other circumstances, Giovanni permanently resigned as Viridian's Gym Leader, as Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four has taken over the Gym temporarily when Ash next returns to Viridian City after his journey in Hoenn.

Giovanni appears not to care for his Pokémon aside from Persian, as they are all locked away in cages when not used for a Gym battle.

Giovanni, Domino, and the Rocket grunts

In the episode Showdown at the Po-ké Corral, Giovanni's building was blown up by Mewtwo. He and his Persian survived the explosion and angrily told Jessie, James, and Meowth to do their job (ironically, they were about to quit).

Giovanni also appeared near the beginning of the movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back, as he was the one who had Dr. Fuji clone Mewtwo for him. After Mewtwo destroyed the lab, Giovanni told Mewtwo that he saw him as a valuable partner, putting armor on Mewtwo and using him to defeat Trainers in Gym battles (including Gary's Nidoking and Arcanine, as seen in the anime) and help Team Rocket in their attempts to steal Pokémon. Eventually Mewtwo confronts Giovanni about his treatment and Giovanni admits that he doesn't consider Mewtwo a partner but a servant. This enrages Mewtwo and it is this incident which drives it to destroy Giovanni's base allowing it to escape.

Giovanni is the main antagonist in the movie Mewtwo Returns, seeking out Mewtwo, who by this time is living in peace with the cloned Pokémon at Mt. Quena. Once Giovanni discovered it, he tried to recapture it by threatening to use the captured cloned Pokémon in their experiments, experiments that he also claimed would certainly result in their death. He used two machines to try to make Mewtwo submit to his will, but though Mewtwo stepped into the orb, it was still unwilling to serve Giovanni, threatening to destroy his body first. Ash and the others were able to stop the machines, and it was around this time that they faced off against Giovanni and several Team Rocket soldiers. Their Pokémon fought as a distraction so Ash could get Mewtwo into the spring. Once Mewtwo was healed from its injuries, it moved the spring under the mountain to protect it, and then erased the memories of Giovanni and the other Team Rocket soldiers (excluding Jessie, James, and Meowth) of it, making him forget entirely about Mewtwo. Standing next to Domino and Persian wondering what they were doing, he gets the strange feeling as though he has been utterly defeated.

Giovanni in the Best Wishes series

In the beginning of the Best Wishes series Giovanni took on a far more significant and antagonistic role than before, now in regular contact with Jessie, James and Meowth and assigning them on various missions throughout the Unova region. He is now often seen with a secretary, that helps him in giving orders to Jessie, James and Meowth. Giovanni was also set to make an appearance in Unova in BW023 (unaired) and BW024 (unaired) after he arrived there at the end of A Venipede Stampede!. He did not make any more appearances for a long time afterward, with Matori explaining that he was too busy dealing with the results of whatever transpired between Team Rocket and Team Plasma to be in regular contact with Jessie, James, and Meowth anymore. During this time, his role as the trio's leader was filled by Dr. Zager.

After a long absence following the events of the conflict with Team Plasma, Giovanni returned in BW095, making a brief appearance in his office. He appeared in BW096 spearheading Team Rocket's "Operation Tempest," a mission to capture Meloetta and use it to take control of Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus to conquer Unova. For the first time in the history of the series, he battled against Ash directly, with Persian defeating Pikachu. He then captured Ash, Pikachu and Meloetta and escorted them to the ruins in preparation for the next stage of the mission, using Meloetta's song to summon the Reveal Glass in the temple. At the beginning of BW097, he used the Reveal Glass to summon the Kami trio and transform them into their Therian Formes before setting them against Ash, Iris, Cilan, Larry and Cynthia. However, during the battle Meloetta was dislodged from the mechanism controlling the trio's power, and after looking directly into the Reveal Glass, Giovanni became possessed by the power and went insane, declaring against his followers' wishes that he would instead destroy Unova. With the Kami trio's power he began freezing the land in ice, but when he was saved from a possibly life-threatening explosion by Jessie, James and Meowth, the possession was broken. On Dr. Zager's advisement he then ordered a full retreat from the Unova region and was last seen flying off in his airplane to return to Kanto with Jessie, James, Meowth and Dr. Zager.

The first time Giovanni has been seen in battle was in The Battle of the Badge. He used powerful Pokémon against Gary but later left the Gym to deal with an unexplained emergency, leaving Ash to battle Jessie. By the time Ash returned from Hoenn, Agatha was in charge of the Gym until a new Leader could be found. Giovanni's reasons for leaving it have not been explained. In BW096, Giovanni finally confronted Ash in a battle and won easily.

Very little is known about his past in any timeline; he is generally shrouded in mystery. His mother was the head of Team Rocket before him. However, this is presumed to be canon in the anime timeline only, as the games have no precedent for this.

Pokémon

This listing is of Giovanni's known Pokémon in the Pokémon anime.

Giovanni's Persian
Persian
Main article: Giovanni's Persian

Persian is Giovanni's pet, as a reference to most villains owning a cat as a pet, such as James Bond supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Meowth has a never-ending rivalry with it as "top cat."

Debut Battle Aboard the St. Anne
Voice actors
Japanese Rica Matsumoto
English Rica Matsumoto
Giovanni's Golem
Golem
Golem was first seen in its cage while Giovanni went to see Mewtwo. It was the first Pokémon that Giovanni used in his Gym battle with Gary, sending it against Gary's Nidoking. The Megaton Pokémon was easily defeated.

Golem's only known move is Tackle.

Debut The Battle of the Badge
Voice actors
Japanese
English Eric Stuart
Giovanni's Kingler (×2)

Giovanni's Kingler (×2)
Kingler (×2)
Giovanni used his Kingler in his Gym battle with Gary, sending it to battle against Gary's Nidoking. Gary, however, quickly withdraws his Pokémon and calls out Arcanine. Despite having a type advantage, Kingler proved to be no match for the Pokémon, and was finally taken out by Arcanine's Fire Blast.

Kingler was also later loaned to Jessie for Ash's Gym battle. She used it to battle against Bulbasaur, but lost, although not before dealing heavy damage to Bulbasaur with its Bubble attack, and by consequence, Ash experienced its pain.

Giovanni also has a second Kingler, which was in its cage when Giovanni went to see Mewtwo.

One Kingler was seen again in a flashback in Bad to the Bone, where it was defeated in a Gym battle by Otoshi's Marowak.

The known moves of the Kingler Jessie used are Crabhammer, Harden, and Bubble. The second Kingler's moves are unknown.

Debut The Battle of the Badge
Voice actors
Japanese Rikako Aikawa
English Rikako Aikawa
Giovanni's Machamp
Machamp
Giovanni loaned his Machamp to Jessie for her Gym battle against Ash. It battled against Ash's Squirtle, but lost.

Machamp's only known move is Karate Chop.

Debut The Battle of the Badge
Voice actors
Japanese
English Eric Stuart
Giovanni's Rhydon
Rhydon
Giovanni loaned his Rhydon to Jessie for Ash's Gym battle. It was defeated by Ash's Pidgeotto's Double-Edge.

Rhydon was seen again in a flashback in Bad to the Bone, where it was defeated in a Gym battle by Otoshi's Marowak.

None of Rhydon's moves are known.

Debut The Battle of the Badge
Voice actors
Japanese Katsuyuki Konishi
English Katsuyuki Konishi
Giovanni's Cloyster
Cloyster
There's nothing to be known about Giovanni's Cloyster, as it has only been briefly seen in a water tank in Viridian Gym's basement.
Debut The Battle of the Badge

Controlled

Giovanni's Meloetta
Meloetta
Main article: Meloetta (anime)

Meloetta was the key to Team Rocket's "Operation Tempest," and was attacked several times by the Team Rocket trio before finally being captured by Giovanni. He then used it to open a seal on the Abyssal Ruins, revealing the Reveal Glass.

Debut BW096
Voice actors
Japanese Megumi Nakajima
Giovanni's Landorus
Landorus
Giovanni took control of Landorus using the Abyssal Ruins.

Landorus's known moves are Stone Edge and Hyper Beam.

Debut BW097
Voice actors
Japanese Kenta Miyake
Giovanni's Tornadus
Tornadus
Giovanni took control of Tornadus using the Abyssal Ruins.

Tornadus's known moves are Hurricane, Air Slash, and Hidden Power.

Debut BW097
Voice actors
Japanese Kensuke Satō
Giovanni's Thundurus
Thundurus
Giovanni took control of Thundurus using the Abyssal Ruins.

Thundurus's known move are Thunder and Focus Blast.

Debut BW097
Voice actors
Japanese Unshō Ishizuka

Escaped

Giovanni's Mewtwo
Mewtwo
Main article: Mewtwo (anime)

Giovanni held control of this Mewtwo created by his scientists for some time, until it learned that Giovanni had meant its purpose to be fighting for him, and escaped.

While controlling Mewtwo, Giovanni used its overwhelming Psychic powers to capture new Pokémon for Team Rocket and in his Gym battles, where it defeated all of his challengers effortlessly. When Mewtwo discovered Giovanni's real intentions for it, Mewtwo broke out of his bonds and escaped.

Debut The Battle of the Badge
Voice actors
Japanese Masachika Ichimura
English Phillip Bartlett

In the manga

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Giovanni in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Giovanni makes a cameo appearance in The Electric Tale of Pikachu's Ash vs. Gary where it is revealed that the giant Slowpoke that Ash and Gary attempted to catch was in fact created by Team Rocket. He reveals that he intended to use its calming abilities to take over the world by having it make his enemies lose their will to fight. The plan instead backfired on him, the scientists who created the giant Slowpoke soon found themselves losing their will to dominate anything. As he bangs his head in anger over the fact that he defeated himself, he finds that recollecting about the giant Slowpoke caused his own anger to fade away.

Pokémon

Giovanni's Persian
Persian
Main article: Giovanni's Persian

Persian was seen watching its owner as his anger fades away from remembering the giant Slowpoke that Team Rocket's scientists created.

Debut Ash vs. Gary

Voice actors

Language Voice actor
Japanese 鈴置洋孝 Hirotaka Suzuoki (EP015-AG132)
三宅健太 Kenta Miyake (DP002-present)
English Ed Paul (4Kids dub, EP015-AG132; TPCi dub, DP080-present)
Craig Blair (TPCi dub, DP002-DP043)
Czech Pavel Soukup (EP015-EP157)
Jiří Plachý (M01)
Zdeněk Hruška (season 10)
Marek Libert (season 11)
Dutch Just Meijer (Season 1, 6-7, 14-present)
Stan Limburg (Season 2)
Fred Meijer (Season 3-6)
Sander de Heer (Mewtwo Returns)
Bas Keijzer (Season 8-13)
French Canada Daniel Picard
Europe Patrick Deschamps
Polish Adam Bauman (M01, Mewtwo Returns)
Cezary Kwieciński (DP002-present)
Brazilian Portuguese Affonso Amajones (EP015, EP063-EP066)
Luiz Antônio Lobue (EP082)
José Parisi Jr. (EP157, AG002, AG027)
Raul Schlosser (EP231)
Armando Tiraboschi (AG079, DP080, DP191, BW001-present)
Gilberto Baroli (AG132)
Vágner Santos (DP002)
Renato Márcio (DP043)
Russian Анатолий Зиновенко Anatolii Zinovenko (EP001-EP105)
Spanish Latin America Alejandro Villeli (EP015-DP043),(DP191-present)
Humberto Solórzano (DP080)
Spain Ruperto Ares (EP015-EP157)
Rafael Azcárraga (Mewtwo Returns)
José Escobosa (EP231-present)
Roberto Encinas (AG002)


Trivia

  • In Pokémon Live! it is stated that he dated Delia Ketchum, though this is both unmentioned and unconfirmed in the anime.
  • In the English dub, Giovanni is the first character to regain his original voice actor following the voice actor switch.
  • Both Pokémon that Giovanni has rejected in the anime – Jessie's Yanmega and Misty's Togetic – have evolved once after being reunited with their owners.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese サカキ Sakaki Sakaki (榊) is a sacred tree in Shinto which resembles the Earth Badge. Also from 坂/阪 saka, slope.
English, French, German,
Italian, Spanish
Giovanni From Italian Giovanni, equivalent to John, gift from God; gio rhymes with geo, from Greek γῆ , earth.
May also be a play on his resemblance to a Mafia boss in control of his mob.
Korean 비주기 Bijugi From 비쭈기나무 Bijjuginamu (Sakaki).
Chinese (Mandarin) 坂木 Bǎnmù*
阪木 Bǎnmù*
From 坂木/阪木 Sakaki, an alternative way of writing the name. 坂 contains the radical (earth).
坂/阪 (slope) is also a homophone to 板 of 老板 lǎo​bǎn (boss).
Chinese (Cantonese) 沙加 Sāgā Partial transliteration of Sakaki. Also contains 沙 (sand).


Related articles


Members of Team Rocket
Bosses:

Giovanni (animeAdventuresPocket MonstersMasters)
Madame Boss (anime only) • Masked Man (Adventures only)

Executives:

Archer (Masters) • Ariana (Masters) • Petrel (Masters) • Proton (Masters)
Anime only: Iron-Masked Marauder
Adventures only: CarlShamWill (former) • Karen (former)
Golden Boys only: Grey

Trios:
 

Jessie (Masters), James (Masters), & Meowth (JJM)
Koga, Lt. Surge, & Sabrina (Triad) (Adventures only; former)
Ken, Al, & Harry (TRET) (Adventures only)
Carr, Sird (former), & Orm (T3B) (Adventures only)

Duos:

Anime only: Butch & Cassidy (former) • Attila & HunAnnie & Oakley (dub only)

Scientists

Gideon
Anime only: Dr. FujiDr. NambaSebastianDr. Zager
Adventures only: Blaine (former)

Others: 

GruntsRocket BrothersRBYFRLG/Rocket SistersPE
Anime only: DominoRocket ScoutWendyTysonJubeiViper
Christopher (former) • Matori (Matori Matrix) • PierceGozu
Radio drama only: MiyamotoMondo
How I Became a Pokémon Card only: Kaede


Villainous team leaders
Core series GiovanniMaxieArchieCyrusNGhetsisColressLysandreGuzmaPiersCassiopeia
Masters EX GiovanniGuzmaCyrusNLysandrePiersGhetsisMaxieArchieColressPauloPenny
Other
games
BiruritchiGonzapEviceGreevilGordorBaron PhobosBlake HallKincaidSocieteaMunnaDark RustGiovanni
Anime GiovanniMadame BossMaxieArchieCyrusGhetsisLysandreGuzmaPiersGibeon
Adventures GiovanniMasked ManMaxieArchieCyrusNGhetsisColressLysandreGuzmaPiers
Other manga FraudMeja



Anime characters
Protagonists Ash Ketchum (Pikachu) • Misty (Togetic) • BrockTracey SketchitMayMaxDawn (Piplup) • Iris (Haxorus) • CilanSerenaClemontBonnie (Dedenne) • LanaKiaweLillieSophoclesMallowRotom PokédexGoh (Grookey)
Rivals GaryRitchieHarrisonDrewHarleyMorrisonTysonSolidadPaulNandoZoeyKennyConwayBarryUrsulaTripBiancaBurgundyStephanGeorgiaCameronAriaAlainMietteTiernoShaunaTrevorNiniSawyerGladionHoracioHauLeonRaihanHoraceBeaLeague Conference participantsCoordinatorsPerformersWorld Coronation Series participants
Antagonists Jessie (Wobbuffet) • JamesMeowthGiovanniButchCassidyDr. NambaMatoriPierceDr. ZagerGozuTabithaMaxieShellyArchieHunter JSaturnCyrusMarsJupiterCharonColressAldithGhetsisBarretMalamarLysandreMableCelosiaAlianaXerosicBryonyTuppZippRappPlumeriaGuzmaVirenRoseOleana
Professors Professor OakProfessor IvyProfessor ElmProfessor BirchProfessor RowanProfessor CarolinaProfessor JuniperDr. FennelCedric JuniperProfessor SycamoreProfessor KukuiProfessor BurnetProfessor CeriseProfessor MagnoliaSoniaProfessor Amaranth
Relatives Delia KetchumDaisyVioletLilyJames's parentsFlintLolaForrestBrock's siblingsNormanCarolineJohannaChiliCressGraceMeyerLana's fatherLana's motherHarper and SarahRangoSimaMimoKiawe's grandfatherMohnLusamineGladionSophocles's parentsMolayneAbeMallow's motherUluWalkerCamilleHalta
Supporting Officer JennyNurse JoyMagikarp salesmanTodd SnapCharles GoodshowCaseyLizaSakuraLanceClairRaoul ContestaMr. SukizoSteven StoneVivian MeridianRobertScottLilian MeridianSolanaBrandonMarianYuzoRhondaCynthiaReggieAngieLookerIzzy and CaraLyraKhouryTobiasDon GeorgeElderAlderLukeFreddy O'MartianIngoEmmetJervisVirgilNAnthea and ConcordiaPorterAlexaSophieCosetteClembotSanpeiMairinAstridDianthaKorrinaGurkinnMonsieur PierrePalermoKeananMalvaSamson OakAnelaHobbesNinaAnnaLakiDanaYansuWickeFabaIlimaAcerolaDiaChloeChrysaRenParkerTaliaLeiDanikaQuillonHopGym LeadersElite FourFrontier BrainsIsland kahunasMany temporary characters
Supporting Pokémon FearowHo-OhSquirtle SquadPink ButterfreeHaunterJigglypuffMewtwoMimeyLapras herdGranbullPichu BrothersLugiaSilverDelibirdWynautLarvitarKyogre and GroudonArticunoDeoxysLake guardiansForces of NatureMeloettaReshiramSuper-ancient PokémonWooperFlorgesSquishyZ2Guardian deitiesBewearToucannon's flockStoutlandOranguruNebbyStuffulUltra BeastsGrandpa ForestNecrozmaLunalaShayminMewRotom PhonesPelipperThievul trioEternatusDrone RotomLegendary heroesLatiasRecurring wild Pokémon
See also: Pokémon Horizons characters


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