Pokémon Officially Unveils Pikachu Redesign That's Out Of This World

Published Oct 2, 2026, 8:05 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

Pikachu has been the unmistakable face of Pokémon for nearly the franchise's entire 30-year history. From its starring role alongside Ash in the anime to its countless spotlights in games, trading cards, movies, merchandise, and promotional campaigns, the Electric mascot has become one of the most recognizable characters in entertainment writ large. That said, Pokémon has never been short on inventive ways to reimagine Pikachu with adorable new designs that still maintain its signature look.

Over the decades, Pokémon has reimagined Pikachu in numerous ways, ranging from subtle tweaks to entirely new costumes, forms, and various themed designs. Fans have seen everything from Cosplay Pikachu and Pikachu wearing Ash’s various caps to special holiday versions, regional promotional designs, and an enormous variety of Trading Card Game artwork, such as the recent release of 30 different Pikachu art cards for the 30th Celebration set.

However, thirty years later, Pokémon is officially giving Pikachu a completely stellar redesign (literally), and it's unlike anything we've seen before.

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Pikachu's new look is out of this world, quite literally reimagined as an astronaut thanks to a new collaboration with the European Space Agency. The Pokémon Center x ESA collection officially launched on October 1, just ahead of World Space Week, which runs from October 4–10, putting the franchise's longtime mascot at the center of one of its most unusual and unique crossovers yet.

The highlight is a pair of Astronaut Pikachu plushies, each priced at $29.99 through Pokémon Center in the United States. One depicts a male Pikachu wearing a white spacesuit, while the other gives female Pikachu a blue astronaut flight suit. The white-suited design has a particularly fun connection to the real world: ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot brought a similarly dressed Pikachu plush aboard the International Space Station earlier this year.

The mascot spent 67 days in orbit from April 11 through June 17, completing approximately 1,040 trips around Earth before returning home. The commercially available plush is therefore essentially a recreation of a Pikachu design that actually made it into space.

Astronaut Pikachu also appears throughout the wider merchandise lineup in the collab. Pokémon TCG players can pick up themed card sleeves, a double deck box, playmat, and zip binder, with artwork placing Pikachu alongside appropriately cosmic Pokémon including Lunatone, Cosmog, and Minior. The collection features clothing as well, including T-shirts, a pullover hoodie, and a flashy $129.99 bomber jacket decorated with Pokémon-themed patches. Pins, patches, decorative figures, and a puzzle round out the Pokémon Center side of the release.

ESA itself is selling a separate assortment through its official online shop, including Astronaut Pikachu shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies alongside smaller collectibles such as a patch, pin, keyring, notebook, postcards, stickers, and a poster. Current prices range from €2 for a mission sticker up to €49 for several of the larger apparel pieces.

The collaboration goes well beyond merchandise, too, as ESA and The Pokémon Company are bringing Pokémon-themed space exhibitions to museums and ESA facilities around Europe through April 2027. Pokémon GO is also getting in on the celebration beginning October 4, with participating locations offering Astronaut Pikachu in One-Star Raids, Timed Research, special encounters, and other location-based bonuses.

For a mascot that has worn countless costumes over the past 30 years, Pikachu's latest makeover may be one of the few that goes stratospheric.