US Trends

what is barry and dawns canon starter in the anime

Barry’s canon starter in the anime is not explicitly stated, but based on how he’s portrayed, he is most strongly associated with Empoleon (evolved from Piplup), while Dawn’s clear canon starter in the anime is Piplup.

Quick Scoop: Short Answer

  • Dawn’s canon starter (anime): Piplup.
    Dawn receives a Piplup from Professor Rowan’s lab and it travels with her throughout Diamond & Pearl, making it her unmistakable starter in the anime continuity.
  • Barry’s “canon” starter (anime-related media): Commonly treated as Piplup → Empoleon in anime/Masters, though different media show him with different fully evolved starters.

In various official appearances (like Pokémon Masters and anime depictions), Barry is repeatedly linked to Empoleon , which suggests his implied starter would be Piplup in those continuities.

So if you’re talking strictly anime-related canon , the safest, widely accepted pair is:

Barry: Piplup → Empoleon
Dawn: Piplup

(with the big caveat that Barry’s exact starter is never shown being chosen on-screen).

Mini Section 1: What “Canon Starter” Means Here

In Pokémon, “canon starter” usually means “the starter Pokémon that the creators or official media most consistently associate with that character.”

  • In games , it’s often inferred by rival/team compositions or official art.
  • In anime , it’s based on what Pokémon a character actually receives at the beginning and travels with.
  • Across manga and side media , different “canon” choices can conflict, which is why fan discussions keep debating this.

For Sinnoh, people now often separate:

  1. Game protagonists’ canon starters (Lucas/Dawn/Barry from the games).
  1. Anime continuity (Ash, Dawn, and Barry as Ash’s rival).

Your question is specifically about Barry and Dawn in the anime , so we focus on that continuity, even though many “canon starter lists” are game- based.

Mini Section 2: Dawn’s Canon Starter in the Anime

Dawn is the easy one:

  • Dawn starts her journey from Professor Rowan’s lab in Sinnoh.
  • She chooses Piplup there, and it becomes her main partner in the Diamond & Pearl series.
  • Piplup is heavily featured in contests, marketing, and cross-media art as “Dawn’s Pokémon,” so fans and official lists treat Piplup as Dawn’s canon starter without any controversy.

Because of this:

  • Whenever fans make “canon starter charts” for player characters and anime characters, Dawn is almost always locked in as Piplup.
  • Some fan headcanons and forum posts talk about Dawn ending up with Empoleon in certain timelines, but that’s speculation and not consistent anime canon.

Bottom line: In the anime , Dawn’s starter is clearly Piplup.

Mini Section 3: Barry’s Starter – Why It’s Messy

Barry, as Ash’s rival in the anime, is more complicated.

  • The anime introduces Barry already on his journey, with established Pokémon, rather than showing his lab scene choosing a starter.
  • In different media:
    • Manga Barry is strongly associated with Infernape.
* **Game-style “canon list” posts** often assign Barry **Chimchar** when they’re talking about game protagonists (Lucas/Dawn/Barry), not specifically the anime.

* **Anime + Pokémon Masters** material more often show Barry with **Empoleon** , implying a Piplup origin for him.

One recent discussion sums it up like this:

“While the official choice is Empoleon, I believe Infernape aligns better with his impatient nature… In both the anime and Masters, he’s been depicted with an Empoleon. Piplup is generally recognized as Dawn’s choice.”

So you get three “Barry starter” views:

  • Anime / Masters-oriented view: Barry → Piplup → Empoleon.
  • Game-protagonist canon starter chart: Barry → Chimchar (with Dawn → Piplup, Lucas → Turtwig).
  • Manga view: Barry → Chimchar → Infernape.

And one important counterpoint from a detailed starter-canon thread:

“There are no ‘canon’ choices. The manga and anime mean nothing, as they’re their own continuities… there is no definitive canon about this.”

That’s why you’ll see different answers in forum debates and videos.

Mini Section 4: If You Only Care About the Anime

If you narrow everything down to “anime Barry and Dawn” :

  • Dawn’s starter is explicitly shown : Piplup.
  • Barry’s starter is not shown in a lab scene, but his most common fully evolved partner in anime-linked media is Empoleon.

So, for an anime-focused “canon-ish” interpretation:

  1. Dawn (anime)
    • Starter: Piplup.
    • Evidence: First episode(s) of her journey, ongoing DP series, plus cross-media depiction.
  1. Barry (anime-linked)
    • He is frequently depicted with Empoleon in anime and Pokémon Masters , which suggests Piplup as a possible starter in that continuity.
 * However, the show never _states_ or _shows_ his starter choice, and other media (manga/game canon charts) pair him with Chimchar/Infernape.

A good, honest way to phrase it:

Dawn’s canon starter in the anime is Piplup. Barry’s starter is never explicitly shown in the anime, but anime and Masters commonly associate him with Empoleon , implying a Piplup origin, while other media link him with Chimchar/Infernape instead.

Mini Section 5: Multi-Viewpoint Summary (Anime vs. Other Media)

Here’s how different sources line up:

[8][6] [2] [3][2] [7] [7][2]
Character Medium Starter commonly assigned
Dawn Anime (Diamond & Pearl) Piplup (explicitly shown as her starter and main partner).
Barry Anime + Pokémon Masters Piplup → Empoleon (most frequent partner in this continuity).
Barry Manga Chimchar → Infernape (appears prominently in manga).
Barry Fan “canon starter” charts (game-focused) Chimchar (with Dawn as Piplup and Lucas as Turtwig).
Dawn Fan and official lists Almost universally Piplup as her starter.

Mini Section 6: TL;DR (Forum Style)

TL;DR:

  • Dawn’s canon starter in the anime is Piplup , no debate.
  • Barry’s starter is never shown in the anime, but anime/Masters commonly link him with Empoleon , implying a Piplup start, while manga and game- focused “canon lists” give him Chimchar/Infernape.
  • So if you’re just talking “anime vibes,” Dawn = Piplup, Barry = Empoleon guy; if you include all media, his starter is up for interpretation.

Bottom note:
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.