Whenever people talk about Pocket Monsters The Movie "Mewtwo Strikes Back!", the topic of Ash's "death" is one that comes up quite frequently. But does the young Trainer actually bite the dust at the end of the movie? Or is there something else going on...?

The scene itself

Let's do a quick recap for those of you who haven't seen Mewtwo Strikes Back! in a while. During the big climatic battle at the end of the film, Mewtwo and Mew are both flying around shooting off energy blasts at each other. On the ground below, meanwhile, a vicious battle between the Trainers' Pokémon and their Copies drags on without any end in sight.

Satoshi, distraught by the sight of such animalistic carnage, pleads with Mew and Mewtwo to put an end to the fighting once and for all. He runs in between the two Pokémon just as they fire off energy blasts at one another and ends up getting himself hit with the attacks instead. The energy blasts turn the ten-year-old to stone, causing him to fall to the ground motionless.

Pikachu immediately runs over to its Trainer and spends the next few moments trying to use its electric powers to shock Satoshi awake. But the young boy's condition doesn't change. It isn't until Pikachu and all the other Pokémon in the arena start to cry that their tears magically begin to swirl around the fallen hero and restores him to the way he was before. A relieved Pikachu rushes over to its newly conscious Trainer.

The scenes leading up to Satoshi's "death"

The reason so many people may interpret this scene as Satoshi "dying" is most likely due to the heavily rewritten English dub of the film. Now 4Kids never outright states "Ash is dead!," but there are quite a few lines throughout the English version of the film that heavily imply this.

The first such hint appears at the end of the "Birth of Mewtwo," a section of the film that appears to have been dubbed along with the rest of the movie but then cut later. The line in question happens right as Ambertwo is disappearing:

Mewtwo:  "Crying?" Ambertwo:  "My Daddy used to tell me a bedtime story that when Pokémon are sad and they cry their tears are filled with life."

In the English dub of Mewtwo Strikes Back!, the tears of Pokémon -- like the tears we see at the end of this movie! -- are said to have been "filled with life," implying they have some kind of magical life-giving power.

A bit later in the film, Miranda tells the Trainers gathered at the port that there aren't any ships heading to New Island because of a massive storm:

Officer Jenny:  "It’s more than just rain! The harbor manager thinks this could be the worst storm ever!" Miranda:  "Listen to me! The prophets have predicted the return of the Winds of Water. For years I have prayed that mankind would never witness...that deadly storm ever again." Officer Jenny:  "Isn't that just a legend?" Miranda:  "The ancient writings tell of the storm wiping out all but a few Pokémon. In their sorrow, the water of their tears somehow restored the lives lost in the storm. But there are no Pokémon tears today. Just waters which no one can survive."

Here, "their tears somehow restored the lives lost in the storm" tells the audience, very plainly, that Pokémon tears have the power to bring living creatures back from the dead.

We don't get any more hints in the movie until after our hero's already gotten himself turned to stone and then revived by the Pokémon's tears. Once all that happens, Mewtwo reflects on what just happened and makes this comment:

Mewtwo:  "The human sacrificed himself...to save the Pokémon."

The lines above about Pokémon tears being "filled with life" and being able to "restore[d] the lives lost in the storm" very much imply that Ash died. Because if these so-called life-giving tears are used on Ash at the end of the movie then that has to mean he had to have died first, right? How can someone's life be restored if it isn't lost first? Mewtwo summarizing the whole ordeal by saying Ash "sacrificed himself" really cements this interpretation.

What do they say in the Japanese version?

The problem with the three examples above is that none of this "Winds of Water" or "Pokémon tears can bring back the dead" storylines are in the original Japanese version of the film in any way, shape, or form.

Let's do some side-by-side dialogue comparisons. First, the "Birth of Mewtwo" scene:

Japanese (original)	Japanese (translated)	English Dub
アイ　「生き物は体が痛い時以外は涙を流さないって。悲しみで涙を流すのは人間だけ だって」	Ai:  "They say living things don't shed tears unless they're in physical pain. And that the only ones who cry when they're sad...are humans."	Mewtwo:  "Crying?"
		Ambertwo:  "My Daddy used to tell me a bedtime story that when Pokémon are sad and they cry their tears are filled with life."

As you can see, the dialogue in the original is completely different!

The scene at the piers:

Japanese (original)	Japanese (translated)	English Dub
ジュンサー　「皆さんお静かに。この方がこの波止場を仕切っている…」	Junsar:  "Everyone, quiet down! This person here is the manager of this harbor..."	Officer Jenny:  "It’s more than just rain! The harbor manager thinks this could be the worst storm ever!"
ボイジャー　「…ボイジャーです。海を知りたきゃ波止場のカモメに聞いてみな。 聞くまでもない。雲の流れをご覧なさい。こんなハリケーン見たことがありません」	Voyager:  "Voyager's the name. If you want to know more about the sea then ask the seagulls near the harbor. But even that won't be necessary. Because just look at the way the clouds are moving out there. I've never seen a hurricane quite like this."	Miranda:  "Listen to me! The prophets have predicted the return of the Winds of Water. For years I have prayed that mankind would never witness...that deadly storm ever again."
ジュンサー　「そんなにすごいんですか？」	Junsar:  "Is it really that bad?"	Officer Jenny:  "Isn't that just a legend?"
ボイジャー　「港育ちの私が今まで経験したことのない嵐です。しかもその嵐はこ の沖合ニューアイランドの上空にある皆さんを危険な目に遭わせるわけにはまいりません。それがこの港を守る私の願い」	Voyager:  "I grew up by the harbors and I've never seen a storm quite like this. And since it seems to be centered over New Island I can't allow you to put yourself in such danger. Please, stay here for me, the protector of this port."	Miranda:  "The ancient writings tell of the storm wiping out all but a few Pokémon. In their sorrow, the water of their tears somehow restored the lives lost in the storm. But there are no Pokémon tears today. Just waters which no one can survive."

Again, the whole thing about Pokémon tears bringing other Pokémon back to life is made up for the English dub. The Japanese version doesn't say anything about any of this.

Mewtwo's comments at the end of the movie:

Japanese (original)	Japanese (translated)	English Dub
ミュウ　「ミュウ」	Mew:  "Mew!"	Mewtwo:  "The human sacrificed himself...to save the Pokémon."

In the English dub canon Ash is heavily implied to have "died" at the end of the film, but as you can see in the comparisons above those same implications are nowhere to be found in the Japanese original.

How the scene is interpreted in Japan

In Japan, it's understood that Satoshi simply turns into stone but never actually dies. The most clear-cut proof of this is from the movie's screenplay writer Takeshi Shudo himself, who very plainly states that Satoshi does not die in the movie he wrote. From his 2009 blog entry # 179 "The Climax of "Mewtwo Strikes Back!""

Satoshi, who threw himself in between Mew and Mewtwo and took their attacks head-on, didn't die but got turned into stone and thus unable to move. ミュウとミュウツー戦いの間に入って、双方の攻撃を浴びてしまい倒れたサトシは、死 ぬのではなく石化して動けなくなってしまう。 Whether it's just a friendly match or a serious competition, Satoshi had always agreed to battle. And yet here he is, unconsciously acting to denounce one. ゲームであろうと競技であろうといままでバトルを肯定してきたサトシは、無意識でバ トルを否定してしまった。 In other words, his action here presents a contradiction. And so he becomes unable to move. Unable to speak. In fact, all he can do here is turn to stone. サトシの行動は矛盾している。だから動けない。しゃべれない。石になるしかない。 In the world of Pokémon, whether it's in the video games or the animated series, there's this understanding that death and dying are to be avoided, and because of this some people have interpreted Satoshi turning into stone in this scene as a stand-in for death, as a way to get around that restriction. But that wasn't my intention when I wrote the script. 「ポケモン」の世界は、ゲームにしろアニメにしろ死を避けるのがお約束だから、この シーンでサトシを死ぬ代わりに石にしたと解釈した方もいるが、脚本を書いた僕にそのつもりはない。 That's because if Satoshi dies here, that's it. That's the end. 死んだらそれで終わりである。

Pretty clear cut, huh! But even before this blog entry came out in 2009 there still never seemed to be anything from any official source implying that Satoshi actually "dies" in this part of the movie. In fact, all the guide books and other supplemental printed material released in Japan go along with the author's "Satoshi didn't die, he just turned to stone" narrative. Let's take a look at those:

First up is the book This is Animation: Pocket Monsters The Movie "Mewtwo Strikes Back" & "Pikachu's Summer Vacation," released on September 20th 1998. It has a detailed plot summary of the film that describes the climatic scene from Pages 54 and 55:

Satoshi fell and turned into something that resembles stone. サトシはたおれ、体は石のようにかたまってしまいました。 Mewtwo and Mew, without even realizing it, stopped their fighting. "Nonsense! A mere human tried to stop our battle?!" ミュウツーとミュウは、思わず戦いを止めました。「バカな！人間がわれわれの戦いを止めようとするなんて」 Pikachu rushed over to Satoshi's side. "Pikapi...Pikapi..." ピカチュウが、かけよります。「ピカピ……ピカピ……」 But Satoshi doesn't respond. サトシの返事はありません。 Electric Shock. Thunderbolt. 電気ショック。10万ボルト。 No matter what Pikachu tries, Satoshi doesn't move an inch. それでも、サトシは動きません。 Tears start to flow from Pikachu's eyes. The other Pokémon see this and start crying as well. All the Pokémon that had been fighting up until now stop what they're doing and start to cry. ピカチュウの目から、涙がこぼれました。それを見ていたポケモンたちの目からも、涙がこぼれました。今まで戦っていたポケモンたちが、みんな、涙を流しま した。 Their tears begin glowing with an intense light and gather above Satoshi's body. その涙は光り輝き、サトシの体の上に集まっていきました。 "The Pokémon are shedding tears for this human" says Mewtwo. ミュウツーは、つぶやきました。「ポケモンが、人間のために涙を流すなんて……」 Before long, all the glowing tears vanish and Satoshi opens his eyes. やがて……すべての光が消えたとき、サトシは目を覚ましました。 "What...just happened...?" 「オレ、どうしちゃったの？」 Instead of answering, Pikachu jumps into Satoshi's arms. 答えのかわりに、ピカチュウが胸に飛び込んできました。

As you can see, it's "turned into something that resembles stone," not "died."

The book Pocket Monsters The Movie 1998 - 2005, released August 10th, 2005, has a feature early on called "Viewers' Choice! Top Scenes" (みんながえらんだベストシーン). Coming in as the Number 2 "Most Emotional Scene" is "The Pokémon's Tears" scene from Movie 1. Here's how they describe it on Page 25:

Satoshi steps in to stop the battle between Mew and Mewtwo, as well as the battle between the Pokémon and their Copies. He's hit directly with the energy beams during the battle and his body turns into stone. He's saved by the flowing tears of the Pokémon. ミュウとミュウツーの戦い、ポケモンとコピーポケモンの争いを止めようと、割って入ったサトシ。バトルの光が直撃し、体が石に。それを救ったのは、ポケモ ンたちの流した涙だった。

A more general summary of the film's story repeats the "turned to stone" explanation. From Pages 33 and 34:

"Stop it already! We're all alive, aren't we!?" yells Satoshi and he rushes to stop the battle. However, energy blasts from the battle between Mew and Mewtwo fly toward the young Trainer's body and turns him to stone, making him unable to move an inch. Pikachu starts to use its electricity on Satoshi, trying its hardest to wake him up. When that fails, large tears start to fall from its eyes. 「もう止めてくれ。同じ生き物じゃないか！」と叫び戦いを止めようとしたサトシ。しかしその体にミュウたちの戦いの閃光が飛び、サトシは石になってしま い、ピクリとも動かなくなった。そんな彼に電気を送って、必死に起こそうとするピカチュウ。ピカチュウの目からは、大粒の涙がこぼれた。 The other Pokémon who had been fighting their Copies this whole time also start to cry. Their tears begin glowing with an intense light and gather above Satoshi's body. Before long, all the glowing tears vanish and Satoshi opens his eyes. 今まで自分のコピーと戦っていた周りのポケモンたちも、みんな涙を流した。その涙は 光となって輝き、サトシの体の上に集まっていった。やがて光が消えたとき、サトシは目を覚ました。

The Pocket Monsters The Movie DP All Movies Perfect Guide, released July 17th, 2007, also makes a brief mention of the scene. From Page 21:

Pikachu rushes over to Satoshi, who's been turned to stone. 石になったサトシにかけよるピカチュウ。

And finally, the Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie Perfect Guide ~ Satoshi's and Pikachu's Adventure Logs ~, released October 3rd, 2012, offers its own summary of the scene. From Page 66:

Satoshi jumped in between Mew and Mewtwo to stop their incredible battle and gets caught in the explosion of their attacks, hardening into something that resembles stone. The tears of the other Pokémon turn into glowing lights and shower the unmoving Satoshi. And then, a miracle occurs! 激しく戦う２体を止めようと飛び出したサトシは、両者が繰り出した攻撃の爆発に巻き込まれ、石のように固まってし まう。動かなくなったサトシにポケモンたちの涙が、光となって降り注ぐ。そして、奇跡が起きた！

At the end of this same book are a number of interviews with various staff and cast members where they're asked about their favorite scenes, memories of working on the films, etc. In Ikue Otani's (Pikachu) interview, she gives the following information about this scene in the first movie:

Q:  In regards to your role as Pikachu, is there anything that's different from now compared to the first movie? ご自身の役柄について、第１作と現在で変えたところはありますか？ A:  "I feel like these days, Pikachu's able to more or less understand what's going on, but in the beginning that wasn't always the case. And, when we were doing the first movie, there was actually a plan to have Pikachu speak a little bit. And so, just like I would with a young child, I played Pikachu so that it's clear what it does understand and what it doesn't. 「最近のピカチュウは、いろんなことが理解できちゃうのが、初期とちょっと違うかな。じつは第１作の時、ピカチュウはやがて言葉を話すっていう設定だった んです。だから、小さな子のように、理解できることとできないことを明確にわけて演じてました。 For example, there's that scene where Satoshi tries to stop Mew and Mewtwo's fight and gets turned to stone. For that one, I didn't play it as Pikachu crying out because it's sad or anything like that, but played it more like it was shouting "What's going on?" or "Huh?" If I played it like that, I thought, that would make Pikachu seem more like a confused animal. 例えば、ミュウとミュウツーの戦いを止めようとして石になってしまう場面。悲しんで叫ぶのではなくて、どうしたの？あれ？って。そう演じたら、それがとて も動物らしくて…… But the Pikachu-like messages it wants to convey to Satoshi and his friends, well, those feelings haven't changed." サトシやメンバーに、ピカチュウなりのメッセージを伝えたいという気持ちを込めているのは、変えてません」

As you can see, the guide books in Japan have all been consistently framing Satoshi's fate at the end of the movie as him simply being turned to stone, not killed.

Conclusion

So does the first movie end with a ten-year-old boy being murdered by the film's titular Pokémon? Based on the lack of confirmation in the movie itself, comments from the man who wrote it, and the numerous Japanese guide books over the years that have repeated the same story over and over it's clear that no, it does not.