An orange, dragon-like Pokémon, Charizard is the evolved form of Charmeleon and the final evolution of Charmander.

[4] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon.

Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.

[7] Originally called "Lizardon" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children.

[9] During an interview, Pokémon Company President Tsunekazu Ishihara stated that Charizard was expected to be popular with North American audiences because of their preference for strong, powerful characters.

[20] In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Charizard is capable of Gigantamaxing, which causes it to grow significantly in size and change its appearance.

[21] Charizard made its video game debut in 1996 with the Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Blue.

[27] It later re-appeared in Pokémon Sword and Shield, where it is notably used by the games' Champion and final boss, Leon.

[40] In the Pokémon Adventures manga, one of the protagonists, Blue, receives a Charmander from his grandfather Professor Oak.

[42] Charizard appears often in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, most notably in the series' initial release.

Cards featuring the character have been stated to be the most desired of the series, quickly rising to high prices amongst collectors and retailers.

[55] Kevin Slackie of Paste noted that despite Charizard's intimidating appearance, its appealing design made it popular with many.

[56] Dale Bishir of IGN described Charizard as being an iconic fixture of the series due to its prevalence in various media related to the franchise.

[57] Steven Bogos of The Escapist listed Charizard as second of their favorite Pokémon, describing it as "awesome across all of the franchise's properties".

[58] A Charizard statue representing the Pokémon in its real size was installed in May, 2018 in the municipality of Suzano, located in São Paulo in Brazil.

[66] Described by the media as "a lean, ferocious, fire-breathing dragon ... sleek, powerful, and utterly destructive", Charizard has been noted as one of the franchise's "most popular" characters.

She also praised the Mega Evolution mechanic for revitalizing Charizard, stating that it "helped refresh this ancient Pokemon mascot in our hearts and minds.

[44] Interviewed children have stated similar; they attributed its appeal to its "cool looking" appearance, associating the character with the "concepts of stubbornness and power".

[72] The book Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon cited Charizard as "popular" with older male children who tended to be drawn to "tough or scary" characters, and compared the character's evolution from Charmander into Charizard with the loss of "cuteness" as one leaves childhood.