Katsuhiko Kitada

Kitada's record is not one of trophies. It is a record of endurance and range: two decades of continuous work across television and film, moving between key animation, animation direction and storyboarding, and accumulating credits on titles that defined their eras. Gurren Lagann, Evangelion: 2.0, Attack on Titan and The First Slam Dunk are not minor entries on any animator's resume. The 2026 selection to direct Pokémon: Wild Card, the franchise's first feature in seven years, is the clearest signal that the industry trusts him with a large property. For fans who follow staff credits, that trust is the accolade that matters.