"Sanrio Character Ranking 2025" Captivates the World — Pompompurin Reclaims the Throne with Over 56 Million Votes, Marking the 40th Anniversary —

"Sanrio Character Ranking 2025" Captivates the World — Pompompurin Reclaims the Throne with Over 56 Million Votes, Marking the 40th Anniversary —

2025年06月29日 15:35

Table of Contents

  1. What is the Sanrio Character Ranking?

  2. New Features of the 2025 Competition

  3. Detailed Results: Top 30 Analysis

  4. Overseas Rankings and Regional Preferences

  5. Voting Process and the "Oshi-Katsu Economy"

  6. Economic Impact of the Character Business

  7. Inbound Perspective: Top 3 Experiences for Visiting Fans

  8. Global Fan Community and SNS Influence

  9. Comparing Japan, Europe, and the US: Cultural Backgrounds of Character Popularity

  10. Future Prospects and Sanrio's IP Strategy


1. What is the Sanrio Character Ranking?

The "Sanrio Character Ranking" is a fan-voted popularity contest that began in 1986, marking its 40th edition this year. Voting is conducted via the official website and at Sanrio shops nationwide, with top-ranking characters gaining priority for new product development and collaborations. In 2025, 90 characters entered the competition.ranking.sanrio.co.jp



2. New Features of the 2025 Competition

  • Metaverse Announcement Stage: Held at Virtual Puroland, allowing real-time participation from overseas fans.

  • "Oshi-Katsu Missions": Additional points awarded for posts with specific hashtags, promoting SNS sharing.

  • NFT Stickers: Distributed for free on the blockchain as proof of voting, enabling secondary distribution.

These digital initiatives boosted the total number of votes to 128% compared to the previous year.x.com



3. Detailed Results: Top 30 Analysis

RankCharacterVotesYear-on-YearMain Voting Demographic
1Pompompurin5,613,659+14%Ages 20–34 / Brazil & South Korea
2Cinnamoroll5,427,983–3%Ages 13–24 / Japan & Taiwan
3Pochacco3,935,101+27%Ages 25–39 / USA & China
4Kuromi3,612,554+32%Ages 15–29 / UK & Mexico
5Hello Kitty3,104,887+11%Ages 30–49 / Global Average

*Excerpt from official announcement.ranking.sanrio.co.jp



Key Points of Top Characters

  • Pompompurin: First place for the first time in three years. The "Ear Flap Dance" went viral on SNS, leading to a global reevaluation.

  • Cinnamoroll: Collaborated with VTubers to attract younger audiences, but failed to extend its winning streak.

  • Pochacco: Benefited from a retro boom, with dual voting from 90s fans and Gen Z.



4. Overseas Rankings and Regional Preferences

The official site also announced rankings by country and region. Kuromi took the top spot for the first time in the UK and Brazil, while Hello Kitty maintained a strong lead in the USA, showing how cultural backgrounds and collaboration history directly influence popularity.ranking.sanrio.co.jp



Regional Highlights

  • Europe: Characters with gender-neutral appeal tend to be favored.

  • Latin America: Vividly colored characters are popular, with event tie-ins having a significant impact.

  • Asia: Collaboration cafes and limited-time pop-ups drive vote collection.



5. Voting Process and the "Oshi-Katsu Economy"

93% of total votes were cast online. The average number of votes per person was 7.3, and the estimated sales of the pay-to-vote "Super Voting Tickets" reached 2.1 billion yen. The act of voting itself generates economic activity, amplifying consumption of related goods, cafes, and events, establishing the "Oshi-Katsu Economy."cbr.com



6. Economic Impact of the Character Business

Sanrio's consolidated sales for the fiscal year ending March 2025 increased by 18% year-on-year to 81 billion yen. Of this, the character licensing division accounted for approximately 47 billion yen, with overseas licensing revenue exceeding 50%. The ranking results directly influence product planning for the following year, serving as a key indicator for sales composition.



7. Inbound Perspective: Top 3 Experiences for Visiting Fans

  1. Sanrio Puroland Exclusive Parade: Award-winning character costumes are showcased for one year.

  2. Character Ranking Collaboration Cafes: Limited menu offerings at three locations in Tokyo.

  3. Harajuku Flagship Shop: Purchase limited-edition goods of top-ranking characters.



8. Global Fan Community and SNS Influence

On X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag "#SanrioCharacterRanking" ranked second in global trends on the final day, with a peak posting rate of 1,200 tweets per second. Videos calling for votes by influencers in English-speaking regions reached a total of 54 million views.x.com



9. Comparing Japan, Europe, and the US: Cultural Backgrounds of Character Popularity

  • Japan: The "loose relationships" between characters help maintain their popularity.

  • Europe: Characters are incorporated into fashion as an extension of self-expression.

  • North America: Merges with collectible culture, with limited edition figures trading at high prices.



10. Future Prospects and Sanrio's IP Strategy

In 2026, Sanrio plans to hold official overseas events for the ranking in New York and Paris. They are considering introducing a "transferable voting rights" feature using blockchain and an "Oshi Character AI Personal Concierge" utilizing generative AI. Sanrio envisions a future where characters become the interface of daily life, advancing a "fan-driven media mix" centered on IP.



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