As many of you know, Sanrio is a Japanese company that has brought us many beloved characters, such as the well-known Hello Kitty or the rising star Kuromi. With how much Sanrio characters have risen in popularity in the United States in the past few years, it feels like a great opportunity to rank my personal top 10. I’ve also decided to throw in a fun fact for every character. (Starter fun fact: Sanrio was created by Shintaro Tsuji in 1960.)
#10 Kuromi
#10 is no other than a highly popular favorite; Kuromi. If you’ve ever stepped foot into a mall, I’m sure you’ve seen her absolutely everywhere. Beloved by many, Kuromi is an adorable black and white bunny known for her punk style. She has a mischievous and tomboyish personality. While I do adore her, I had to place her at 10 on my list due to my love for many other characters.
Fun fact: her birthday is on Halloween.
#9 Little twin stars
The Little Twin Stars, individually known as Kiki and Lala, are twins who were born on Omoiyari Star on Christmas Eve and came down to Earth together. Kiki is a young boy with blue hair who loves inventing new things and star-fishing. Lala is a young girl with pink hair who loves cooking, drawing, and writing poems. Together, they’re a super cute duo.
Fun fact: they travel together on a flying star.
#8 Cinnamoroll
Cinnamoroll is another super well-known character. He’s an adorable white dog with long ears and a cinnamon roll shaped tail. He was born in the sky and fell down to the ground, where he met a cafe owner who took him in. He is able to fly using his long ears.
Fun fact: he placed #1 in a 2024 Sanrio ranking competition with 5.6 million votes.
#7 Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty (real name Kitty White) is the iconic white cat with a red bow. She weighs 3 apples and is 5 apples tall. She was created to appeal to a young audience with her cute design. Needless to say, they succeeded, and she has since become one of the most famous characters worldwide.
Fun fact: It was revealed on her 50th anniversary that she is not a cat, but actually a young British girl wearing a mask. This has sparked a lot of controversy, as many were disappointed by the reveal.
#6 tuxedo sam
Tuxedo Sam is one of the older Sanrio characters, created in 1979. He is a dapper blue penguin who, as you may have guessed, wears a tuxedo. He also dons a white hat and a red bow. He’s known for being very clumsy and having a great sense of fashion. His parents are British but were sent back to Antarctica, where he was born. However, he studied in England, meaning he speaks with an English accent.
Fun fact: he has a collection of 365 bowties.
#5 Hangyodon
Hangyodon is a blue half-fish, half-man character created in 1985. (In Japanese hangyo means half-fish and don means man; translating his name to half-fish man) He was born on March 14th in China, under Halley’s comet. Hangyodon is an aspiring comedian who loves Japanese cold noodles and shrimp crackers.
Fun fact: his blood type is B.
#4 Pompompurin
Pompompurin, sometimes known as Purin, is a golden retriever with a brown beret. He was created in a character design contest in 1996. His favorite things include hanging with friends, eating pudding, and napping in sunny places. He has a girlfriend named Macaroon, a fluffy white dog with a pink bow. While he was originally my favorite, he has since moved down the ranks quite a bit.
Fun fact: his brown beret is intended to make him look like pudding.
#3 Chococat
Chococat is a black cat with a blue collar and a chocolate-colored nose. Like Hello Kitty, Chococat has no mouth. (And unlike Hello Kitty, he’s actually a cat.) He loves cookies and is known for being a bit scatterbrained. He keeps up with the news thanks to his antenna-like whiskers. I’ve ranked him #3 thanks to his super lovable appearance.
Fun fact: he was born in Chocotown, Colorado.
#2 Gudetama
Gudetama is a much more recent character, having been created in 2013. Despite being late to the game, he has taken the world by storm. He’s an egg with a highly relatable personality. He’s lethargic, apathetic, and lazy. His name is a mix of two Japanese words; gudegude, which means lazy, and tamago, which means egg. He has been one of my favorites for years due to his personality.
Fun fact: he has his own Netflix show called ‘Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure’.
#1 Pochacco
My all-time favorite Sanrio character is undoubtedly Pochacco. He’s yet another dog character with black and white fur, floppy ears, and a red shirt. He’s curious and energetic with a love for banana ice cream and sports. He placed 2nd in this year’s Sanrio competition, with 4.5 million votes. Despite his simple design, I find him absolutely adorable, making him #1 on this list.
Fun fact: he was born in a leap year on February 29th.