The Highest-Grossing Characters of All Time
Written by UPrinting ● Published on August 8, 2023
When it comes to beloved characters from pop culture, there are many that come to mind. From iconic characters like Mickey Mouse to niche characters like Goku from the Dragon Ball series, these popular franchises earn money from merchandise, box office sales, video game profits, and more. But do you know which character has earned the most money through the years?
The UPrinting.com research team examined financial data to determine which characters and franchises have made the most money.
Which Characters Have Earned the Most Throughout History?
The infographic looked at data on the highest-grossing franchises of all time to see which characters have made the most money, and based on this data, the most profitable franchise through the years is Pokémon, making Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Eevee, and their fellow pocket monsters the highest-grossing characters. The franchise has made $76.4 billion. The Pokémon franchise originated in Japan in 1996 and now is made up of video games, trading cards, television shows, movies, merchandise, and more.
Second on the list is Mickey Mouse and his friends, including Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto. They’ve earned $52.2 billion since their creation in 1928. The popular Disney characters have appeared in television shows, movies, video games, and more. Mickey and his friends are also the stars of the various Disney theme parks around the world, including Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
Coming in third is the Star Wars franchise at $51.8 billion. Since its inception in 1977, it has spawned many popular characters, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and, recently, Baby Yoda (Grogu). It is one of the biggest franchises in the world and has had many memorable promotional items through the years, including action figures, some of which are worth thousands of dollars.
The character in fourth place is Winnie the Pooh. This fluffy bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood have earned $48.4 billion throughout the years, making this one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time. The character was created by author A.A. Milne in 1924. In addition to the book series, Winnie the Pooh has had numerous movies, television series, and video games.
Fifth on the list is the Disney Princess franchise at $45.4 billion. While Disney princesses have existed since Snow White in 1937, the Disney Princess brand was officially launched in 2000 and represents 11 princesses in the Disney universe: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Merida, Moana, Mulan, Pocahontas, Snow White, and Tiana. This franchise includes a variety of merchandise, such as dolls, toys, home décor, games, and shoes.
The sixth character on the list is Anpanman, which is based on a Japanese superhero book series that originally came out from 1973 to 2013. Written by Takashi Yanase, Anpanman has been the star of several picture books, TV shows, movies, video games, and more. The character has made $38.4 billion. Anpanman got his name because his head is anpan, which is a popular Japanese sweet roll that is filled with red bean paste.
Seventh on the list is Harry Potter and the Wizarding World franchise at $34.6 billion, making it one of the top franchises of all time. Harry Potter was created by author J.K. Rowling. The first book was published in 1997, and the final book was published in 2007. The book series also was turned into eight movies. In addition to the books and films, Harry Potter has spawned a variety of merchandise, including clothing and confections like Chocolate Frogs that are featured in the series.
Number eight is everyone’s favorite doll, Barbie! Her $32.6 billion listing in the rankings includes box office and home video sales of the media franchise as well as merchandise sales starting in 1987 (previous sales are not included in the data). The 2023 film Barbie starring Margot Robbie will likely cause the revenue numbers to surge even higher, and the marketing materials for the movie have been creatively on-brand.
The Highest-Grossing Media Characters
| Rank | Franchise | Year Established | Total Revenue (in U.S. Dollars) | Key Character(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon | 1996 | $76.4 billion | Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Eevee |
| 2 | Mickey Mouse & Friends | 1928 | $52.2 billion | Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy |
| 3 | Star Wars | 1977 | $51.8 billion | Luke, Leia, Vader, Baby Yoda |
| 4 | Winnie the Pooh | 1924 | $48.4 billion | Winnie the Pooh |
| 5 | Disney Princess | 2000 | $45.4 billion | Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine |
| 6 | Anpanman | 1973 | $38.4 billion | Anpanman |
| 7 | Harry Potter | 1997 | $34.6 billion | Harry Potter |
| 8 | Barbie | 1987 | $32.6 billion | Barbie |
| 9 | Marvel Cinematic Universe | 2008 | $31.3 billion | Thor, Black Widow, Black Panther |
| 10 | Call of Duty | 2003 | $31 billion | Infantry Fighter |
| 11 | Batman | 1939 | $29.6 billion | Batman |
| 12 | Transformers | 1984 | $25 billion | Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron |
| 13 | Cars | 2006 | $21.5 billion | Lightning McQueen |
| 14 | Dungeon Fighter Online | 2005 | $20 billion | Male Slayer, Female Fighter |
| 15 | Hello Kitty | 1974 | $19.1 billion | Hello Kitty |
| 16 | Dora the Explorer | 2000 | $15.8 billion | Dora the Explorer |
| 17 | Pac-Man | 1980 | $15.4 billion | Pac-Man |
| 18 | The Lion King | 1994 | $15.2 billion | Simba, Nala, Rafiki |
| 19 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 1984 | $15 billion | Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo |
| 20 | Toy Story | 1995 | $14.8 billion | Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie |
| 21 | Looney Tunes | 1930 | $14.7 billion | Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird |
| 22 | James Bond | 1953 | $14.4 billion | James Bond |
| 22 | Peanuts | 1950 | $14.4 billion | Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock |
| 24 | Avengers (comic books) | 1963 | $14.3 billion | Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk |
| 25 | Frozen | 2013 | $13.9 billion | Elsa, Anna, Olaf |
| 25 | Space Invaders | 1978 | $13.9 billion | Space Invader |
| 27 | SpongeBob SquarePants | 1999 | $13.7 billion | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| 28 | Despicable Me (Minions) | 2010 | $11.3 billion | Gru, Minions |
| 29 | Star Trek | 1966 | $10.7 billion | Captain Kirk, Spock, Jean-Luc Picard |
| 29 | Street Fighter | 1987 | $10.7 billion | Ryu, Chun-Li, M. Bison |
| 31 | Spider-Man | 1962 | $10.6 billion | Spider-Man |
| 32 | Rilakkuma | 2003 | $10 billion | Rilakkuma |
| 32 | Monster Strike | 2013 | $10 billion | Monsters |
| 34 | Dragon Ball | 1984 | $9.45 billion | Goku, Bulma |
| 35 | Angry Birds | 2009 | $9.19 billion | Red J. Bird |
| 36 | Jurassic Park | 1990 | $8.82 billion | T-Rex |
| 37 | The Simpsons | 1987 | $8.75 billion | Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie |
| 38 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba | 2016 | $8.74 billion | Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado |
| 39 | Power Rangers (Super Sentai) | 1993 (1975) | $8.7 billion | Black Ranger, Yellow Ranger, Red Ranger, Pink Ranger, Blue Ranger |
| 40 | Mario | 1981 | $8.58 billion | Mario |
| 41 | Fast & Furious | 2001 | $7.9 billion | Dominic Toretto, Brian O'Conner |
| 41 | Pirates of the Caribbean | 2003 | $7.9 billion | Jack Sparrow |
| 43 | Thomas the Tank Engine | 1945 | $7.86 billion | Thomas the Tank Engine |
| 44 | Ben 10 | 2005 | $7.85 billion | Ben Tennyson |
| 45 | DC Extended Universe | 2013 | $7.76 billion | Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman |
| 46 | Sesame Street/The Muppets | 1955 | $7.72 billion | Elmo, Kermit, Miss Piggy |
| 47 | Ultra Series (Ultraman) | 1966 | $7.4 billion | Ultraman |
| 47 | PAW Patrol | 2013 | $7 billion | Chase, Skye, Marshall |
| 47 | Madden NFL | 1998 | $7 billion | Football players |
| 50 | Superman | 1938 | $6.9 billion | Superman |