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.

Highest-Grossing Characters of All Time

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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