It’s time for the annual Sanrio character popularity contest! Voting opened on April 9th, and early results are coming in. This is the 41st year of the contest, and fans can choose from 90 cute characters – from classics like Hello Kitty and My Melody to some newer faces. This year’s theme is all about sending encouragement, which is why fans love participating in this fun Sanrio tradition.
Sanrio started in Tokyo in 1960 as a silk business, but it soon became famous for creating cute products. Founder Shintaro Tsuji realized adding charming character designs boosted sales. Surprisingly, Coro Chan was Sanrio’s first character, debuting in 1973, not Hello Kitty! By 2026, the company had developed over 450 characters, though most aren’t widely known outside Japan. Luckily, the current fan poll is a fun way to find new characters and celebrate your favorites.
Cinnamoroll Leads in the Sanrio Character Ranking 2026 Poll Preliminary Results
The first results are in for the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking poll, and Cinnamoroll is currently in first place! Pompompurin, who won the entire poll last year, is a close second, followed by Pochacco in third. Kuromi and Hello Kitty complete the top five. While not a huge surprise, some fans thought My Melody might rank higher than sixth, especially with the popularity of her Netflix show, My Melody & Kuromi. There are a few unexpected faces in the top 10 too, like Ahirunopekkle the duck and the newer character Hanamaruobake, who debuted in 2023. Keep in mind that these rankings could change a lot, as voting is open until May 24th.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
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Guess the anime from the emojis.
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Results
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Cinnamoroll is a strong contender to remain the most popular Sanrio character, having held the top spot for five years straight from 2020. This year is also special because it’s the 30th anniversary of Pompompurin, last year’s winner, which might encourage fans to vote for him again in 2026. Fans can vote once daily, either online or at Sanrio Stores, Cafes in North America, and Hot Topic locations. Those who vote in person will receive a free “I Voted” sticker.
Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, has a lot of lesser-known characters, and recently fans in Western countries have been sharing their appreciation for some of the more unusual ones. These include Shirirapper – a group of fairies shaped like rear ends – Heysuke, a genderless nude baby said to follow you everywhere, and Kirimichan, a living piece of salmon. While they might not be the most popular characters, a trip to Japan shows that each one has a dedicated fanbase.
The Sanrio Character Ranking poll saw over 63 million votes in 2025, with Pompompurin winning and Sportingbears finishing last. While it’s still too soon to predict the 2026 winner, dedicated fans hoping to see their favorite character succeed should remember to vote daily when the poll opens.
You can vote for your favorite Sanrio characters in the 2026 ranking poll on the official website until May 24th.
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2026-04-14 22:08