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Sanrio announced the results of its 2026 Character Ranking this weekend, at the Sanrio Character Awards held in Pacifico Yokohama. In its 41st edition, the competition to determine the Sanrio character of the year set a new record with over 70 million votes cast from around the world, underscoring the Tokyo-based mascot house’s global popularity among fans.
This year’s top-ranked character is Pompompurin, who fittingly is also celebrating his 30th anniversary. His win in this milestone year adds to a long history of success in the rankings: the pudding dog has previously taken first place in 1997, 2015, 2016 and 2025.
Pompompurin, who won the top spot with a whopping 7.1 million votes, is followed by Cinnamoroll, who garnered 6 million votes. The top three was a dogs-only affair, with Pochacco coming in third with 3 million votes.
Kuromi and Hello Kitty landed 4th and 5th respectively, rounding out the top 5. Compared with the 2024 results, Pekkle and My Sweet Piano saw the biggest improvement in polling, rising from 10th to 6th and 18th to 13th, respectively.
Starting from September 2026, stage shows featuring the top 10 characters from this year’s ranking will be held as part of a thank-you tour at 12 venues nationwide.
To recap, this year's Top Ten characters are:
1. Pompompurin
2. Cinnamoroll
3. Pochacco
4. Kuromi
5. Hello Kitty
6. Pekkle
7. My Melody
8. Tuxedosam
9. Hangyodon
10. Little Twin Stars
See the full ranking of all 90 characters here.
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