Since her inception in the early 1970s, Hello Kittyhas held steady as Sanrio's most recognizable character. She was never intended to be as massive of a hit as she became, but within years, she rose to the top of Sanrio's yearly popularity charts, which pit a multitude of Sanrio characters against one another each year and allow fans to vote for their favorite. x4k2s

For decades, Hello Kitty has been more than just a cute face on stationery and lunchboxes; she has become a cultural icon and a symbol of all things “kawaii.” If fans have ever dreamed of stepping into her pastel-colored universe, they do not have to imagine it anymore. Sanrio Puroland, located just outside Tokyo, is a dream-like indoor theme park that brings Hello Kitty and her friends to life. It's the ultimate destination for fans of Sanrio’s adorable character empire.

Hello Kitty may be the most well-known, but there is a seemingly endless list of other Sanrio characters with extremely varied personalities. No two Sanrio personalities are alike, and with such an expansive catalog of characters that have been released over the past several decades, it can be difficult to pinpoint which one you can relate to the most.

For many, Sanrio is synonymous with Hello Kitty. The sweet, silent white cat has transcended generations and borders to become a global cultural icon. But few know that Hello Kitty was not actually the first character born from Sanrio’s creative hive. Before her 1974 debut, there was another, who was a soft-spoken, croquette-loving bear named Coro Chan. Despite being the company’s first official character, Coro Chan’s legacy has largely faded into obscurity, a footnote in the empire Hello Kitty helped build.

For the first time in years, a shakeup is underway in the world of Sanrio and Hello Kitty. The company’s annual Character Ranking contest, which lets fans vote daily for their favorite mascots, is stirring up major excitement with its 2025 interim results. Pompompurin, the lovable golden retriever in a beret, has unexpectedly pulled into the lead, marking a huge challenge to long-time champion Cinnamoroll, who has held the number-one spot every year since 2019.

The Sanrio Company has designed hundreds of characters since 1960, when the company was initially founded, but none have earned quite the level of fame that Hello Kitty has. Since her inception back in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu as part of a contest to create the cutest Sanrio character possible, she has been revered worldwide, both within Japan and everywhere else.

Hello Kittyis, by far, Sanrio's most famous character since her introduction to the franchise in the mid-1970s. In 1974, Sanrio held a contest encouraging their artists to create the most adorable character possible, and artist Yuko Shimizu was up to the challenge, deg the widely recognized cat-like character who is actually a human, according to the company itself.

Sanrio, the company who created Hello Kitty, has been involved in numerous brand collaborations over the years, with major companies like McDonald's, Build-a-Bear, and Uniqlo ing forces with the company. Since Sanrio is a Japanese-based company, it also comes as no surprise that they have dabbled in the world of anime as well, placing their unique characters in some of the most famous series of all-time.

For decades, Hello Kitty and her adorable friends have embodied the innocent, feel-good world of kawaii culture. Characters like My Melody, Cinnamoroll, and Keroppi have represented everything from school supplies to skincare with unwavering charm and positivity. So when a fashion collaboration featuring My Melody’s mother dropped a line of clothes with shockingly outdated and sexist slogans, fans were understandably rattled. The backlash wasn’t just loud—it was international, uniting Hello Kitty lovers across borders in stunned disbelief.

Hello Kittymay be the most famous Sanrio personality, but she is not the only character in the franchise worthy of recognition. Her array of friends includes Chococat, Kuromi, My Melody, Tuxedo Sam, Pompompurin, Keroppi, and a host of countless others that are less well-known.