Pokémon Tops the List as the Highest Grossing Anime Franchise of All Time

If you had to guess which anime franchise has earned the most money to date, you‘d probably be right in assuming the answer is Pokémon. The multimedia monster franchise first debuted as a video game in 1996 and has since expanded to become the highest grossing media franchise ever, raking in over $100 billion to date.

Pokémon rules the anime financial universe thanks largely to a relentless barrage of merchandise and licensing. The Pokémon Company reportedly earns $1.6 billion per year just from licensed merchandise. To put that in perspective, Star Wars earns about $3 billion per year in total from all films, merchandising, etc. And over $3.4 billion worth of Pokémon cards have been sold around the world.

Other franchises may challenge Pokémon for the anime money crown some day. But for now, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu stand tall above all rivals when it comes to earning power. Let‘s take a closer look at some of the other top grossing anime franchises worldwide and the creators raking in the most cash.

Follow the Money: Highest Grossing Anime Franchises

Behind Pokémon, these anime and related franchises round out the top money makers to date:

Hello Kitty – $80 billion

This uber-cute cat character debuted on a coin purse in Japan in 1974 and has graced everything from towels to toasters ever since. Hello Kitty may not immediately seem like anime, but Sanrio did produce over 40 animated series and films featuring the character over the decades.

Hello Kitty makes money hand over fist in Japan. There are 25,000+ Hello Kitty products on the market globally each year, from apparel to accessories to home goods. Hello Kitty coin banks alone have totaled $3 billion in sales since debuting in 2008. No wonder this kitty is worth about $80 billion!

Gundam – $60 billion

Gundam launched as an anime TV series in 1979, depicting futuristic wars fought with giant piloted robots called Gundams. The franchise now consists of some 50+ anime series plus manga, novels, video games, models and toys.

Bandai‘s Gundam model kits have been the cash cow, generating over $6 billion to date. The kits allow fans to build and customize their own Gundam robots. Gundam action figures, video games, DVDs and licenses on things like T-shirts and beverages account for most other sales.

Anpanman – $50 billion

You may not have heard of Anpanman unless you watch Japanese children‘s shows. Anpanman is essentially Japan‘s version of Mickey Mouse – hugely popular but less recognized globally. The anime TV series follows the adventures of a superhero with a head made of bread (named "Anpanman").

Over 1,000 Anpanman products aimed at young kids are available – everything from clothes to toys to food. At one point, Anpanman toys accounted for 50% of the character product market in Japan. Anpanman earns around $1.5 billion per year and has brought in $50 billion total.

Mickey Mouse & Friends – $49+ billion

Mickey Mouse and the Disney universe aren‘t purely anime, but no discussion of financial success would be complete without mentioning probably the most profitable cartoon icon ever. Mickey alone is estimated to be worth over $49 billion. Add in Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story, and more Disney animation IPs, and the total is likely far higher.

Disney‘s films, theme parks, merchandise, and media empire centered around its animated characters has been unrivaled financially. However, Japanese anime franchises like Anpanman show Mickey faces real competition for capturing younger audiences.

Yu-Gi-Oh! – $23 billion+

Yu-Gi-Oh emerged in the late 1990s and exploded in global popularity as an anime series and hugely successful trading card game in the 2000s. The original manga sold over 40 million copies but Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards have been the profit powerhouse.

Total worldwide sales surpassed 25.8 billion cards by March 2021, likely equivalent to $23 billion+ in revenue. The cards remain popular with dual audiences of collectors and players keeping the franchise rolling in dough.

One Piece – $28 billion

One Piece rose to become one of the "Big Three" hit manga and anime series of the 1990s/2000s along with Naruto and Bleach. But it has handily outsold both rivals, moving over 500 million manga volumes for the best-selling manga series ever from one author.

Combined with licensed merchandise, movies, games, and global brand partnerships, One Piece has earned an estimated $28 billion total since debuting in 1997. With the manga still continuing in 2022, Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates will likely plunder much more treasure.

Anime Artists Get Rich Creating Gold Mines

The most successful anime franchises were born from the minds of incredibly talented artists and storytellers. Some of the wealthiest creators in Japan built their fortunes by dreaming up lucrative manga, anime, characters and worlds.

Eiichiro Oda – $200 million+

Taking the top spot for wealthiest anime artist is One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, with an estimated net worth exceeding $200 million. He reportedly earns $20-25 million per year just from One Piece comics and merchandise royalties.

Oda dreamed up a property that resonated globally like few others in history. But he also masterfully built his manga into a multimedia empire, overseeing anime, films, games, and licensing deals. His tireless work ethic churning out manga content for 25+ years certainly paid off.

Akira Toriyama – $45 million+

Right behind Oda is Akira Toriyama, creator of the legendary Dragon Ball manga and anime franchises. Dragon Ball manga volumes have sold over 160 million copies to date. Add in anime viewership, movies, collectibles and games, and his net worth sits around $45 million.

Fun fact – Toriyama originally planned for Dragon Ball to last just a year, but its popularity kept him drawing for over a decade. His creativity and knack for designing memorable characters like Goku spawned a decades-long money machine.

Rumiko Takahashi – $10 million+

With fame in the anime world comparable to Eiichiro Oda and Akira Toriyama is Rumiko Takahashi. She pioneered the concept of the "rich girl falls for poor guy" romantic comedy anime with her smash hit series Ranma 1/2 in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

All of Takahashi‘s manga series combined have sold over 200 million copies. Ranma 1/2 alone moved over 50 million volumes. Anime adaptations, merchandising and licensing of her characters have contributed to an estimated net worth exceeding $10 million.

Masashi Kishimoto – $20 million+

As creator of the Naruto manga and anime empire, Masashi Kishimoto built a fortune over $20 million during Naruto‘s 15 year run until ending in 2017. At its peak popularity, Naruto manga volumes were selling over 4 million copies yearly.

Kishimoto reportedly earned over ¥100 million (about $1 million USD) for each year he spent drawing the Naruto manga. Combined with royalties and licensing cash, he‘ll likely continue earning big money off Naruto‘s legacy for life.

Anime = Money

Japanese anime has become a dominant global entertainment force, as evidenced by the billions generated by top franchises. But it took the genius of artists like Oda, Toriyama and Takahashi to create characters and stories that resonated worldwide. Their creative passion bred money machines that continue churning out profits through merchandise, games, streaming and more.

Looking ahead, the next financial heavyweight anime franchise might just be waiting around the corner to surprise the world. And maybe the next legendary artist to achieve Oda and Toriyama levels of wealth is currently penning manga panels in Japan as you read this. The odds seem promising if history is any indicator.