The Most Underappreciated Sanrio Characters Of All Time

Since 1960, Sanrio has been creating hundreds of delightful characters based on animals, food, people, and more. Of course, the likes of Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Cinnamoroll are the most popular and feature in merchandise and games like Hello Kitty Island Adventure, but there are other great Sanrio characters too.

With so many characters under Sanrio’s belt, it’s no surprise that many of them are overshadowed by their more popular peers. They’re still deserving of the limelight, though, and we’d like to see them move up a few places or even just appear in Sanrio’s annual official popularity ranking and get some attention.

10

Catsbykids

Debuted In 1985

Catsbykids is a group of kittens who want to grow up to be gentlemen — perhaps their name is a reference to The Great Gatsby. The group consists of three kittens: a black cat, a tabby, and a tuxedo.

In their most used official artwork, the cats share between them socks, a hat, and a pair of gloves. Despite how cute this group is, they have only appeared once in the Sanrio popularity rankings, and they only just broke the top 100. It’s tough to compete with all the cute Sanrio cats, but Catsbykids deserve some more attention.

9

Gatorgags

Debuted In 1988

Gatorgags is a charming alligator with swirly red cheeks and yellow and orange suspenders. His name is a reference to his personality, as the official Sanrio site describes him as a bit of a prankster.

He’s also said to be clumsy, which is shown through his official art, where he tends to be lying on the floor after falling down. Even though he’s a sweet character, he doesn’t tend to appear in any of the Sanrio popularity rankings. Hopefully more people become fans of this great gator soon.

8

Kappa Rumba

Debuted In 1989

Though he is based on the Japanese yokai the kappa from which he got his name, Kappa Rumba isn’t as dangerous as those mythological creatures. He is bright yellow with a beak-like smile and blushing cheeks.

His favorite food is fresh fruits, and he can often be seen holding a slice of watermelon, which matches his designs color scheme. He also enjoys marine sports thanks to his affinity for the water. Kappa Rumba is one of the most unique Sanrio characters, so it’s a shame he’s not more popular.

7

Mimicmike

Debuted In 1987

Mimicmike should be up there with famous bull terriers like Bullseye and Spuds MacKenzie. He is an adorable English bull terrier with a black ear and a patch around one of his eyes.

With a name like Mimicmike, you might think he likes to copy others, but his main hobbies are actually reading magazines and watching TV, according to his character profile. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much merchandise, and he doesn’t often appear in the official popularity polls either. Let’s hope he can have a resurgence.

6

Nyokki & Penne

Debuted In 2009

Nyokki & Penne are a pair of cats, a black cat and a white cat respectively, who wear matching blue ribbons. Their owner is an Italian chef, which is reflective of their names — Nyokki, which sounds like gnocchi, and Penne, a type of pasta.

They even love to eat pasta, as their favorite food is pasta with anchovies. Nyokki & Penne appeared in 2024’s popularity poll, but they only managed to score 81st place. They’re such a sweet duo, and they deserve more attention from Sanrio fans.

5

Shinkaizoku

Debuted In 2014

Shinkaizoku is a blue octopus who dreams of flying one day, citing their UFO-like body shape as the reason they believe they can. While they haven’t mastered flying yet, they’re excellent at swimming and diving deep into the ocean.

They’ve decreased in popularity since their debut, only reaching position 85 in 2024’s popularity poll. Shinkaizoku also sees themselves as the idol of the sea, so it would be perfectly fitting for them to see the same fame in real life too.

4

Vanilla Bean

Debuted In 1988

With just one look at Vanilla Bean’s character design, you can see why he has such a cute name. Well, nickname. His real name is Thaddeus Zacharias Archibald Brownmuzzle the Third, so you can see why that would be a mouthful.

Born in the Canadian Rockies (a reference to the habitats of real-life bears), Vanilla Bean moved to New York to learn how to bake cookies. Vanilla Bean’s design is cute from head to toe, from his round glasses to his baggy clothes, so it’s a shame he hasn’t seen much popularity despite debuting back in the ‘80s.

3

Taraiguma No Landry

Debuted In 1999

Taraiguma No Landry, Landry for short, is a raccoon who enjoys cleaning. In fact, Landry lives in a wash tub and his name is a reference to laundry. Alongside cleanliness, Landry also likes listening to music, particularly classical music like Mozart.

Landry’s design is simple but, at the same time, simply adorable. Though Landry does feature in the popularity polls, he always sits in the 70s and 80s; such a cute raccoon deserves more recognition, so hopefully he can keep climbing the ranks.

2

Milly Pixie

Debuted In 1989

Milly Pixie is a bear with a distinct design that uses bold colors. She carries a flag that’s either blue and white or green and white, but no one knows the meaning behind the flag, giving her an air of mystery.

Milly Pixie also enjoys connecting with nature and can often be found frolicking in flower fields. She has such a cute design and personality, it’s surprising that she’s nowhere to be found on the popularity polls and has little merchandise. It’s tough out there being a Milly Pixie fan.

1

Poponen

Debuted In 2020

Popunen is a blue otter with pink rosy cheeks who is part of the Cinnamoroll universe. He was created as part of a project between Sanrio and clean power company Sinanen to promote eco-friendly energy.

Despite being friends with Cinnamorroll, one of Sanrio’s most popular characters, Poponen hasn’t taken off in the same way. Still, his passion for clean energy and adorable design make him a great Sanrio character, and one who deserves some more love. Did we mention how otterly cute he is?