As we celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th birthday this month, we recognise her global popularity and undeniable cuteness. While she remains Sanrio’s most iconic character, there’s so much more to this beloved brand than just her.
From the edgy Kuromi to the more under-the-radar characters like Hangyodon and Tuxedo Sam, Sanrio has a diverse cast of personalities that many of us may not be familiar with. Here’s a quick guide to help you get acquainted with the Sanrio crew—and who knows? You might just discover your new favourite character!
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If you didn’t already know, Sanrio is a Japanese entertainment company that designs, licenses, and produces a wide range of merchandise centred around the kawaii, or cute, aspect of Japanese pop culture.
Since its founding in 1960, Sanrio has created over 450 unique characters, with Hello Kitty being its most famous and beloved global icon. In addition to Hello Kitty, Sanrio is home to a variety of other adorable characters, like Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and many more, each with their own distinct personality and charm.
Sanrio’s most iconic character.
ICYMI, despite being created by a Japanese company, Hello Kitty’s origins are actually in the suburbs of London. Yes, you read that right—Hello Kitty is British! On top of that, contrary to what her name and appearance might suggest, she isn’t a cat, but a little girl.
Just like some girls, Hello Kitty enjoys baking, travelling, and reading. I guess the world’s most famous cat is just a regular girl living her best life.
Hello Kitty’s boyfriend.
Before we dive into the world of other Sanrio characters, let us introduce you to some of the people in Hello Kitty’s life.
Surprise, surprise: Hello Kitty has a better love life than some of us. Meet Dear Daniel, her childhood best friend turned boyfriend. We are all for that friend-to-lovers trope here.
Just like Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel was also born in London. Besides being a charming companion, he’s an accomplished ballet dancer and has dreams of becoming either a photographer or a celebrity.
Hello Kitty’s pet cat and hamster.
Charmmy Kitty and Sugar are also key figures in Hello Kitty’s life.
Charmmy is Hello Kitty’s pet cat, a gift from her father. Charmmy’s birthday falls on Halloween. She often displays a gentle and polite personality, though she can definitely be a little sassy when the mood strikes. She also has a best friend, Sugar, a hamster that was given to Hello Kitty by Dear Daniel. The two are inseparable, often seen hanging out together and sharing playful moments.
Hello Kitty’s best friend.
My Melody is a white rabbit that often rocks a pink hood that covers her ears. Like all the coquette girlies, she accessorises with a ribbon or a flower on her head. My Melody has a sweet, good-natured personality that makes her friendly, even toward her rival, Kuromi. In addition to Hello Kitty, My Melody also shares a close friendship with the sheep character, My Sweet Piano.
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My Melody’s rival.
Despite being the antagonist in the My Melody universe, Kuromi remains a beloved character, especially among the edgy it girls. Like My Melody, Kuromi also dons a hood, but hers is black and decorated with a pink skull.
While Kuromi may have a tough appearance, she is often portrayed as very girly and playful. She also has crushes on several characters, including Badtz-Maru, Keiichi Hiiragi, and Prince Sorara.
My Melody’s best friend.
We don’t know about you but we think that My Sweet Piano might be one of the cutest Sanrio characters ever created. She is a sheep with soft pink fur and a pair of adorable, floppy ears that perfectly complement her sweet and gentle personality. Her name was chosen because the creators designed her to embody the softness and elegance of a piano tune—and, of course, she plays the piano.
A white puppy that resembles a cinnamon roll.
While Hello Kitty may be Sanrio’s most iconic character, Cinamoroll has claimed the top spot in the Sanrio Character Ranking for 5 consecutive years. With his irresistibly cute features and endearing personality, it’s no surprise that he has captured the hearts of many Sanrio fans worldwide.
Cinamoroll was born on a fluffy cloud in the sky, with both the sky and the sun as his parents. His signature long, floppy ears allow him to fly! He also works at Cafe Cinnamon, where he is often found napping on customers’ laps.
If you’re a fan of Cinamoroll, be sure to show some love to his friends: Chiffon, Mocha, Espresso, Cappuccino, and Milk, who embark on exciting adventures with him!
An athletic and playful white dog.
Pochacco is an athletic dog who loves playing basketball and soccer. He even took up skateboarding as he got older. Although he’s passionate about sports, he is also quite clumsy, often tripping over himself and sustaining injuries. While he may seem like an underrated character, he came in second in the 2024 Sanrio Character Ranking and even topped the rankings from 1991 to 1995, so he’s right up there with Hello Kitty when it comes to popularity
A golden retriever that loves cream caramel pudding.
Pompompurin was created through an in-house contest held by Sanrio in 1996 to design a new dog character for the brand. The golden retriever character is overall inspired by cream caramel pudding, hence the beret he wears, which gives him more resemblance to the dessert.
Like many playful dogs, Pompompurin also has a habit of collecting his owner’s shoes and hiding them.
Fun fact: Pompompurin is the height of 5 big puddings!
A soft-spoken frog character.
Just like Pompompurin, Kerropi was also created during an in-house design contest to create a frog character. Kerropi is one of the smallest Sanrio characters, living in Donut Pond with his family. He is part of a set of triplets, along with his sister Pikki and his brother Koroppi. As a carefree character, Keroppi spends most of his time swimming, playing baseball, and singing.
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A pair of angel-like siblings.
Little Twin Stars, Kiki and Lala, are a pair of stars with human-like characteristics. Kiki and Lala often play together, and Kiki takes it upon himself to protect and look out for his older sister.
Both twins wear long-sleeved white gowns that give them an angelic appearance. While Kiki is usually portrayed with blue hair and Lala with her luscious pink locks, there are variations where the twins sport blonde and brown hair instead. Don’t worry though—they’re still your favourite Sanrio twins!
A mischievous penguin character.
Due to his appearance, Badtz-Maru is often mistaken for a crow, but he is, in fact, a penguin. In Japanese,” Badtz” is a term for “X”, the cross symbol that signifies a wrong answer, while “Maru” is the term for “O”, which signifies the correct answer. Badtz-Maru’s name is thus loosely translated as “wrong-correct”.
Along with his friends Pandaba and Hana-Maru, Badtz-Maru leads the XO Clan, where they carry out mischievous acts together.
A penguin character who loves bowties.
Tuxedo Sam is another penguin character created by Sanrio. He is known for his love of bowties, with 365 in his collection. His favourite has got to be his iconic red one, which he is often seen wearing.
You might be surprised to learn that Tuxedo Sam was initially created to be Hello Kitty’s boyfriend back in 1979. However, he was ultimately replaced by Dear Daniel. Better luck next time, Tuxedo Sam!
A half-fish and half-man character.
Despite the lack of Hangyodon merchandise in the market, he has been gaining popularity in the past few years. His quirky yet adorable appearance and personality helped him emerge in 8th place in the 2024 Sanrio Character Ranking. Hangyodon loosely translates to “half-fish man”, which explains why his character is created with a pair of huge round eyes and very full lips.
In case you’ve never heard of them, Jewelpet is a franchise and toy line created as a joint venture between Sanrio and Sega Toys in 2008. These creatures that live in Jewel Land are named after jewels, birthstones, and minerals. They can even cast magical spells with their eyes.
There are currently over 42 Jewelpets. Out of the bunch, Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet are the mascot characters of the Jewelpets franchise.
L-R: Usahana, Bonbonribbon
This list is just the tip of the iceberg; we could never fit all 450 characters into our Sanrio guide. However, here are a few more characters you may be interested in!
For the girlie girls, bunny characters like Usahana and Bonbonribbon will probably be right up your alley. Usahana is a multi-coloured rabbit who has a lively personality and loves summer. On the other hand, Bonbonribbon is a fairly recent addition to the Sanrio family. She is a full-pink rabbit that is designed with a cute ribbon on her head.
L-R: Kirimichan, Sweetcoron
Add Kirimichan and Sweetcoron to the list of Sanrio characters to check out! Kirimichan is a slice of salmon that dreams of becoming a delicious meal in the future, while Sweetcoron is a honeybee with a special dancing skill.
From global icons like Hello Kitty to more lowkey faves like Kirimichan and Tuxedo Sam, we hope this guide has helped you learn more fun facts about these characters. The hundreds of characters that Sanrio has created all have unique and lovable personalities and we are positive that someone will catch your attention!
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