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The midterm rankings for the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking have been revealed, covering votes cast from the opening of the ballot on April 9 at 11:00 AM through May 6 at 11:59 PM — including web votes as well as votes from Sanrio shop ballots and cards distributed at mass-market and specialty retailers. This is the final ranking update before voting closes on May 24, with the overall results to be announced on June 28.
Pompompurin Takes No. 1 in the Midterm Rankings
- 1st place: Pompompurin, celebrating its 30th anniversary year
- 2nd place: Cinnamoroll (initial tally 1st place; 2025 final ranking 2nd place)
- 3rd place: Pochacco (held 3rd place in both the initial tally and the 2025 final ranking)
- Ahiruno Pekkle continues to hold a spot in the top 10, ranked 7th — matching its initial tally position
- My Sweet Piano has climbed significantly from 18th place in the 2025 final ranking to 13th in the midterm standings
Pompompurin, which reclaimed the top spot for the first time in nine years in 2025, had placed second in the initial tally. By the midterm count, however, the character had secured provisional first place in 11 countries and regions, drawing strong international support on the way to taking the lead. Cinnamoroll (2025 final: 2nd) and Pochacco (2025 final: 3rd) round out the podium, keeping attention firmly on the final result announcement.
Popular characters including Kuromi, Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars are also holding their positions in the upper rankings. Ahiruno Pekkle, which broke into the top 10 for the first time in 31 years in 2025, has maintained its 7th-place standing from the initial tally without dropping. Fellow "Hapidanbui" members Hangyodon, Bad Badtz-Maru, Tuxedosam, and Keroppi are also drawing considerable votes. Additionally, My Sweet Piano — a friend of My Melody — has made a notable climb from 18th in the 2025 final ranking to 13th at the midterm, showing real momentum.
The voting site allows members of the Sanrio shared membership service "Sanrio+" to view the full midterm rankings through 90th place. Voting remains open through May 24, and the final results will be announced on June 28 at "Sanrio Fes 2026 in Minato Mirai."
Midterm rankings page: https://ranking.sanrio.co.jp/report_middleday/
Messages from the Midterm Top 6 Characters
Pompompurin (1st Place)
"Everyone — thank you so much for all your cheers! I'm so happy! I'm sending you a Pompom Cheer right back! Pompom! Let's keep going together and enjoy my anniversary year!"
Cinnamoroll (2nd Place)
"Thank you so much for all the cheers! Your smiling faces give me power. Let's enjoy this together until the very end!"
Pochacco (3rd Place)
"Thank you for all the cheers! Your feelings make me so happy that my face just naturally turns into a big smile. Let's all keep smiling and enjoy this through to the finish!"
Kuromi (4th Place)
"Thanks for all the cheering, you guys! I've totally received your cheer! I'm gonna keep being myself right to the end, so you'd better smile and have fun too!!"
Hello Kitty (5th Place)
"Thank you so much for all the support! Kitty is so happy to feel your feelings coming through. Let's keep smiling and enjoying this together in the second half, too!"
My Melody (6th Place)
"Thank you so much for all the cheering! Your cheer has made me feel all warm and cozy inside. Let's all stay warm, cozy, and smiley together — Melody too!"
International Rankings: Pompompurin Tops 11 Countries and Regions
Pompompurin holds the provisional top position in 11 countries and regions, reflecting strong backing not only in Japan but around the world.
41st Special Award: Osaru no Monkichi Lands at Rank 41
In commemoration of the 41st installment of the Sanrio Character Ranking, a "41st Special Award" is being presented to whichever character lands at exactly 41st place. In the midterm standings, Osaru no Monkichi has claimed that spot.
2026 Sanrio Character Ranking Partner Division: Midterm Top 3
The Partner Division features 40 pairs in which corporate and local government characters team up with Sanrio characters. In the midterm standings, first place goes to Shirotan × Sanrio Characters — a pairing featuring Shirotan, a character modeled on the harp seal.
New "2026 Sanrio Character Ranking Happyrina Friends Division": Chokochira Sweeps All Three Awards
The newly introduced Happyrina Friends Division sees a chinchilla girl character named Chokochira take first place in all three award categories: "Want to Be With," "Want to Collect Lots Of," and "Want to See a Story."
About the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking
The Sanrio Character Ranking began in 1986 in Sanrio's in-house publication, the monthly "Ichigo Shimbun." It is a popularity vote in which characters selected from Sanrio's roster of more than 450 are entered and ranked by total votes received. This year, 90 characters are entered. The final results will be announced on Day 2 of "Sanrio Fes 2026 in Minato Mirai," held at Pacifico Yokohama on June 28.
This year's theme is "A Cheer for Everyone Working Hard! Smiling Ovation!" "Smiling Ovation" is a coined phrase inspired by the standing ovation, expressing the hope that Sanrio characters and fans can cheer each other on and celebrate together with smiles all around.
Voting site: https://ranking.sanrio.co.jp
2026 Sanrio Character Ranking Schedule
- Voting period: April 9 (Thursday) 11:00 AM – May 24 (Sunday) 11:59 PM
- Results announcement (1st–90th place): June 28 (Sunday) 1:00 PM at "Sanrio Fes 2026 in Minato Mirai" (details to be announced; timing subject to change)
- Participating characters: 90
2026 Sanrio Character Ranking Partner Division Schedule
- Voting period: April 9 (Thursday) 11:00 AM – May 24 (Sunday) 11:59 PM (web voting only)
- Results announcement (1st–15th place): June 28 (Sunday) 1:00 PM at "Sanrio Fes 2026 in Minato Mirai" (details to be announced; timing subject to change)
- Participating entries: 40 pairs
2026 Sanrio Character Ranking Happyrina Friends Division Schedule
- Award categories: Want to Be With, Want to Collect Lots Of, Want to See a Story
- Voting period: April 9 (Thursday) 11:00 AM – May 24 (Sunday) 11:59 PM (web voting only)
- Results announcement (1st place in each category): June 28 (Sunday) 1:00 PM at "Sanrio Fes 2026 in Minato Mirai" (details to be announced; timing subject to change)
- Participating characters: 10 characters from the Happyrina Friends lineup
Reference: 2025 Sanrio Character Ranking Final Results
- Total votes: 63,160,696 (all-time record)
- Voting period: April 10 – May 25, 2025
- Full results: https://www.sanrio.co.jp/special/characterranking/2025/result/
