All Sanrio Characters: Three Most Secret Mascots!

All Sanrio characters are trendy, mainly Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, and Cinnamoroll! But did you know that Sanrio has created over 450 characters in total? Let’s look at some of the lesser-known characters in this adorable line-up! 

Pochacco: The Sanrio Dog with Floppy Black Ears

Pochacco is a white dog with black floppy ears, initially created in 1989! He was born on February 29th, but his birthplace tends to change depending on who you ask! While his official birthplace is Nightingale Lane, Pochacco can live anywhere from New York to Brazil!

His favorite hobbies include basketball, soccer, and skateboarding, though he still trips over himself occasionally. Because of this, you can usually see Pochacco riding around in a motorscooter! Pochacco also enjoys banana-flavored ice cream and going for walks with his friends!  

The best part about Pochacoo is that he’s accommodating! He’s always down to teach his friends how to play sports so that he can have fun with his friends! Even though he’s one of the more vintage Sanrio mascots, Pochacco has plenty of fans!

Tuxedo Sam: The Dapper Sanrio Penguin

Tuxedo J. Orville Samuel, or “Tuxedo Sam” for short, is a dapper penguin from Antarctica! His birthday is May 12th; he’s a gourmand and a stylish fellow–he owns 365 bowties! Not to mention, he’s very good at speaking English because he is British!

He also likes swimming, eating seafood (mainly shrimp and sardines), and affection from his dear friends Hello Kitty and My Melody! On the other hand, Tuxedo Sam is not a fan of cheap denim pants on sale, catnip, and problems. Though he can sometimes be stubborn, Tuxedo Sam is a gentleman!

Tuxedo Sam’s also quite the hero–he once got rewarded for saving a drowning seal pup! He also profoundly respects Santa Claus because he wants to inspire kids worldwide too! Moreover, he served in the navy and received an honorable discharge after serving in eight battles!

Bad Badtz-Maru: The Cheeky Sanrio Penguin

Born in Hawaii and raised in Gorgeous Town, Bad Badtz-Maru is a mischievous black penguin who is very different from most Sanrio mascots! His birthday is April 1st (April Fools’ Day), and he has spiky black hair. “Badtz-Maru” comes from batsu maru, which means “XO, ” which shows off his wild side!

Though he’s young, Badtz-Maru’s ultimate dream is to become “the boss of everything”, and he’s very good at pretending to play the piano! Badtz-Maru has a collection of movie stars who play villains, and he also runs the XO clan with his friends Hana-Maru, a seal, and Pandaba, a panda in a frilly skirt.

Because Gorgeous Town is wealthy, Badtz-Maru also has a taste for the finer things in life! He particularly enjoys sushi from Ginza, a famous downtown area in Tokyo! Even though he’s Sanrio’s first “not nice” mascot, Badtz-Maru is lots of fun!

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Honorable Mentions

These three mascots aren’t the only best-kept secrets in Sanrio’s roster! There are quite a few that range from adorable to silly! Here are a few more lesser-known Sanrio characters you should know about!

Usahana: The Rainbow Sanrio Rabbit

Usahana is a colorful, patchwork rabbit who’s also a magnificent ballerina! Her birthday is August 7th; she loves sunflowers, summer, and orange sherbet! She lives with her grandmother on a tiny island, likes baking, and has an extensive earrings collection!

Lloromannic: The Little Sanrio Demons

The Lloromannic is a duo of puppy-like demons from a mirror world in Cinnamoroll’s town! Their names are Berry, who is black, and Cherry, who is pink. Berry, Cinnamoroll’s rival, works with his friend Cherry to achieve their goals!

In this case, who is the most popular Sanrio character?

Every year, Sanrio Japan holds a character ranking contest for worldwide fans to see which are the most popular! Last year, out of 80 Sanrio mascots, Pochacco, Tuxedo Sam, and Bad Badtz-Maru took 4th, 10th, and 12th place, respectively! Badtz-Maru’s popularity is significantly rising, climbing from 14th place in 2021!

Usahana and Lloromannic are even more niche worldwide, but they’re also gaining awareness, taking 23rd and 25th place and climbing up from 24th and 29th place! Though they’re not as popular as Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and Pompompurin, these five characters also have their own merchandise and IRL experiences! 

For example, Hotel Okinawa down in Naha City has Sanrio-themed rooms! Of these lesser-known characters, Pochacco and Bad Badtz-Maru have super-cute rooms, along with the rest of the more popular mascots.

Which of these lesser-known Sanrio characters do you like? Are there any hidden gems we missed? Let us know in the comments below!