When it comes to money, you may think you know which franchises are at the top. Titles like Star Wars and Marvel can draw anyone’s attention, but that does not mean they are on top. No, when it comes to the highest-grossing franchises of all-time, there can only be one winner.
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Or, well, master in this case. Ash Ketchum really is the best that no one ever was because Pokemon is at the top of the bank-busting list.
When you look at the list of top-grossing media franchises, you are looking at all the parts of a title. Such a tally includes every sort of sale from books to box office and even merchandise. Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may be the highest-grossing film franchise at the box office, but its total media revenue is lacking when compared to Pokemon. Not even Star Wars can hold a candle next to the Japan giant.
Right now, it is estimated that Pokemon has earned $59.1 billion USD since its creation in 1996. This total include everything from its nearly $50 billion retail sales and behemoth mobile presence thanks to Pokemon Go.
In second place, Star Wars falls far behind with a still-hefty revenue total of $42.9 billion. Currently, merchandise sales make up the bulk of its money, but its box office totals aren’t anything to sneeze at.
Checking out the top media franchises, you will see a lot of familiar names. Guys like Mario, Batman, and James Bond can be spotted with ease — but you won’t be able to escape anime as you go down the line. In fact, Japan has a pretty solid grip on the franchise-centric list.
Making more than the Harry Potter universe, Hello Kitty comes in third with an estimated revenue over $41 billion. Fist of the North Star knocks in at 11 before Gundam flies in at 15. Neon Genesis Evangelion lands 17 with a staggering $14.9 billion before Yu-Gi-Oh and Dragon Ball fall in line.
Did you expect Pokemon and other anime-centric to rank so high on this list? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!
