Summary
Lots of anime have a few things that are staples of the medium. For example, many shonen anime will have the optimistic, happy-go-lucky protagonist alongside their brooding, tough exterior, brash friend or rival. Another staple of anime is the mascot character.
8Pochita
Chainsaw Man
Pochita is a great example of a mascot character that became such even without much actual screentime in the series. As both manga readers and those who watched the first season of Chainsaw Man know, Pochita was Denji’s little dog-chainsaw demon buddy who sacrifices himself in the first episode to save Denji and, in turn, grant him his abilities.
But even though Pochita was only in the series for a very minor amount of time, he cemented himself as the mascot for the series, due to his adorableness and impact. He is on promotional art for the series, t-shirts, plushies, slippers, pillows, pet costumes, and anything else you can possibly think of.
7Doraemon
Doraemon
Doraemon is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum to someone like Pochita. Doraemon isn’t just a mascot character; he is what the entire series is named after and based on. Doraemon isone of the longest running manga and anime seriesin Japan, having started all the way back in 1969.
Doraemon is the titular character of the series, a robotic cat sent from the future to help young slacker Nobita Nobi. Doraemon is a blue, earless cat with round features and a white stomach and paws. He is cute, funny, has lots of food and gadgets, and serves as a reliable companion to Nobi and their friends.
6Sakamoto
Nichijou
Cats are a staple of Japanese media, and no design is as simple, or cute, as Sakamoto-san from Nichijou. Nichijou is a comedy anime and manga series, full of absurd, yet relatable, scenarios and episodes.
Sakamoto is a black talking cat with a red scarf and sharp eyes. He is a very simple design, going along with the art style of the series, but the way the anime and manga show his expressions make this design memorable. He is also funny in the series as he has a mix of being snarky and quick-witted, and yet getting distracted by typical cat things like salmon or toys.
5Ryuk
Death Note
Ryuk is probably the… let’s say the least adorable anime mascot. But, he is a mascot character nonetheless, and serves to show that mascots can come in all shapes and sizes.
Ryuk is a Shinigami from the anime and manga series Death Note. He has a deathly-sick skin tone, with a Joker-like smile, dangling earrings, and a tall and lanky form featuring black raven wings. He is terrifying, and yet iconic, becoming the poster character for the series despite his horrifying presence and design.
4Kon
Bleach
Kon is another example of a character that, despite being a mascot character for the series, doesn’t appear too often throughout the actual run of the show and manga. He is prominent in the beginning of the series, when the scale is still smaller and Ichigo has need of him, but as the series goes on, he has less and less presence.
Kon helps Ichigo by being a spirit, or a soul-mod, that can inhabit Ichigo’s body when he is in the Soul Society, as when Ichigo transforms to go into the spirit world, his human body becomes empty wherever he left it. Kon is very popular in the fandom, and often makes his way onto promotional material, merchandise, and even the openings and endings of the anime.
3Tony Tony Chopper
One Piece
A cotton-candy lover, ship doctor, and all around adorable companion, Tony Tony Chopper is the mascot character for One Piece. Chopper is a reindeer that ate the human-human fruit, which allowed him to become a human-reindeer hybrid and change his forms, although he is still a young boy.
Chopper is alsothe crew’s doctor, healing the crew of their injuries and helping allies as well. He is liked by pretty much everyone he comes across, and this extends to the fandom as well, being one of the more popular characters for merchandise like plushies and pillows, apparel, and promotional material.
2Elizabeth
Gintama
The Gintama series is a comedy anime and manga series where aliens have invaded and taken over samurai-era Japan. Elizabeth is one of these aliens, taking the form of a large white penguin, and accompanies the character Katsura as his right-hand man and best friend.
Elizabeth is one of the most iconic mascots in shonen anime due to the extremely comedic nature of Gintama, and how often it parodies other media and properties. Part of this is with his design, in which he’s revealed to have hairy human legs under the costume, and overall managing to be a standout comedic relief character in a series with many comedic characters, taking part in a great number of memorable jokes, scenes, and moments throughout the series.
1Pikachu
Pokemon
Whether you love or hate Pokemon, or love or hate Pikachu, it’s arguably the most prolific mascot in anime. Pikachu was not even one of the original starters in the first games, and yet because ofits presence in the show and relationship with Ash, it has become the most recognizable Pokemon of all time.
Pikachu is absolutely everywhere, being the star of its own games, a live action movie, and hundreds of figures, plushies, apparel, shoes, shower curtains, phone cases, jewelry, and pretty much anything under the sun. Pikachu even has its own float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Pikachu is not only the mascot of the whole Pokemon series, but has surpassed the series and has almost become its own separate property.
