December 24, 2025
Throughout 2025, the character market showed more dynamic changes than ever before.
Beyond simply being cute and famous, how characters integrate into consumers' lifestyles has become the key factor determining the success or failure of a business.
Source: Pop Mart Official WebsiteToday, I’d like to take a look at everything from Labubu, the driving force behind the global craze, to indie characters that demonstrated the power of fandom, and even collaboration cases that broke boundaries.
I will summarize the practical insights that IP holders and brand partners must grasp, based on the defining characters that shook the market this year!
Labubu is a key case that is never omitted when explaining character trends in 2025. It first gained attention when photos of celebrities and influencers shared on social media, causing the character's recognition to rise rapidly. This trend itself was not significantly different from other character cases.
However, the Labubu couple didn't stop there. Even after the exposure, consumption didn't stop at just one time, and the difference was created by the random goods and the doll decorating method.
From the beginning, Labubu was consumed first as a fashion item that could be attached to a bag, rather than as a doll to be displayed.
So, people started to accept Labubu not as character dolls, but as fashion items that they could customize and use to express their individuality.
A random merchandise structure was added on top of this usage method. The random method, where you couldn't know which design would come out, naturally led to more than one purchase, and Labubu Random Kkang was consumed as a form of content on social media.
With the addition of elements that allow you to decorate the dolls by adding clothes or accessories, a trend has emerged where even the same couple is used in different ways.
Ultimately, the Labubu became a character that you don't just see once and forget about, but one you carry around and change to suit your taste, and this became a major reason for the Labubu syndrome.
Points for IP holders to note
The case of the Labubu couple demonstrates that consumption does not continue unless the post-exposure phase is considered.
The reason repeat purchases occurred even after awareness increased is that the structure and usage of the merchandise aligned well with consumers, rather than the character's narrative.
If you are planning character merchandise, please keep in mind why Labubu caused a sensation!
Points for Brand Partners to Note
From a brand perspective, Labubu's value lies not in temporary buzz, but in a structure that allows for natural expansion into the fashion and lifestyle sectors.
The longer the collaboration effect lasts, the more the character is continuously used in daily life, rather than through simple exposure-based collaboration.
Labubu is an example that shows why you should prioritize the potential for sustainable consumption over brand recognition when collaborating with characters.
A notable change in the character market in 2025 is that the performance of indie character IPs, such as Ganadina and Hurlang-i Mulgae, was just as prominent as that of major IPs.
Indie characters started by individual IP holders or small teams spread rapidly through social media without flashy marketing, demonstrating the potential to lead to actual merchandise sales and content consumption.
Source: Hurlangimulgae Official Instagram (@nopaper.studio), Ganadi Official X (@bdemgmr)The reason these characters garnered attention lies in their 'intuitive emotional delivery' and 'honest attitude.'
The tone of voice and facial expressions, which unreservedly expressed the emotions everyone feels in daily life, resonated with modern people, leading to natural sharing and spread.
Points for IP holders to note
Social media content must capture people's attention in 3 seconds.
So, rather than cramming a long narrative into one go, it is better to focus on conveying intuitive emotions and deliver them little by little.
In addition to this, you need to actively utilize memes and trends, which are the unique strengths of indie characters, to expand your points of contact with people.
Points for Brand Partners to Note
Indie characters have a fanbase that is emotionally attached to the character.
If you select and collaborate with IP that aligns with your brand's identity, you can expect high efficiency that goes beyond simple promotion and leads to actual sales growth.
In addition, in the case of indie characters, if they quickly secure collaborations, they can become a brand that leads trends.
Rather, if you do it after another brand has collaborated, only the character will remain in memory and the brand might be forgotten, so it is important to secure a quick lead.
Source: Playve Official YouTubeIt is no exaggeration to say that the pinnacle of character marketing in 2025 lies in 'borderless collaboration'.
While previous collaborations focused on the F&B sector, such as food and beverages, they are now maximizing the potential of IP by crossing over into entertainment and virtual worlds.
In particular, the collaboration between Playve and Sanrio, and the partnership between artist Choi Yena and Hatsune Miku, clearly demonstrated the synergy that arises when character IP is combined with artists and virtual IP.
What is noteworthy here is the fact that even 'subculture' IPs with strong support from a specific fanbase, like Hatsune Miku, are now emerging as key partners in the mainstream.
In the past, we selected IPs that everyone liked to target the general public, but now we are adopting a strategy of targeting a defined fandom to increase marketing 'accuracy' and 'loyalty'.
It is likely because, from a business perspective, ‘how many fans are gathered who are willing to open their wallets for this character’ has become much more important than public recognition.
In an era of segmented tastes, collaborating with IPs that have a deep fandom provides a brand with not only powerful purchasing power but also an image of being sensitive to trends.
Points for IP holders to note
You need to segment the character's target audience while simultaneously broadening the character's scope of activity.
Just like MBTI, we are now living in an era where tastes are becoming increasingly segmented.
Don't stop at just merchandise; imagine which target audience your character is popular with and how it can be utilized, and try to expand your character broadly!
Points for Brand Partners to Note
This case signals that the criteria for selecting characters has shifted from 'how many people know them' to 'how distinct their fanbase is.'
A character's loyal customers are a target with a high purchase rate, and they are also potential customers with a high probability of becoming loyal customers of the brand.
From a brand partner's perspective, even if a character appears small in scale, strategically reviewing one with a loyal fan base will lead to successful results.
Looking back on the year 2025, the character market was decided not simply by ‘who is famous,’ but by ‘who has deeply entered the daily lives of fans.’
From Labubu, which has established itself as a social media content, to indie characters that evoke genuine empathy, and collaborations that break boundaries, the core of the character trends of 2025 is ultimately just one thing.
It means that consumers are now willing to open their wallets for IP that represents their feelings and can be enjoyed in their daily lives.
When you focus on the 'depth of the relationship' with fans beyond mere numbers, a character can transcend a trend and become a brand.
I hope this year's insights have provided clear hints for your character business✨
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