Eight-year-old Elle Bauerlein from Wake Forest, North Carolina, is captivated by Stitch. "Honestly, I think about him almost constantly — probably about 10 hours a day," she shared.
Her American Girl doll, affectionately named Stacy but dressed in a Stitch onesie complete with alien ears, is lovingly called "S" in honor of the beloved character. While Moana ranks as her favorite Disney princess due to their shared affinity for beach activities, Stitch dominates her belongings — from pillowcases and backpacks to even her Crocs.
Though Elle was born over a decade after the original 2002 release of Disney’s animated film "Lilo & Stitch," the mischievous alien has been a constant presence in her life for the past two years.
Elle's fascination reflects a wider cultural phenomenon.
Despite the film’s initial release more than 20 years ago, Stitch — the playful yet chaotic alien experiment who crash-landed in Hawaii and formed a bond with a young girl named Lilo — has evolved into a pivotal figure in Disney’s contemporary merchandising empire.
From PetSmart’s dog squeaker toys to Five Below’s neck pillows, power banks, and slime, Stitch merchandise is ubiquitous. Clothing and accessories featuring Stitch are staples at retailers like Primark, while Yoplait markets berry- and cherry-flavored yogurts adorned with his image. Even Graceland offers Stitch plushies dressed as Elvis Presley, complete with pompadours. For those overwhelmed by the sheer volume of products, a thriving community of TikTok creators curates and showcases the latest Stitch-themed items to enthusiastic audiences.
While Disney has not publicly disclosed specific sales figures, its annual financial reports for 2023 and 2024 list "Lilo & Stitch" among nine major licensed properties, placing it alongside timeless icons like Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, and the Disney princess franchise.
This surge in Stitch’s popularity precedes the May 23 debut of Disney’s live-action remake of "Lilo & Stitch," which is projected to open with $120 million in box office revenue. The film’s release is expected to further amplify Stitch’s merchandising momentum.
Disney Consumer Products president Tasia Filippatos noted in a statement that Stitch’s "playful" and "mischievous" nature makes him an ideal character for a wide array of products worldwide.
Stitch’s merchandise boom was not always anticipated. Although the original animated feature grossed over $273 million globally (approximately $484 million when adjusted for inflation), it did not achieve the blockbuster status or cultural prominence of Disney classics like "The Lion King" or "Beauty and the Beast," nor the billion-dollar successes of "Frozen" and "Zootopia." The franchise’s on-screen presence had largely been dormant since several direct-to-video and television spin-offs in the 2000s.
Yet, Stitch’s appeal has expanded remarkably, transcending age, nationality, and gender. Despite being canonically male, a common query online asks whether Stitch is a boy or a girl. The 18-inch electronic Disney Stitch Puppetronic, named the 2025 Toy of the Year, highlights this fluid appeal, stating that "Stitch transcends age and gender."
Richard North, CEO of Wow! Stuff, the company behind the Puppetronic, remarked that three years ago he would have predicted the primary audience to be children aged 7 to 12. Instead, customers aged 13 and older—including Gen Z fans and adult collectors—now account for at least 40 percent of sales. Among younger buyers, gender interest is evenly split, while older fans skew predominantly female.
“It’s the broadest and most diverse demographic we’ve ever seen for a toy,” North explained.
Chris Sanders, co-director of the original animated "Lilo & Stitch," first sketched the concept of an orphaned creature in the 1980s as part of an idea for a children’s book. When Disney approached him in the mid-1990s for new film ideas, he revived the character, evolving it from an initial design resembling a tiger with a rodent-like head into the robust, endearing alien familiar to audiences today.
“I simply took the time to create a character I wanted to see,” Sanders said, who also provides Stitch’s voice. “There was never any debate over his design.”
During production, Stitch’s color was changed from an original reptilian green to a vibrant blue—a decision credited to the head of Disney’s paint and ink department, who believed the blue hue would make it more plausible for characters to mistake Stitch for a dog.
Popular theories suggesting Stitch’s features draw from French bulldogs or koalas are not fully accurate. Sanders clarified, “Those are understandable comparisons, but my inspiration was actually a bat.”
Today, Stitch stands alongside Mickey Mouse as an instantly recognizable Disney icon. Yet unlike Mickey, Stitch embodies the role of a lovable troublemaker.
“If Mickey, Donald, and Goofy hosted a Christmas party, Stitch probably wouldn’t be invited. Likewise, he wouldn’t fit in at a villains’ gathering either,” Sanders explained. “He exists in a gray area between good and evil — the same zone where we all exist.”
This unique positioning allows Stitch to misbehave in ways most Disney characters cannot while still resonating with audiences. In 2004, Stitch famously toilet-papered Cinderella’s Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, declaring "Stitch is king" to mark the opening of the now-closed Stitch’s Great Escape ride. More recently, a Los Angeles billboard for Marvel’s "Thunderbolts" was altered to feature a CGI Stitch bursting through, obscuring the other stars. Promotional posters for the live-action remake depict Stitch chewing on the Pixar ball, sporting bite-marked Mickey ears, and stepping on a lightsaber.
Travis Hammock, known online as Ohana Trav, is a 30-year-old content creator who showcases Stitch merchandise on TikTok and Instagram. "Most Disney characters have to fit a mold — be proper or royal. Stitch, by contrast, is a rebel from birth," he observed.
Hammock converted a spare room in his Winter Park, Florida home into a dedicated Stitch shrine, housing more than 1,000 items collected through personal purchases and collaborations with brands like Funko and Hot Topic.
He first noticed Disney’s intensified focus on Stitch merchandise in 2021 with the launch of the "Stitch Crashes Disney" limited edition collection, which creatively reimagined Stitch in the style of other classic Disney films such as "Peter Pan" and "Pinocchio." This was followed by a summer-themed collection in 2023 and a 2024 series featuring Stitch enjoying various theme park snacks.
"Disney isn’t just increasing the volume of Stitch products — they’re rolling out regular, annual collections," Hammock noted. "Even classic characters like Mickey and Minnie aren’t receiving this level of attention. The passion for Stitch is unique and clearly driving strong sales."
Interestingly, Lilo — the human protagonist and heart of the franchise — along with other characters like her sister Nani and Nani’s boyfriend David, are noticeably scarce in merchandise. Instead, Angel, a pink female experiment introduced in the 2000s "Lilo & Stitch" TV series, features more prominently.
Josi Cruz, who curates the @mainstreetorlando TikTok channel focused on new Disney products, believes children relate to Lilo’s character and view Stitch as their loyal companion.
"Lilo is often lonely and bullied for being 'weird,' but Stitch is always by her side," Cruz explained. "Kids see themselves in Lilo and want Stitch to be part of their lives."
Still, trends can shift quickly. In one North Carolina classroom, the reign of Stitch as the most popular character is already waning.
"Last year, Stitch was definitely the favorite among my classmates," Elle said. "But this year, everyone seems to prefer Hello Kitty."
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