State of the Figure Industry (Updated August 2026)

Where the industry stands today: market numbers, emerging trends, and what collectors should watch

The Big Picture

As of August 2026, the anime figure industry has never been this large, this international, or this crowded. According to the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) Anime Industry Report 2025, the total anime industry reached a record ¥3,840.7 billion ($25.6 billion USD) in 2024, up 14.8% year-over-year. Overseas revenue now accounts for 56.5% of that total at ¥2,170.2 billion ($14.5 billion USD), confirming that international demand is the primary growth engine.

Within that broader anime industry, figures occupy a distinct niche. The character business market in Japan, tracked by Character Databank and Yano Research, reached approximately ¥2,777 billion ($18.5 billion USD) in FY2024. Separately, Yano's narrower domestic otaku-market figurine segment reached ¥50.2 billion ($335 million USD) in FY2024, according to its 2025 Otaku Market survey. The two datasets use different market definitions and should not be treated as a simple percentage of one another.

Global projections vary depending on how broadly 'anime figures' is defined. Industry analysts estimate the worldwide anime figure market at roughly $7-9 billion in 2025, with compound annual growth rates between 9% and 14% projected through the early 2030s. Asia-Pacific accounts for roughly 45% to 52% of demand depending on the section of the same cited report, an internal discrepancy that makes the regional figures directional rather than precise.

Who Makes What You Collect

Figurepedia currently profiles 132 manufacturers across the figure industry, and the picture they represent tells a clear story about how the industry has evolved. Of those 132 companies, roughly two-thirds are Japanese-headquartered and about one-quarter are Chinese-headquartered, with the remainder split across other or undisclosed locations. But those percentages are shifting quickly: of the manufacturers founded since 2020, Chinese companies represent a considerably larger share.

The industry operates through a mix of massive corporate groups and driven independents. Twelve major corporate groups account for roughly 30% of profiled manufacturers. The Good Smile Company network alone encompasses several entities including Max Factory (a closely linked group company) and Good Smile Arts Shanghai, with additional brands like FREEing distributed through GSC channels. Bandai Namco controls Bandai Spirits, MegaHouse, and the Banpresto brand. Sega Sammy, Square Enix, Sony/Aniplex, and Kadokawa each maintain their own figure operations. On the Chinese side, Beijing Yuzuo Culture is identified with AniGame, while the corporate relationship often asserted between that group and AniMester remains unverified.

The remaining 93 companies, roughly 70% of the industry, are independents. This is where much of the industry's creative energy lives. Companies like Alter, Native, Myethos, and Sentinel operate without corporate parent backing, which gives them creative freedom but also means they bear all the financial risk. When an independent manufacturer goes under, as Aquamarine did in 2020, the impact on collectors who placed pre-orders is immediate and painful.

The Price of Quality

If you have been collecting for more than a few years, you have watched prices climb. The numbers tell the story plainly: a standard 1/7 scale figure cost around ¥7,500 ($50 USD) in 2010 and now runs ¥22,000-25,000 ($145-$165 USD). Material costs, factory wages, licensing fees, figure complexity, and yen weakness all contribute.

The market has responded by stratifying into clearer tiers than ever before. At the accessible end, prize figures (¥2,000-6,000 / $13-$40 USD) and Good Smile Company's Pop Up Parade line (¥3,500-6,000 / $23-$40 USD) lead by volume, making up 70-80% of all figures produced. These lines have democratized collecting, giving collectors attractive figures at entry-level prices. At the premium end, 1/4 scale figures from FREEing's B-style line and ultra-premium releases from manufacturers like eStream's Shibuya Scramble Figure series routinely exceed ¥30,000-50,000 ($200-$330 USD).

Chinese manufacturers have become a major part of this conversation. Companies like Myethos and Solarain regularly deliver figures with excellent sculpt detail and paint quality at price points 20-40% lower than comparable Japanese releases. The pricing landscape has never been wider.

The Chinese Wave

The most transformative development in the figure industry over the past five years has been the emergence of Chinese-owned brands as creative forces in their own right, well beyond contract manufacturing. Of the roughly 20 Chinese-headquartered companies profiled on Figurepedia, the majority were founded after 2017. Some, like EUSUN (founded November 2023), are barely a year old and already producing well-received releases.

This wave is not a single story. Myethos has become an established mid-tier force with 20-40+ annual releases and international distribution. APEX has developed a premium following through strong sculptor partnerships. Smaller studios like Otherwhere and HanaBee are building reputations through focused catalogs and distinctive aesthetics. The Beijing Yuzuo Culture group is building something closer to a Japanese-style corporate network, with multiple brands serving different market segments.

Outside Japan, the practical impact is more choice at more price points. The quality gap that once separated Chinese and Japanese brands has narrowed substantially, and in some cases disappeared entirely. The remaining differences are more about design philosophy and license selection than about production capability.

What Collectors Are Watching in 2026

Several trends are shaping collector behavior and industry strategy as of August 2026. Circana's EU5 study found that teens and adults ages 12 and up accounted for 28.5% of EU5 toy sales in 2023. The collectibles category surged 32% in 2025, and licensed products represent 37% of total toy industry revenue. Figures benefit from this broader cultural trend.

Wonder Festival Winter 2026 (held February 8) offered a snapshot of where the industry is heading. Good Smile Company debuted L-size Pop Up Parade, a larger format for their accessible line. Chinese-owned brands made a strong collective showing with wide prototype variety and volume. Alter was present with prototypes despite a notably slower output pace that has fueled collector anxiety and aftermarket premiums. The overall tone was expansive: more companies showing more products across more franchises than ever.

The resale market continues to thrive through platforms like Mandarake, AmiAmi Pre-owned, and Mercari Japan. For many collectors, buying secondhand has become as important as buying new releases, both as a way to find figures they missed and as a gauge of which manufacturers hold their value.

Looking ahead, the industry's trajectory points toward continued growth, further internationalization, and an increasingly blurred line between 'Japanese figures' and 'Chinese figures' as a meaningful quality distinction. Collectors entering the scene now have a wider selection of manufacturers, price tiers, and creative approaches than at any previous point.

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