Disney Studios has made more than 500 different movies. But what’s remarkable here is that the popularity of the characters far exceeds that of the original movie. Let’s take a look at the Top 10 famous Disney characters!
Top 10: Olaf Snowman
Although Anna and Elsa are the main characters of the Frozen craze, the real fame belongs to Olaf. Even for those who have never seen Frozen, they have seen this character before. Olaf appeared in quite a few short films, brochures, and even had his own prequel.

Top 9: The character Shego
Shego is one of the most dangerous villains in the film and perhaps also the most recognizable. She even appears in live-action versions and is often cosplayed on Tiktok.

Top 8: Tinker Bell Characters
Since the Peter Pan adaptation premiered, many Disney movies and specials have opened with Tink waving her wand or sprinkling magic dust. Her regular presence at events outside of Neverland suggests she’s even more popular than Peter Pan.

Top 7: Maleficent Characters
With his horns, black cape, and flame motif, Maleficent seems to be the epitome of evil on the Disney screen. That makes her the most special and impressive in the movie. Maleficent garnered such a huge fan following that she became the leader of Disney Villains.

Top 6: Cruella De Vil
The fur- and fashion-obsessed villain made his debut in 1956, five years before Walt Disney released the animated film 101 Dalmatians. Eccentric fashion sense with half-black, half-white hair must be the famous impressive image of the film.

Top 4&5: Rocket and Groot
Rocket and Groot and the dynamic duo of the MCU, simply cannot be without each other. Since their first adventure with the Guardians, they’ve appeared in their own spin-offs and even made a major appearance in Guardians: Mission Breakout at Disneyland.

Top 3: Stitch Characters
In terms of popularity, Stitch is even said to be on par with Mickey, Donald or Goofy. You can easily see him in the parks and in the media since his debut in 2002. Stitch is also the focus, becoming Tomorrowland’s mascot at Disney World.

Top 2: Mickey Mouse
Referring to Disney, it is impossible not to mention the character Mickey Mouse. Mickey is specifically mentioned simply because there are too many movie projects bearing this character’s name. While other characters may stick to one movie or may have a sequel, Mickey has managed to keep his frequency of appearances going all the way back to 1928.

Top 1: Famous Disney Characters – Pooh Bear
It sounds a bit shocking that Pooh Bear was able to surpass Mickey Mouse to become the most popular Disney character. Some people don’t know that Pooh predates Walt Disney. This character is actually not of Disney origin but from the book Winnie the Pooh by the British novelist. Walt Disney simply introduced Pooh to more people.

Source: 10 Disney Characters Whose Fame Is Bigger Than Their Movies