Dragon Ball is Bandai Namco’s best-selling IP this year, with sales almost doubling thanks to Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO’s success

Bandai Namco Holdings revealed today that Dragon Ball has been their top selling IP over the last nine months (April 1 to December 31, 2024), breaking previous quarterly records for the franchise.  

In a truly Super Saiyan-worthy feat, Dragon Ball-related sales totaled 143.3 billion yen for the 9-month period, which is a 44.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Moreover, the third quarter alone (October through December 2024) accounted for 67.7 billion yen in sales. This was of course, greatly influenced by the October 8 release of Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO, which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Other DB-related income also contributed, including revenue from Dragon Ball smartphone games (such as Dragon Ball Legends), trading cards and figures. 

After Dragon Ball, Bandai Namco’s best-selling IP were Mobile Suit Gundam (at 115.7 billion yen) and One Piece (at 108.9 billion yen). Mobile Suit Gundam’s sales grew by 6.8% during the period, influenced by the global box office performance of the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM movie, as well as the global distribution of Gundam anime series, and the enduring popularity of Gundam plastic models and figures. Bandai Namco’s decision to build a new factory dedicated to producing Gundam figures and plastic model kits indicates just how sought-after they are. 

One Piece sales grew 29.1% year-on-year to 108.9 billion yen. Again, strong sales of IP related goods in the Toys and Hobby sector (such as figures and trading cards), as well as smartphone game earnings contributed to this increase. 

It’s worth noting that Dragon Ball, Mobile Suit Gundam and One Piece are all major IPs that have been around for decades and have built up multi-generational fanbases both at home and abroad. Going forward, Bandai Namco Holdings’ mid-term strategy will focus on strong, sustainable growth of their IPs.