Pokemon's myth-like status as the world's highest-grossing media franchise thrown into question as Wiki editor says it may have been surpassed and we just don't know it

For years now, Pokemon has – without question – been considered the highest-grossing media franchise worldwide by fans, but apparently its position at the top may not be as clear as we once believed. The original creator of the Wikipedia list that places Pokemon in the top spot has now clarified that "it's 50/50" over whether the crown may actually belong to another franchise.

Wikipedia editor Timur222 recently made a lengthy post on Reddit explaining the origins of the "highest-grossing media franchise" list, noting that he first created it back in 2016. A few months after its creation, he "noticed Pokemon was listed as the highest-grossing franchise on the Pokemon franchise Wikia page," which prompted him to edit the "main Pokemon Wikipedia page" to say this, too, complete with a link to his own list. "The article I had created had Pokemon listed as the top brand and I thought as the article would be updated with new information found by me and other editors other brands would be listed higher than Pokemon," he continues. "No one found any higher figures."

Just because no one found any doesn't mean that they don't exist, though, which is the concern Timur222 has now. Speaking with GamesRadar+, the editor reassures us that Pokemon's latest total revenue reported on the list – an eye-watering $98.9 billion – is accurate, after having gone through every listed source and adding new ones himself. This isn't the issue – the "main problem with the list is the data gaps and that other franchises might have higher figures that we don't know about," he says.

According to the Wikipedia list in question, the next highest-grossing franchise after Pokemon is Mickey Mouse & Friends at $61.2 billion, but as Timur222 warns, we should take the list's "ranking" with a pinch of salt given how much data isn't available to help shape it. To be fair, it's good advice to take in general when it comes to Wikipedia – it can be a fantastic source of information, but you should always make an effort to verify facts with their sources when you consider that anyone can edit the pages on there.

For that matter, even a quick glance at the list suggests it shouldn't be taken as a perfect ranking. Separate entries for the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Spider-Man, Thor, and Iron Man raise an eyebrow, for example, when the crossover between all of them is so great. Why do all those things need to be separated, and where do their figures begin to blend together?

Despite these flaws, the information compiled still highlights how massive a franchise Pokemon is – it's little wonder that its supposed status at the top has gone relatively unquestioned when you consider all the sales The Pokemon Company is constantly racking up from the games, merch, trading cards, anime… the list goes on.

Even so, Timur222 suggests "it's 50/50" whether Pokemon is actually the very best like no one ever was, despite what the current figures on the page suggest. With that said, it's likely to remain a mystery, as the editor believes "we will never know for sure" given how much revenue isn't reported.

While you're here, be sure to check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games.