A fuzzy blue alien becomes a Disney darling

Step aside, Moana, Elsa and Simba. In recent years, Stitch has quietly become one of Disney’s most popular — and most merchandised — characters, writes Ashley Spencer from New York

- Ashley Spencer from New York

Eight-year-old Elle Bauerlein of Wake Forest, North Carolina, is obsessed with Stitch. “Honestly, I think about him all the time. Like, 10 hours every day.”

Her American Girl doll, currently clad in a Stitch onesie complete with alien-eared hood, is technically named Stacy, but Elle prefers to call her “S” in tribute to Stitch. If she had to pick a favourite Disney princess it would be Moana, but only because Moana spends time on beachy activities similar to Stitch. Her pillowcase is Stitch. Her backpack is Stitch. Her Crocs are Stitch.

The third grader was born more than a decade after the 2002 Disney animated film Lilo & Stitch was released in theatres, and yet, for the past two years, the rambunctious title character has been a fixture in her life.

She’s not alone.

In an act of belated cultural permeation, Stitch — the destructive but adorable alien experiment who crash-landed in Hawaii and befriended a young girl named Lilo — has become a crucial character in the Walt Disney Co's modern empire, mainly in the form of a dizzying array of licensed merchandise.

At PetSmart, you can find a Stitch squeaky toy for your dog. The discount chain Five Below has Stitch neck pillows, portable power banks and slime. Stitch clothing and accessories line the shelves at Primark. Yoplait offers berry-and cherry-flavoured Stitch yogurt. Even Graceland has a tie-in collection of Stitch pompadoured plushies dressed in various Elvis Presley ensembles. If you're overwhelmed, don’t worry: There’s also a cottage industry of TikTokers who devote their entire accounts to showcasing the latest Stitch-centric items to their legions of followers.

While Disney does not release official sales data, the company’s annual financial reports for 2023 and 2024 included