Rise and fall of Funkos: Is there a future for the dolls that were trending 5 years ago?

One billion dolls sold worldwide. If you think about it, it’s an absolutely incredible figure: there is one Funko for every eight people in the world, and it’s growing. Since its inception in 1998, the company has been devouring comic book stores around the world, to the point where in a specialized store it is more common to find bobblehead figures than comics. It’s no wonder: there are more than 25,000 different figures from all the franchises you want, and it promised to keep going to infinity decorating homes around the world… If it weren’t for the fact that, clearly, […]

One billion dolls sold worldwide. If you think about it, it’s an absolutely incredible figure: there is a Funko for every eight people in the world, and it’s growing. Since its inception in 1998, the company has been devouring comic book stores around the world, to the point where in a specialty store it is more common to find bobblehead figures than comics. It’s no wonder: there are over 25,000 different figures from all the franchises you want, and it seemed poised to continue decorating homes around the world… If it weren’t for the fact that they have clearly lost traction and popularity. And the only question left to ask is: Is there still a future for Funkos or is it the chronicle of a foretold death?

Funko Nons

It’s a simple, fun, and usually appreciated gift: if your friend is a fan of Street Fighter, you give them a Funko of Ken. If they are a follower of Spider-man, one of Miles Morales. If they like wrestling, they will love having Hulk Hogan on their shelf. Or at least what you deduce is Hulk Hogan: Funkos are just big-headed figures with two dots for eyes and are recognizable mainly by their outfits. You have to use your imagination, really. Millennials have been hooked on their siren songs, but as Gen Z takes over the market and dominates pop culture, they are losing interest.

After all, each generation has had its particular dolls, from Playmobil to Barbies, cartoon action figures, or Bratz. Of course, Funko Pops were a passing trend, just so clearly focused on rampant consumerism that it is possible that in two decades, when everything has passed, they will not even be remembered with enough affection to make a movie or have a revival. In fact, their attempts to step out of the toy line, with the video game Funko Fusion at the forefront, have not yielded the expected results, and there is a reason that explains it.

People still have a crazy love for the franchises that the Funkos are based on, but they have no respect for the brand itself, beyond specific cases of collectors who have invested a lot of time -and money- to have as many as possible. And be careful, I’m not just pulling this out of thin air: comparing the second quarter of 2024 with that of 2025, they lost, worldwide, 193.5 million dollars in sales, a 22%. You can make any excuses you want to justify your nostalgia, but it is clear that it has lost its moment of glory and is starting the downhill of the roller coaster.

Another possibility is that people still want Funkos but, in their eagerness to earn more, the brand itself may have oversaturated the market. When there was only one figure of each character, it was exciting and fun. When there are several versions that appear periodically, the excitement is lost and collectors buy them with the same enthusiasm as someone clocking in at work in the morning: it’s not a matter of fanaticism or excitement, but of simple routine. And if there’s one thing these dolls, which are sold as a way to imagine and escape the gray day-to-day, do not want to be, it’s routine.

If Funko is giving its last gasps or, on the contrary, will know how to overcome its excessive spending and reinvent itself, we still cannot know. For now, it seems wise to bet on the former: when the river sounds, big-headed dolls with lifeless eyes come along. Will we have Italian Brainrot on a large scale as the next cultural zeitgeist? Or a new version of Funko for another generation? For now, we can only wait: the good thing about getting old is knowing that everything comes and goes, but never completely ends.