Most Subscribed VTubers on YouTube

VTubers are virtual, anime-style characters who create and share content as YouTubers. Once you start getting into VTuber world, you might start wondering which VTubers are popular.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the VTuber subscriber rankings while getting to know some of these VTubers.

VTuber YouTube Subscriber Rankings (As of October 2024)

The following rankings focus exclusively on individual VTuber channels, excluding official accounts run by VTuber agencies.
VTuber fans are probably most familiar with this type of ranking. Let’s start with sixth place.
Note: Due to changes in YouTube’s specifications in September 2019, subscriber counts are now approximate, and the increase or decrease in numbers are estimated based on changes over several days.

6th Place: Kobo Kanaeru (2.58 million)

Ranked sixth is Kobo Kanaeru, a member of Hololive, one of Japan’s largest VTuber agencies. She is part of Hololive Indonesia (ID)’s third generation. Although her name is written in hiragana, and she has some knowledge of Chinese and Japanese, she mainly streams in Indonesian and English, as indicated by her affiliation with ID. Known as the “Rain Shaman”, she is often described as a “mischievous kid” by her fellow VTubers in Hololive thanks to her impulsive and unpredictable behavior during streams. Despite her playful personality, she’s incredibly talented in many areas. Her singing, in particular, has drawn significant attention, with some of her original songs surpassing 17 million views on YouTube.
https://hololive.hololivepro.com/talents/kobo-kanaeru/[ja]

5th Place: Usada Pekora (2.62 million subscribers)

Coming in at 5th place is Usada Pekora, another member of Hololive’s third generation. Known for her signature greeting “Konpeko!” and her bunny ears, Pekora is active on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, where she streams and engages in music activities with her original songs. Since 2023 was the Year of the Rabbit, she launched the “#TurnAllHumansIntoRabbitsProject”, taking on daily streams and a wide range of special events. This project helped her gain a huge boost in subscribers, earning her a well-deserved spot in the rankings.
https://hololive.hololivepro.com/talents/usada-pekora/[ja]

4th Place: filian (2.89 million subscribers)

Taking 4th place is filian, an independent VTuber who is primarily active in the English-speaking community, with the social VR platform “VRChat” as her main platform. Although she debuted recently in November 2021, she already surpassed 100,000 subscribers by March 2022, just about four months later. Currently, she boasts an impressive 2.89 million subscribers. On March 8, 2024, filian’s YouTube channel surpassed 1 billion total views, marking her the first individual VTuber to reach this milestone. Since her content mainly targets the English-speaking audiences, her recognition in Japan was initially limited. That said, her popularity has been gradually increasing in Japan since the beginning of 2024. We look forward to her future activities in the Japanese market.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvjNdLLy5sinqD92Axk8w-g[ja]

3rd Place: Kizuna AI (2.99 million subscribers)

When people think of VTubers, Kizuna AI may be the first name that comes to mind. As a pioneer in the VTuber world, she ranks third on the list. Kizuna AI began her activities as a virtual talent in December 2016, and as the world’s first virtual YouTuber, she engaged not only in streaming but also in full-fledged music artist activities. Unfortunately, she is currently on an indefinite hiatus for updates. Fans eagerly await her return.
https://kizunaai.com/

2nd Place: Houshou Marine (3.44 million subscribers)

Landing in 2nd place is Houshou Marine, a third-generation member of the Hololive, the same generation as Usada Pekora. As the captain of the Houshou Pirates, Marine captivates audiences not only with her fast-paced, humorous livestreams but also with her strong commitment to music production. She has gained popularity with numerous original songs set in a pirate-themed world and have gained widespread popularity. Most of her music videos—including cover songs and original collaborations with overseas VTubers—have surpassed 5 million views. Additionally, she is also an accomplished illustrator and regularly hosts drawing livestreams with professional artists. Marine’s strengths lie in her engaging talk, singing ability, and artistic skills, offering a wide range of charms that keep her audience entertained.
https://hololive.hololivepro.com/talents/houshou-marine/[ja]

1st Place: Gawr Gura (4.51 million subscribers)

Once again, Hololive takes the top spot with Gawr Gura, a member of Hololive EN’s “Myth” generation. Known as a descendant of Atlantis, she is affectionately called “Shark-chan” for her favorite shark-themed outfit. Although she is an English speaker, she diligently studies Japanese and occasionally collaborates with Japanese Hololive VTubers in her streams. Her fluency in both English and Japanese has helped her gain fans from both Japan and overseas, securing her number one position.
https://hololive.hololivepro.com/talents/gawr-gura/[ja]

Ranking by Number of Uploaded Videos

Below is a ranking of the top six creators based on the total number of videos uploaded, including stream archives and Shorts.

1st: Usada Pekora – 1,857 videos (5th in subscribers)
2nd: Houshou Marine – 1,137 videos (2nd in subscribers)
3rd: filian – 1,167 videos (4th in subscribers)
4th Gawr Gura – 541 videos (1st in subscribers)
5th: Kobo Kanaeru – 524 videos (6th in subscribers)
6th: Kizuna AI – 113 videos (3rd in subscribers)

Although Kizuna AI’s total is significantly lower due to the absence of archived streams, it was surprising to find that Gawr Gura, who was previously ranked 1st, has only about one-third of Pekora’s posts. While the number of posts appears to be one contributing factor to subscriber growth, these figures suggest that it is not, in itself, a determining condition.

(Source: YouTube Channel, October 2024 Survey)

Top 3 Fastest Achievements of 1 Million Subscribers (As of October 2024)

While total subscriber numbers reflect overall popularity, they also tend to favor creators who have been active for a longer period of time. To provide a different perspective, let’s take a look at which VTubers quickly reached the milestone of 1 million YouTube subscribers in the shortest time after debut—a goal many streamers aspire to achieve.

3rd Place: Kobo Kanaeru (105 Days from Debut)

Kobo, who ranked 6th in subscriber count, takes the 3rd spot here. Kobo also achieved 2 million subscribers in just 389 days, making her the second-fastest VTuber overall to reach that milestone.

2nd Place: Gawr Gura (39 Days from Debut)

Gura, who ranks first in total subscribers, surprisingly ranks 2nd here. However, Gura surpassed Kobo by reaching 2 million subscribers in just 127 days, securing the 1st position.

1st Place: Hyakumantenbara Salome (14 Days from Debut)

From the major Japanese VTuber agency Nijisanji, Hyakumantenbara Salome reached one million subscribers in just 14 days, the fastest on record. Salome is the first female VTuber from Nijisanji to surpass 1 million subscribers. Although she currently ranks 20th with 1.81 million subscribers, several factors contributed to her rapid success. These include her unique solo debut within Nijisanji, her distinctive “desuwa” speech style, and the impactful first stream where she shared an image of her own endoscopy. These elements helped her achieve 1 million subscribers in just two weeks.
https://www.nijisanji.jp/talents/l/salome-hyakumantenbara[ja]

Summary: A Hit Song Requires More Than Just Singing Ability

While strong vocals and consistent streaming certainly are keys to increasing subscribers, capturing popularity in English-speaking markets is also crucial. Additionally, the impact of a creator’s debut can be considered a significant factor.
Although general awareness of VTubers overseas is still developing, the global VTuber market continues to expand rapidly. As a result, further growth—particularly among English-speaking VTubers—can reasonably be expected.