Beyblade (franchise)

Beyblade is a Japanese media franchise that consists of toys,[1][2] manga, anime television series and films, centered around the Beyblade toyline of battling spinning tops. Originally developed by Takara, it was first released in Japan in July 1999 along with a related manga series. Following Takara's merger with Tomy in 2006, Beyblades are now developed by Takara Tomy.

Beyblade has undergone four separate iterations, each with their own media continuity. The first series, known simply as Beyblade, ran from 1999 to 2004. The accompanying manga series was adapted into an anime series produced by Madhouse, which ran for three seasons. A film, Beyblade: Fierce Battle, was released in 2002. The second series, Beyblade: Metal Fusion (known as Metal Fight Beyblade in Japan), was introduced in 2008. Unlike the mostly plastic Beyblades in the original iteration, Beyblades released under the Metal Fusion series features components made of metal. Like before, an accompanying manga series was adapted into an anime, produced by Tatsunoko Production and SynergySP. Retroactively named Beyblade: Metal Saga, the anime comprises four seasons. An action-adventure film, Metal Fight Beyblade vs the Sun: Sol Blaze, the Scorching Hot Invader, premiered in 2010. The third iteration of Beyblade, Beyblade Burst, ran from 2015 to 2021. The fourth and current iteration, Beyblade X, began in 2023. A spinoff, BeyWheelz, was released in 2012.

Toys

Beyblade is a line of spinning-top toys originally developed by Takara, first released in Japan in July 1999, along with a related manga series. Following Takara's merger with Tomy in 2006, Beyblades are now developed by Takara Tomy. Various toy companies around the world have licensed Beyblade toys for their own regions, such as Hasbro in most Western countries, Sonokong in South Korea, and Takara Tomy for most Eastern countries.[3]

Both the toys and their names were inspired by the Beigoma, a traditional Japanese spinning top. The concept is similar to Battling Tops, another spinning top game developed in 1968. In 2002, Hasbro sold Beyblade toys internationally (under license from Takara). On July 12, 2008, Takara Tomy released Metal Fight: Beyblade, the second iteration of the toy. The third iteration, titled Beyblade Burst, was released by Takara Tomy on July 18, 2015. The fourth iteration of the toy line, Beyblade X, was released on July 15, 2023.[4]

Video games

• Beyblade (2001)
• Beyblade: Super Tournament Battle (2003)
• Beyblade X: Xone (2024)

Manga

• 1) Explosive Shoot Beyblade – ran from September 1999 to July 2004.[5][6]
• 2) Metal Fight Beyblade – ran from September 13, 2008 to February 15, 2012.[7]
• 3) Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G – ran from April 2012 to December 2012.[8]
• 4) Beyblade Burst – ran from August 2015 to December 15, 2021.[9]
• 5) Beyblade X – running since May 15, 2023.[10]

Anime