Lilo & Stitch or Stitch (marketed as Disney Stitch) is an American media franchise created and owned by The Walt Disney Company. The first installment was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, and released in 2002. The combined critical and commercial success of the original film, which was a rarity for the company's feature animation studio during the studio's post-Renaissance downturn in the early 2000s, led to two direct-to-video and one television sequel feature films, animated shorts, three animated television series, a live-action/CGI feature film adaptation, several video games, theme park attractions, comics, literature, and various merchandise. The franchise became one of Disney's top ten best-selling franchises, with retail sales reaching $2.6 billion as of 2024 and later earning another $4 billion for the 2025 fiscal year alone. Overall revenue (including the box offices of the two theatrical films) has reached over $7.9 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises.
The franchise, primarily the original 2002–2006 animated continuity, mainly focuses on the adventures of the titular eccentric and mischievous duo: an orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai and an artificial extraterrestrial creature originally named Experiment 626, whom she adopts and names Stitch. Stitch was created via genetic engineering by alien mad scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba to cause chaos and destruction across the galaxy but was rehabilitated by Lilo thanks to ʻohana, the Hawaiian concept of extended family. The duo's ʻohana mainly consist of themselves; Lilo's older sister and legal guardian, Nani Pelekai; Jumba; and Jumba's Earth-loving partner, Agent Wendy Pleakley. Most of the sequel and spin-off material of the franchise also involves many genetic experiments similar to Stitch, whom he treats as his "cousins", Captain Gantu, a giant militaristic alien from the original film who becomes an antagonist to the main ʻohana in later works, and Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel, Jumba's diminutive former partner-in-crime who desires the experiments he funded the creation of to use them for intergalactic domination. Additionally, the franchise's films and first television series make frequent references to American musician Elvis Presley (of whom Sanders himself is an avid fan), using his music and sometimes his likeness in the films.
The later spin-off material released from 2008 through 2020—the Japanese anime Stitch!, the Chinese animated series Stitch & Ai, and the Japanese manga Stitch & the Samurai—emphasize Stitch by separating him from Lilo and putting him into other regions of Earth (primarily in the countries where these works are produced), replacing her with different humans who take him, along with Jumba and Pleakley, in with their families. The original Japanese version of the anime was produced by an entirely different crew from the original franchise, while the Chinese series was partially produced by American animators; crew members from Lilo & Stitch: The Series worked on both shows, although the anime only involved them in the international edit (which includes the English dub). The two Asian series replace the original voice cast of the four films and the first TV series. Later spin-offs beginning from 2022, including the children's detective book series Agent Stitch and various Lilo & Stitch comic books released by Dynamite Entertainment since 2024, resumed Lilo's involvement as a main character and Stitch's best friend. These works also mostly serve as continuations after only the original film rather than continuations after Leroy & Stitch.
A live-action and computer-animated adaptation of the original film was released in 2025, with Sanders reprising his voice role as Stitch. A sequel to that film is in development, with Sanders writing and directing.
Films and television
Overviews Films FilmU.S. release dateDirector(s)Screenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)Original series Lilo & StitchChris Sanders & Dean DeBlois Chris Sanders (based on an idea by) Clark SpencerStitch! The MovieTony Craig & Bobs GannawayBobs Gannaway & Jess WinfieldTony Craig, Bobs Gannaway, & Jess WinfieldLilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a GlitchTony Leondis & Michael LaBashTony Leondis & Michael LaBash and Eddie Guzelian and Alexa JungeChristopher ChaseThe Origin of StitchMike Disa & Tony BancroftEddie Guzelian & Michael LaBashBen ChambersLeroy & StitchTony Craig & Bobs GannawayBobs Gannaway & Jess WinfieldIgor Khait & Jess WinfieldLilo & ScratchFawn Veerasunthorn & Malcon Pierce colspan="3" Live-action seriesLilo & Stitch Dean Fleischer CampChris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes Jonathan Eirich & Dan LinLilo & Stitch 2 Chris Sanders Jonathan Eirich
Television series
Main continuity Lilo & Stitch (2002)
An extraterrestrial mad scientist named Dr. Jumba Jookiba (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) is put on trial for illegally creating creatures to cause chaos and destruction. His latest experiment is Experiment 626 (Chris Sanders): a little blue alien with four arms, two legs, and antennae who is deceptively strong and indestructible. 626 (pronounced "six-two-six") is sentenced to exile, while Jumba himself is jailed. However, 626 escapes custody, steals a police cruiser ship, and heads to the planet Earth. Jumba gets sent on a mission to retrieve his creation along with a partner on board, self-proclaimed Earth expert Agent Pleakley (Kevin McDonald), who is forced to go along to keep an eye on him.
Masquerading as a dog, 626 is adopted by a little girl named Lilo Pelekai (Daveigh Chase) who is living with her 19-year-old sister Nani (Tia Carrere). Lilo is lonely and a bit of an outcast until she finds a new friend in 626 whom she names "Stitch".
Stitch! The Movie (2003)
Ex-Captain Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) is hired by the evil Dr. Hämsterviel (Jeff Bennett) to retrieve the remaining 625 experiments. Meanwhile, on Earth, Stitch is still not fitting in, but when trouble comes calling through the form of Experiment 221 (Frank Welker), he and Lilo must band together to stop his electrical rampage. Meanwhile, Gantu ends up with a new ally, Experiment 625 (Rob Paulsen), but is displeased by his lazy behavior and love of sandwiches.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003–2006)
Continuing where Stitch! The Movie left off, Lilo and Stitch are given the task of collecting the rest of Jumba's missing experiments, changing them from bad to good, and finding the one place where they truly belong. Meanwhile, the former Captain Gantu and his reluctant partner, Experiment 625, try to capture the experiments for the imprisoned Dr. Hämsterviel.
Running for a total of 65 episodes over two seasons, The Series ended with the television film Leroy & Stitch.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005)
Set at a time between the original film and Stitch! The Movie, Lilo (voiced by Dakota Fanning in this film) and her classmates are preparing for a hula competition where the winner gets to perform at the local May Day festival. Each student is required to create an original dance. While preparing for the competition, Stitch's past comes back to haunt him. It seems that after Stitch was created, Jumba did not get a chance to fully charge Stitch's molecules before he was arrested. At first, this glitch causes Stitch to revert to his old destructive programming, but it will ultimately destroy him if Jumba cannot create a charging pod before Stitch's energy runs out.
The Origin of Stitch (2005)
In this short film included on the Stitch Has a Glitch DVD, serving as a bridge between it and Stitch! The Movie, Stitch discovers Jumba's computer and is scared to find out what a monster he is, only for Jumba to come and explain how he found family and love when he met Lilo. The other experiments are also hinted at.
Leroy & Stitch (2006)
After three years, their mission to capture all 624 experiments and repurpose them on Earth has been completed, so Lilo and her family are honored as heroes by the Galactic Alliance. Despite originally turning down their new offered positions to stay with Lilo, Stitch and the crew separate to live out their ambitions. However, after Gantu frees Hämsterviel from his prison, they create a new experiment of their own, Leroy (Chris Sanders). Lilo and Stitch must reunite and unite every single experiment they have to fight Leroy and his army of duplicated clones.
Lilo & Scratch (2026)
Taking place shortly after the original film, this theatrical short film focuses on Stitch having to look after a cat Lilo found named Scratch, who is secretly a similarly-destructive extraterrestrial creature who plots to eat Lilo's pet fish Pudge. The short premiered at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and will release in theaters before screenings of Hexed. The short is the first production from Walt Disney Animation Studios for the franchise since the original film. Maia Kealoha reprises her role as Lilo from the live action film, while Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch.
Spin-off releases Stitch Meets High School Musical (2007) Stitch and a number of Lilo & Stitch characters play a friendly game of basketball and then dance to "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical. This anime short aired on Disney Channel Japan on June 18, 2007 and was later released internationally on September 23, 2008 on the High School Musical 2: Deluxe Dance Edition 2-disc DVD set.
Stitch! (2008–2011, 2012, 2015)
The anime series features a Japanese girl named Yuna Kamihara (voiced by Eden Riegel in the English dub) in place of Lilo and is set on a fictional island off the shore of Okinawa instead of Hawaii. The first two seasons were animated and co-produced by the Japanese animation house Madhouse,Disney says to produce Anime 'made in Japan' (March 8, 2008) while the third season and two post-series television specials were animated by Shin-Ei Animation. 86 episodes (including three specials) aired from 2008 to 2011, while two post-series specials aired in 2012 and 2015.
Set years after the events of Leroy & Stitch, the anime sees Stitch (now voiced by Ben Diskin) having left Lilo after she went to college. He ends up on the fictitious Izayoi Island where he meets Yuna, a tomboyish girl who lives with her grandmother (Gwendoline Yeo) and practices karate. Stitch befriends Yuna, Jumba (Lilo & Stitch: The Series screenwriter and executive producer Jess Winfield) and Pleakley (Ted Biaselli) later rejoin Stitch, and the three aliens move in with Yuna's family. In the first two seasons, Stitch tries to do 43 good deeds to appease the Chitama Spiritual Stone, a magical stone that can grant wishes, with Stitch wanting to become the strongest being in the universe. He and Yuna also meet various yōkai, with them befriending Kijimunaa (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), a little yōkai with long red hair who has a powerful sneeze. Meanwhile, Hämsterviel (Kirk Thornton), who is at large along with Gantu (Keith Silverstein) and Experiment 625/Reuben (Dave Wittenberg), wants to defeat Stitch and take his good deeds to gain ultimate power.
The first season sees Stitch doing good deeds while enjoying his new life with Yuna on Izayoi, with them befriending various yōkai. Three of Stitch and Reuben's fellow experiments also make appearances, namely Experiment 221/Sparky, Experiment 010/Felix (both Steve Blum), and Experiment 624/Angel (Kate Higgins), the last of whom becomes a more recurring character compared to Lilo & Stitch: The Series and has—since her last Western appearance in Leroy & Stitch—remained Stitch's girlfriend while also having become a popular singing sensation in the years since.