is a role-playing video game series and associated media franchise created and developed by Level-5. The first video game in the main series was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Three main sequels and several spin-offs, on both Nintendo consoles and mobile platforms, have been released, with Nintendo handling international releases until 2019. In December 2019, the franchise expanded to PlayStation with the release of Yo-kai Watch 4++. An associated toy line is produced by Bandai for the Japanese market, while Hasbro formerly sold the toys under license in the Americas and Europe.
Six manga adaptations have also been produced; one, a series that began serialization in Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic from December 2012 to April 2023, was an award winner. An anime television series produced by OLM, Inc. aired in Japan from January 8, 2014, to March 30, 2018, and was a ratings success, boosting the franchise in popularity, and began airing in North America from September 2015. An animated film, Yo-kai Watch: The Movie, was released on December 20, 2014, with seven more films being produced since then. As of 2022, the game series has sold over 17 million copies worldwide.
While the franchise is popular in Japan and Europe, it failed to meet Level-5's expectations in North America. Nonetheless, the franchise's North American launch was successful, with the original 3DS game selling 400,000 units, backed by the toys and the broadcast of the English dub on Disney XD in the United States. However, interest in the Yo-kai Watch franchise has since steadily declined. The franchise generated $2 billion in retail sales, making it one of the highest grossing media franchises of all time.
On September 9, 2026, a remake of Yo-kai Watch 2, Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, was announced during a Nintendo Direct; it is set to be the first new game release in the series since Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y in 2020. It is also set to be the first entry released outside Asia since Yo-kai Watch 3, which was released in Europe in 2018 and in North America in 2019.
Concept and plot The franchise was first conceived as a Doraemon IP, something that could last over a long period of time. Akihiro Hino, CEO of Level-5, researched extensively what makes a franchise long-lasting, and came up with Yo-kai Watch.
Yo-kai Watch revolves around befriending Yo-kai that are haunting the city, which are based on traditional yōkai, but often with clever twists. If one befriends a Yo-kai, they get their Yo-kai Medal, an object that allows one to summon Yo-kai. With these, they can summon Yo-kai to either fight other Yo-kai, befriend others, or solve everyday tasks.
The basic plot of most media is that the main character, either Nathan "Nate" Adams or Katie Forester, obtains a Yo-kai Watch through Whisper, a butler Yo-kai. They then befriend Jibanyan, a nekomata Yo-kai who haunts an intersection because he thinks his owner from when he was alive named Amy called him lame for getting hit by a truck. During the series's run, other Yo-kai were introduced.
Characters In most English-language Yo-kai Watch media, the character names are changed to new names. In the Shogakukan Asia English manga published in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries, the original Japanese names are used. Nathan "Nate" Adams /
Nathan "Nate" Adams is a 11-year-old fifth-grade student who is average at most things, which bothers him. However, he is active, cheerful and well-liked by his classmates and he has a crush on Katie. While bug hunting in the forest to find a rare bug to impress Katie, he discovers a capsule machine under a sacred tree, from which he frees Whisper and is given the Yo-kai Watch, which allows him to see and befriend Yo-kai and obtaining Yo-kai Medals to summon them into battle against mischievous Yo-kai. In the shōjo manga series, he does not possess a Yo-kai Watch and is unaware of the existence of Yo-kai. Katie Forester /
Katie Forester is a 11-year-old fifth-grade student who is Nate's childhood crush and classmate, she is very popular and highly intelligent, but afraid of failing to meet her mother's standards. She is often admired by her fellow male students, particularly Nate. In contrast to Nate's Yo-kai Watch, Katie's Yo-kai Watch is shaped like a pocket watch with a floral design, which she wears as a pendant around her neck. In the shōnen manga series and in a dream Whisper has in episode 67 of the anime series, she does not possess a Yo-kai Watch and is unaware of the presence of Yo-kai. Katie is also featured in the Mini Corners, where Kyubi tries to win unsuccessfully over her heart. Barnaby "Bear" Bernstein /
Barnaby "Bear" Bernstein is Nate's friend and classmate who appears intimidating, but in reality is friendly and sensitive. He has a younger sister named Bearmie who lives in America and has a boyfriend (uncle in English version) named Arnold. Edward "Eddie" Archer /
Edward "Eddie" Archer is Nate's friend and classmate who often hangs out with Bear and wears headphones. He is the son of wealthy designers, and does not believe in the paranormal and is skilled with technology. Hailey Anne Thomas /
Hailey Anne Thomas is a self-proclaimed otaku girl with the same age as Nate in the school who is introduced in Yo-kai Watch 3, shōnen and shōjo manga series and the anime series's second season. Hailey Anne loves science fiction and outer space. After Usapyon tricks her into buying the Yo-kai Watch Model U Prototype, she agrees to help him build a rocket to make his former owner Dr. Hughly's dreams come true. Afterwards, they start a detective agency to investigate Yo-kai "crimes" in the city of Sparkopolis. Summer Adams /
Summer Adams is a 13-year-old junior high schooler, Nate and Katie's daughter and Tate's older sister. She nearly drowned in a river when she was young, but was saved by a Yo-kai named Seiryuu. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu, she is chosen by the Yo-kai Watch Arcane, allowing her to used Yo-kai Keystones to harness the power of summoning Yo-kai and also allows them to transform through either Lightside or Shadowside forms. Alongside Cole and Bruno, she fights against the Oni King Rasen and the Onimaro to protect humans and Yo-kai. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, she runs the Yo-kai Detective Agency alongside Cole and Bruno. Cole /
Cole is a 13-year-old junior high schooler who, growing up, he was often alone because his parents were away overseas. As a result, he was often bullied by his peers and over time became antisocial and hateful towards others. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu, he is cursed by one of Rasen's Onimaro followers and given the Kigan Gear, which he uses to spread evil and malice. Later in the film, he is redeemed by Summer and Bruno and the Kigan Gear transforms into the Yo-kai Watch Ogre, which allows him to transform into four Progenitor Yo-kai and used Sacred Armorys to possession summon Sword Bearer Yo-kai. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, he runs the Yo-kai Detective Agency alongside Summer and Bruno. Bruno /
Bruno is a 13-year-old apprentice shaman and the oldest of the Arihoshi siblings, who have used Yo-kai in fortune telling for many generations. Unlike Summer and Cole, he is capable of using spells and incantations. He also possesses the Yo-kai Watch Animas, allowing him to used Celestial Disks to summon Celestial Yo-kai. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, he runs the Yo-kai Detective Agency alongside Summer and Cole. Tate Adams /
Tate Adams is a 11-year-old fifth-grade student, Nate and Katie's son and Summer's younger brother, He does not believe in supernatural phenomena. In Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu, he is cursed by the Onimaro virus and turned into a Kaodeka Oni, but is cured after Rasen is defeated by Cole and the Onimaro virus is eradicated from the city.
Whisper is a Yo-kai of the Slippery Tribe who becomes Nate's self-appointed butler after he frees him from the capsule he was imprisoned in 190 years and helps him to understand the Yo-kai World and its interactions with the human world. Whisper claims to be very knowledgeable about Yo-kai, but in reality relies heavily on a tablet computer called the to look up information. He often dismisses Nate's suspicions that a Yo-kai is involved with mysterious occurrences in his life, only to be proven wrong almost instantly. Following an incident with the Yo-kai Watch Model Zero, Nate can switch between the different Yo-kai Watch models by putting his arm inside Whisper's mouth. In the anime, it is revealed he was a Yo-kai named Nonuttin ( in Japan), whose belches cause people to claim to know all about things when they actually do not. When he was Nonuttin, he worked alongside Ishida Mitsunari (Shogun Waitington in English).
Jibanyan is a nekomata Yo-kai of the Charming Tribe who is the ghost of the cat Rudy ( in Japanese). Rudy was the pet of a teenager named Amy until he died after being hit by a truck while crossing an intersection. He has since become a residual haunting and possesses people to make them cross the street without waiting for the signal so he can try to fight the cars and avenge his death. When Nate believes that Jibanyan is brave for his actions, Jibanyan is surprised and overwhelmed with joy and befriends Nate. He later ends up staying at Nate's house, where he often spends his time eating his favorite chocolate bars or worshipping his favorite idol group, Next HarMEOWny. Jibanyan had assumed that Amy called him lame for dying, but after being sent back in time by the two Yo-kai Kin and Gin of the Wicked Tribe, he learns that she was actually referring to herself and that he had died saving her from being hit by a truck as she crossed the intersection to meet with her friends. Jibanyan can transform into different Yo-kai under certain circumstances. While possessed by Roughraff, Jibanyan becomes the bōsōzoku-inspired Baddinyan, who thinks he is doing bad things but is actually not scary. When he gets a cold, he becomes , who is green and grows cactus-like spikes that shoot out when he sneezes. In Yo-kai Watch 2, he can fuse with Whisper to create . When Nate receives the Yo-kai Medal of the Legendary Yo-kai Shogunyan, Jibanyan becomes possessed by his legendary spirit and takes on the appearance of a samurai.
Komasan is a lion dog Yo-kai of the Charming Tribe from the countryside who Nate and Whisper meet while he is visiting the city for the first time. He is Komajiro's older brother, but when the shrine he used to guard was knocked down for construction, he tried to adapt to life in the city. However, he is overwhelmed by its sights and sounds and his love for soft serve ice cream. He is featured prominently in the anime series and is one of the main protagonists of Yo-kai Watch Blasters and its sequel Yo-kai Watch Blasters 2. In the anime, his "Mini Corner" segments feature him adapting to life in the city while working in a toy company and falling in love with a manga artist. In Japanese, he tends to use as an exclamation and ends his sentences with , while in the English dub, he speaks in a country dialect and often exclaims "Oh my swirls!" when amazed. In Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan!, he and Komajiro gain an adoptive human brother named Komasaburo. In Yo-kai Watch 2, the player can get a special version of Komasan who has a .
Komajiro is a lion dog Yo-kai who is Komasan's younger brother and also of the Charming Tribe. He is more outgoing and ready to experience the city than Komasan, and has adapted to city life better than him. In Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan!, he and Komasan gain an adoptive human brother named Komasaburo. Usapyon / (Japanese); Katie Leigh (Season 3), Danilo Diniz (Season 3 - Portuguese), Melissa Hutchison (Blasters) (English)