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A key factor behind Demon Slayer's colossal earnings is its wide array of merchandise. Reports detail that merchandise sales alone amounted to approximately $7.9 billion USD in 2020. This figure is particularly significant when compared to the entire North American comic book industry, which, for the same period, grossed roughly $1.28 billion USD.
The contrast highlights a critical industry insight: in Japan, merchandise often exceeds manga sales, and both significantly outperform American comic sales. Evangelion, another immensely popular franchise, thrives primarily on merchandise and tie-in deals, rather than media alone. This approach ensures a continuous revenue stream well beyond the publication or broadcast of the original media.