Takara Tomy built this multimedia brand around customizable spinning tops, pairing the toys with anime and manga about young 'bladers' who face off in 'beybattles'. The name blends 'beigoma', the traditional spinning top that inspired it, with 'blade', a nod to the protruding attack rings on the earliest tops. Launched in Japan in 1999, the brand crossed into North America through Hasbro in 2002, cooled off by the mid-2000s, and returned in 2008 as Metal Fight Beyblade before Hasbro brought that revival west too. More than 90 million units have sold since the 2010 relaunch alone.
What to know
Created by Takara Tomy, launched in Japan in 1999
Name blends 'beigoma' (a traditional spinning top) and 'blade'
Hasbro licensed the toys outside Asia starting in 2002
A 2008 revival as Metal Fight Beyblade restarted the brand after a mid-2000s decline
Over 90 million units sold since the 2010 global relaunch
