A gentle and kind-hearted duck, Pekkle is a little white duck from Sanrio whose dream is to fly high in the sky! Also known as Ahiru no Pekkle, this cutie who debuted in 1989 is loved in Japan and all around the world. Kawaii fans can’t help but fall in love with Pekkle - he’s just one of the friendliest ducks around! Join Pekkle as he tap dances his way into everyone’s hearts together with his girlfriend Ruby and his best friend Pitch!
- Japanese name: あひるのペックル (Ahiru no Pekkle)
- Place of birth: Cairns, Australia
- Birthday: July 27
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Gender: Male
- Species: Duck
- Favorite Food: Rice balls
- Hobby: Dancing and singing
- Treasure: A bucket that he always carries around
- Fun Fact: He might be a duck, but Pekkle isn’t good at swimming 😱
WHAT IS PEKKLE IN JAPANESE?
Before we talk all about Pekkle’s dancing skills, we’ve got to start talking about his name. After all, a name tells a lot about a person! In Japanese, "Pekkle" translates to "ぺっくる" or “Pekkuru.” It doesn’t really have a direct translation, but we have a suspicion it might be a Japanese-y way of saying peck! Because ducks love pecking away at things and Pekkle is a cute little duck!
WHAT IS PEKKLE’S FULL NAME?
While most kawaii fanatics know this Sanrio cutie just as Pekkle, in Japan, his full name is Ahiru no Pekkle ( あひるのペックル). Why the extra Ahiru? Well, Ahiru is a kind of domestic duck in Japan. Sanrio really wanted to make sure that everyone knows that Pekkle is their kawaii little quacker!
IS PEKKLE A PENGUIN?
Despite his charming duckie looks, a lot of people actually mistake Pekkle for a penguin! That’s probably why Sanrio really had to double down and give Pekkle the complete name Ahiru no Pekkle (Duck Pekkle). Pekkle does have a few similarities with penguins though - he still doesn’t know how to fly! Maybe someday he can finally take the sky like he’s always dreamed about.
IS PEKKLE A BOY OR A GIRL?
Pekkle might be a bit of a softie with his friendly attitude and kind heart, but this duckie is actually a big boy! We understand why there might be some confusion - sometimes it’s tough to tell whether a duck is a boy or a girl. Still, Pekkle loves being a guy duck who showcases the positive traits of masculinity with his good-natured demeanor.
PEKKLE’S PERSONALITY
Aside from being super kind and friendly, Pekkle is also a stylish duck. He owns a lot of t-shirts with different patterns that he wears depending on the occasion. Some of his favorite patterns are actually the fish patterns. Pekkle is known for being laid-back and chill. Though it’s occasionally mistaken for laziness, it adds to this duck’s unique and quirky personality.
Speaking of quirks, did you know that Pekkle actually wants to be a lifeguard? Pekkle is a pretty active duck. He’s always practicing singing, dancing, and body surfing. You can often find him at the beach with his buddies.
WHO IS PEKKLE’S GIRLFRIEND?
Yes, Pekkle actually does have a girlfriend! Her name is Ruby. Another domestic Japanese duck from Sanrio, Ruby is super kawaii. She has other suitors outside of Pekkle, however, she’s always been steadfast and loyal to her ducky love. Though she can be a bit tearful at times, Ruby is a strong-willed girl!
MEET PEKKLE’S FRIENDS!
It should come as no surprise that this Sanrio quacker has a lot of friends in and outside of the duck pond! After all, Pekkle has always been known to be a kind and friendly little duck. Let’s take some time to get know all of Pekkle’s friends that he cares for so much.
Pitch
This fish is good friends with Pekkle! He’s also a pretty good swimming teacher. Pitch is actually trying to teach Pekkle how to swim. Pitch’s biggest dream is to live outside the water. Maybe someday he can roam around land too!
Chap
Chap is one of Pekkle’s other fish friends. He shares the same birthday as Pitch on March 17! This fishy cutie wants to become a professional surfer someday.
Ran
Like Pitch and Chap, Run was born on March 17. This girl fish is actually Pekkle’s best friend. Run might be a small fish, but she has big dreams, hoping to become a model!
Boot
This duck like to show off his strength! Boot can be bratty sometimes, but he has a lot of special skills. These skills have given him the nickname “Boot O O.” Boot always takes care of his body.
Chara
Chara is a cutie that really admires Boot for his strength. She even calls him “Boot-sama.”
Curl
A duck like Pekkle, Curl is super smart and popular among the girls. He’s also rich. The only downside to Curl is that he’s not really confident with heights. He’s also pretty worried a lot about Ruby since she’s such a tearful little duck.
Frills
Fashionable and athletic, Frills is actually Ruby’s cousin. She wears pink ribbons and a dress with a frilly collar.
DANCING AND SINGING IN THE HAPIDANBUI
Pekkle is part of the Hapidanbui, the special boy group from Sanrio. The name comes from three different words. The first is Hapi (はぴ) which means happy in English. Next is dan (だん), which is the shortened word for boy in Japanese, danshi. Last but not the least is bui (ぶい), which is how the Japanese pronounce the English letter V, which stands for Victory. The Hapidanbui boy band is made up of six popular kawaii boy characters. That includes Tuxedosam, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Bad Badtz-Maru, Keroppi, and Pekkle!
The goal of Hapidanbui is to spread happiness through the message "大丈夫！君は君のままで、きっとうまくいく or "It's okay! You're still you, I'm sure it will work." The Hapidanbui boys just want everyone to be happy! Aside from having fun and hanging out, the Hapidanbui give out cute concerts for all the kawaii fans that love them. In the band, Pekkle is known for his great keyboard skills. You can read all about the group in our full Hapidanbui blog!
IS PEKKLE A POPULAR DUCK?
Pekkle might be not be as well known as his Hapidanbui bird buddy Bad Badtz-Maru, but he’s pretty well loved! This classic Sanrio character stole people’s hearts the moment he debuted in 1989. His highest ranking in the yearly Sanrio Character Awards was in 1992 when he took the 5th spot!
These days Pekkle is still pretty popular, managing to keep the 16th place in 2022 and 2023. He’s especially loved overseas, winning the “International Award” in 2020. A lot of kawaii fans in Hong Kong especially love this white Sanrio duckie! If you'd like to read more about this special contest that Pekkle does well in, you can check out our comprehensive blog on the yearly Sanrio Character Rankings. We also have a blog listing down all the characters Sanrio has to offer.
PEKKLE MAKES EVERYONE LAUGH!
From time to time, Pekkle does standup comedy together with his good buddy from the Hapidanbui, Pochacco! The two make a pretty great team when they perform. If you’re lucky enough you can catch the kawaii duo making people laugh up on stage in Sanrio Puroland in Japan!
COLLABS WITH PEKKLE
Everyone likes working together with Pekkle because of his cute duckie looks and his easygoing personality. In September 2022, Pekkle got his own line of donuts from Floresta together with, Pochacco. That same year he also got his own series of printed cakes and pastries from Japanese printed dessert expert, Priroll.
The party doesn’t end there! At some point, Mizuho Bank (formerly Fuji Bank) made Pekkle their image character. Pekkle also has his own jewelry line together with Clover too. Clover created a couple of rings and necklaces just for the Sanrio duckie!
SING ABOUT SNACKS WITH PEKKLE!
Pekkle has always loved singing. Even before he was part of the Hapidanbui, this cute quaker had his own retro songs for children to sing along to. One of them is the Pekkle Snack Song all the way back from 1992. It’s all about snacking on delicious goodies! The jig even has its own little dance too!
TAKE A PEEK AT ANIME PEKKLE!
Pekkle has a few classic anime shows for fans to see! Most of these classic shows are hard to find. Luckily enough, hardcore Pekkle fans can find actually stream of these series online on U-Next. The series is called Ahiru no Pekkle’s Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. It’s a kawaii retelling of the classic fairy tale where Pekkle plays Aladdin and Ruby is Princess Jasmine.
LET’S PLAY WITH PEKKLE
Though he doesn’t really have any video games of his own, Pekkle does make some kawaii appearances in other Sanrio games. Pekkle is actually one of the Sanrio characters that you can find in the Roblox experience, My Hello Kitty Cafe. In the game you can find him singing and dancing all over the place. He has four different outfits there!
DOES PEKKLE HAVE HIS OWN CAFE?
Unlike his more popular Sanrio siblings, Pekkle doesn’t really have his own cafe. However, from time to time Pekkle does get his own themed desserts and drinks whenever Sanrio does cafe collaborations for Hapidanbui. One of the special cafes to team up with Hapidanbui was Godiva in 2022. Not only did Pekkle get a special drink with his Hapidanbui buddies, but he also got his own cute Pekkle merch from the cafe collab!
HOW TO DRAW PEKKLE
Learning how to draw Pekkle is fun and easy! Despite being an active duck, Pekkle doesn't really get into difficult poses. He's also made up of simple lines and shapes. Grab a pencil, some paper, and let's get to drawing with this super easy tutorial!
WHERE CAN I BUY PEKKLE GOODIES?
Pekkle has a tone of fun merch for kawaii fans to gush over. However, since Pekkle is a rather retro Sanrio character, most people worry that they have to fly to Japan to find the perfect Pekkle keepsake. That’s okay, because we’ve got a pretty great Pekkle collection at Blippo. From Pekkle plushies, Pekkle apparel, and even Pekkle home goods - there’s a lot of cute items to add to your kawaii haul.
So, there you have it, dear readers, a peek into the whimsical world of Pekkle! We hope you learned a lot about this cute retro Sanrio duckie. Just like Ahiru no Pekkle, remember to tapdance to your own rhythm and be kind to everybody. Stay tuned for more dazzling adventures with Pekkle and his friends, because in the world of Sanrio, the fun never ends! 💖