Why Doesn’t Hello Kitty Have a Mouth? Real Reason, Rumors & More

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Plus, why the cartoon version of Hello Kitty *has* a mouth

Co-authored by Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: November 27, 2025 Fact Checked

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Official Reason Hello Kitty Has No Mouth

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Rumors & Theories

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Why Cartoon Hello Kitty Has a Mouth

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Is Hello Kitty a cat?

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Sanrio Characters with Mouths

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Video

Hello Kitty is one of the most popular fictional characters out there, and she’s known for her adorable cat-like features and lack of a mouth. Although fans have come up with plenty of wild theories and explanations for why Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth, the creator of Hello Kitty herself has actually weighed in with the official reason. In this article, we explain why Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth, dive into some of the rumors, and answer some more of your burning Hello Kitty questions, so keep reading!

Why Hello Kitty Has No Mouth

An illustration depicting Hello Kitty without a mouth.

Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth because the creators wanted the audience to be able to project their emotions onto her, rather than the other way around. Some rumors claim that the designer intentionally removed Hello Kitty's mouth after a deal with the devil that would save her child from mouth cancer, but they’re not true.

Section 1 of 5:

Why does Hello Kitty not have a mouth?

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Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth because the creator wanted her to be relatable. In an interview with Time Magazine, one of Hello Kitty’s designers, Yuko Yamaguchi, explained that Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth so that people can project their own emotions onto her. “Kitty looks happy when people are happy. She looks sad when they are sad. For this psychological reason, we thought she shouldn’t be tied to any emotion – and that’s why she doesn’t have a mouth,” Yamaguchi said. ^{[1]
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- There have been plenty of rumors as to why Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth, including a deal with the devil to save a dying child. We’ll go over some of these wild theories below!

Section 2 of 5:

Rumors About Why Hello Kitty Doesn’t Have a Mouth

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One rumor claims that Hello Kitty designer Yuko Shimizu made a deal with the devil. The theory says that Shimizu had a 14-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with terminal mouth cancer. With no cure for the disease, Shimizu supposedly went to every church in the city and prayed for her daughter’s safety. When that didn’t work, she apparently made a deal with the devil to save her daughter in exchange for creating a popular cartoon character that tricked kids into worshipping the devil.^{[2]
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- This rumor is untrue, as the creator of Hello Kitty revealed the actual reason behind the design. They just wanted the audience to be able to relate to Hello Kitty—no scary deals with the devil here!
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Another theory says that Shimizu removed both her and Hello Kitty’s mouths. This theory is that, to cure her daughter of the terminal mouth cancer, Yuko Shimizu removed her own mouth. After supposedly removing her mouth, the rumor suggests that Shimizu designed Hello Kitty without a mouth as well, so that she would resemble her and her daughter.
- This rumor is also untrue, as Yuko Shimizu still has a mouth.

Section 3 of 5:

Why does the cartoon version of Hello Kitty have a mouth?

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Some say there was a supposed miscommunication between animators. The official reason as to why Hello Kitty has a mouth in some cartoons, like Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater and Hello Kitty and Friends, has never been revealed, but some Reddit users believe it’s due to a miscommunication between Sanrio and the animation company they hired.
- These Redditors attribute this belief to the fact that Hello Kitty didn’t have a mouth in the 70s, nor does she have one in the newer cartoons.
While the official reason is unknown, some fans claim that Hello Kitty was given a mouth in the older cartoons because it’s strange to have a character speak with no mouth. They say that because it’s so strange, animators added a mouth, so that Hello Kitty could speak properly without creeping out viewers.^{[3]
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Section 4 of 5:

Is Hello Kitty a cat?

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Hello Kitty manufacturer Sanrio clarified that Hello Kitty is a human, not a cat, after a story in LAist claimed the opposite. Sanrio's statement said, “Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature.”^{[4]
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Section 5 of 5:

Sanrio Characters with Mouths

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Characters like My Melody and Kuromi have mouths to match their personalities. While the most popular Sanrio character, Hello Kitty, doesn’t have a mouth, other Sanrio characters do. Some of these characters, like My Melody and Kuromi, have mouths to match their personalities, with My Melody’s smile matching her positive personality and Kuromi’s smirk matching her mischievous ways. Other Sanrio characters with mouths include:^{[5]
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- Keroppi
- Hangyodon
- Pekkle
- Chibimaru
- Monkichi
- Sugarminuet