And the winner of the 2026 Muppets tournament is…

Disney in your Day readers have been voting on the best Muppets on both the blog and on instagram throughout the month of March and early April. Now it’s finally time to announce the ultimate winner of our tournament!

We actually had a final 3 instead of 2, and Miss Piggy and Gonzo tied in the second-to-last round. And the results were a little closer than I expected!

We started with 32 different Muppets. The final 4 turned out the way I expected (Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear). This might be somewhat predictable, so I actually think it’s pretty interesting to take a look at our top 8:

• Kermit
• Miss Piggy
• Gonzo
• Fozzie Bear
• Rizzo
• Swedish Chef
• Pepe
• Scooter

Definitely a solid list, but I do think there are some good ones who didn’t make it as far! My personal favorite, Walter, couldn’t crack into the top 8. Some other popular characters who were beat out here include Animal, Rowlf, Sam Eagle, and Stadler & Waldorf.

For the most part it was an interesting mix of the original, “main” Muppets, and a few newer to the scene. Rizzo was mostly in the background, with very few lines, until his big role in A Muppet Christmas Carol. Pepe didn’t make an appearance until 1996, when he was part of the Muppets Tonight show.

The race was so close between Gonzo and Miss Piggy that we did a final 3, and Kermit had to match-up a against both of them individually.

Could he hold his own and still emerge victorious, needing to win two match-ups instead of just one? Will Miss Piggy steal the spotlight? Or will our loveable weirdo Gonzo come out ahead?

Which of these 3 Muppets came out as the favorite with Disney in your Day voters?

And the winner is…

Kermit!

Of course. He is the star of the show and the main Muppet, and that held true with the voters here as well. I also think it goes to show you that Jim Henson knew what he was doing. He created a main character who people like. I feel like often people don’t pick the main character as their favorite, but a side character because they are often more interesting or have more personality.

Kermit is great character. He’s kind and likeable, but he can be sassy too. Kermit’s also a dedicated friend and the leader of the group (and sometimes he has to put up with a lot!). I believe a lot of us like Kermit because even with all that he deals with, he’s still an optimist. Rainbow Connection is a great example of his personality.

And I think it’s all of these things that make Kermit so appealing. Yes, he can play the leader of the group, being exasperated with the chaos. But he will also join in with the shenanigans from time to time and knows how to have fun. He is optimistic and hopeful, but also gets frustrated and down. We can interpret Kermit in all of these different ways, and they are all accurate to him and make him complex. I think there’s something in Kermit for almost everyone.

But the real question is – what do you think? Are you happy Kermit won, or do you wish it was someone else?

And hey – it’s never too early to start thinking about next year! Share your ideas for future tournament topics below!