Dracula
Dracula's cultural penetration defies quantification. The character has appeared in over 200 films, beginning with Nosferatu in 1922. Bela Lugosi's 1931 portrayal established the aristocratic vampire archetype that persists today. The Count spawned an entire genre, influencing everything from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles to Twilight's $3.3 billion franchise.
The word 'Dracula' itself has become synonymous with vampirism globally. Tourism to Romania generates approximately $500 million annually from Dracula-related visits. No fictional character has so thoroughly colonised humanity's collective nightmares.
Yoda
Yoda emerged from Star Wars, a franchise valued at approximately $70 billion. His backward syntax—'Do or do not, there is no try'—has entered common parlance across dozens of languages. The character's wisdom is quoted in contexts ranging from motivational speeches to academic papers on pedagogy.
Yoda merchandise alone generates hundreds of millions in revenue annually, whilst his image remains instantly recognisable to generations who have never watched the films. However, his cultural footprint, though vast, remains more concentrated within science fiction enthusiasts than Dracula's universal horror presence.