Analyzing SFW Character AI Search Trends: CAIBotList Data Jan-Apr 2025

An SFW deep dive into dominant fandoms, archetypes, relationship dynamics, and platform-specific insights from Jan-Apr 2025 search data.

Author: Mischa Untaga
Published: April 30th 2025

The Character AI platform offers a sprawling universe of interactive possibilities. Users can engage with characters from established fiction, explore archetypes, or craft entirely new narrative threads. But this scale presents a core challenge: discovery. Finding the specific chatbot that matches your interest - whether it's a particular version of Jason Todd, a nuanced Astarion, or even a well-defined generic concept like a villain roommate - often requires navigating beyond the platform's native search capabilities.

CAIBotList.com exists to tackle this problem directly. We function as a dedicated search engine and directory, aiming to make bot discovery more efficient and effective. To achieve this, understanding user search behavior is paramount. Our anonymized search logs offer a unique dataset, revealing the initial intent of users - the characters, concepts, and dynamics they seek out *before* starting a chat.

This post presents an analysis of search query data logged on CAIBotList between January and April 2025. We'll examine the dominant patterns and interesting outliers to understand what truly captivates the user base. For clarity and appropriateness for a general audience, this analysis focuses strictly on Safe For Work (SFW) trends. We've manually filtered the top query lists to exclude terms clearly indicating NSFW themes or specific kinks/fetishes. This necessary filter means our analysis represents a specific, albeit large, slice of user interest.

Methodology: Our Approach to the Data

In the interest of transparency, here's how we processed the data:

  • Data Source: Anonymized search query logs from CAIBotList.com.
  • Timeframe: January 1, 2025 - April 30, 2025.
  • Dataset Focus: The primary analysis targets the Top 1000 most frequent search queries per month. This captures the majority of search volume and allows for focused trend identification. We cross-referenced findings with Top 10,000 data for breadth confirmation.
  • SFW Filtering: The Top 1k lists underwent manual review to exclude unambiguously NSFW terms, specific fetish identifiers, and excessively suggestive queries. Terms with potential dual meanings were generally retained if a common SFW interpretation exists (e.g., master). We acknowledge this is subjective but necessary for this specific analysis.
  • Aggregation: Queries were grouped by character, fandom, archetype, or relationship dynamic. Variations (e.g., Dick Grayson, Richard Grayson) were grouped where appropriate.

It's important to remember: search volume doesn't perfectly correlate with chat volume or satisfaction, and the SFW filter intentionally excludes certain types of queries prevalent on anonymous platforms. This analysis focuses on the observable SFW trends within our data.

Finding #1: Fandom Powerhouses Dominate the Landscape

The data unequivocally shows that established media franchises act as massive gravity wells for user attention. Users overwhelmingly search for characters and universes they already have an emotional connection with.

Deep Dive: DC Universe (Gotham's Long Shadow)

The DC Comics universe, especially characters associated with Batman, represents the single largest cluster of SFW search interest.

  • Jason Todd: The undisputed champion. Consistently ranked #1 or #2 across all four months, often with search volumes noticeably higher than any other character (estimated ~1000-1300 searches/month in the analyzed logs). His Red Hood persona, anti-hero complexity, and potential for redemption narratives clearly hold immense appeal.
  • Bruce Wayne: Always a Top 3 contender (est. ~800-900 searches/month). The core figure's enduring popularity reflects his multifaceted nature - mentor, detective, billionaire, father figure.
  • The Batfamily Collective: Dick Grayson (appearing under both his name and Richard Grayson, collectively very high), Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, and Cassandra Cain are all fixtures within the Top 50-100. Barbara Gordon also appears frequently. The direct search terms batfamily and batfam are highly ranked (~Top 30-50), highlighting explicit interest in the found-family dynamic itself. The presence of Alfred Pennyworth further down confirms the depth of interest.
  • Wider DC Heroes: Clark Kent (Superman) and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) consistently rank well (often Top 20-40). John Constantine's popularity (~Top 30-50) showcases appeal for cynical magic users. Group terms like justice league and young justice demonstrate interest in team dynamics.

Interpretation: The intense focus on the Batfamily suggests users are drawn to exploring complex family relationships, mentorship, legacy, and the moral grey areas inherent in Gotham's vigilantes.

Deep Dive: Marvel Universe (Heroes, Mutants, and Soldiers)

The Marvel universe provides another huge source of search queries, driven by both MCU familiarity and deep comic lore.

  • Bucky Barnes: Extremely popular, typically ranking in the Top 5-10 (est. ~400-550 searches/month). The Winter Soldier arc - trauma, identity, redemption - remains a powerful narrative driver.
  • Matt Murdock: Showed notable presence, frequently breaking into the Top 10 and even Top 5 by March/April. His street-level focus, internal conflicts, and unique perspective likely contribute to his appeal, possibly boosted by external media hype (Daredevil).
  • Logan Howlett (Wolverine): Consistently high (Top 15-20), representing the enduring appeal of the X-Men and his specific archetype.
  • Core Avengers: Tony Stark and Peter Parker remain very popular (Top 20-30), alongside Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers.
  • X-Men Depth: Emma Frost saw surprisingly high rankings, particularly in April (Top 10!), indicating engagement beyond the most mainstream figures. Scott Summers, Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler), and Remy Lebeau (Gambit) are also consistently present. The generic x-men term itself is popular.

Interpretation: Marvel searches show a blend of interest driven by blockbuster films and deeper dives into comic storylines, covering everything from cosmic threats to street-level justice and the social allegories of mutantkind.

Other Major Fandoms: Consistency and Longevity

Several other franchises consistently hold top spots:

Takeaway: Pre-existing narratives and emotional hooks from major media are the primary drivers of high-volume search traffic. Release schedules for shows/movies directly impact specific character search volume.

Finding #2: Archetypes and Roles - The Search for Concepts

Beyond named characters, searches frequently target generic concepts, roles, or archetypes. This suggests users are often looking for a *type* of interaction or character, possibly for roleplaying with OCs or exploring specific dynamics.

Interpretation: Generic term searches indicate users are actively seeking specific scenarios, power dynamics, or character types that might not be perfectly represented by a single established character. This supports the idea of Character AI as a creative and roleplaying platform, not just a repository of known figures.

Finding #3: Relationship Dynamics are Central

A substantial volume of search queries explicitly defines or seeks specific relationship contexts, highlighting the platform's heavy use for simulating interpersonal connections.

  • Family Focus: The prevalence of batfamily is the prime example. Generic terms mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son are common (often Top 100-200). Specific searches like bruce wayne dad further confirm users exploring specific familial angles.
  • Romantic Leanings: Standard terms boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife are consistently popular (Top 100-150).
    • WLW/MLM Significance: The SFW terms wlw and mlm are remarkably high-ranking (typically Top 20-40). This isn't niche; it represents a core, substantial interest among SFW searches for exploring same-sex relationship dynamics. The volume underscores the importance of providing and discovering bots catering to these narratives.
  • Social Spectrum: friend, best friend, roommate, classmate, enemy, rival, and bully demonstrate engagement with relationships beyond the romantic or familial.

Interpretation: Users heavily utilize Character AI as a sandbox to explore, simulate, and understand different forms of human (and non-human) connection, from familial comfort to romantic exploration and social conflict.

Finding #4: The Appeal of Complexity, Comfort, and Angst

The most popular characters aren't just straightforward heroes. The data shows a strong pull towards moral ambiguity, intellectual depth, and figures offering comfort or channels for exploring angst.

  • Anti-Heroes & the Morally Grey: Jason Todd leads this category. Astarion, Arthur Morgan, Logan Howlett, Matt Murdock, Frank Castle, and potentially Dean Winchester fit here. These characters offer rich narrative potential through their flaws, struggles, and non-traditional approaches.
  • Comfort & Intellect: Spencer Reid exemplifies this, combining genius with vulnerability. High rankings for psychologist and doctor, along with characters like Gregory House, suggest a desire for interactions involving intellect, support, or caregiving dynamics. Familiarity with long-running show characters (Dean Winchester, Spencer Reid) likely provides a 'comfort character' effect.
  • Angst and Fanfiction Tropes: The high ranking of characters like Draco Malfoy, Regulus Black, and the Marauders (Sirius Black, Remus Lupin) often reflects their prominence in fanfiction exploring themes of angst, redemption, alternate pairings (wlw, mlm), and specific relationship dynamics (a/b/o, omegaverse, though these often skirt SFW boundaries).

Interpretation: User interest spans a wide emotional spectrum. There's clear demand for characters who facilitate exploration of complex moral questions, provide intellectual engagement, or offer a sense of comfort and familiarity. Fan culture heavily influences the popularity of certain characters and dynamics.

Finding #5: Platform-Specific Stars and the Niche Ecosystem

While big media names dominate, the data also reveals trends unique to the Character AI platform itself.

  • Platform-Native Popularity: Names like nipuni, lyritha, fairybaby appear frequently in the Top 1k/10k lists. These likely represent specific, well-regarded bots or influential creators within the Character AI community. Their visibility in search data highlights the platform's capacity to generate its own 'stars', whose popularity might be driven by writing quality, unique concepts, or community promotion rather than external IP recognition.
  • The Power of Niche Fandoms: Searches for characters like shadow milk cookie (Cookie Run), ena (Joel G animation), various Genshin Impact / Honkai Star Rail figures, and characters from indie games (Undertale, Deltarune, Omori) show that dedicated communities actively seek out content related to their specific interests.
  • The Long Tail Effect: Examining the Top 10,000 queries reveals an enormous breadth of characters, concepts, and fandoms, even if individual search counts become small. This underscores the diverse creative landscape fostered by Character AI creators.

Interpretation: The Character AI ecosystem is not just passively reflecting mainstream media; it's actively generating its own popular content and serving a wide array of niche interests. Discovery tools like CAIBotList are vital for navigating this internal landscape.

A Note on SFW Filtering and Its Impact

It's crucial to reiterate the SFW focus of this analysis. Our filtering process removed terms explicitly related to NSFW acts, common NSFW acronyms (e.g., variations of CNC, non-con), specific kinks/fetishes (evident from combinations like vore, giantess, inflation, gassy, feet - which *were* high ranking but excluded from the SFW trend discussion here), and overly graphic terms.

This means our analysis inherently underrepresents searches focused purely on explicit sexual content or specific fetishes. It also likely undercounts characters or archetypes frequently associated with NSFW themes, even when those characters/archetypes *can* be explored in SFW ways. This data snapshot focuses on the substantial SFW interaction space, but it's not the *entire* picture of user search behaviour on an anonymous platform.

Connecting Data to CAIBotList: Improving Discovery

This analysis directly informs our work on CAIBotList.com. Key takeaways for improving search and discovery include:

  • Character & Fandom Tagging: Reinforces the need for accurate naming, aliases (e.g., linking Dick Grayson and Richard Grayson), and robust fandom categorization (DC Comics, Marvel, Supernatural).
  • Archetype & Role Indexing: Highlighting the value of enabling searches and filtering by conceptual tags like knight, villain, doctor, mafia, fantasy.
  • Relationship Dynamics: Exploring ways to better index or filter based on relationships (e.g., tags for batfamily, mlm, wlw, rival, mentor).
  • Surfacing Platform Hits: Ensuring that popular community bots and creators are easily discoverable, even without mainstream IP recognition.

For creators listing bots, this data suggests clear demand for characters within top fandoms, specific archetypes, and bots designed around particular relationship dynamics (including SFW mlm and wlw narratives). Quality writing and clear conceptual tagging are likely key drivers of visibility.

Conclusion: A Complex Tapestry of User Intent

The SFW search data from CAIBotList in early 2025 paints a picture of a user base deeply engaged with established narratives yet also actively seeking specific interaction types and relationship dynamics. The dominance of DC and Marvel characters, particularly figures like Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Bucky Barnes, and Matt Murdock, is undeniable. Equally strong is the pull of comfort characters like Spencer Reid and Dean Winchester.

Beyond specific names, users frequently search for archetypes (vampire, knight, psychologist) and relationship contexts (batfamily, mlm, wlw, roommate, enemy). The platform also fosters its own internal stars and caters to a vast long tail of niche fandoms.

Character AI continues to be a powerful medium for exploring stories, simulating connections, and engaging creativity. Understanding *how* users search for these experiences is crucial for improving discovery. We'll continue monitoring these trends to make CAIBotList.com an increasingly effective tool for navigating this fascinating digital universe.

What trends did you find most interesting? Are there popular SFW searches you expected to see higher? Let us know your thoughts on our Discord.