Actor-singer Xiao Zhan (肖戰) has claimed the crown in KingChoice's "Most Popular Chinese Idols 2026" — a global fan vote that pits C-drama superstars against Chinese members of top K-pop groups. Former NCT member Lucas (黃旭熙) took second, and "The Untamed" (陳情令) co-star Wang Yibo (王一博) landed third.
A quick word on the scoreboard before the countdown begins: KingChoice rankings are decided entirely by fan ballots. They measure name recognition, overseas fandom size, and voting firepower — not drama ratings, album sales, or jury scores. Think of it less as a report card and more as a live reading of who commands the loudest cheering section on the planet right now.
With that, let's run down the top 10 — from the steady veteran at No. 10 all the way to the champion.
No. 10: Lay Zhang (張藝興) — The Do-It-All Veteran
Kicking off the countdown is the elder statesman of the list. Lay Zhang debuted with EXO in 2012, working the Chinese market with EXO-M before opening his own studio in 2015 and dropping his first solo mini album, "Lose Control," a year later. Albums like "NAMANANA" and "Lotus" (蓮) built his signature move: weaving traditional Chinese sounds into slick dance-pop.
He's no one-lane artist, either. Dramas "The Mystic Nine" (老九門) and "Crime Crackdown" (掃黑風暴) plus the blockbuster anti-fraud film "No More Bets" (孤注一擲) pushed him far beyond idol fandom. His SM Entertainment contract lapsed in 2022 — though he never announced an exit from EXO — and a decade-plus in, the work ethic still keeps the votes coming.
No. 9: Cheng Xiao (程瀟) — From K-Pop Stage To C-Drama Screen
At No. 9, a textbook two-market pivot. Cheng Xiao debuted with Korean girl group WJSN (宇宙少女) in 2016, where her gymnastics-trained flexibility and stage presence made her one of the group's most recognizable faces. From 2018 she steered her career back to China, trading variety shows for drama sets.
The e-sports romance "Falling Into Your Smile" (你微笑時很美) became her calling card, winning over international C-drama viewers who had never watched a WJSN stage. Her group contract formally ended in 2023, but by then she'd already built an audience entirely her own.
No. 8: Li Wenhan (李汶翰) — The Idol Who Auditioned Twice
Here's a plot twist at No. 8: an established idol who went back to the starting line. Li Wenhan debuted in 2014 with Sino-Korean boy band UNIQ — alongside a certain Wang Yibo, who appears later in this countdown — releasing tracks like "Falling in Love" and "EOEO."
When UNIQ's activity wound down, he re-entered the audition gauntlet and won the 2019 survival show "Youth With You" (青春有你) outright, debuting a second time as captain and center of project group UNINE. That group wrapped as scheduled in 2020, and he has since released solo music and starred in the campus sci-fi romance "Adventurous Romance" (命懸一線的浪漫). Two debuts, one very durable fanbase.
No. 7: Yuqi (宋雨琦) — The Voice You Hear Once And Never Forget
Landing at No. 7 is i-dle's resident husky-voiced dynamo. Yuqi debuted with (G)I-DLE — renamed i-dle in 2025 — in 2018, and her unmistakable tone became a group trademark across hits from "LATATA" to "TOMBOY," "Nxde," and "Queencard."
She runs a parallel career in China as a quick-witted regular on "Keep Running" (奔跑吧), where the fierce stage performer flips into a playful variety natural. Add a solo catalog — 2021's "A Page," the 2024 mini album "YUQ1," and the 2025 single "Motivation" — and you get an idol firing on two markets at once. She remains an active i-dle member.
No. 6: Jackson Wang (王嘉爾) — The Fencer Who Conquered Billboard
At No. 6, the countdown's biggest genre-jumper. Jackson Wang gave up a competitive fencing career to train in South Korea, debuting with GOT7 in 2014 as the group racked up international hits like "Just Right" and "Hard Carry."
After founding TEAM WANG in 2017, he built an English-language solo empire: "Mirrors," "Magic Man," and 2025's "Magic Man 2," which hit No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 — rare air for a Chinese-born idol. And GOT7? They left JYP Entertainment together in 2021 but never disbanded, reuniting for the 2025 mini album "Winter Heptagon." Loud on stage, everywhere at once off it.
No. 5: Kun (錢錕) — The Captain Who Never Rocks The Boat
Cracking the top five is proof that quiet consistency wins votes too. Kun first surfaced through SM Rookies and the Chinese version of NCT U's "Without You," officially joined NCT in 2018, then took the wheel as WayV's leader in 2019 through releases like "Take Off," "Love Talk," and "On My Youth" — plus the duo single "Back to You" with bandmate Xiaojun.
No splashy variety antics here. His stock-in-trade is steady vocals, composing and production credits, and the unflappable-captain image that held fans' trust through the group's lineup changes. He remains an active member of both WayV and NCT, still listed in the group's official 2026 materials.
No. 4: Ningning (寧寧) — aespa's Powerhouse And The Top-Ranked Woman
Just missing the podium at No. 4 — and finishing as the highest-ranked woman on the list — is aespa's main vocalist. Ningning appeared on Chinese singing shows as a child, entered SM Rookies in 2016, and debuted with aespa in 2020 on "Black Mamba." Her soaring high notes have anchored the group through "Next Level," "Savage," "Supernova," and "Whiplash."
As aespa's only Chinese member, she enjoys built-in attention from Chinese-speaking fans while riding the group's global K-pop wave — a double engine that makes her a perennial force in international polls like this one. She remains an active member of the four-piece.
No. 3: Wang Yibo (王一博) — The Man Of Few Words And Many Trophies
Opening the podium at No. 3 is the quiet half of "The Untamed" duo. Wang Yibo trained in South Korea and debuted with UNIQ in 2014, then built mainstream recognition hosting the variety staple "Day Day Up" (天天向上). Everything changed in 2019, when his coolly restrained turn as Lan Wangji (藍忘機) in "The Untamed" catapulted him across Asia's drama market.
He hasn't slowed since: dramas "Legend of Fei" (有翡), "Luoyang" (風起洛陽), "Being a Hero" (冰雨火), and "War of Faith" (追風者), plus films "Hidden Blade" (無名), "Born to Fly" (長空之王), and "Formed Police Unit" (維和防暴隊). Off screen he races motorcycles; on screen he detonates. UNIQ, for the record, has never officially disbanded.
No. 2: Lucas (黃旭熙) — The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming
The runner-up spot goes to the countdown's most dramatic redemption arc. Hong Kong-born Lucas burst out through NCT U's "BOSS" in 2018, then stacked memberships in WayV and SuperM ("Jopping") while his height, deep voice, and livewire personality — showcased on China's "Keep Running" — made him instantly recognizable.
Then came the fall: he halted all activity in 2021 amid allegations about his private life, formally left NCT in 2023, and restarted as a soloist with 2024's "Renegade." His SM contract officially ended on April 24, 2026. That he still finished second — after a hiatus, a group exit, and a contract expiry — says the international fanbase he built never really left.
No. 1: Xiao Zhan (肖戰) — The Designer Who Became Asia's Leading Man
And the crown goes to the man who wasn't even supposed to be here. Xiao Zhan graduated in design and worked a regular job before the 2015 talent show "X-Fire" (燃燒吧少年) rerouted his life into boy band X NINE (X玖少年團) a year later. Then 2019's "The Untamed" happened: his Wei Wuxian (魏無羨) — playful, devoted, tragic — made him one of Asia's most beloved leading men almost overnight.
What kept him at the top is what he did next. Rather than replay the same costume-fantasy role, he hopscotched across genres — "Ace Troops" (王牌部隊), "The Oath of Love" (餘生，請多指教), "Sunshine by My Side" (驕陽伴我), and most recently "Legend of Zang Hai" (藏海傳) — plus films "Jade Dynasty" (誅仙) and "Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants" (射雕英雄傳：俠之大者). His single "Spotlight" (光點) posted blockbuster digital sales along the way. Nearly a decade after debut, with X NINE long inactive, the fan armies are still marching — and this year, they voted him straight to No. 1. （Related： Skip the Tourist Trail: What Hong Kong Locals Actually Eat ｜ Latest ）
