YouTube on Tuesday released its trending lists for 2025, which highlight the topics, creators and podcasts that people were watching on the video platform this year. The lists matter because they give a sense of the cultural moment, and the creators leading it.So it is notable that, among YouTube’s trending topics were a number of Netflix projects (KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game), video games (Nintendo Switch 2, some Roblox UGC games and Cookie Run Kingdom) as well as of-the-moment topics like Charlie Kirk (the conservative media personality who was assassinated over the summer), Labubus (the hot plush toys) and brainrot (a term for low-quality content).

The top creators list also highlights both rising talent and growth for YouTube veterans.

MrBeast, who has topped the list going back to 2020 when the platform first released a top 10 chart, once again led the pack. But as has become common, the remaining nine names make up a wide range of creators, from established names like IShowSpeed to emerging creators like Cadel and Mia and their sister channel Double Date. Charlie Kirk also made the list at number 6.The top podcasts list also showed overlap with other platforms, with Joe Rogan leading the way, alongside other familiar names like Theo Von, MeidasTouch and Kill Tony. The number two podcast, however, belonged to YouTube stalwarts Good Mythical Morning.YouTube, of course, has become a dominant cultural platform, with its influence felt across the entertainment and information ecosystem.YouTube also debuted a new recap feature, borrowing functionality from platforms like Spotify to give its users a personalized recap of what they watched this year. Users will receive “cards” and “personalities” based on what they watched.