BTS is THE boy band of boy bands! Calling them one of the biggest pop-culture phenomena wouldn’t be wrong.
First emerging in 2013, this Korean pop band didn’t take long to reach the top of the charts. And since then, they have broken every musical and popularity record.
They have collaborated with the biggest of celebrities and brands all over the world.
Who could forget BTS’s collaboration with Samsung?
But, they haven’t stopped there!
One of their cutest collaborations came with LINE. The band members created 8 BTS cartoon characters purely as a branding strategy and as a gift to the BTS ARMY.
What Are BTS Cartoon Characters?
BTS cartoon characters are characters designed by each member of the BTS band for the LIE FRIENDS brand.
Every member designed their own character, creating 7 unique cartoon characters. The members collectively created an 8th cartoon character as an homage to the BTS A.R.M.Y.
It’s clearly a marketing strategy between two trendy brands (BTS and LINE).
But it’s given a lot of cute content to the BTS A.R.M.Y, and LINE got a bunch of new characters to play around with. Moreover, the BT21 brand and its characters have inspired tons of merchandise.
It’s a win-win for everybody.
The project was named BT21. Find out more details in the next section.
What is BT21?
BT21 is a FRIENDS CREATORS project headlined by LINE. LINE is known for creating original characters (called FRIENDS) based on stickers used in social media and messaging apps by South Korean users.
There are 11 original LINE characters created by Kang Byeongmok–
- Brown.
- Sally.
- Cony.
- Choco.
- Moon.
- James.
- Leonard.
- Edward.
- Boss.
- Pangyo.
- Jessica
LINE added all of these between 2011 to 2020.
Then, in 2017, LINE and BTS launched BT21- a new brand of LINE FRIENDS designed by the South Korean band BTS. There are 8 characters in the BT21 lineup.
- Tata.
- Koya.
- RJ.
- Chimmy.
- Cooky.
- Mang.
- Van
Jump to the next section to read detailed overviews of all new BTS cartoon characters.
The name BT21 is the union of BTS and the 21st Century. According to a BTS member, the name seeks to synonymize and immortalize BTS with the 21st Century.
BT21 isn’t the only LINE collaboration.
In 2018, LINE collaborated with Chinese Singer/Actor Roy Wang to create ROY6.
All BTS Cartoon Characters & Their Creators
1. Tata
- Created By: V
V wanted to create a character who was more unique than cute, and I’d say he nailed it. There aren’t many cartoon characters with heart-shaped heads and the ability to stretch their limbs like Mr. incredible.
On top of the “out-of-this-world” anatomy, Tata also has a unique backstory.
Tata is the Crown Prince of Planet BT (the only Royalty of the BT21 lineup). Getting bored of his life on his home planet, Tata sets out to Earth to find the meaning of Love. That’s when he meets the other members and forms BT21.
So, technically, Tata is the one who formed BT21.
He loves spreading happiness. Tata will sing, dance, and even perform magic to see his friends happy. No wonder the BTS A.R.M.Y. absolutely adores the Crown Prince from Planet BT.
2. Koya
- Created By: RM
Meet the sleeping cutie of BT21- Koya. For me, there’s nothing cuter than a koala. And since Koya is a koala, he’s my favorite BT21 character. That’s not the only reason though.
Millions of BT21 fans, including me, love Koya for his intelligence as well. Everyone comes to Koya for advice.
Sure, he’s adorable and always has the cutest facial expressions, and his ears falling off when he gets scared or shocked is the cutest quirk ever. But he’s also the smartest of the group.
Koya spends most of his time contemplating and observing things happening around him. This has made him emotionally intelligent, and that’s why he serves as the mediator in the group.
Koya also has a knack for music, often creating new music and writing songs.
Fun Fact: RM loves koalas. He created dozens of sketches before finalizing Koya’s design.
3. RJ
- Created By: Jin
Every group needs a foodie, and Jin created the perfect one for BT21.
RJ is a white, fluffy alpaca from Machu Picchu who wears a red scarf around his neck. He is a warm and gentle chef who loves cooking as much as eating.
Thanks to his love of traveling and exploring new cultures, RJ has learned to cook delicious dishes from different cultures of the world. He’s so talented that he regularly experiments with ingredients to create new dishes for everyone.
And RJ doesn’t miss.
This cute and cuddly alpaca is full of kindness and has a soul too pure for this world. RJ goes out of his way to help others and does so in the politest way possible.
RJ does have a quirk of his own, though. He doesn’t like to shave- which explains the furs.
4. Chimmy
- Created By: Jimin
Once you get hit by Chimmy’s Love Laser, there’s no going back.
Chimmy is the only BTS cartoon character capable of rivaling Koya’s cuteness. After all, he’s a cute little puppy who wears a yellow jumpsuit, has floppy ears, and his tongue is always sticking out.
From his facial expressions, it looks like he’s always plotting some prank, but he rarely does so. He’s just a playful bundle of energy who likes to make everyone laugh, even if it happens at his expense.
This pure-hearted puppy doesn’t remember anything about his past, but he never loses sleep over it. Instead, he focuses on his music and likes to spend most of his time partying and singing with other BT21 members.
5. Cooky
- Created By: Jungkook
Created by the most popular BTS member on social media, Cooky is the coolest pink bunny ever. If it wasn’t for the heart-melting pink color, Cooky would be the most intimidating BTS character. But, as it stands, he’ll have to settle for “cool.”
Despite the appearance, don’t underestimate this bunny. He’s had a tough childhood where other bunnies bullied him for a weak and timid body. So, this guy decided to hit the gym and build some muscle.
After building muscle mass, Cooky went into boxing and now packs a mean punch. I wouldn’t want to take a punch from this guy.
But, jokes aside, Cooky has become a symbol of “never give up” among BTS fans. His determination and resilience have inspired many around the globe.
6. Shooky
- Created By: Suga
Shooky the cookie is the leader of Crunchy Squad and the prankster of the BT21 group. He is a chocolate-filled cookie with a tough-guy exterior and represents Suga’s inner rapper.
Shooky is, as his catchphrase suggests, a tough cookie. He bluntly speaks his mind and can be sarcastic at times. However, he has a soft spot for the other BT21 members. In fact, the group brings out Shooky’s inner child who likes to play pranks using his superpower.
Yes, Shooky has a superpower. He can turn invisible at command. After turning invisible, he sneaks around scaring and pranking Tata, Mang, Chimmy, and everyone else.
But this tough cookie has a well-founded fear of his own. It’s quite easy to guess too. Shooky the cookie is afraid of “milk.”
7. Mang
- Created By: J-Hope
J-Hope’s character, Mang, is the mysterious one of the group. No one knows what he really is.
Mang has a purple body and wears a blue horse mask on his face that has a pink, heart-shaped nose and a long blue mane on the back. So, even though many believe Mang is a horse, no one knows for sure.
But what is 100% certain is that Mang is full of positive energy and confidence. Whatever he does, he does so with complete self-confidence, and he lifts others around him as well.
Mang is the best dancer in the group, and he’s also very passionate about music. To find inspiration for new dance moves, Mang flies around the world and explores different dance styles.
Flying around is easy for Mang because he has the superpower of flight.
8. Van
- Created By: BTS
Last but not least is a new BTS cartoon character called Van.
Van represents the BTS A.R.M.Y as the protector of the other 7 BT21 characters. He is a robot who has the ability to transform into anything the other BT21 characters need. Van can become a submarine or a helicopter, or even a spaceship.
Acting as their confidant and protector, Van is the one who helps others navigate through life as they embark on new adventures.
The band really did a great job of creating a character that aptly represents the BTS A.R.M.Y- one of the best and biggest fan bases in the world.
That’s all the BTS cartoon characters, their backstories, and their superpowers.
Looking at the popularity that these characters have amassed over the years proves that the branding strategy was a huge success. Maybe we’ll get more cuties in the coming years, but for now, these should be enough.
