Badtz-Maru, a male penguin character created by Sanrio designer Hisato Inoue in 1993, was born on April 1st in Oahu, Hawaii. His name combines Japanese wordplay: "Badtz" (batsu) meaning "X" (wrong) and "Maru" meaning "O" (correct), reflecting his mischievous yet good-hearted duality—often symbolized by an "XO" motif. Physically, he sports black feathers (dark blue in some media) and spiky hair, frequently depicted pulling one eye down while sticking out his tongue. He lives in Gorgeous Town with his family: a bespectacled, apron-wearing pink penguin mother; a blue penguin father who leads a gang but enjoys pinball; younger twin siblings (the Badtz Twins); and Tsunko, his pink penguin sister born April 2nd, who dons a nurse’s uniform. His pet alligator is named Pochi. Badtz-Maru’s personality merges mischief and ambition. Described as "a bit selfish" and prone to "fight for the wrong side," he collects photos of movie villains and savors expensive sushi in Ginza. Despite his perpetual first-grade appearance, he dreams of becoming "the boss of everything." Though rebellious and prank-prone, his good heart often guides him to positive outcomes. He leads the "XO Clan" with best friends Pandaba, a rap-loving giant panda, and Hana-Maru (Good Hana-Maru), a gentle white seal. His wider circle includes Kahme (blue turtle), Iruka (white dolphin), Sameo (blue shark), Goro (white bird), Anko (black angler fish), and Kobun (his father’s henchman). Romantic tension exists with Kuromi, another mischievous Sanrio character. Since 2020, he has sung for the band Hapidanbui alongside Tuxedo Sam, Keroppi, Pochacco, Hangyodon, and Pekkle. Media appearances span 1990s OVAs (*Bad Badtz-Maru no Ore no Pochi wa Sekaiichi*), *Hello Kitty's Animation Theater* (e.g., as Shepherd Boy), *Hello Kitty Stump Village*, and *The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends*—where his selfishness causes trouble but his good heart prevails, including rivalry with Dear Daniel. In *Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures*, he runs the "XO Arcade," excels as a gamer, befriends Keroppi, and harbors a crush on Kuromi. Merchandise launched in June 1993. Though less prolific than Hello Kitty, he remains globally iconic, appearing on items from stationery to electronics. Adaptations cast him as an astronaut, motorcyclist, DJ, basketball player (2006 FIBA World Championship mascot in Japan), and boxer. Sanrio’s annual rankings place him 1st in 1996, consistently top 10 through the 1990s/early 2000s, and between 10th–20th recently (10th in 2023, 13th in 2024, 11th in 2025), with stronger international popularity in the U.S., Brazil, and Taiwan.