Bad Badtz-Maru, is a bad boy with a heart! This mischievous black penguin from Sanrio dreams of ruling the world someday. Badtz-Maru may try to act like a baddie, but he’s really just a softie at heart. Born to a family of gangsters, he’s expected to be tough, but that doesn’t mean he doesn't love his friends like Hangyodon, Kuromi, Pochacco, and everyone else!
- Japanese name: バッドばつ丸 (pronounced Bad-do Bat-tsu Maru)
- Birthday: April 1st (April Fools Day)
- Zodiac sign: Aries
- Gender: Male
- Species: Penguin
- Favorite Food: Expensive Ginza Sushi
- Hobbies: Collecting photos of villainous movie stars
- Skills: Pretending to play the piano for his home tutor
- Fun fact: Bad Badtz-Maru actually dreams of becoming president!
WHAT ANIMAL IS BAD BADTZ-MARU?
We all know he is one major cutie but just what kind of animal is Bad Badtz-Maru? A lot of people ask - is Bad Badtz-Maru a penguin? And the answer to that question is a big yes!
This spiky-haired, grumpy little creature that walks on two feet is a flightless bird, believe it or not.
Leave me alone! Don't stare! Baka!
Don't let his punk-rock hairstyle fool you – this bad boy’s nothing but a cuddly kawaii penguin! Just make sure to not let him hear you say that!
WHAT IS BAD BADTZ-MARU IN JAPANESE?
Did you know that in Japanese, "bad badtz-maru" translates to "wrong-correct," in English? It really reflects our little bad boy's naughty yet kind-hearted character! Badtz-Maru might do things wrong sometimes, but he always comes through and corrects his mistakes in the end!
HOW OLD IS BAD BADTZ-MARU?
Despite his youthful appearance, Bad Badtz-Maru is already 30 years old! Guess that comes with being a rebellious bad boy – he can even rebel against time! Badtz-Maru still looks so young even though he was born on April 1st in Hawaii. He first made his debut in the year 1993. That makes April Fool’s Day in 2023 his 30th anniversary!
WHO CREATED BAD BADTZ-MARU?
Badtz-Maru was created by Sanrio. He was designed by Hisato Inoue, a Sanrio designer known for making other Sanrio cuties we all know and love, like Hangyodon. Bad Badtz-Maru was brought to life in 1993 before Hisato went off to become a freelancer. Bad Badtz Maru’s design was then taken over by Kaori Harada sometime around 1995. If you'd like to learn more about where this bad boy penguuin came from, you can check out our full Sanrio blog!
WHAT IS BAD BADTZ-MARU'S PERSONALITY?
Now, let's plunge into the icy depths of this cool character's personality. One of the most alluring aspects of Badtz-Maru is his personality. He's got a penchant for being a little mischievous, to say the least.
We love naughtiness and mischief!
He's not your typical happy-go-lucky Sanrio character – he's a bit of a rebel and has a grumpy face to match, but that just adds to his charm, right?
BAD BADTZ-MARU'S BUDDIES & FAMILY
While most people might assume that Badtz-Maru works on his own like a lone wolf, this rebellious cutie actually has a lot of friends and family that he loves. Like him, they’re as tough as nails especially his friends, Pandaba and Hana-Maru. Let’s get to know the other cute baddies that surround everyone’s favorite Sanrio rebel!
Hana-Maru (グッドはな丸)
Bad Badtz-Maru’s complete opposite and ultimate best friend, Hana-Maru is a seal who’s always friendly. His hobbies include ball acrobatics and when he’s not doing that he’s tending to his flowers. He's part of the XO clan, Badtz-Maru's special gang. XO is a play on the Japanese words badtsu (which translates to X) and maru (which translates to circle or O).
Pandaba (伊集院パンダバ)
The second member of XO clan, Pandaba is a giant panda who likes to end her sentences with “daba”. She likes to listen to rap music and is the best speed-eater in the Sanrio universe. Her twisted personality lets her fit perfectly in Bad Badtz Maru’s rebellious group.
Pochi (ポチ)
No animal would suit our bad boy penguin than a scary alligator. Pochi is a mighty chomper that loves nothing more than going on long walks with Bad Badtz-Maru and eating grilled fish. His laid-back and carefree personality makes him the perfect pet!
Mama (ママ)
Mama is a pink penguin who normally wears glasses and an apron. But don’t let her motherly looks fool you, she’s the strongest member of the family! Like all mothers, she can be a bit of a hothead, especially when you have a naughty boy like Badtz-Maru.
Papa (パパ)
Papa is a blue intimidating penguin who also happens to be Badtz-Maru’s father. He is the leader of an unnamed gang but when he’s not being a boss, he likes to play pachinko! This gangster boss even has a pachinko in the basement of their house. Despite his macho exterior, Mama is actually a lot stronger than him!
Tsunko (バッドつん子)
Tsunko is Bad Badtz-Maru’s younger sister, who likes to dress as a nurse. Despite being younger, she’s just as cheeky as Badtz-Maru. Born in April 2nd, she celebrates her birthday just after her big brother! She attended a prestigious boarding school in Oahu, Hawaii but doesn’t stop her from playing pranks! Her hobbies include taking ballet lessons, so she has the habit of striking a ballet pose whenever she talks. This pink penguin enjoys writing in her diary and she also had a duet with Badtz-Maru in the album, Sanrio Character to Odorou! Dance Song.
Badtz Twins (バッドツインズ)
The Badtz-Twins are Badtz-Maru’s devilish younger siblings. These black penguins look almost identical but the one with three hairs on its head is a boy and the other is a girl. They can usually be found playing pranks on people by body-switching. When they’re not running away from trouble, you can catch them recording mimicry shows so they can study it later.
Kahme (はなたれカメ)
Kahme is a tiny blue turtle that lives in Gorgeoustown along with Bad Badtz-Maru and his other friends. This kawaii turtle seems cool and quick-witted but he also likes to shut himself away in his shell when he’s in a bad mood. A romantic at heart, his hobbies include writing poetry.
Iruka (蘇我イルカ)
Iruka is a white dolphin who dreams of becoming the mayor of Gorgeoustown. A big know-it-all, he enjoys showing off his higher intellect, especially to Bad Badtz-Maru. He’s read over 1000 encyclopedias and has an IQ of over 200, such a big smarty pants!
Sameo (小川サメオ)
Sameo is a blue shark that lives on the riverside of Gorgeoustown. He has the letter S on his chest and oddly stands upright. This kawaii shark is no threat at all! In fact, he’s a bit air-headed but he makes up for it with his huge heart and loving personality. His hobby includes reading manga and anime. However, he doesn’t like reading his textbooks!
Goro (野垣ゴロ)
This white bird is a huge flirt! Goro is loved by lots of girls for his money, looks, and sweet talk. He even managed to capture the heart of Bad Badtz-Maru’s bestfriend, Pandaba! His hobby is planting roses and he dreams of one day becoming the best sommelier in the world.
Anko (餅月あんこ)
Anko is a mysterious black angler fish living somewhere on the south side of the Sanrio universe. The light dangling from her head changes color according to her mood. No one knows where she really came from but Sameo still has a huge crush on her, regardless. Too bad she doesn’t notice.
WHO HAS A CRUSH ON BAD BADTZ-MARU?
It seems obvious that the one who’d like this grumpy penguin is none other than a fellow rebel, Kuromi! These mischievous cuties seem to be a match made in heaven… or maybe hell? Who knows what kinds of devilish and mischievous acts these two might get into if they actually get together! It certainly spells trouble for the rest of the characters living in the Sanrio Universe. Learn more about them in our Complete List of Sanrio Characters!
HAPIDANBUI: THE BAD BOY IN A BOY BAND
Being a rockstar just ties in Bad Badtz Maru’s bad-boy persona! He’s a part of a boy band called Hapidanbui composed of 6 awesome Sanrio cuties - Tuxedosam, Hangyodon, Pochacco, Keroppi, and Pekkle!
Dream BIG and live life to the fullest!
Sometimes these cuties from the Hapidanbui give out concerts, sometimes they just hang around. They're pretty popular rockstars in the kawaii world!
Their goal? Spread the important message “It’s okay! You’re still you, I’m sure it will work.” It just goes to show how much of a softie our baddie is! He loves making everyone feel better. You can read more about Badtz-Maru's exploits with his boys in our complete Hapidanbui blog!
BAD BADTZ-MARU IN PUROLAND
Did you know in Sanrio Puroland, Bad Badtz-Maru once had his own black-themed restaurant? You weren’t even allowed to enter if you weren’t wearing black.
I'm only wearing black until they make something darker.
It opened on his birthday in 2018 alongside the release of a special Bad Batz-Maru perfume. The restaurant was a big hit!
This popular penguin doesn’t just stop there. There’s no doubt that Bad Batz-Maru is one huge heartthrob, he’s not just a rockstar, he’s an actor too! He made an appearance at a musical in Sanrio Puroland that is a mix of the kawaii and the kabuki! This popular baddie also features in the Sanrio indoor amusement park alongside all his other friends!
HOW POPULAR IS BAD BADTZ-MARU?
Despite not being as popular as Hello Kitty, Bad Badtz-Maru is still one loved character. The rebellious penguin actually came in 1st place in the Sanrio Popularity Ranking in 1996. He then came in 12th for the poll in 2022. This ambitious cutie didn’t stop there, in 2023, Badtz-Maru went up two ranks and came in 10th! It won’t be long till he reclaims his number 1 spot!
THE SPOTLIGHT ON BAD BADTZ-MARU
If you’re looking for a cute show where you can see our resident baddie, then look no further than Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Adventures! This fun animated show showcases Hello Kitty and her friends (including Bad Badtz-Maru) in one kawaii season on YouTube. That’s not all, Badtz-Maru is also in the classic Sanrio TV series, Kitty’s Paradise! Though he was not the main character, he used to appear in the show from time to time.
Bad Badtz-Maru isn’t just an actor or rockstar, he’s a comedian too! In the spring of 2021, he released a comedy show with Pompompurin. It’s full of different musical numbers, slapstick comedy, and the hilarious dynamic between these two Sanrio cuties! The show was definitely a riot!
BADTZ-MARU IS A CHAMPION MASCOT!
There’s no surprise that Bad Badtz-Maru is one popular penguin! Everyone can’t seem to get enough of him. Did you know that he’s not just popular with kawaii lovers but to sports lovers as well? This cool bird was the official mascot 2006 FIBA World Championship of basketball. He even came to the game all dressed up as a player!
PLAYING BADTZ-MARU VIDEOGAMES
There are lots of Sanrio video games in which Bad Badtz-Maru is a playable character such as “Hello Kitty Kruisers with Sanrio friends.” Another fun game you can play that features not just Badtz-Maru but the whole Hapidanbui band is “Hello Kitty Island Adventure.” This kawaii life simulator was created by Sanrio in 2023. You get to create your own character and help our Sanrio friends bring back an amusement park to life!
Badtz-Maru also has his own video game where he takes center stage. “Bad Badtz-Maru: Robo Battle” can be used in a Game Boy. The game centers on Badtz Maru where he competes in an event in Gorgeous Town called Gorgeous-Hai Robo Battle Tournament. He battles the XO clan to strengthen their robots and win the tournament!
BADTZ-MARU COLLABORATIONS
Everyone wants to work with Badtz-Maru! Not only does he have collabs with the popular anime Yu Yu Hakusho for merch and stationery but he also has his own donuts with the cafe Floresta and rings from the jeweler Clover! He even has his own clothing collab with Pedz!
Being the rebel penguin that he is, it comes as no surprise that Badtz-Maru would take up a cool hobby like skateboarding. Teaming up together with Girl Arcades, Badtz-Maru has his own line of kawaii skateboards with different designs. How cool is that?!
HOW TO DRAW BAD BADTZ-MARU
Badtz-Maru is so cool, all the kawaii artists want to sketch him. Luckily, it doesn't take that much time to learn how to draw Bad Badtz-Maru. Take out your pencils, some paper, and follow this quick tutorial on drawing Badtz-Maru. We promise it won't take that long to become a pro at drawing this cute baddie!
LOUNGING IN BAD BADTZ-MARU CAFES
Ever the helpful penguin (as much as he doesn’t like to admit it), Bad Badtz-Maru likes to help out. He even comes along to the Gudetama cafe’ in Osaka! There are so many Badtz-Maru-inspired drinks and sweet treats to choose from! This collaboration didn’t stop just in Japan, it also had a pop-up cafe hosted in Singapore.
LET'S HOARD BADTZ-MARU GOODIES!
With a character like Bad Badtz-Maru, it’s hard not to show your love! Luckily, many people seem to love him too! There are so many ways you can showcase your Badtz-Maru inner fan! From Bad Badtz-Maru clothes to Bad Badtz-Maru plush toys to Bad Badtz stationery. While these goodies can be found mostly in Japan, we've got them all right here on Blippo! Our shop has got you covered for all your Bad Badtz-Maru collection needs!
So that’s it, you have everything you need to know about our resident bad boy; Badtz-Maru! He might be a rebel, but he's our rebel. This Sanrio penguin's mischievous and charming personality is something we’ve all grown to love.
What do you like the best about Bad Badtz-Maru? Let us know in the comment section below! We hope you enjoyed our look into the “not-so-nice” Sanrio cutie. Remember to keep cool and stay sweet on the inside, just like Bad Badtz-Maru.
He’s so adorable and cool!! I love this little penguin 🥺
Ennie on