Badtz-Maru

Badtz-Maru is a penguin. He is one of the few Sanrio characters that is marketed to both males and females. In Japanese "badtz" (batsu) is a term for "X", the cross signifying a wrong answer. "Maru" means circle or "O", and signifies a correct answer.

Thus, his name literally means "wrong-correct," and is frequently represented by "XO". Badtz-Maru has many different facial expressions and poses, but he is classically recognized for pulling one eye down and sticking out his tongue, a gesture akin to sticking out one's tongue. Badtz-Maru has gone through many product lines since his release at Sanrio.

While he has many fewer releases than Hello Kitty, he has been a staple character found in almost all stores worldwide. He has been portrayed as an astronaut, motorcyclist, DJ, camouflage monster, basketball player, boxer, and others. His products range from typical stationery supplies (e.g. pens, notebooks, erasers, pencil cases ...) to more novel items (e.g. CD players, guitars, license plate frames ...).

Badtz-Maru was the official mascot for the 2006 FIBA World Championship of basketball, which was held in Japan.