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BTS has several partnerships with companies such as Starbucks, FILA, and Samsung. The group even created characters with the LINE Friends Corporation, calling the collection “BT21.”

Which BTS member created the blue koala named Koya? Here’s what we know about one of the eight adorable BT21 creatures.

Jungkook, V, Suga, Jin, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of music group BTS attend the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Jungkook, V, Suga, Jin, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of music group BTS attend the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Koya is 1 of BTS’ BT21 characters

Yes, the BTS members are award-winning performers. They also have chances to be creative, especially when it comes to their merchandise. A few years after their debut, this boy band collaborated with LINE Friends to create eight “BT21” characters.

These characters then appeared on headbands, pencils, golf balls, and backpacks. They took the form of pillows, plush, lamps, and everything in between. Some BTS members even talked about the creative process behind the characters.

Which BTS member created Koya?

He’s the leader and one of the rappers and songwriters for BTS. RM’s BT21 character is the blue koala named Koya. BTS Fandom describes Koya as the “brilliant, multi-talented and the sleeping cutie of the group.”

This character also has removable ears and a purple nose. (Purple holds a special meaning for BTS fans, with V often using purple instead of the word “love.”)

“Actually, I wanted to make one that is either very unique or extremely cute, though I think I shouldn’t insist on my taste too much,” RM said while creating his character in 2017, according to a translation. “Maybe it would be much better to commit everything to make it cute.”

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The Meanings Behind the BTS Character Merch — And Where the Buy the BT21 Merch

The BTS members each created a BT21 character

RM isn’t the only member who created a character. Chimmy, a puppy dressed in yellow, is Jimin’s “cutie, lovely” character. Jin’s character is an alpaca named RJ, who often wears a parka because he gets cold quickly. 

Jungkook’s named character, Cooky, is a spunky pink rabbit. Suga’s character, Shooky, is a brown circle figure and best friends with Jungkook’s character. One character, a gray and white figure named Van, represents the BTS ARMY.

The BTS members often notice fans who wear BT21 merch. When BTS was performing live, one fan close to the stage wore a headband with J-Hope’s BT21 character. As a result, J-Hope personally handed the ARMY his bag. 

In a video posted after the performance, J-Hope said that he noticed how much she was cheering for him and it was a way to celebrate their last day in America. Some of the BTS members even have merch with these characters, including Jungkook who has a toiletries bag with his character, Cooky, across the front.

The “Dynamite” music video is now available on YouTube. Music by BTS, including their recently released album, Map of the Soul: 7, is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major platforms.