Vietnamese cartoon characters you should know

The Vietnamese cartoon characters most worth knowing are drawn from folk tales and classic stories: Dế Mèn the cricket, Thánh Gióng the boy-giant, Tấm from Tấm Cám, Chú Cuội on the moon, and the clever Trạng Quỳnh. Add a few comic and internet favorites, and you'll recognize the faces that show up again and again in Vietnamese animation and pop culture.

Here's a quick who's who.

Dế Mèn

Dế Mèn is the cricket hero of Dế Mèn phiêu lưu ký, a beloved children's novel by Tô Hoài. He starts out strong and arrogant, makes a terrible mistake that costs a friend dearly, and grows up through his adventures. He's a symbol of youthful pride learning humility, and he's been drawn and animated many times.

Thánh Gióng

Thánh Gióng is a legendary hero who, according to the tale, couldn't speak or walk as a small child but grew into a giant to fight invaders. Riding an iron horse and wielding uprooted bamboo, he saves the country, then rides up into the sky. He represents courage and patriotism and is honored at the Gióng festival.

Tấm and Cám

Tấm is the kind, hardworking heroine of Tấm Cám, and Cám is her spoiled stepsister. The story is often compared to Cinderella, but it's much darker and full of transformations: Tấm returns as a bird, a tree and a fruit before she's restored. A fairy figure called Bụt helps her.

Chú Cuội and Chị Hằng

Chú Cuội is the man who sits under a banyan tree on the moon. In the legend, his magical tree floats up to the sky and takes him with it. Chị Hằng (Hằng Nga) is the moon lady. Both are central to the Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu), and they appear in children's songs, lantern designs and cartoons every autumn.

Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh

Sơn Tinh, the mountain god, and Thủy Tinh, the water god, compete to marry a king's daughter. Sơn Tinh wins, and Thủy Tinh's annual rage is said to explain the flooding season. They often appear together as a dramatic pair.

Trạng Quỳnh

Trạng Quỳnh is a witty scholar from Vietnamese folk humor who outsmarts kings, lords and pompous officials with clever tricks and wordplay. His stories have been turned into comics and adaptations, and he's the Vietnamese archetype of the smart trickster.

Sọ Dừa

Sọ Dừa, "Coconut Skull," is a boy born without arms or legs, shaped like a coconut. Underneath, he's a talented young man who wins the love of a kind daughter. The story teaches not to judge by appearances.

Lê Tí and friends

Thần đồng Đất Việt ("Vietnamese Child Prodigy") is a long-running Vietnamese comic series that started in the early 2000s. Its hero, Lê Tí, a clever boy, and his friends Sửu Ẹo, Dần Béo and Cả Mẹo have entertained a generation of readers. The series mixes history, folk tales and humor.

Thỏ Bảy Màu

Thỏ Bảy Màu ("Seven-Color Rabbit") is a simply drawn webcomic rabbit created by Vietnamese artist Huỳnh Thái Ngọc. Known for deadpan, often sarcastic humor, he became a popular meme character on Vietnamese social media.

Bụt

Bụt is a kindly old figure who appears in many folk tales, often as a helper to the good-hearted. He usually shows up when a hero cries, asks "Why are you crying?" and helps make things right. For many Vietnamese children, Bụt is the classic fairy godparent.

Four new faces: the Duma Meow cats

My cartoon, Duma Meow, adds four original characters of its own. They're four cats with distinct personalities:

Maelis: deadpan, unbothered by everything
Corin: flustered, always one step behind
Seraph: the wildcard who might do anything
Luna: always prepared, with the line "Lúc nào cũng sẵn sàng" (Always ready)

They're not part of Vietnamese folklore, but they speak Vietnamese and play with internet formats like side-eye, expanding brain and "this is fine." You can find them on the Voiceover with jimwest405 channel, and there's a full introduction in meet Duma Meow.

Why these characters matter

Many Vietnamese stories teach a clear value: kindness (Tấm), courage (Thánh Gióng), humility (Dế Mèn), wit (Trạng Quỳnh) or looking past appearances (Sọ Dừa). Knowing these characters helps you understand jokes, references and festival traditions, not only cartoons.

For more viewing ideas, see Vietnamese cartoons: where to start.

If you're starting with only one, choose Chú Cuội, since you'll see him on lanterns and in songs every Mid-Autumn Festival.