Unicode 17.0 Released Includes New Emojis: Hairy Creature, Cartoonish Expression, Distorted Face, Trombone, Killer Whale, Treasure Chest, and Falling Debris

Version 17.0 of Unicode , the character encoding standard, was released on September 9, 2025. It adds 4,803 new characters, including four new characters and several emojis, bringing the total number of characters defined in the Unicode standard to 159,801.

The Unicode Blog: Unicode 17.0 Release Announcement
https://blog.unicode.org/2025/09/unicode-170-release-announcement.html

Unicode 17.0.0
https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode17.0.0/

Tomorrow's Emoji, Today: Unicode 17.0 Has Arrived
https://jenniferdaniel.substack.com/p/tomorrows-emoji-today-unicode-170

Unicode is updated annually, adding thousands of new characters, symbols, emojis, etc. The newly announced Unicode 17.0 adds the following four characters, bringing the total number of characters supported by the Unicode standard to 172.

・Beria Erfe
It is a script used by the Zaghawa community in Sudan and Chad in Central Africa, and a modern writing system was developed in 2000.

・Tolong Siki
An alphabet created for Kuruk speakers living in northern India and Bangladesh.

・Tai Yo
A traditional script used by the Tai You people of northern Vietnam.

・Sidetic
A historical script used in ancient Anatolia.

Several new emojis have also been added, including 'Hairy Creatures,' which evoke mythical creatures from various regions, such as the Yeti and Bigfoot.

'Distorted Face' has a silly, humorous feel.

A 'Trombone' emoji has also been added.

An 'Orca' emoji has also been added.

The 'Treasure Chest' emoji, which resembles a pirate's treasure hidden in a chest, is a motif often seen in various games and apps.

'Falling Debris' can be used to represent falling rocks or landslides, and it can also be used as an emoji to signify an ominous omen.

'Fight Cloud' is a motif used to express the scene of multiple people punching each other violently.