Hey everyone! Ever wonder what goes on in the heads of those Minecraft characters staring back at you from the trailers? Me too! Sadly Google didn't have much so I dove into the trailers and animations, and here's what I came up with for our character crew.
Starting with what I call the "core group" due to them being very interconnected:
Steve: Our trusty Steve, the classic Minecraft avatar, seems to be the knowledge bank of the group. He's got a redstone-powered base (shared with Alex it seems) and loves tinkering with books (even using them as keys for fancy redstone doors!). While well-rounded, Steve's combat skills seem a bit...rusty. He often finds himself in pickles, leaving Alex to save the day. He seems to have also lost some of his netherite gear from 1.16. Still, he can definitely hold his own when needed.
Alex: Once the new kid on the block, Alex is now Steve's right-hand woman. She's a total boss, rocking combat skills but also brains, helping Steve with redstone projects and even taking charge with some. They seem to share a base and are the most geared-up adventurers, sporting a few pieces of netherite armor. Alex seems to have kept her full set while Steve lost some. Alex rides a camel, but otherwise tackles challenges solo or with Steve. Both are jacks of all trades, using various features without a clear favorite (except Alex's love for camels, of course!).
Efe: The adventurous spirit of the group, Efe has a knack for exploring the less-used features. We see her using a spyglass, hunting for a trident, rocking the Frost Walker enchantment, and riding pigs (because who needs horses or camels?). While not fearless, Efe's more willing to take risks to get what she wants. She might share a cozy house with a fire pit (the group hangout) with Sunny, but that's unconfirmed.
Sunny: The chill rancher and fisherman, Sunny's all about raising camels and spending quality time fishing. He seems to take a calmer approach, rarely putting himself in danger on purpose (except when it comes to rescuing chickens from ancient cities). Sunny's a friendly dude, very easygoing (and a personal favorite along with Efe). He might have a small house with a fire pit (the group hangout) that he shares with Efe, but that's still up in the air.
Noor: Completing the core group, Noor's another animal lover. He's befriended tadpoles, frogs, allays, and a whole pack of wolves! While Sunny's the rancher/fisherman, Noor seems more like a pet collector (gotta catch 'em all!). He enjoys fishing too, but not quite as much as Sunny. Noor's the only one without a clear partner – when the group splits, Alex and Steve stick together, as do Efe and Sunny, but Noor goes his own way.
Ari: A bit on the shy side, Ari prefers hiding behind objects to charging into the action. She seems fascinated by archaeology, frequently seen with brushes and hanging out in deserts. The only other character she actively interacts with is Noor, as they've been seen mining together. Despite her curiosity and adventurous spirit, Ari might be shy or just enjoy some alone time.
Makenna: Seems to have gotten the short end of the stick, screen time-wise. We see her farming with Kai, and that's pretty much it. Not much else is known about her, except for using an elytra once. Hopefully, Mojang gives her a chance to shine in the future!
Zuri: Another character who deserves more love! Zuri's a super friendly and talented builder, but we only see him hanging out with Sunny once, with brief interactions with the others. Alex visits him and his sniffers after a battle, so he's making friends! I do hope he gets more time to bond with the others though. He loves building, sniffers, camels, and pandas, and seems drawn to peaceful biomes like cherry groves and bamboo forests. His main base is in a Cherry Grove, with a possible mini-base in the bamboo jungle (though that might not be official).
Kai: Last but sadly least, Kai farms with Makenna. And...that's it. From some images, she seems to have a silly side, mimicking an evoker's outfit, but I am not sure if this is official. If so that makes her the only one other than Steve and Alex to use non-iron gear. There's also a hint she might be a builder who likes cherry wood like Zuri. Here's hoping they become friends if Mojang fleshes out her character more!
That is what I was able to find for each of them, they are all very similar though. It is almost like these are just skins that are meant to not have a personality and just be an avatar for the player... Nah. My personal favourites are Efe and Sunny, I love the laid back aditude of Sunny and the off beat fun experimentation of Efe. If I missed anything please let me know!