U+2605 · Other symbol
HTML entity
★
LaTeX
\bigstar
Black Star Symbol ★
★ is black star. Write it in HTML as ★ or paste the character directly. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Other symbol.
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2605 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ★ | |
| HTML decimal | ★ | |
| CSS | \2605 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2605} | |
| Python | \U00002605 | |
| Java / C# | \u2605 | |
| Rust | \u{2605} | |
| Swift | \u{2605} | |
| PHP | \u{2605} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%98%85 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 98 85 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2605 | |
| Base64 | 4piF | |
| Decimal | 9733 | |
| HTML entity | ★ | |
| LaTeX | \bigstar | |
| Category | Other symbol (So) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 1.1 | |
Will ★ survive being pasted?
- Normalisation. Yes. ★ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
- Legacy encodings. ★ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
- Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.
Unicode cross-references
The standard points readers of ★ at these characters — usually because they look alike, or because one is the correct choice where the other is often used by mistake.
Other star characters
Unicode names 6 characters ending in “star”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.
Nearby in Miscellaneous Symbols
A broad block covering weather, astrology, chess, music, religion and warning signs. Many members also have an emoji presentation, which is why the same character can look monochrome in one app and full-colour in another.
How to type ★
| Windows | Type 2605 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “black star” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2605, press Enter |
| HTML | ★ |
About Unicode’s Other symbol category
Unicode files this under "other symbol" — the catch-all for pictographs, signs and marks that are neither maths, currency, nor letter-like. It is the largest symbol category in the standard.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I type the ★ black star symbol?
- On Windows, type 2605 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2605. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ★?
- Black Star is U+2605, written in HTML as ★ and in LaTeX as \bigstar. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ★?
- Black Star is filed under Other symbol in the Miscellaneous Symbols block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode files this under "other symbol" — the catch-all for pictographs, signs and marks that are neither maths, currency, nor letter-like. It is the largest symbol category in the standard.