For the 25th anniversary of IntelliJ IDEA, one of JetBrains’ flagship products and the world’s leading development platforms, we were asked to create a new character to mark the moment.

Meet Runzo. Designed and animated from the ground up, his character is rooted in the IDE’s iconic Run button, the most prominent control in the interface. Built to live inside a modern developer ecosystem, Runzo carries the precision, confidence, and playful intelligence that define IntelliJ IDEA.

Jetbrains - IntelliJ IDEA

Client: Jetbrains
Year: 2026
Role: 3D Artist, 3D Animation

Pattern of black and white cartoon-style icons representing robots, computers, and media symbols on a green background.
Collection of neon green cartoon robot and character icons on a black background, including robots, triangles, and circles with various expressions and accessories.
Animated characters of video play buttons with various facial expressions and body language, including happy, surprised, upset, and excited.
A collage of animated, cartoon-style characters with triangular faces, engaging in various daily activities like working at a desk, exploring, cleaning, and drinking coffee, all depicted with simple line art on a green background.
Collection of neon green cartoon icons on a black background, including robots, light bulbs, video players, and geometric shapes.
Cartoon character with a triangular screen head displaying a smiling face, standing on a dark stage with a purple and blue background.
A digital storyboard with sketches and scenes from an animated project, showing various frames and expressions, including a neon 'Happy Birthday' message.
A 3D model of a cityscape with blocks and rectangular structures in shades of gray.
A neon green outline of a play button with a white computer cursor clicking on it.
A futuristic, neon-lit digital art scene featuring a robotic character with a triangular head, red heart-shaped eyes, and a smiling mouth. The robot is set against a background of glowing blue lines and brackets, creating a tunnel-like effect.
Series of animated images featuring a neon-outlined robot character in various futuristic digital environments, including treadmill, space station, and digital code background, with dynamic lighting and vibrant colors.
A digital collage of animated neon-style characters and scenes, including a light bulb, a play button with a face, and digital landscapes with grid patterns and glowing shapes.
A digital illustration of a spiral tunnel with a glowing, multicolored deep-space vortex effect, featuring a blue cursor shaped arrow pointing towards the center.
A computer screen displaying a 3D modeling software with a wireframe model of a vintage bicycle, various 3D objects and textures, along with a graph or animation timeline at the bottom.
Animation of an animated green person with a digital face, pulling beetles with fishing lines across a crosswalk near a street sign, with a streetlamp in the background.
Digital artwork of a treadmill with a warning message, surrounded by gym equipment and a dark, energetic background.

Credits

Creative Direction: Anastasiia Ibragimova, Benjamin Simon, Dirk Schuster, Tim Eiden

3D Artists: Anastasiia Ibragimova, Benjamin Simon, Dirk Schuster, Konstantin Twardzik, Lennart Hümmer, Martin Thul, Philipp Ludwig, Tim Eiden

3D Animation: Konstantin Twardzik, Martin Thul

Music Production & Sound FX: Peter Albertz aka Fonty Music