Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - THE MEMBERS (A-World)
Masterlist
This is fully focused on Ateez from the A-World since we don't yet have much backstory on the Black Pirates' individually (thus far, most of what I could gather on their shared history is largely speculation based on the Thanxx MV).
SIDE-NOTE: The majority of the A-World‘s members‘ backstory is easily found in their Diary Film which was released prior to the Inception MV. But for further details, look to the Fever Part 1 Diary Entries.
HONGJOONG
BACKSTORY
He comes from a troubled or at least not particularly close-knit family - they all moved away as he grew up, splitting up across the world and leaving him behind
When he was younger, before he met Ateez, he didn't have a dream and struggled to see the worth in life - he tried to please his parents with his grades but otherwise felt trapped in a pointless routine
After meeting Ateez (and bonding over a shared love for music and performing), he finally got a dream: to become a star and be seen by his family so he can reunite them
Until he achieves that though, he views his fellow Ateez members as his main family
Him, Seonghwa, and Yunho seem to have known each other the longest and were regularly performing in the streets as a trio
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He naturally took on the role as Captain since he was the first in their hideout and brought the rest of them together; additionally, he was also the one to be handed the Cromer by his alternate self
This role was likely also strengthened by Yunho who's been with him the longest alongside Seonghwa, and sees hints of his dead older brother in Hongjoong and thus tends to look to him for advice
In addition to his position as Captain, he'll also fulfill whichever other role is needed for their missions just like the rest of his crew
Frequently displayed character traits: passion, character strength, leadership, cleverness, caution, intuitivity, loyalty, bravery
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
He's lonely, missing his members who drifted apart after their permanent return to A-World
In order to ensure he won't forget their adventures, even as time keeps passing, he documented their shared journey on a blog which blew up in popularity, leading him to turn his entries into a full blown novel
Now, he's got it all: a best-selling book, a family who returned to him, fame, but alone in his room at night, he still feels empty
SEONGHWA
BACKSTORY
His outlook on music was permanently altered when he witnessed a girl with a 'Be Free' bracelet dance
He was part of the original Ateez trio alongside Yunho and Hongjoong
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
His unique connection to the 'Be Free' girl transcends realities and has allowed the fusion of the currently two biggest known revolutionary groups in the Z-World (see: Will - The World Ep. Fin Diary Entries)
As a result, I would describe his current role as a mediator between Ateez/The Black Pirates and Thunder since he's thus far been the most willing to extend good faith toward Thunder and learn about their backstory
Previously, like most other members, he simply took on whichever role was needed for the current mission
Frequently displayed character traits: intuitivity, kindness, trust, loyalty
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
After struggling majorly with anxiety and trying to cope with the trauma the Z-World inflicted on them, Seonghwa threw himself into his studies and later became a firefighter
There are fulfilling elements to saving people in this way, but he still can't forget their shared dream of making it in the music scene
He has yet to read Hongjoong's book, having kept it on his desk since its release
YUNHO
BACKSTORY
His older brother died in a car accident after giving up his dream of becoming a musician
As means of fulfilling his brother's dream post-mortem, Yunho wants to work alongside Ateez and establish a successful music career
Yunho admires Hongjoong as a person and artist but also feels he resembles his older brother which surely influenced how he originally viewed Hongjoong and why he's always looked to him for guidance
He, alongside Seonghwa, has also known Hongjoong the longest and used to be a street performer trio with them
Prior to his brother's accident, he spent a lot of time riding around on his motorcycle with a separate friend group
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He was the first to establish an emotional bond with Left-Eye, who is still one of their first and closest allies, when they bonded over their shared loss of a loved one and lingering survivors guilt (see: Fever Part 3 Diary Entries)
Other than that, he'll fulfill any role needed, such as utilizing his established ability to operate a motorcycle and whatever else is needed (though it does seem like all of Ateez have learned to drive pretty much any street vehicle since they've arrived in the Z-World)
Frequently displayed character traits: honesty, empathy, loyalty, bravery
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
He became disillusioned with their world, recognizing it as colder than the Z-World - people don't care about each other, just about themselves
After the situation with Ateez fell apart, he threw himself into archaeology, hoping to find another artifact like the Cromer which can reunite them for another adventure
YEOSANG
BACKSTORY:
He comes from a very strict household
His parents, especially his father, already planned out his entire life and filled his days to the brim with schedules, such as violin practice
As a result, he felt trapped his entire life (like a caged bird) to the point where he compared his upbringing to Strictland upon first arriving in the Z-World (see: Fever Part 2 Diary Entries)
His only escape was studying the inner workings of machines which is how he taught himself the basics of engineering and robotics
He was the last to join Ateez and got in by building them a drone upon their request
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He's in charge of controlling the surveillance butterflies seen in Will - The World Ep. Fin Diary Entries which tells me he's still their main tech-guy
This role is also highlighted in Guerrilla when we see him inside the surveillance van
Frequently displayed character traits: self-blame/guilt, self-sacrifice, loyalty, quick thinking, bravery
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
Yeosang recognized money as the biggest obstacle between Ateez and achieving their dream so he decided to tackle the problem head on
Reinventing himself, he‘s become a leader of the investment world - he keeps profit in mind but also invests in the arts on the side, even if that means losing money
He's the one who invested in Hongjoong's authorial debut
SAN
BACKSTORY:
He was forced to move around a lot growing up which left him lonely and isolated
Ateez were his first real friends and he was desperate to stay with them, even when his family already planned the next move
His strong longing for a fixed friend group also carries into his behavior and reflects in his emotional reactions to certain situations, i.e. his immense devastation when they first lost Yeosang and his outrage when he discovered Android Guardians burn prisoners' treasured memories to get high
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He has no set primary role, so he'll also simply execute whatever part of the mission is assigned to him, such as playing the decoy (see: Guerrilla)
Frequently displayed character traits: strong sense of justice, bravery, loyalty, empathy, sensitivity
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
San started his own business after Ateez drifted apart - a food truck - and ended up in Jeju where he gets to meet a lot of people as he prepares their food and watches them eat with their loved ones
Through their shared conversations, he quickly learned most never get to live out their dreams and wondered if it was time for him to accept he may be sharing the same fate
MINGI
BACKSTORY:
He grew up in poverty with no family left aside from his grandmother
He'd been suicidal since he was young which led him to build up walls that keep others from getting too close
However, he's known Wooyoung since elementary school and Wooyoung's persistence eventually wore Mingi down and they got closer
For quite some time, Wooyoung then was the only one who could make him laugh
Wooyoung was also the one who ultimately introduced him to the rest of Ateez (i.e. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Yunho)
After Ateez were eventually established as a group of eight, Mingi's grandmother got into an accident which made Mingi relapse and shut down since he felt he was no longer allowed to be happy with his grandmother so close to death
His resulting decision to fully depart from Ateez had him calling their formerly shared dreams meaningless, upon which Jongho became enraged enough to lash out and punch him but Yunho intervened before it could escalate further than that one punch
Mingi‘s mental well-being was brought up again when he overheard Left-Eye talk to the Grimes siblings about their lingering hope to fix the state of the Z-World because it led him to realize how powerful dancing could be and how much he'd been letting the past affect the way he sees the world (see: Fever Part 3 Diary Entries)
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He has no designated role, but did recently team up with childhood friend Wooyoung to go undercover as security guards at Prestige Academy during their mission (see: Outlaw - The World Ep. 2 Diary Entries)
He unfortunately also got traumatized during another mission when the Prestige Academy boy's brother died right in front of him and he was left to take out a bunch of Android Guardians by himself without time to process what he'd just witnessed (see: Will - The World Ep. Fin Diary Entries)
Frequently displayed character traits: bravery, quick thinking, empathy
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
Despite coming from a broken home, Mingi made it big by becoming a professional model for a fashion magazine working with high-end designers
His social media is flooded with adoring comments, his influence far reaching, but he still can’t help but get captivated by a group of boys busking on the side of the road
When he tries to distract himself from the memories, he comes across a video of Hongjoong reuniting with his family
WOOYOUNG
BACKSTORY:
He grew up alongside Mingi and wormed his way into Mingi's life despite the strong walls Mingi had put up
Whenever he feels shy, he'll laugh it off and when he's scared, he'll keep talking until it wears off
He doesn't mind being teased for his habits
He had a strong desire to be a performer but was dealing with intense stage fright until he met Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Yunho at a street performance
They quickly took him under his wing and helped him overcome his fear
Once he became a member of their group, he introduced Mingi who proceeded to join them as well
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
He has no set role but the injury he sustained during the first Android Guardian raid they experienced in the Z-World (see: Fever Part 2 Diary Entries) did lead to them finding out about Left Eye's existence which subsequently led them to connect with the Grimes siblings who were then the catalyst behind the establishment of Thunder (see: Will - The World Ep. Fin Diary Entries)
Frequently displayed character traits: nosiness/curiosity, playfulness, quick thinking, bravery, loyalty
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
Struggling with dread and anxiety after their return from Z-World, Wooyoung was desperate to get back on stage but couldn't see Ateez making it there after their many failed attempts to grab the public's attention
He became a flight attendant instead, making the plane his stage - their guests adore him
On his latest flight, Yunho and Mingi just so happen to be on the plane
JONGHO
BACKSTORY:
His original dream was to become a pro basketball player but a serious ankle injury shattered that dream and made him feel like his life was over
Meeting Ateez became his second big dream
When Mingi tried to walk away from all of them and called their dreams meaningless, Jongho felt betrayed, like his dream was being taken from him, so he lashed out - an incident he got reminded of again in the Fever Epilogue Diary Entries
ROLE IN Z-WORLD (FEVER/TREASURE/THE WORLD SERIES):
His trauma from his past as a basketball player is further explored in the Fever Part 2 and Part 3 Diary Entries but since then, he seems to have moved on and left it in the past
Like most of the other members, he has no set role and will fulfill necessary roles as needed
Frequently displayed character traits: bravery, commitment, quick thinking, loyalty
CURRENT ROLE (AFTER 3 YEAR TIME SKIP):
Jongho became a songwriter for an idol group after getting signed by a label who approached him after hearing a song he recorded with the Ateez members in the past
After breaking up a fight between the boys he now works with, he thinks back to his own argument with Mingi so long ago and gets lost in the memories
Putting on the song they recorded together so long ago, he cranks up the volume and feels the painful ache caused by the sound of their voices singing his song
