Who is Esther in XO, Kitty season 2? Character explored

In addition to featuring many familiar faces from the previous season, XO, Kitty season 2 introduced several new characters who added to the fun, warmth, friendship, and drama of the show. Stella, whose real name is Esther, stirred up the most drama.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for XO, Kitty season 2. Readers' discretion is advised.

Esther was introduced right at the beginning of XO, Kitty season 2 as Stella (played by Audrey Huynh), the new roommate of Kitty, Yuri, and Juliana. While the other characters thought of Esther as a well-meaning girl, it was revealed midway through the season that she was not quite what they had assumed.

In truth, she was concealing a big secret from everyone, her true identity. Esther, an aspiring K-pop artist, had experienced humiliation and rejection from Min Ho's father, Young Moon (the most prominent Talent Manager in Asia), which led her to scheme against him and his family.

After Young Moon criticized Esther for her appearance during a talent competition, making her a laughing stock, she decided to take matters into her own hands and seek revenge on Young Moon. To do this, she underwent plastic surgery to change her face, adopted the name Stella, and began attending KISS. She also got close to Min Ho, Young Moon's son.

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Esther and Stella are the same person in XO, Kitty season 2

In the XO, Kitty, season 2 Esther Shim is revealed to be the same person as Stella Cho. In the early episodes, the character played by Audrey Huynh is introduced as Stella, but it soon becomes clear that her real name is Esther.

Esther had faced harsh criticism from Young Moon during a K-pop star competition. His hurtful comments about her looks left her feeling devastated and undermined her confidence. Things took a turn for the worse when footage from the competition started circulating online, making her known as the girl who was humiliated by Young Moon.

Motivated by a desire to exact revenge for what she faced, she opted for facial surgery, rebranded herself as Stella and joined KISS, where Young Moon is scouting for talent who will get to be the opening act for his superstar son's tour.

As she gets closer to Min Ho (Young Moon's other son), she meticulously plots to bring down Young Moon and his family. She nearly succeeds in sabotaging the other performances during Moon's Young Talent Showcase, but Dae and Eunice manage to perform, thanks to their determination and the support of their loved ones.

That said, just before Esther can take the stage, her true identity is exposed, and security called on by Young Moon intervenes to escort her away. However, before she leaves, Young Moon sincerely apologizes for his past comments towards her and promises that he will do better next time.

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Other notable characters in XO, Kitty season 2, and the actors who play them

The primary and recurring cast of XO, Kitty season 2 comprises the following actors:

• Anna Cathcart as Katherine "Kitty" Song Covey
• Anthony Keyvan as Quincy "Q" Shabazian
• Choi Min-young as Dae-heon "Dae" Kim
• Sang Heon Lee as Min-ho Moon
• Gia Kim as Yuri Han
• Regan Aliyah as Juliana
• Philippe Lee as Young Moon
• Audrey Huynh as Esther Shim / Stella Cho
• Peter Thurnwald as Professor Alex Finnerty Lee
• Michael K. Lee as Professor Daniel Lee
• Yunjin Kim as Director Ji-na Lim
• Sasha Bhasin as Praveena Bhakti
• Ryu Han-bi as Eunice Kang
• Jocelyn Shelfo as Madison Miller
• Joshua Lee as Jin Lee
• Lee Sung-wook as Mr. Kim
• Sunny Oh as Mi-hee

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All eight episodes of XO, Kitty season 2 are currently streaming on Netflix.