diff --git a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.spec.tsx b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.spec.tsx
index 7db3d41065..f531679254 100644
--- a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.spec.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { composeStories } from '@storybook/testing-react';
-import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import React from 'react';
 
 import * as stories from './Avatar.stories';
@@ -10,4 +10,10 @@ describe('[Avatar Component]', () => {
   it('renders without crashing', () => {
     render(<Default />);
   });
+
+  it('should render emoji avatar', () => {
+    render(<Default children='😄' />);
+
+    expect(screen.getAllByText('😄').length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.stories.tsx b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.stories.tsx
index 4bd9622e52..f44afe8744 100644
--- a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.stories.tsx
@@ -23,11 +23,19 @@ const sizes: (
   | 'x332'
 )[] = ['x16', 'x18', 'x28', 'x32', 'x36', 'x48', 'x124', 'x200', 'x332'];
 
+const wrapChildren = (children: React.ReactNode, size: number) =>
+  children ? <div style={{ fontSize: `${size}px` }}>{children}</div> : null;
+
 const Template: ComponentStory<typeof Avatar> = (args) => (
   <Margins all='x16'>
     {sizes.map((size, i) => (
       <Box display='inline-flex' verticalAlign='middle' key={i}>
-        <Avatar url={args.url} size={size} rounded={args.rounded} />
+        <Avatar
+          url={args.url}
+          size={size}
+          rounded={args.rounded}
+          children={wrapChildren(args.children, Number(size.substring(1)))}
+        />
       </Box>
     ))}
   </Margins>
@@ -47,14 +55,35 @@ Rounded.args = {
   rounded: true,
 };
 
+export const Emoji = Template.bind({});
+Emoji.args = {
+  children: '😀',
+  rounded: true,
+};
+
 const StackTemplate: ComponentStory<typeof Avatar> = (args) => (
   <Margins all='x16'>
     {sizes.map((size, i) => (
       <Box key={i}>
         <Avatar.Stack className={args.className}>
-          <Avatar url={args.url} size={size} rounded={args.rounded} />
-          <Avatar url={args.url} size={size} rounded={args.rounded} />
-          <Avatar url={args.url} size={size} rounded={args.rounded} />
+          <Avatar
+            url={args.url}
+            size={size}
+            rounded={args.rounded}
+            children={wrapChildren(args.children, Number(size.substring(1)))}
+          />
+          <Avatar
+            url={args.url}
+            size={size}
+            rounded={args.rounded}
+            children={wrapChildren(args.children, Number(size.substring(1)))}
+          />
+          <Avatar
+            url={args.url}
+            size={size}
+            rounded={args.rounded}
+            children={wrapChildren(args.children, Number(size.substring(1)))}
+          />
         </Avatar.Stack>
       </Box>
     ))}
@@ -71,3 +100,10 @@ StackRounded.args = {
   url: imgUrl,
   rounded: true,
 };
+
+export const StackWithEmoji = StackTemplate.bind({});
+StackWithEmoji.args = {
+  children: '😀',
+
+  rounded: true,
+};
diff --git a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
index 111262e6e2..3fc565e03c 100644
--- a/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
+++ b/packages/fuselage/src/components/Avatar/Avatar.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { DetailedHTMLProps, HTMLAttributes } from 'react';
+import type { DetailedHTMLProps, HTMLAttributes, ReactNode } from 'react';
 import React from 'react';
 import flattenChildren from 'react-keyed-flatten-children';
 
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ export type AvatarProps = {
   rounded?: boolean;
   objectFit?: boolean;
   url: string;
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  image?: string;
+  emojiClassname?: string;
 } & HTMLAttributes<HTMLElement>;
 
 export const Avatar = ({
@@ -29,6 +32,9 @@ export const Avatar = ({
   rounded = false,
   objectFit = false,
   url,
+  children,
+  image,
+  emojiClassname,
   ...props
 }: AvatarProps) => {
   props.className = prependClassName(
@@ -37,18 +43,30 @@ export const Avatar = ({
       .filter(Boolean)
       .join(' ')
   );
-  const innerClass = [
-    'rcx-avatar__element',
-    objectFit && 'rcx-avatar__element--object-fit',
-    size && `rcx-avatar__element--${size}`,
-    rounded && 'rcx-avatar__element--rounded',
-  ]
-    .filter(Boolean)
-    .join(' ');
+  const innerClass = prependClassName(
+    emojiClassname,
+    [
+      'rcx-avatar__element',
+      objectFit && 'rcx-avatar__element--object-fit',
+      size && `rcx-avatar__element--${size}`,
+      rounded && 'rcx-avatar__element--rounded',
+    ]
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .join(' ')
+  );
 
   return (
     <figure aria-label={title} {...props}>
-      <img src={`${url}`} className={`${innerClass}`} />
+      {children || image ? (
+        <span
+          className={`${innerClass}`}
+          style={image && image.length ? { backgroundImage: image } : undefined}
+        >
+          {children}
+        </span>
+      ) : (
+        <img src={`${url}`} className={`${innerClass}`} />
+      )}
     </figure>
   );
 };