<p>A novel star-shaped auxetic metamaterial, inspired by the cross-sectional structure of octopus arms, is introduced in this study. The structure is fabricated using Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing with a thermoset resin, combining high-resolution additive manufacturing with robust material properties. Using a combination of DLP fabrication, experimental compression testing, and finite element simulations, the mechanical behavior of the metamaterial was systematically investigated. To assess mechanical performance, parametric studies were conducted on different internal X angles and fillet radii, analyzing their influence on stiffness, energy absorption, stress profiles, and force-displacement characteristics. The deformed shapes, stress, and strain distributions observed experimentally and numerically were consistent, highlighting the unique mechanical response of the material. Stress and strain contours highlighted maximum stress localization at sharp edges between cells, aligning with areas experiencing the highest strain. Results reveal that decreasing the X angle enhances energy absorption by up to 65.7%, through the improvement of both stiffness and maximum force. Although the stiffness is only slightly affected, further increasing the fillet radius beyond 0.11&#xa0;mm results in significant improvements in both maximum force by almost 15% and energy absorption by almost 22%. The proposed star-shaped design offers a practical strategy for spatially tailoring mechanical properties, making it highly suitable for applications such as chest protectors.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>