I rank 155 characters by visual design [ranking]

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Board 8 » I rank 155 characters by visual design [ranking]
Snake5555555555
03/19/2025
02:24 PM
#251
Yeah Aya is designed way better in PE1 & PE2
I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
If you're gonna scream, scream with me
Maniac64
03/19/2025
02:32 PM
#252
SuperbVEVO posted...
Yeah did she put those jeans through a woodchipper what the hell happened there?

Honestly I find the outfit atrocious enough that this would probably rank very low for me
Ditto.
"Hope is allowed to be stupid, unwise, and naive." ~Sir Chris
dowolf
03/19/2025
02:38 PM
#253
Yeah, Aya Brea has always struck me as oddly waifish compared to her role.
Nonsense. "Testing" is for when you're still guessing--and now, I have no need to guess. -- Agatha, Girl Genius
rwlh
03/19/2025
03:51 PM
#254
136. Nightwing (Batman)
AcireExists

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3d9025fc.jpg

When Dick Grayson grew out of his identity as Batmans sidekick Robin, he transitioned into the fully fledged superhero Nightwing. As Nightwing his costume has no frills whatsoever: its almost entirely black with a few blue stripes, including his eye mask, which flares up at the edges. Like any good male superhero costume, its skin tight, showing off Dicks buff musculature.

Not pictured are all the nifty tricks and gadgets Nightwing uses. In addition to his Escrima sticks, which he holds in the art, the costume houses grapple wire and gauntlets full of bombs, among other things. Clearly he learned from Bruce to always come to a fight prepared!

I had a hard time placing good old Dick Grayson. This is a design thats excellent at its intended, in-universe purpose (being stealthy and superheroic) but is very unexciting to look at in a vacuum. There isnt really anything too iconic about it, certainly not compared to DC icons like Batman or even a character like Green Lantern. But Dick would probably rather have it that way; he always struck me as the practical sort.
MacArrowny
03/19/2025
04:06 PM
#255
where butt tho
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
rwlh
03/19/2025
04:19 PM
#257
Actually never mind, I should probably delete that
Xeybozn
03/19/2025
04:35 PM
#258
rwlh posted...
Like any good male superhero costume, its skin tight, showing off Dick
Heh heh
Congrats to 2020 GotD Guru champ azuarc!
Raka_Putra
03/19/2025
04:56 PM
#259
Well he's pretty recognizable at least.
God has heard my soul.
Maniac64
03/19/2025
05:04 PM
#260
Oh dang, Nightwing down already. That's the biggest surprise of the comic placements so far to me.

rwlh posted...
I had a hard time placing good old Dick Grayson. This is a design thats excellent at its intended, in-universe purpose (being stealthy and superheroic) but is very unexciting to look at in a vacuum.
Can't really argue with this but I do think it's a really cool looking simple design thag fits him perfectly.
"Hope is allowed to be stupid, unwise, and naive." ~Sir Chris
mcflubbin
03/19/2025
05:20 PM
#261
Dick, my beloved.

Maniac64 posted...
Oh dang, Nightwing down already. That's the biggest surprise of the comic placements so far to me.

rwlh posted...
I had a hard time placing good old Dick Grayson. This is a design thats excellent at its intended, in-universe purpose (being stealthy and superheroic) but is very unexciting to look at in a vacuum.
Can't really argue with this but I do think it's a really cool looking simple design that fits him perfectly.

I agree with all of this. Though now I wonder how the Discowing costume would have ranked.
It's not so impossible!
dowolf
03/19/2025
06:01 PM
#262
...*searches*

oh wow Discowing is fabulous .
Nonsense. "Testing" is for when you're still guessing--and now, I have no need to guess. -- Agatha, Girl Genius
rwlh
03/19/2025
09:17 PM
#263
135. Whos That Pokmon?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b8b5c374.jpg

Its

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-

-

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https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/418714ce.jpg

Delta Ludicolo (Pokmon Trading Card Game)
-hotdogturtle--

This Carefree Pokmon was nominated specifically as the trading card variant. The card itself has holographic properties, meaning its color changes depending on the angle you hold it at. No online images of Delta Ludicolo are the same as a result.

And thats cool, but likeI care more about Ludicolo than the fancy technical aspects of the card its on. I looked up Ludicolo. It likes to dance around cartoonishly. I would not have gotten that vibe from the trading card, where its sort of relaxing around. Thats not to say a Ludicolo cant chill every now and then, but it seems like the dancing is a big part of its identity.

The design itself is fine. Getting big traditional Mexican, old woman wrapped in a traditional blanket, wearing a sombrero vibes. My memory tricked me into picturing Ludicolo as more cactus-y than it actually is. I think cactus spines would improve the design, if only because I think cacti look cool.

I get that the nominator was going for a thing with the shifting colors, and maybe it wouldve landed more if Ludicolo itself changed with the variants, but its just its flames. There were several Pokmon nominationssurely the others will fare better?
Dedf1sh
03/19/2025
09:41 PM
#264
rwlh posted...
I get that the nominator was going for a thing with the shifting colors
Actually that wasn't my intention, I provided multiple pics because more literally I felt like there weren't any high quality photos due to the holo and I didn't want to misrepresent it. I was aiming more for "this is a Fire variant of a non-Fire Pokemon" to see how you'd react.
HDT
rwlh
03/19/2025
09:46 PM
#265
Oh I see. I don't know much about Pokmon types so I didn't think much of the distinction.
SuperbVEVO
03/19/2025
09:50 PM
#266
Loooove the Delta Species sets, honestly they should make a Pokmon game set on Holon one of these days.
Bane_Of_Despair
03/19/2025
09:50 PM
#267
They're pretty great in Pokemon Colosseum with Miror B
You were the cancer, that's all you'll ever be
I really messed up this contest, but azuarc gave it a Breath of fresh air
Raka_Putra
03/19/2025
10:23 PM
#268
Oh huh. I didn't know about the Delta species. It's interesting. Although Ludicolo looks like he's on fire instead of being a fire Pokemon IMHO. And I thought the fire was more like a representation of its aura rather than literal fire.

Also when I Googled it apparently there's also a Pokemon fangame called Pokemon Insurgence that has Delta Pokemon too - Pokemon with wholly different types and appearances.
God has heard my soul.
Prince46
03/19/2025
10:30 PM
#269
"Mire lombre, estoy todo hologrfico, parezco chaleco reflectante, lombreeeee!"
-hotdogturtle--
03/19/2025
10:32 PM
#270
rwlh posted...
Oh I see. I don't know much about Pokmon types so I didn't think much of the distinction.
That's alright, your 2nd and 3rd paragraphs did cover what I wanted to hear. Your point about chilling instead of dancing is 100% correct, because it is depicted as dancing in most media, even a lot of still artwork.

Raka_Putra posted...
Although Ludicolo looks like he's on fire instead of being a fire Pokemon IMHO.
That's what makes it so funny to me!
Hey man, LlamaGuy did encrypt the passwords.
With what? ROT-13? -CJayC
Chaeix
03/19/2025
11:03 PM
#271
rwlh posted...
The design itself is fine. Getting big traditional Mexican, old woman wrapped in a traditional blanket, wearing a sombrero vibes. My memory tricked me into picturing Ludicolo as more cactus-y than it actually is. I think cactus spines would improve the design, if only because I think cacti look cool.
it is a PINEAPPLE
we're all buds ~jc~
<DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs
UF8
03/20/2025
07:24 AM
#272
Chaeix posted...
it is a PINEAPPLE
honestly i often just assume it was mostly derived from palm trees, same as exeggutor (just different types of them), though also still with mexican+kappa influences (and the lilypad, carried over from the rest of the line, replacing the... branches? ferns? i think there's a word for it but i've blanked. update: fronds). i admit the pineapple concept is every bit as reasonable though. def a stronger link than cacti at least

one pretty good candidate for instance (which i totally didn't just find right now lol) is the japanese sago cycad, notable for generally having a very short and rounded trunk, and often an extended part of it above the fronds kinda like the top of ludicolo
rwlh
03/20/2025
07:17 PM
#273
134. Ico (ICO)
White_Wing

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a3c6c11d.jpg

Ico is the protagonist of the PlayStation 2 classic ICO. His character design has one notable feature: the big ol horns. The problem is that they appear to be part of Icos helmet, when they are intended to be literally atop his head. I actually wonder if getting rid of his helmet would make this aspect stand out more.

Clothing-wise Ico wears a red tunic, a blue-green poncho, gray leggings, bandages on his head and arms, and detached shackles on his wrists. This kids seen some stuff for sure. In the game his horns are seen as unlucky, and hes taken to a castle and left to die (harsh!).

Ive always been curious about this game and reading about it makes it seem like a special experience. Icos design is pretty basic but still manages to be somewhat evocative of the games storybook atmosphere. I think if you tweak up the horn/helmet situation, youd have a more solid design.
rwlh
03/20/2025
07:58 PM
#274
133. Sthertoth, God of Chaos (Bomberman 64: The Second Attack!)
@Disillusion

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/03f47fbf.jpg

Ah yes, my favorite waifu *checks notes* Sthertoth, God of Chaos, also known as Gesundheit.

Heres a fun exercise. Tell somebody who isnt following this topic to read the paragraph and try to guess what series its from:

Sthertoth is an evil demon who was formed when the Angel of Light and Shadow split into two halves: A goddess (Mihaele) and a demon. Sthertoth brought darkness to the universe, but was stopped when Mihaele gathered warriors to fight Sthertoth, and sealed him away inside the Celestial Stone and hid it on Planet Kaos.

I did this with some irl gamer friends and they said Kirby, so I guess that isnt too far off. But man, Bomberman lore goes pretty deep!

Anyway, Sthertoth is an evil demon dude who wants to destroy and remake the universe. God of Chaos is his original form. You can only fight this form in an alternate path in story mode after he stops possessing another antagonist. Hes a real looker. A skull head with long ram-like horns and adornments. A spindly body, with long arms and thick wrists and hands, spiky claw fingers, shackle-like wristlets, and tinier legs and feet. His body looks to be gross fleshy musculature but if you look at concept art it appears to be armor.

He's kind of neat, I guess, but there isnt really much to him, either in terms of design or personality. He kind of looks like a cliched idea of an evil bad guy who wants to blow up the universe. Hed make a cool action figure though, if you could get around the fact that six-year-olds would have no idea how to pronounce his name.
Raka_Putra
03/20/2025
08:14 PM
#275
Huh, I never knew (or maybe forgot) Ico's horns are supposed to be growing out of his head.
God has heard my soul.
Johnbobb
03/20/2025
09:52 PM
#276
Raka_Putra posted...
Huh, I never knew (or maybe forgot) Ico's horns are supposed to be growing out of his head.
I also never realized that
Khal Kirby , warlord of the Super Star Khalasar
PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs
KamikazePotato
03/20/2025
10:02 PM
#277
Bomberman The Second Attack is a deep cut. Love that game.

Wouldn't nominate any of its characters for this topic though.
It's Reyn Time.
KamikazePotato
03/20/2025
10:04 PM
#278
Raka_Putra posted...
Huh, I never knew (or maybe forgot) Ico's horns are supposed to be growing out of his head.

Johnbobb posted...
I also never realized that
I knew they were real horns, but learned it through the internet, not from playing the game.
It's Reyn Time.
Prince46
03/20/2025
10:23 PM
#279
When Bomberman fans says there's no canon story, they mean it
Isquen
03/21/2025
12:42 PM
#280
RE: Ico - I always think of him as an Animal Crossing villager.

RE: Sthertoth - odds that they mistranslated Astaroth or whatever its source spelling is aside, that is certainly ... a design choice.
[Rock and Stone] <o/
White_Wing
03/21/2025
01:12 PM
#281
My favourite thing about Ico's design isn't so much the design itself as the contrast he makes to Yorda, from how he looks to his animation.

You should see the two in motion sometime - the tiny details, like the taller Yorda having to stoop to hold onto Ico's hand and struggling to keep up with his pace, are astounding.
rwlh
03/21/2025
01:51 PM
#282
132. Kuon (Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception)
pyresword

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9408edf5.jpg

I dont know how to classify Kuons outfit. Is it some sort of traditional Japanese clothing? It doesnt look traditional but also doesnt look modern. In addition to her purple and white color scheme, she also has some yellow and orange mixed in. The big items of note are that this waifu seems part-beast, as she has ear tuft things that may or may not be ears, as well as a furry tail.

The overall effect is pretty but honestly not that interesting. This seems like a character who works better in context. Kuon has a very storied past including being a princess and fighting a lot (which the wiki goes into extensive detail about). If it werent for the animal ears and tail shed probably be even lower as is, those features are intriguing enough to give the design a second glance.
rwlh
03/21/2025
01:52 PM
#283
Important ranking topic news!

I will be out of town from Saturday through Tuesday. I will be unable to update the topic until I come back. Do not be alarmed by my absence (though I'll still be around on Discord).
MegaWentEvil
03/21/2025
03:38 PM
#284
Kuon seems pretty bland, but otherwise okay.
he/him | Aromantic/Asexual(Non-partnering) | Avatar made with Sangled's Picrew
Times I have been subjected to aro/ace erasure as of 09/29/22 - 1
Raka_Putra
03/21/2025
06:16 PM
#285
She reads to me as a secondary/supporting character.
God has heard my soul.
pyresword
03/21/2025
06:38 PM
#286
Ready to post an essay on how everything you said makes sense in the lore I swear. (I am not actually going to do this)

One thing I will say is that at least in-universe the animal features are not that remarkable since almost every character in this series has animal features
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
rwlh
03/21/2025
08:10 PM
#287
131. Shiki Ryougi (Kara no Kyoukai)
pyresword

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/17153312.jpg

Apologies to the nominator for the unintentional double drop

Now Shiki Ryougi is a character with a cool backstory. Neat powers, immersive lore, probably a blast to read about/play as. I really enjoy the stance she takes in this official art, holding her knife so casually to suggest a familiarity with using it offensively. Shes one of many characters in the ranking who gives off big do not fuck with vibes.

Clothing-wise shes got a purple dress with a red poofy jacket over top, and thats unfortunately really it. The jacket is very swaggy and I do like her boots, but apart from the stance Im not getting a strong sense of who she is as a character. I dont need to see her killing somebody, but I wonder if there were other clothing choices that could accentuate her personality a bit more. Which is funny to say, because this particular outfit has some significance behind it turns out shes very particular to these clothes, to the point where once a set gets worn down, shell immediately buy the same thing. Again: shes a fun character, but maybe not the best pick for the ranking.
Sceptilesolar
03/21/2025
08:22 PM
#288
Shiki's outfit isn't complicated, but I think the low rating is a bit unfair if it's purely due to its simplicity. If nothing else, the kimono with the biker jacket is a fairly unusual combo that I think points to Shiki's contradictory personality.
Just killing time until the world ends.
rwlh
03/21/2025
08:23 PM
#289
While I'm gone, I wanted to leave a fun statistic. Here is the breakdown of the nominations by gender:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/8645ca82.png

n/a either means a character's gender is non-binary, genderless, or unknown, or that they're a member of a species that can be male or female.

An interesting breakdown here! A close split between waifus, husbandos, and Pokemon.
pyresword
03/21/2025
11:08 PM
#290
The simplicity is the best part of the outfit!

But yeah if your metric is "does this tell me about the character before having watched/read the series" I can see it not scoring well from that angle.

I do think the outfit is reflective of her personality but not really in a way that's going to be communicated just by the visuals
I didn't do guru this year but azuarc can be in my sig anyways.
MacArrowny
03/22/2025
12:31 AM
#291
Surprised you didn't comment on her eyes.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4e406b2d.jpg

Might be her most remarkable trait!
All the stars in the sky are waiting for you.
dowolf
03/22/2025
11:53 AM
#292
With Shiki Ryougi, I like the combination of the traditional blue kimono and ornamental dagger, with the very modern red zipper jacket and boots. I don't have much positive to add beyond that, though. The kimono seems way too restrictive to me for a knife-fighter.
Nonsense. "Testing" is for when you're still guessing--and now, I have no need to guess. -- Agatha, Girl Genius
skulltrumpets
03/22/2025
04:16 PM
#293
o no I've been slacking

aya brea's design is mostly fine, though she does feel more waifish than i expected from a cop. i wish there was a stronger balance between shell shocked and survivor, i guess. not bad though, she's definitely recognisable and i always welcome fem horror protagonists in games.

if it were me, i would definitely place nightwing higher. i understand why he's placed so low, but i love the striking contrast of blue and black and how the stripes accentuate his physical frame so well. superhero designs are never my thing, but nightwing is an icon.

i don't feel much about the addition of fire to ludicolo - though i love how he chillin despite combusting into flames. imagine the heat when he's dancing?? i always found it interesting how both ludicolo and its opposite shiftry are based on two different youkai - but ludicolo has some mexican flair to it? the sombrero/poncho combo could be obnoxious but i think it works!

im a bit torn about the ico helmet situation. on one hand, i always knew the horns were horns so i wasn't confused by any possible design discrepancy. on the other hand ... the helmet does give off a stereotypical viking look that's a bit silly in retrospect. still banger design for sure.

sthertoth's design is ... wow mate. definitely something i would appreciate more in a more gnarly and grungy style opposed to something as cute as bomberman? but idk this kind of discrepancy can work (see: kirby)

i don't really have much to say about kuon. like as far as cute anime girls go, she's pretty serviceable, but little strikes me except the killer colour palette.

for the most part i rather like shiki, but i wish the designer leant a little harder in this combination of past and present, traditionalism and rebellion. the jacket and boots pull a great contrast to the kimono... but idk maybe i just want her to look a little more punk?
DoctorFedora
03/24/2025
01:25 AM
#294
A close split between waifus, husbandos, and Pokemon.
this phrasing reminds me of how at some point I decided that every Pokmon was either a Weird Dog, or Just a Guy, and have refused to back down from this dichotomy ever since
Maniac64
03/24/2025
08:24 AM
#295
DoctorFedora posted...
this phrasing reminds me of how at some point I decided that every Pokmon was either a Weird Dog, or Just a Guy, and have refused to back down from this dichotomy ever since
I'd say there is a third category of "random object". Stuff like Rotom, Magnetite, and the ice cream cone.
"Hope is allowed to be stupid, unwise, and naive." ~Sir Chris
azuarc
03/24/2025
08:25 AM
#296
DoctorFedora posted...
this phrasing reminds me of how at some point I decided that every Pokmon was either a Weird Dog, or Just a Guy, and have refused to back down from this dichotomy ever since

I feel like you and Julia from Drawfee would get along. (She's a comedic artist who doesn't know Pokemon and was asked to draw some of them based on what she interpreted the name as. They...look nothing like Pokemon.)
Only the exceptions can be exceptional.
rwlh
03/25/2025
08:36 PM
#297
Back! Expect updates tomorrow, probably.
Pirateking2000
03/25/2025
09:02 PM
#298
Wew
XBL GT: Demon Ninja X2
"There comes a time in every man's or woman's life where they have to make **** up to cover their ass." - Hazama
rwlh
03/26/2025
09:34 AM
#299
So, first things first: I've been giving some thought to Shiki Ryougi. The arguments presented for her in this topic have gotten me to recontextualize her a bit. I already said TYPE-MOON lore makes my eyes roll into the back of my head, so hearing other people's takes was helpful.

Since I'm not using any objective criteria in this ranking, I can be more flexible with the placement. As such, I feel confident enough to say that I've reconsidered Shiki enough to put her back "in play," so to speak. She is no longer #131. She could be anywhere else that hasn't been revealed yet. She could be in the next ten, or in the top ten.

I don't anticipate doing this very often (so don't feel obligated to prepare arguments for your characters or anything). Shiki is a very specific case of me not taking into account a specific aspect of her backstory...but more on that when we eventually get to her again.

More to come!
Chaeix
03/26/2025
09:36 AM
#300
*cries in Ashes sword*
we're all buds ~jc~
<DeathChicken> you are my hero for being the first person to cite National Geographic in Mercs
skulltrumpets
03/26/2025
11:32 AM
#301
noted o7

... im not redoing my own review of her design though.
Board 8 » I rank 155 characters by visual design [ranking]
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