The 10 BEST Video Game Character Redesigns

10 Best Video Game Character Redesigns

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking on the bright side for the best redesigns of video game characters!

Wario

“WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!” (2003)

Wario is meant to look like a vile version of Mario, and the mustard yellow/purple combo is a great inverse to the hero’s red and blue. But for Wario’s second series, he found his own sense of style. And we have to say, we like it a fair bit better. He took to driving a motorcycle and dressing in full biker gear, with a cut-off denim vest and a helmet of his favorite color, yellow. Well, Wario already had such a loud personality. Why not give him extra features to go along with it? While he still sports his classic look in other games, this one’s certainly the more unique of the two.

Tawna Bandicoot

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time” (2020)

The original version of Tawna, Crash’s girlfriend in the first game, was fairly shallow, only serving as the hero’s damsel in need of rescue. There wasn’t much interesting in her design either. She was tall, blonde, oddly shapely; basically Crash’s version of Candy Kong. She didn’t appear in any mainline sequels, only spin-offs, so there was only room to improve for a redesign. In “Crash 4,” a version of Tawna from an alternate dimension appears and is far cooler. Given her universe is worse off, with Crash dead, Tawna’s appearance reflects that, with patched clothing and a jacket with spiked shoulders, almost looking post-apocalyptic. Additionally, she’s far more self-assured, represented through her own levels and gameplay mechanics.

The Mercenaries

“Team Fortress 2” (2007)

The first “Team Fortress” set itself apart from other shooters through its unique classes. However, most of the characters looked like basic soldiers, with not much setting them apart from one another. That in no way hindered the mechanics, but it did mean there was less personality in the game. If there’s one thing we can say about “Team Fortress 2,” it’s got personality in spades. That is primarily thanks to the visual overhaul of its characters. The somewhat cartoony style, along with the distinct body types, clothing, and mannerisms of its roster, is far more interesting than if Valve had chosen the more traditional route.

Donkey Kong

“Donkey Kong Country” (1994)

This may be a simple one, but it’s effective. Back when Donkey Kong premiered, he was naturally just a big gorilla. After a couple of sequels, Mario went off to be a star with a design that has more or less stayed the same ever since. DK, on the other hand, fell off the map a bit until he was revived by Rare for the Super Nintendo. These days, this is what every player knows Donkey Kong to look like. The iconic red tie, the dopey, almost pompadour-like fur, and the dim-witted demeanor; it’s got a lot of charm. And while, yes, technically the original DK is canonically Cranky Kong, well, we still prefer the design of this old bag of bones to a simple gorilla.

Lara Croft

“Tomb Raider” (2013)

Lara Croft is an icon of the medium, with a pretty distinguishable appearance and personality. But for her origin story, Crystal Dynamics stripped back all that confidence in order to build her back up. She still had her standard high ponytail and blue tank top, though the tight brown shorts had notably turned into pants. But that’s not what’s important. What mattered were her softer features, both in how she looked and how she carried herself. She was inexperienced, which made the journey more harrowing. It was also a redesign that itself evolved over the course of the game. She became caked in grime, covered in scrapes and scars, all the while growing more battle-hardened in the face of it all.

Reptile

“Mortal Kombat 1” (2023)

Once upon a time, and due to simpler graphics, “Mortal Kombat” had a design problem with its ninjas. They all looked identical, save for the color of their clothing. Reptile was the green one, which made sense given his name and acidic powers. However, NetherRealm eventually began designing him to look like an actual humanoid reptile, beginning with “Mortal Kombat 4.” That…wasn’t great. But it nevertheless set him apart from the others. He’s had different looks over the years, but by far our favorite is his most recent. “Mortal Kombat 1” Reptile takes the best of both worlds, able to change between a human and reptilian form as he fights. We love the little design choices of the human form that link to his reptile one, like his tattoos and the green sash that hangs down like a tail.

Alucard

“Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (1997)

Alucard made his debut as big bad Dracula’s son in “Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse” for the NES. Both in-game and in artwork, he essentially looked like an old Hollywood vampire, with short, slicked back hair and your classic black robe. But by the time we saw him next, in “Symphony of the Night” on PlayStation, his design had been significantly improved. The ghostly pale skin paired with the flowing blonde hair made for quite the stark contrast. He still dressed in black, albeit now much more extravagantly. He was taller and leaner, too, showcased through his swift movement and his expertise with a sword. This design was extremely well-received, sticking with Alucard for most future appearances, including the TV show.

Raiden

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013)

Upon the release of “Metal Gear Solid 2,” some players took issue with the fact that most of the game had you play as Raiden instead of Snake. Many found him a bit too whiny, though his physical appearance wasn’t as strong as the lead hero either. However, the decision to turn him into a cyborg ninja for “Metal Gear Solid 4” was nothing short of genius. Not only was it visually much more interesting, but Raiden was far cooler and surefooted, deftly flipping around enemy attacks and slicing through them with a badass sword. The design reached its peak in his solo spin-off, “Revengeance.” With a bit more anime flair courtesy of PlatinumGames, this Raiden is a far cry from the one so many players felt unsure of.

Link

“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

That’s right, we’re drawing a line in the sand with this one. Since there are multiple versions of Link across different timelines, he’s had a lot of redesigns. But the one that undeniably has the most charm is that of Toon Link. Matching with the cel-shaded world around him, this version of the hero is brighter and more expressive than any other, meaning he has far more character and personality. A lot of fans actually hated this look on release, because it was less realistic, which therefore made it too kid friendly in their eyes. This led to the darker “Twilight Princess,” and we won’t deny that Link’s look is also great. But Toon Link just has so much joy, humor, and individuality that we can’t help but champion him.

Kratos

“God of War” (2018)

Greek Kratos has an incredibly recognizable design, with the giant red tattoo, the pale skin, and a mug so mean it could make a child weep from just one look. However, when Sony chose to take him in a more mature direction, aging and softening him up a bit, it made all the right calls in his design to reflect that. He sports a full, salt-sprinkled beard and a weary look that comes from a life that’s only known violence. His clothes have a more worn look to them, complimenting the overall redesign. However, the strongest changes are not physical, but emotional. As a father, Kratos learns across the game to be more patient and caring towards Atreus. It was an excellent direction to go in, both for his look and characterization.

What other characters do you think got great redesigns? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!