Best and Worst Character Redesigns

[Pumpkin]

So sometimes characters get redesigns, either in sequels or remakes or whatever. What are some of your favourites and least favourites?

[Vermachtnis]

Sabrina from Pokémon has the worst. She looked awesome in everything up until HGSS. And on that note, I'm not a fan of Elesa's new look in BW2 either.

Homura from Senran Kagura gets a cool coat after the first game. And her normal clothes after the first game is my favorite in the game.

[Ayen]

I like Jill's design in the Resident Evil Remake, and Ocelot's in Metal Gear Solid 2.

Spyro comes to mind for worst. Hate the way he looks in Skylanders.

[theundeadhero]

Yuna's ponytail in FFX-2 was a bad choice.

[Fynn]

Shion with every Xenosaga installment. Her design looked incredibly bland in II, and she looks like a space hooker in 3. Also special mention to KOS-MOS's lava lamp design in II.

Also, all the Persona 3 characters aside from Junpei are fashion disasters in P4 Arena.

I quite liked Sabrina's design, actually, but Wallace's in ORAS was just weird. I mean, all the other gym leaders got awesome new looks that made them look more islandy, but Wallace just went all-out Lady Gaga.

When it comes to redesigns I liked, I think all the returning characters look better in Baldur's Gate II, especially Minsc and Imoen.

[Laddy]

I echo Fynn's Baldur's Gate sentiments but with one exception: Jaheira. Her BG2 design just isn't very flattering for her, especially since everyone female character sans Viconia has an absurd amount of pigtails.

[Fynn]

I still like it better since she looks more elvish. Though the BG II portraits all have the same problem of being a bit lopsided. It's still better than those traced photos in I, IMO

[Ayen]

Shion with every Xenosaga installment. Her design looked incredibly bland in II, and she looks like a space hooker in 3.

Oh, yeah, Xenogears 1 design was by far the best. Why they ever thought it was a good idea to change it, I'll never know.

[Vyk]

Dante

[Formalhaut]

Rikku from FFX springs to mind. Her transition from her casual Al Bhed look in the original, compared to completely mixing up the seasons and wearing a scarf and a bikini, is bizarre. How does she survive Mt. Gagazet?

[Fynn]

Rikku from FFX springs to mind. Her transition from her casual Al Bhed look in the original, compared to completely mixing up the seasons and wearing a scarf and a bikini, is bizarre. How does she survive Mt. Gagazet?

The scarf, obvs

[Vyk]

Considering how they immediately put her ass in your face when you're first reunited with her, I think the redesign is just them shedding all precepts to hide what they really wanted her to be and just went full blown sex symbol since they already considered her that anyway

Kinda like DoA games with the Volleyball games and the available outfits in those games, the creators wanted better material to masturbate to... So they created it...

[Pumpkin]

Let's see if I can think of some. Most games you will see in the good and bad list

Bad:
*The Rikku one I agree with. I much preferred her look in X over X-2
*Shion got worse from game one. I'm in the minority though but I liked her II outfit the least
*KOS-MOS from I to II was awful
*Rorona from Totori in to a 6 year old was awful in Meruru
*Not a fan of Julia from Tekken IV+. I like her look in III the most
*The middle games of Mortal Kombat made most characters look gosh awful
*I haven't played the Persona Arena games but the character designs turn me off
*The one that started this thread: Alice from Bloody Roar. She has a similar design in the first three games and in the fourth she looks like a completely different person. The character looks fine but it doesn't look like HER anymore. Nice outfit though
*Milla in Xillia 2 is bleh
*Jeane in Suikoden V was a step down from the rest of the series
*Most of the character designs in Soul Calibur IV

Good:
*I loved Penelo's redesign in Tactics A2
*KOS-MOS from II to III was good. I like how they took a design similar to II and then killed her off (ish) and brought her back in a look more similar to her first one. Honestly though I like both in III and I obviously like her outfit in I
*MOMO I think looks the best in III compared to I and II
*Chaos also ditched the awkward short shorts
*Rorona from Atelier Rorona looks batter in the later Totori, I find
*Xiaoyu from Tekken 3 improves every game
*The newest Mortal Kombat has done some great things with the characters, especially Mileena and Kitana
*I like Athena in KoFXIII above most of her older designs
*Luc in Suikoden III is a step up from marshmallow wand

Uhh those are the ones I can immediately think of

[Wolf Kanno]

Shion with every Xenosaga installment. Her design looked incredibly bland in II, and she looks like a space hooker in 3. Also special mention to KOS-MOS's lava lamp design in II.


I was struggling to come up with something for this thread until Fynn mentioned this. Hell yes, Shion's redesigns through the series are awful. Same with KOS-MOS. I feel like chaos is the only character to receive better designs with every game.

[Mr. Carnelian]

From Dragon Age Origins to Dragon Age 2: Anders, Isabela and Merrill
Anders went from wearing a garish drape to a cool feathered number. Isabela went from a boring, standard rogue amour to a sassy pirate queen look, and Merill's outfit in Origins is okay, but again looks markedly better in 2. All three of these characters also got much-needed personality transplants and new voice actors.

The Tomb Raider series: Lara
They generally do a very good job of giving Lara a slightly different look which is still recognisably "Lara".

The FFXIII series: Lightning
I think all of the main outfits (I'm not going to go into the optional outifts for LR) suited her well, and reflected her changing role from soldier to demi-god to messiah.

FFX to FFX-2: Yuna
Yes, undoubtedly there are elements of fanservice in her redesign. But, I think the change to a less formal look suited her shift in outlook. Plus, have you ever noticed how her Sphere Hunter outfit copies elements of Lara Croft's basic design? Hot pants, combat boots, crop top, ponytail, plus they're both looking for ruins for historical artifacts. Just saying.

Assassin's Creed 2 to Brotherhood, to Revelations: Ezio
Each outfit seems to fit well with his new stage in life. Rather flamboyant and fancy in 2 (that slashing in the sleeves is just fabulous) when he's a young man with a lot to prove, a more minimalist colour scheme in Brotherhood when he's gained maturity and self-confidence, and suitably grey and worn-looking in Revelations when he's winding down and looking for one last adventure before retirement. Also, Lucy's redesign from 1 to 2 was pretty good as well. Loved that leather jacket she got in Brotherhood, too.



From Persona 3 to the Persona 4 Arena games: Akihiko, Mitsuru, Junpei and Yukari
Akihiko forgot how to wear clothes, apparently. He goes from an absolutely adorkable armless red jumper to a red cape and no shirt. Normally, I'm not opposed to a bit of male shirtlessness, but Akihiko just looked like he was on steroids.
Mitsuru decides that a tight-fitting bodysuit would go perfectly with an enormous, fluffy white coat, because of course. I mean, a bodysuit MIGHT be justified by going for something minimalist that won't get in the way of fighting (although really they're nearly always for fanservice purposes, a la Black Widow), but that's completely cancelled out by the billowing coat.
Junpei wears this baseball outfit so bright blue that it makes me want to tear out my eyes.
When it comes to Yukari's pink, Power ranger monstrosity, I can't even. I CAN'T EVEN.

From X to X-2: Rikku
I echo the sentiments others have made: her outfit in 2 was just too fanservicey and ridiculous. Couldn't they at least have given her a crop top? Poor things going to get cold in just that bra.



From FFXIII to FFXIII-2: Snow
The hair. THE HAIR. Oh my god, that hair he has in FXIII-2 just makes me want to vom.

[Fynn]

From FFXIII to FFXIII-2: Snow
The hair. THE HAIR. Oh my god, that hair he has in FXIII-2 just makes me want to vom.

Seriously. Snow's a good-looking guy normally, but that hair is just vile. I don't think anyone would look good in that. It looks greasy and just overall wrong

[Mr. Carnelian]

From FFXIII to FFXIII-2: Snow
The hair. THE HAIR. Oh my god, that hair he has in FXIII-2 just makes me want to vom.

Seriously. Snow's a good-looking guy normally, but that hair is just vile. I don't think anyone would look good in that. It looks greasy and just overall wrong

He had a haircut for Lightning Returns, though. He also got this cool black jacket, which he wore with nothing underneath, Dante style, although it was buttoned up, so you couldn't see his torso until the jacket came off.

[Fynn]

From FFXIII to FFXIII-2: Snow
The hair. THE HAIR. Oh my god, that hair he has in FXIII-2 just makes me want to vom.

Seriously. Snow's a good-looking guy normally, but that hair is just vile. I don't think anyone would look good in that. It looks greasy and just overall wrong

He had a haircut for Lightning Returns, though. He also got this cool black jacket, which he wore with nothing underneath, Dante style, although it was buttoned up, so you couldn't see his torso until the jacket came off.

You perv :p

[Pheesh]

Speaking of bad hair. Riku's mullet...thing in Kingdom Hearts 2. He still looks mostly good in the game (maybe a little slouchy, needs to practice his posture), but that hair is just the worst. It's like double the length at the back as it is at the sides *facepalm*

Also some of the fan service things Mortal Kombat has done with Mileena are truly ridiculous.

[Pete for President]

Best:
Solid Snake (MGS4); ballsy move making him an old dude with a creepy mustache. I dig.
Raiden (MGS4); now a psycho robot gone rogue? I dig. He should've died/lost his arms in the end though.

Worst:
The FFX crew appearance in Kingdom Hearts was pretty average.

[blackmage_nuke]

Best: Guybrush Threepwood in Monkey Island 2, 3 and 5. Drastic changes in the design that add more flavour to the character and accentuate the tone and feel of the game.
Worst Guybrush Threepwood in Monkey Island 4 (though i think that's more of a limitation of technology at the time) and the hd remake of 1 and 2. Drastic changes to the design that are unappealing to the eye in 4 and 1, or works against building the character's general aura in 2 (or maybe it's just that I don't like the blond beard)