Lauren Panepito, of Muddy Colors fame, has compiled quite the list of female characters redesigns. You can check her blog on it here, and it’s a great read. Tons of comic book characters have been redesigned to look just a bit more prepared for the battlefield and less so for the eyes of lusty men.
Included in the list are a number of videogame characters that absolutely deserve the makeover – and are so much more badass for it. Take a look at what these sci-fi/fantasy artists have done to gaming’s most iconic females.
Princess Peach (Super Mario) by Kiribi Fagan
It’s not just that she’s one of the best fighters in Super Smash Bros. Peach in the roster of female characters has been the classic “princess in the castle” since gaming was a thing. Literally. But there’s no reason for that other than to implement a gameplay mechanic. What about Peach as a character? What are her strengths? Her weaknesses?
This pic says it all. Women can wear pink and rock it. And Peach is no less a contender on the tennis court, the links, or the arena. In fact, she’s just as much a warrior as Mario.
So why not a rocket launcher? Boom, baby.
Samus (Metroid) by Anna Fehr
Badass female characters are nothing new. Samus’ big reveal to be the female protagonist of the Metroid franchise was pretty awesome. But armor conceals everything but one’s physical prowess. What happens when that shell gets stripped away? According to Nintendo, a skintight body suit is what.
As the underarmor to Samus’ battle gear, it might make sense. But if this were a common look for her, Samus might have a little more… combat-ready gear on her. Fehr does Samus right with some blast pads, a helmet, and basic gear that any space-worthy warrior would need to succeed.
Morrigan (Dragon Age) by Sam Guay
Female characters got a great addition with the introduction of Morrigan from Dragon Age. Now, Morrigan herself is well-known to use her feminine wiles to her advantage. After all, “Men are always willing to believe two things about a woman: one, that she is weak, and two, that she finds him attractive.” And boy does she take advantage of those consistently.
The artist wanted to maintain that feeling. Morrigan’s look here is still sexy with that plunging neckline, but the leather emo pants make way for a much more “witch” feel.
Nariko (Heavenly Sword) by Angela R. Sasser
If you’re going to engage in heavy melee combat, odds are ‘mostly naked’ wouldn’t be your first clothing option. Freedom of movement, though, is a must. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve this while still maintaining some coverage – and possibly some minimal protection for those vitals. Female characters tend to lack adequate armor, don’t they?
Nariko’s redesign nails this perfectly. Pants and some serious leather guards make her much more of a threat on the battlefield and a perfect match for her deadly skill.
Dizzy (Guilty Gear) by Priscilla Kim
Now, Dizzy is a humanoid weapon of mass destruction – or so the lore says. And taking a Japanese female fighting character to task for their clothing is no small feat. But for someone supposed to be a naive lil’ lady with a knack for murder, maybe “a bondage bikini with nipple beads” wasn’t the best choice, to quote the artist. No matter what you say about gaming’s female characters, that’s a bit much.
Dizzy gets a wonderful makeover. Still complete with a tail, her life/death wings are also made positively eerie and awesome. The new dress is no less maneuverable, and what appears to be a metal waist guard suits a fighter like her perfectly.
What other ladies from gaming could use a touch-up to add a little badassery to their character? Let us know in the comments!
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