Characters are at the heart of the game, and essentially they're what keeps everything together, inspiring players to return. Unfortunately, in recent years many triple-A titles have stuck by the same formula of making characters look as realistic as possible, often at the cost of removing all their individuality. It's why games with such out-there character designs are worth mentioning.
What makes comic book characters so memorable? It isn't because they roam around the streets in casual clothing but because they wear bat suits and don silly names. These aspects are a staple of comics, as are the distinctive styles of these video game characters.
10 Hell House - Final Fantasy 7
Undoubtedly one of the strangest monsters in Final Fantasy 7 (which is saying something since this is the same game containing the one-winged angel), Hell House is a boss you face in the Corneo Colosseum. At the beginning of the fight, it merely looks like a house on legs; it's only after its next phase that the head and arms emerge. Hell House's design seems inspired by Baba Yaga, a witch from Slavic folklore who lives in a house standing on chicken legs.
Final Fantasy's spin on this tale takes a more mechanical approach, but it's easy to see the similarities. Evil houses in games are so rare that you can probably count their appearances on one hand.
9 Pyramid Head - Silent Hill 2
There's no gamer out there who is unaware of Pyramid head or the importance of imagery in the Silent Hill series. Quite simply, it's one of the most influential games ever created, with designs that still inflict their desired effect over twenty years later. Upon Pyramid head's first appearance, people could not stop talking about him, discussing his origins and what his design meant.
His popularity has even stretched so far that it inspired The Evil Within character, The Keeper (sometimes known as Box Head), who has a safe for a head with barbed wire strung across it.
8 The King Of All Cosmos - Katamari
With a title like the King of all Cosmos, you have to leave a mark. How bizarre would it be if the King of the entire universe were a guy in a black one-piece suit and shaded glasses? Actually, it sounds like a fantastic idea, but the point is the Katamari developers knew what they were doing when they designed the King.
Most of his outfits feature colorful emblems and regal designs, with by far his most recognizable piece being the giant antenna on his head.
7 The Master - Fallout
The current Fallout games take a drastically different route from what was thematically present in the original. Now, instead of an isometric view and a significant focus on tactics and planning, the recent releases are more attuned to the basics of RPG elements and choosing how your story will play out. It's perhaps because of this that character designs have lost their charm, especially when looking back on the best of the series—the Master.
The Master is the villain of Fallout, who once was a human, but is now fused with the Cathedral's computer network. His only discernable human feature is the head, and a computer screen lies where his heart once was.
6 The Gods - God Of War
The Gods of the God of War series always do their job at being as unashamedly terrifying as possible, with their designs often incorporating their towering size over Kratos. The Gods' size extends to boss fights where Kratos must use inventive means to reach weak spots, rather than the usual method of aiming for a body part and whacking it until the enemy falls over.
These designs pick out the best pieces from Greek and Norse mythology, utilizing these inspirations much more than just making a character look cool. Critical thought has been put into how these designs might work in motion, in battle, and as the guiding force of the plot.
5 The Bosses Of Catherine: Full Body
Catherine Full Body is almost like a spin on Nightmare on Elm Street, if Freddy was instead a baby with a chainsaw or a zombified version of your ex. The story follows Vincent through his purgatory-type nightmares, which bleed into reality.
While in these nightmares, Vincent must progress through platforming stages, the unfortunate downside being that giant scary monsters are nipping at your heels the entire time. These bosses are inspired by figures in Vincent's life, using his perceptions of them and turning this on its head.
4 Bosses Of The Soulsborne Games
Lovecraft-inspired through and through, the beings of the Soulsborne universe are sure to leave a lasting impression on those who play them. No matter how trivial, every character has their moment to shine, so much so that fans love delving into the mythos of these short-lived appearances. In addition, each Soulsborne game has delivered its share of unique character designs that also mix up combat tactics.
Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, and Demon's Souls are all prime examples of this, but when it comes to lore-fueled designs that are unlike anything out there, Bloodborne is the tried and true winner.
3 The Personas - Persona Series
Persona users, by far, have the most extraordinary part-time job. They get to wield arcane powers, rock suave outfits, and make jokes with a talking cat, all while hanging out with their closest friends. While the party members have some stylish looks, the visual look of personas throughout the series is what everyone remembers.
Most of them share similarities to biblical figures and terms, which are explored even further in their names like personas; Vishnu, Messiah, Lucifer, and Beelzebub.
2 Colossi - Shadow Of The Colossus
Do you remember the first time a game broke you? Where the tears started rolling, and you couldn't stop yourself from melting into an ugly sob. For many of us, this moment first happened when completing Shadow of the Colossus, when young kids had to realize the Colossi they'd been slaughtering the entire game were not morally evil. So it's a strange sort of feeling this revelation administers.
At first glance, the Colossi look cuddly, maybe something you're likened to seeing in an animated children's movie, though simultaneously, their stature and inability to communicate with the protagonist influence us to believe they're a threatening presence. The Colossi are unique for their play on animals and folklore, which is plain to see, but it's the story connections perhaps that make these designs doubly impressive.
1 Angels - Bayonetta
You know when you're a kid, and every piece of media you consume depicts angels as beautiful people with white wings on their backs and a halo above their heads? Unfortunately, their biblical counterparts are a little more horrifying, which is also what makes Bayonetta one of, if not the most, recognizable games when it comes to character designs.
Bayonetta holds nothing back with its unsettling designs, directly influenced by how angels were described in the Bible. Every being in this series loves to dress for a crowd, trying desperately to outshine the other person on screen, though this is shown immensely more with the angels themselves. Maybe it's the fashionista in them.