New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 12 of 12
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    The Fury's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2013

    Default Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    So, I started on this rabbit hole when someone mentioned Isakai subgenre fantasy. I'd never heard that term before, so I did a quick Google of it. Naturally, I came across a lot of different fantasy anime character designs, some of which looked pretty cool, some that were... eh. The general pattern seemed to be that spellcasters looked sort of uninspired in their character design, usually having a robe or a cloak with a weird stick. Sometimes a hat too. Maybe it's just that the armor, weapons, and accessories that other fantasy character types have adds a little more interest.

    This doesn't seem to be unique to anime either. I can't honestly recall when I last saw an illustration of a spellcaster and thought, "Wow, cool character design!"

    Personally, I blame it on the fact that I haven't been exposed to the right media more than anything else, so what are y'all's favorite spellcasters character design-wise?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    Rater202's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Where I am

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    I'm quite fond of the design of Venom Strange from Marvel Comic's Venomverse event.

    Spoiler
    Show


    Basically Doctor Strange from an alternate universe where he's also Venom.
    I also answer to Bookmark and Shadow Claw.

    Read my fanfiction here. Homebrew Material Here Rater Reads the Hobbit and Dracula
    Awesome Avatar by Emperor Ing
    Spoiler: Ode To Meteors, By zimmerwald
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by zimmerwald1915 View Post
    Meteor
    You are a meteor
    Falling star
    You soar your
    Way down the air
    To the floor
    Where my other
    Rocks
    Are.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Kitten Champion's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2012

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    While I'm don't specifically like the character, I'm partial to the unusual design features of Vento of the Front from A Certain Magical Index.

    Spoiler
    Show


    It's an interesting aesthetic direction to bring to a nun's habit, while still being able to identify its basis. The preponderance of piercings - which gets brought into her magic - captures the intimidating/villainous aspect of her well.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Durkoala's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    It is a book series and therefore prone to looking as good as you want it to, but the mages of Skulduggery Pleasant tended to favour suits, greatcoats or leather, which is fairly non-standard at least.

    Nahiri the Lithomancer, from Magic: The Gathering is a simple design that evokes a blacksmith, but one I'm partial to.
    Spoiler
    Show



    I also want to give an honourable mention to Gandalf. Despite his many, many imitators, his blend of wizard classic with a wandering tramp and swordsman is very striking.
    Spoiler: Pixel avatar and Raincloud Durkoala were made by me. The others are the work of Cuthalion.
    Show

    Cuteness and Magic and Phone Moogles, oh my! Let's Watch Card Captor Sakura!Sadly on a small hiatus.

    Durkoala reads a book! It's about VR and the nineties!

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Personally I'm fond of John Constantine, because it's iconic and something you could easily wear around town without feeling like a ****.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Quote Originally Posted by Kitten Champion View Post
    A Certain Magical Index
    Index has a ton of creative concepts in general. Like the underground Japanese Christians who specialise in blending into a crowd, and can cast spells "invisibly" by hiding their components in mundane actions and objects.

    Quote Originally Posted by Durkoala View Post
    I also want to give an honourable mention to Gandalf. Despite his many, many imitators, his blend of wizard classic with a wandering tramp and swordsman is very striking.
    But Gandalf is just an imitator of Odin.
    Last edited by Prime32; 2018-03-11 at 09:06 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Durkoala's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    But Gandalf is just an imitator of Odin.
    He has two eyes! Totally different!
    Spoiler: Pixel avatar and Raincloud Durkoala were made by me. The others are the work of Cuthalion.
    Show

    Cuteness and Magic and Phone Moogles, oh my! Let's Watch Card Captor Sakura!Sadly on a small hiatus.

    Durkoala reads a book! It's about VR and the nineties!

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    The Fury's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2013

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Quote Originally Posted by Prime32 View Post
    Index has a ton of creative concepts in general. Like the underground Japanese Christians who specialise in blending into a crowd, and can cast spells "invisibly" by hiding their components in mundane actions and objects.
    Yeah, I forgot about A Certain Magical Index, (thanks for bringing that one up Kitten Champion.) That series, and the sequel/tie-in A Certain Scientific Railgun, had a lot of interesting ideas, and quite a few spellcaster character designs that were unique and cool-looking. Though both series made me really angry when I watched them. I remember thinking that they had some really interesting ideas that were underused in favor of typical high school moe fluff.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Kitten Champion's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2012

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Quote Originally Posted by The Fury View Post
    Yeah, I forgot about A Certain Magical Index, (thanks for bringing that one up Kitten Champion.) That series, and the sequel/tie-in A Certain Scientific Railgun, had a lot of interesting ideas, and quite a few spellcaster character designs that were unique and cool-looking. Though both series made me really angry when I watched them. I remember thinking that they had some really interesting ideas that were underused in favor of typical high school moe fluff.
    The main issue with Index and a lot of similar works is they being Light Novels originally, the conflicts tend to be rather short to fit to the novella length. They go from introducing a new threat, explaining what he/she/it can do, to figuring out how he/she/it can be beaten, to actually beating him/her/it, all within the span of what would be a prologue for a - let's say - Brandon Sanderson work.

    For an anime adaptation trying to space out things to fit its medium, elaborating on the magic system and larger world-building elements is difficult, whereas pushing in more of the fluffier/comedic aspects is pretty straightforwardly easy and also what a significant portion of the audience want as well.

    It's a better solution than what, say, Chrome Shelled Regios did, where their anime adaptation - recognizing how little material they had relative to what they wanted - inserted a bunch of stuff from later volumes into the narrative far earlier to fill the time, coming off as schizophrenic tangents to pretty straightforward and concise stories. A lot of "who the hell are you?" and "what the hell is this?" going on.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    OldWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    California
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Minor detail in a bunch of Fire Emblem games... When you first get a spell casting character, they hold a book or staff or whatever that they use when casting spells. Once they promote to an advance class, though, they usually have a book or staff that just floats along next to them, following the motion of their hands but often not being held by them. It's minor, but it makes them look just that much cooler.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    BlueWizardGirl

    Join Date
    May 2016

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    Not Spellcasters in the traditional sense, but the Benders in Avatar have all sorts of styles in their character design influenced by their role in society and their land of origin that I find quite cool.

    In Dragon Age, especially Dragon Age 2 and upwards magic users tend to stray more from they typical robes look and tend to don armor a bit more and more different styles. Especially named characters come quite varied. There is Morrigan who goes from sexy witch of the swamp to court wizard dressed in a raven themed ballroom dress (at least for one theme). Solas who has a bit of a wilderness hobo style going on. Dorian who likes to wear airy robes, often showing off a shoulder. Vivienne who usually wears rather tight clothes flattering her body broken up by bits of armor, high collars and what I can best describe as trains, also not to forget that stylish horned headdress. Lastly there is the Inquisitor with their trench coat invoking Film Noir PI images.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Prime32's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Ireland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Cool/unique character designs for spellcasters

    On light novels... I think Margery Daw from Shakugan no Shana was a cool wizard concept. All "Flame Hazes" get their powers by bonding with a supernatural entity in the form of an object - hers is a book, and also a crude goofball, meaning she often ends up punching him to get him to shut up. While all Flame Hazes have some ability to cast spells, she specialises in it, and is often called on to analyze or dismantle the spells of others. She can create magic bookmarks that work as sensors or defensive charms, and travels around by standing on the book as it flies. Also she fights by transforming into a wolf-bear hybrid that can fly and breathe fire.
    Last edited by Prime32; 2018-03-14 at 12:43 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •