Apart from new gaming hardware, each new generational cycle in the video game industry is bound to usher in a character redesign. It's when characters in popular video game franchises get a makeover (both technical and aesthetic) to fit current trends. This artistic practice does present a risk— some redesigns are not well-received or just completely ruin the character, like what happened to Bomberman.
Thankfully, not all character redesigns end up in flames. More often than not, they're well-received, and the best ones tend to reinvent their characters and breathe new life into the franchise. Also, the best video game character redesigns aren't just mere graphical updates; they also imply character growth or change. These characters represent the best of what a redesign can do.
7 Kratos (God Of War)
Kratos has gone through a lot but remained tougher granite, and this callousness is reflected well into his redesign for the 2018 reboot title for God of War. Gone are the days when he's a vengeful skinhead with no remorse or compassion. His physique was also toned down a bit and his shoulders now look a lot less wide, making him appear more human and less like a caricature for anger.
The biggest change, of course, is the beard as a good indicator of his maturity. Kratos is more weary than ever, what with the toll of the Olympian deicide as well as his wife's death. If players look closely, they can even spot some tinges of white hair on that scruffy beard, quite possibly as a result of Atreus' yapping.
6 Samus Aran (Metroid)
Samus' gender reveal at the end of the 1986 original was quite a surprise to many. Initially, she was based on Sigourney Weaver from the Alien franchise. Even her original 2D design depicted her with loose or even curly hair— somehow a spitting image of Ellen Ripley, except she's in a pink swimsuit.
Over the years, however, she gradually became full-blonde, and by the time the game was ready to transition into 3D, Samus' most popular look was introduced. It was her in her famous Zero Suit with a long blonde ponytail. Since then, this has been the standard Samus look outside her Metroid suit, which is ironically more iconic than her robotic getup.
5 Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
For most of the Tomb Raider video games prior to the 2013 reboot, Lara Croft has rivaled Indiana Jones as the worst fictional archaeologist. After all, mini shorts and a crop top are the best way to get malaria in the jungle. It doesn't help that she shoots things more than she does archaeological work.
While the nature of her work has remained the same, the 2013 reboot along with the more practical aesthetic redesign made Lara look a little more professional. Now she actually looks like she's out to do some fieldwork instead of some sunbathing. This also lent a more mature and serious appearance for Lara, and in turn, made her enemies look more threatening.
4 Doom Slayer (Doom)
The original Doom Guy or Doom Slayer from the old Doom game was basically just a warfreak of a grunt. While the game was popular back then, Doom Guy's original face likely didn't do a great job as a template for self-inserts. That's why his suited redesign in 2016 made all the difference in terms of immersion.
He went from a disgruntled grunt to an angrier cousin of Master Chief. Despite the facelessness (which was fixed in Doom: Eternal), Doom Slayer channeled his rage and personality through his actions. The funny thing is, the faceless 2016 redesign had more to convey than the old Doom Guy. Because more than anything, the players could see themselves gamer-raging within that helmet.
3 Team Fortress Mercenaries (Team Fortress 2)
The Team Fortress cast crew faced a similar situation compared to Doom Slayer. They were limited by the technology of their time, which is why they mostly looked like low-polygon grunts who had no other dimensions apart from being gung-ho and violent. Team Fortress 2 came along, and with the better 3D tech courtesy of the Source engine, it introduced a more lovable and more relatable cast.
The Team Fortress crew was made goofier and they even had interactions outside their combat roles. This resulted in a million memes and meme templates about them, serving as both advertising for the game and a way for the community to form bonds. Suffice to say, the original Team Fortress was capable of something like that.
2 Raiden (Metal Gear Solid)
Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty looked like Sephiroth's missing son; his existence was quite awkward as far as super soldiers go mostly due to his white hair and fashion runway appearance. Thankfully, the succeeding games and Raiden's own spinoff embraced this aesthetic quality even further to the point where he fit right into his progressively chaotic world.
By the time he was introduced in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeace, he became a proper reflection of what his world had become. All the cyborg parts and the almost inhuman physique contrasted by Raiden's still human face made the reluctant antihero a protagonist worthy of spotlight. That's also why his costume keeps getting ported as official crossover DLCs or even modded in by the players community.
1 Dhalsim (Street Fighter)
In the older Street Fighter games, Dhalsim had the aura of a creepy bald cultist than a wise man spitting yoga fire. His latest redesign didn't remove the skull necklace, but it at least made him appear as someone who actually does yoga and has a more peaceful disposition in life.
The white beard and turban were big upgrades for Dhalsim's wiser, more religious, and more experienced front. Whatever the case, it made him a less generic bald man and gave him a more respectable appearance. More than it, his role in the latest Street Fighter games also looks more believable now for a man of his nature.