Hey Pandas, How Would You Redesign A Character/Characters From A Piece Of Media You Like?

If you’ve ever paused a movie, anime, comic, or video game and muttered,
“Okay, but why are they dressed like that?”congratulations, you’re already halfway to a great
character redesign. Fan art and character redesigns have exploded online, and Bored Panda’s “Hey Pandas”
challenges are the perfect playground for sharing them with the world. In this guide, we’ll talk about how
to redesign a character you love (or love to roast) in a smart, respectful, and visually powerful way
without losing what made them iconic in the first place.

We’ll walk through core character design principles, give you practical prompts, and explore fun examples
across genresfrom superheroes to cozy slice-of-life characters. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit you can
use whether you’re redesigning a nostalgic childhood favorite or giving a modern glow-up to a character
whose outfit hasn’t evolved since 1998.

Why Fans Are Obsessed With Character Redesigns

Redesigning a character isn’t just about “fixing” a design you don’t like. It’s a way of having a
conversation with the original creators: What if this hero were older? What if this princess wore something
she could actually run in? What if this villain looked as complex as their backstory?

Online, you’ll find entire communities dedicated to character redesigns, from forum threads about video game
heroes and villains to appreciation posts where artists share “before and after” makeovers of their own
characters. These spaces all orbit the same idea: design is storytelling, and we’re all invited to join in
the storytelling process.

Fans redesign characters for lots of reasons:

• Updating outdated designs (hello, low-rise armor and impossible heels).
• Adding cultural or body diversity that was missing in the original.
• Exploring alternate universeswhat if the villain became a teacher, or the hero turned into a villain?
• Practicing design skills: shape language, color palettes, silhouettes, and clothing design.
• Just for fun. Sometimes you just want to see a grumpy dragon in an oversized hoodie.

Bored Panda’s “Hey Pandas” challenges tap right into that energyinviting people to show off original
characters, fan redesigns, and fictional personalities they relate to the most. These open calls make it
easy to share your work with a supportive, creativity-loving audience.

Step One: Respect What Makes the Character Themselves

Before you start redrawing, take a moment to understand the essence of the character.
A good redesign feels like an evolution, not a total identity theft.

Ask These Questions First

• What are their core traits? (Brave, shy, chaotic, obsessive, kind, ruthless?)
• What is their role in the story? (Protagonist, mentor, comic relief, antagonist?)
• What is their background? (Culture, class, profession, environment?)
• What visual details make them recognizable? (Hair shape, colors, certain accessories?)

Think about this as the “non-negotiable” list. You can change their clothes, hairstyle, even their body type,
but if you remove the core emotional and narrative DNA, you’re not really redesigning the same characteryou’re
designing someone new with the same name.

Iconic vs. Optional Details

Divide details into two buckets:

• Iconic: The lightning-shaped scar, signature color, staff, glasses, or hairstyle that
  screams “It’s them!” even in silhouette.
• Optional: Exact clothing style, shoe type, jewelry, or minor color placements that can
  change without losing identity.

When redesigning for a Bored Panda–style challenge, keeping at least a few iconic elements will help viewers
instantly recognize who you’re riffing oneven if you’ve dramatically changed the mood, genre, or time period.

Core Principles of a Strong Character Redesign

You don’t have to be a professional concept artist to redesign a character well. But knowing a few key
character design principles will make your ideas clearer, more appealing, and easier for others to “read” at
a glance.

1. Shape Language: Circles, Squares, Triangles

Shape language is one of the secret weapons of character design. Artists often build characters using simple
shapescircles, squares, and trianglesto communicate personality and emotional tone. Circles feel soft and
friendly, squares feel solid and dependable, and triangles feel sharp, energetic, or even dangerous.

Try this when you redesign a character:

• Make a rounder, softer version of a tough character to show their hidden warmth (rounded
  shoulders, softer jawline, circular glasses).
• Use square shapes to redesign a mentor or protectorblocky coat, sturdy boots, strong jaw.
• Add triangular shapes to villains or chaotic characterssharp collars, pointy hair, angular
  posture.

2. Silhouette: Recognizable at a Glance

A strong character can usually be identified just by their outline. Good redesigns keep or improve that
recognizability. If the original character has huge hair, a long coat, or a distinctive weapon, think about
how those elements appear in silhouette and how you might re-interpret them.

Many character design guides emphasize checking your design in pure black silhouette to see if it still
reads clearly. That test works just as well for fan redesigns.

3. Proportions and Body Diversity

Redesigns are a great opportunity to break out of the “same face, same body” trap. You can:

• Age a character up or down (what does your favorite teen hero look like as a 40-year-old tired teacher?).
• Give them a body type that better matches their lifestyle (fighters with strong legs and arms, scholars with softer forms).
• Introduce diversity that wasn’t present in the original design, while staying respectful and informed.

When you alter proportionslonger torso, shorter legs, bigger hands, rounder faceyou’re quietly changing how
the viewer feels about the character. Big eyes and heads read as cuter and more childlike; longer limbs can
feel elegant or uncanny depending on context.

4. Color Palette and Contrast

Sometimes the easiest redesign is a color refresh. Think about:

• Hue: Warmer colors feel energetic or aggressive; cooler colors feel calm or mysterious.
• Contrast: High contrast feels bold and dramatic; low contrast feels soft and understated.
• Symbolism: Certain colors carry cultural or genre-based symbolism (purple royalty, green toxicity, etc.).

If the original palette feels chaotic, you can limit yourself to two main colors and one accent. Many
professional designers recommend simplification because simple, clear designs tend to be the most memorable.

5. Clothing, Props, and Functionality

Let’s be honest: a lot of older character designs were created more for “cool factor” than practicality. Fan
redesigns often shine brightest when they make outfits look like something the character could actually move,
fight, work, or exist in.

• For a warrior, consider armor that protects vital areas and allows movement instead of random floating
  metal plates.
• For a scientist or hacker, think about pens, badges, tools, or tech accessories, not just a “lab coat pasted on.”
• For a mage, maybe their robe includes stitched-in runes or pockets of reagents instead of just dramatic
  fabric.

Props matter too. Change or upgrade a signature weapon, musical instrument, or gadget, and you’ve instantly
communicated a new chapter in the character’s life.

Genre-Specific Redesign Ideas

Superheroes and Comic Characters

Superheroes are practically begging for redesignsdecades of continuity, wildly shifting art styles, and
costumes that range from brilliant to “this was clearly drawn at 3 a.m.”.

For superhero-style characters, try:

• Streetwear version: Translate their costume colors and shapes into hoodies, sneakers, and
  casual outfits.
• Different era: What does this hero look like in the 1920s, 1980s, or far future?
• Retired hero: Give them older features, comfortable clothes, and subtle nods to their
  past (old logo as a patch, faded tattoo, worn-down gear).

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Characters

Fantasy and sci-fi designs often mix practicality with spectacle. Redesigns in these genres can push or tone
down the drama:

• Swap impractical armor for layered textiles, believable tools, and weather-appropriate clothing that matches
  their environment.
• Reimagine a mage or space pilot from a different culture or planet, taking care to research real-world influences.
• Turn a classic “villain” into a sympathetic rebel by softening shapes, colors, and posture in your redesign.

Animated and Cartoon Characters

Cartoon characters are especially fun to redesign, because they’re already built on exaggerated shapes and
clear silhouettes. Artists around the web share redraws of cartoon characters with updated outfits, modern
aesthetics, and diverse body types, while still keeping them instantly recognizable.

Try these ideas:

• Draw them in a completely different art style (your style, anime, retro comic, lineless, etc.).
• Shift the tone: make a silly character look realistic and grounded, or turn a serious character into a chibi mascot version.
• Design an older or younger version with the same iconic hair, colors, or accessories.

Video Game Characters

Video game characters often get official redesigns between sequels, which fans love to debatesometimes
passionately. That makes them perfect for your own take.

• Simplify overly busy armor or outfits so they’d read clearly in pixel art or as a small game sprite.
• Redesign them as a different classturn a melee fighter into a mage, or a healer into a
  battle tactician.
• Imagine them in a completely different genre (platformer version, cozy farming sim version, horror game version).

How to Plan and Execute Your Redesign

1. Gather References (But Don’t Trace the Soul Out of It)

Start by collecting images of the original character from different angles and scenes. Add to that real-world
references: clothing, accessories, body types, historical outfits, or cultural elements you want to include.

Many professional artists emphasize the value of strong reference boards and a clear idea phase before you
even start sketching. It helps you avoid getting stuck halfway and makes your final design feel intentional,
not random.

2. Start With Thumbnails and Quick Silhouettes

Instead of jumping straight into a polished drawing, sketch tiny thumbnails. Try different overall shapes,
poses, and outfit concepts. Don’t worry about details; you’re exploring options quickly.

You might draw:

• One very faithful version (small tweaks only).
• One bold version (new silhouette, strong color changes).
• One experimental version (different age or alternate universe).

3. Refine One Direction

Choose the thumbnail that feels most “right”interesting but still true to the character. From there, refine:

• Clarify the shapes and anatomy.
• Define the clothing layers and materials.
• Choose a clear color palette and accents.

Keep checking: if someone who knows the media saw this, would they say, “Oh, that’s clearly themjust
reimagined”?

4. Add Story-Telling Details

The best redesigns hint at a story. Small details can suggest a whole arc:

• Scars, worn edges on clothes, or patched gear hint at battles and struggles.
• Badges, jewelry, or cultural motifs suggest background and community.
• Body languageslumped shoulders, confident stance, fidgety handsreveals personality.

5. Present the Redesign Like a Mini Case Study

When you post your redesign on a platform like Bored Panda, Reddit, or social media, add a short breakdown:

• “I aged this character up 10 years and made their outfit more practical for travel.”
• “I kept the original color palette but simplified it and changed the silhouette to emphasize strength.”
• “I reimagined this villain as a tired civil servant, still using triangular shapes but softer colors.”

Viewers love understanding your thought processand it turns your piece from “cool drawing” into “insightful
redesign.”

Sharing Your Redesign With the Hey Pandas Community

Bored Panda’s “Hey Pandas” posts are basically open prompts where anyone can jump in with submissionsimages,
short stories, or anecdotes. A redesign-themed prompt like “Hey Pandas, How Would You Redesign A Character From
A Piece Of Media You Like?” is a perfect chance to:

• Show off your art style.
• Connect with fans of the same show, game, or book.
• Trade feedback and ideas about character design.

To make your submission stand out:

• Include both before (original) and after (your redesign) images if possible.
• Add a short caption explaining your main design decisions.
• Mention what you kept, what you changed, and why.
• Keep it kindcriticize designs, not the people who like them.

Remember, redesigns aren’t about proving you’re “better” than the original artists. They’re about celebrating
stories you love, exploring “what if” scenarios, and learning design skills along the way.

500 Extra Words: Experiences, Prompts, and Practical Exercises

Let’s lean into the spirit of the Hey Pandas prompt and talk about what it actually feels like to
redesign a characterand how you can use that experience to grow creatively.

Exercise 1: Fix the One Thing That’s Always Bothered You

Think of a character you adore… except for one tiny detail that drives you up the wall. Maybe it’s an outfit
that doesn’t match their personality, a color that clashes with the mood, or a hairstyle that seems wildly
impractical for their job.

Your mission: redesign only that one thing.

Keep everything else faithful. Just adjust that single element and see how it changes your perception. Does
the character suddenly feel more grounded? More believable? More “them” than before? This kind of small,
focused redesign trains your eye for what truly matters in a design.

Exercise 2: Alternate Universe Redesign

Pick a character and drop them into a totally different setting:

• Fantasy knight → modern-day barista.
• Space pilot → small town librarian.
• High school student → retired hero in their 60s.

Ask yourself: How would their personality and core traits translate into this new life?
A brave knight might become a union organizer. A sneaky rogue might turn into a clever journalist. Let their
new role drive the outfit, props, and posturewhile you still keep some signature elements like color palette,
hairstyle, or iconic accessory.

Exercise 3: Collab With Your Past Self

If you’ve been drawing for a while, dig up an old fan art piece or an old original character. Redesign them
using everything you’ve learned since then. This is incredibly satisfyingyou can literally see your growth
side-by-side.

In your caption on a Hey Pandas–style thread, you can even show the original, cringe-y art (we’ve all been
there) next to the new version, and talk about what you changed: clearer silhouette, better anatomy, more
thoughtful colors, or simply a more confident line.

Exercise 4: Community Feedback Round

Posting your redesign publicly can be intimidating, but it’s also one of the best ways to improve. When you
share your work, ask for specific feedback:

• “Does this still feel like the same character to you?”
• “Is the redesign more readable and expressive than the original?”
• “What one thing would you tweak to make this even stronger?”

You’ll get a mix of responsessome technical, some emotional. Pay attention to repeated patterns in the
feedback. If multiple people say “The colors don’t match the character’s mood,” that’s a clue worth exploring.

Exercise 5: Redesign for Representation

Many fans use redesigns to imagine more inclusive versions of the media they love. You might redesign a cast
to reflect more varied body types, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, or gender expressions. When doing this,
approach with care and respect:

• Research real-world cultures and communities instead of relying on stereotypes.
• Think about how the character’s lived experience would affect clothing, posture, and expression.
• Keep their core traits intact while exploring a new way they could exist in the world.

These redesigns can be deeply meaningfulnot just visually interesting. They can reflect the way you and
others wish to see yourselves represented in stories that matter to you.

Bringing It All Together

When you actually sit down to answer a prompt like
“Hey Pandas, How Would You Redesign A Character From A Piece Of Media You Like?”, think of it less
as a test and more as a playful experiment. There is no single “correct” redesignonly versions that better
express how you understand and connect with that character.

You’re not just redrawing clothes or faces; you’re re-telling a story visually. And whether your redesign is
subtle and grounded or wildly stylized and exaggerated, that story says something about what you value: comfort,
power, vulnerability, representation, humor, or pure chaos.

So grab your sketchbook or tablet, pick a beloved character, and start imagining. The next time a Hey Pandas
prompt like this pops up, you’ll be readynot just to post a cool drawing, but to share your unique way of
seeing the characters you love.