Why I like the crocodile: he stands out in a group of human characters, the way you pose him makes him look rambunctious/cheerful which contrasts to how crocs are normally depicted, and he's got cute as overalls on! Foureyes or the knight dude would be my second pick (the knight because I love those sorts of designs, and foureyes because she is fashionable and confident)
I believe that the majority votes of lockjaw might also represent the interest of the subjectively community better because of its focus on non-human designs(pokemon, smaugust, mermay). I myself grew up drawing human designs and only now started making more animal designs because of this channel and maybe that's why I voted for Shrapnel, I wonder how different the results would be if the same pole was posted on a channel that focuses more on human characters
You’re probably right- we do tend to design a lot of non-human characters on this channel! We’ve cultivated a bias audience (we’re so proud of our little monster-loving fans)
Personally, I voted Lockjaw because he's a lot different than his design would suggest. On the surface he appears like a strong, tanky croc, but in reality he's highly intelligent and wise. The contrast between character and design makes him quite appealing :]
Yeah. That's definitely a factor: you almost always see big, reptile-type characters as brutish, dumb, or antagonistic. The inversion of that trope, and the way you convey that visually with the clever expressions and the cool gadgets definitely adds a ton of appeal.
I think four eyes and magic man are just like, the two that are hardest to interprete their vibe by just looking at them, while the other three are more easy to read. It's not that their designes are bad but they are the more average looking ones when compared to the rest of the team, like I'd need to interact more with them to know what they are about.
That's exactly what I was thinking. They aren't bad designs at all, but at a single first glance, when we don't know anything about these characters, their personality isn't in your face. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's okay to have characters interactions be more important than the character on their own. And by the looks of things, Mr Magic Man and Fore Eyes have a great dynamic
What you said about why people voted for Lockjaw, I think it's because his expressions can be stretched and displayed in a fun way, although my favorite character of yours is Sasha Shrapnal, because as an introvert I find her to be more relatable with her whole face being hidden.
It’s interesting, to think that people voted for a non-human character not because he omits human traits but because he actually exaggerated them! Never thought about that before 🤔
As much as I love humans, I love the different kind of expression non human designs offer. This probably isn’t what was meant, but it’s one of the reason I really love object heads. Like, you’ve got human body language and then something that doesn’t even have a face in order to communicate. One I’ve seen is a deck of cards that fans out when they’re angry and shuffles itself when they think. The first iteration of my sona has a… I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like a floating sphere that’s half full of liquid galaxy. It changes color depending on its mood, but it boils when it’s angry, fizzes when excited or happy, fogs up when it’s unsure, and ripples when it thinks. It goes dim and still when it’s upset My latest iteration added these glowing thought balls that orbit it like planets. Normally it tries to keep its thoughts in order, but when it gets to be too much, the orbits themselves start rotating like some janked up bohr atomic model or the eye wheels of a biblically accurate angel. If it gets bad enough, the whole system falls apart and it’s left with just the body until it can collect its thoughts
Object heads are great. Canti the TV head robot from FLCL and Zer0 from Borderlands 2 come to mind. Zer0's visor shows emoticons rather than human facial expressions since you'll never see his actual face (if he has one). Your character sounds really interesting!
@@mr.sandman7339 Aw, thank you! It’s just my little contribution to a friend’s choose your own adventure project. They had us all come up with deities and Etamir, god of identity and rumination, is mine. It has many forms, but that’s the one it tends to settle on
Here's a few of my subjective thoughts about what I think about The Freelancers. 1.) MagicMan - He's kinda like the default guy, which is like The First Character you get from every video game i.e. Jake from Subway Surfers. He's like The Classic Caped Superhero, The Rifle Wielding Soldier from every First Person Shooter Game, and Every Sword Wielding Adventurer from every fantasy game ever- Design wise that is, compared tor the other team members. This isn't bad of course, it just lends to him being not as bright as the other stars in the team. However, The thing that makes him standout to me as a Character is his Body Type. He's skinny but not in a femboy and Jack Frost kinda way, but he's actually Thin. I love it. I also find the contrast he has with Four-eyes to be very interesting which I will get into when I talk about her. 2.) Four-Eyes. I personally love this character. I also find Short haired Girls and Visors to be really rad and really cool. I love her spunk and attitude, but I ultimately think that the her being lancer to MagicMan is not really that obvious to me. The seem more like a Pair rather than Foils. They have more like a Jessie and James feel to them, rather than a Sonic and Tails one. I do also love how Yes, they are Twins but they don't have that disgusting hive mind copy cat thing going on. They're clearly meant to be different characters and I was actually really surprised when I heard that they were actually Twins - which, yeah, cause not all twins are identical. LOL. Silly me. But they still feel like one of those "Are you a Boy or are you a Girl?" Pokemon Question thing. Which kinda makes them suffer to have their own identities unlike Sasha, Gallant, and Lockjaw who distinctly have diverse design Identities. 3.) Gallant I got not much to say about him honestly. Which isn't reflective on how much a value him. I genuinely love his composed nature and gallant features (Hehe), and yeah, that's just it. He certainly standouts with the kilt and armour he's wearing which I definitely love and yeah, no sht. This guy's design slaps and he slaps even harder literally. 4.) Lockjaw Aaaaaaaaah, The Fan Favorite. He's got that Tahm Kench kinda vibe to him, Yanno? People can see the charm of this fella and how he could sweet talk his wise words into people and project a lot more stuff about him being just an overall chill and relax character. Lockjaw opens the door to what is possible in the team cause for the most part, everyone's a human and him being an Anthropomorphic Crocodile opens the door to make people think that "With a design that's as wicked and unique as this, what more can we have that has charm to its wit?" 5.) Sasha My Personal Favorite. Best Girl. I love her strangeness and alien-ness with a the weird ways she poses but I think I kinda prefer her having that more Androgynous looking look from when she had a Blue Theme Color going on, but overall, She is the one I picked in the poll.
What I like about non-humanoid characters is that it helps me become more immersed in whatever they're in. For example, in most of my D&D campaigns, I have chosen more animal/monstrous races because it helps me become more in character if I know that my character both mentally and physically is different from myself.
From what I've seen of Lockjaw, he is designed in a way where he looks anatomically appropriate for a croc while also having a lot of human personality in his design. Kinda proves that you can turn a cold-blooded, emotional apex predator into a lovable looking character. Gallant is probably my second favorite, simply becauseI always love big characters but I hate when their proportions are too unbalanced, like their musculature being overexagerated or their heads being way too small. He fits a nice balance for me.
I think I gravitate more to non-human designs precisely because I can't relate as much, and thus it almost forces me to escape my own world and go to a much cooler one - a world where crocs can and do wear visors. It's also easier to directly reflect themes and personality in non-humans, because their shape is often directly inspired by it. Like Gallant from Jack's own cast, who you can immediately tell is not one for hugs or soft things just by the fact that he's a cold, stoic set of armor. For my confused, developing brain, having an exit wrapped in something easily digestible (not to mention cool, like, c'mon) is so much more appealing.
If I could explain in a simple way why Lockjaw has 50% of votes. It would be because "The Freelancers" is more like a comic book group, in a world where most superheroes are human, seeing a crocodile with abilities makes it more interesting (e.g. Dinosaurus from Invincible) and seeing a cold-blooded beast like a wise-tech makes it more interesting. 4 Eyes and Magik man maybe they are not so loved because we don't know their abilities, powers or personalities, just by design they are simpler than the rest, maybe if it was a comic where we see how they relate they could be more interesting.
I had chills when you mentioned wanting to not be human to feel comfortable, I actually voted for Lockjaw because I empathize more with animal characters (animal and alien, etc). I'm so glad I watched this video today, I've been feeling terrible these days and having that little part of me understood by another artist just put glow in my eyes TuT Great video as always
For the longest time I refused to draw humans for my world because I was sure I'd mess it up, then I added one who admittedly, didn't show their face and wore bulky clothes, but after that human and humanoid designs just started sliding into existence and some of them I really like
He good big boy that's all there is to it I think people like the croc most because in general I've noticed people are empathetic toward animals universally, as they're seen as more "pure" in that even if they're violent it's seen as just how they are. But people can be harder to empathize by default, because if they suck it's intentional. So at least me personally, having liked so many celebrities that turn out to be weirdo ass clowns or being wronged by people, it's hard to just inherently like a human character until they PROVE their worthiness, where as animals are just good boys by default.
When it comes to picking a human or a non-human design, I tend to just go with whatever suits the character best! I will say that I’m in the middle, having designs that are human-like but not directly non human. Traits like adding fins, furs, horns, tails and the like while changing the anatomy of the human body is what I do the most to have a good split between what they represent and their empathy. That’s just my personal take on that tho, I’m interested in how other people prefer or tackle the topic!
My two cents about your Freelancer characters that are my (and seemingly most people's) least favourite: Fore Eyes and Mr Magik Man don't really feel visually distinct enough from each other for either one to stand out. And there also aren't enough character-defining and complementing visual contrasts within a cohesive unity for them to be read as an expression of duality/ two sides of the same coin.
For me, Non Humanoid designs are my thing, I have a situation where its hard for me to feel sympathy and empathy. Because im kinda dead inside (Im NOT edgy im just built this way for some reason). Thats why basically all the Champions I play in LoL are monsters/not humans, exceptions are Pantheon, Jax and Nunu. I just find there designs more interesting, I don’t hate Humans/Humanoid Characters its just Monsters and Beasts are more interesting for me. Examples of this I have alot of Deltarune OCs. 2 Lightners and alot of not humanoid Darkners. My 2 FNaF OC Ideas are. 1 wheeled long necked TV head. And a Snake Hydra thing
I think Lockjaw was the most different from the rest of the characters, since he is the least human, so he stood out and made it easier for people to pick. "One of these things is not like the others" is easier to identify and an easier way to make a decision. Noticing what stands out.
Honestly I was someone who voted for fore eyes, she has a very distinct look, composure, and personality to me. But I believe lockjaw is popular because his anthropomorphic nature helps easily define his character in a unique way, Though he is intelligent, reptilian, and sharp, his chunky body and other ques like Sasha riding on him and calm nature give him a huggable dad type personality to me, one who would give you helpfull advice when you're feeling down. choosing an animalistic character also helps as a contrast to the rest of the designs and honestly wouldnt be as powerful if he were still a gorilla . Although a talking crocodile is nothing new, you've made the character unique by flipping the "evil" status quo Crocs have on their head, and breathing life into a unique and believable character, also I like his glasses
I honestly really like your video essay stuff, your pokemon and league videos are good too but I originally subscribed for your videos about character design in general
20:06 you kinda hit the nail on the mark at least with me. I really really hate common tropes with anthropomorphize reptile characters. They’re usually portrayed as dumb stupid lugging animals. I really like how you made him more cocky yet wise at the same time. If I’m being completely honest he reminds me a lot of Toby from Thomas the tank engine, not just any Thomas the Tank Engine but specifically the original railway series books. You know the thing that Thomas was based off of. I genuinely could see Lockjaw and Toby having a great conversation. To be clear, the reason why I specifically say Toby is because Toby has the kind of wisdom where he knows how to get candy out of the machine if you kick it a certain way. I just get the same vibes from Lockjaw. He’s obviously old smart and wise but he is a true chaotic neutral character. Also Crocotaco
It took me a while but this is as short as I can make it: I created a dragon inspired mainly by crocodile and dolphin characteristics, which allowed me to combine the head shape of a croc but soften it with cetacean atributes like having its teeth hidden when it closes its mouth and leaving the skin smooth with no scales. When I showed a drawing of it smiling with its mouth open to my cousin they said that the dragon looked very friendly and nice, but it having it show its sharp teeth also made it give an aura of "you shouldn't mess with him". I get that same sensation from Lockjaw. Lastly, aside from crocs being cool, the idea of an animal typically represented as a cold eating machine turned instead into a wise and reliable figure makes for a very interesting character.
I've been a furry/creature artist for about 10-15 years, and I find that's it's my preferred overall "type" of character to make. I do enjoy human characters and don't avoid drawing them or anything, but I feel like you can only change a human character so much before it's no longer human, so trying to stick with "just" humans can limit potential designs, depending on what you're trying to make. Even something as small as changing ear shape and BAM you've got an elf, so if the line is that easy to cross why not just keep going? I would also argue that anthropomorphic characters ARE essentially human characters. Animals don't smile, or emote with eyebrows or gestures or things like that. So really I think you're drawing a "human" character, just allowing options and flexibility to make it whatever you want.
I enjoyed this video but honestly it was a bit hard to connect with what you were saying Jack, I mean you barely factor in "coolness." You ask "who's more memorable" of the Mass Effect characters, but a large majority may actually pick Wrex LOL, so much of our media is designed around what is "cool", and yes it goes in tandem with making media "relatable" but also it mainly serves as an escape... Wrex could represent the badass space pirate in someone and they may pick him because he simply is more rugged, has harsher colors, and especially is meant to look cool! I mean count how many people want to be Spider-Man, someone distinctively lacking ears, hair, a mouth, and a nose! You say the lack of anthro features help serve to make something scarier but actually... lack of features can help in all directions, some could say defining anthro features even further can actually make things scarier! Like say that characters with very defined teeth can look creepy, or ones with incredibly strong and piercing eyes. I can understand what you're saying for half of the video! But you kind of miss out on a very, very key thing in non human AND human character design. Less is more, which is why you find so many people choosing anime over american media, in american comics with incredibly defined faces and art a lot of people point to it being "ugly" despite these characters looking as human as ever! And in manga people thinking characters look way more adorable or cool, or more handsome while their faces and noses are much less defined as opposed to american comics. I think this video did a good job scratching the surface but I think you could go way more in depth on this topic and I'd absolutely love to hear you talk more about it. I know that there's no chance this comment will get a response lol but I still just wanted to put my thoughts out there in case this could possibly be seen by one of the subjectively team
Lockjaw is the most eye-catching because he's something so different from the rest of the cast. All the characters have a funny atmosphere to them, but a creature often seen as a basic mindless beast actually being intelligent and having a personality is very fun.
I personally tend to gravitate towards more monstrous characters, I've always loved dinosaurs and dragons and just in general love the aesthetic of reptiles - scales, horns, long body structures etc. it all is just foreign to the everyday monotony a lot of us experience. That being said I also tend to fall in love with characters that express a very unique or charismatic personality. Some of my favourite League champions are monstrous like Urgot, Rek'sai, Warwick and Fiddlesticks, but then again I also really like Akshan and Jhin. So I suppose for me character preference doesn't come down to whether they're human or not, it's whether they have something, a spark I guess, that really grabs me. My decision to vote Lockjaw was a combination of both, he's a crocodile, and I know you said not to say it but I'm a simple man, crocodiles are cool. You don't see them often, outside of zoos really and he has a really interesting personality that contrasts against the initial assumption someone might have looking at him.
I picked lockjaw honestly because he was prominent in the composition of the drawing you showed us, I also enjoyed (as you said) the obvious subversion of the troupe of villainy. He is also the only nonhuman character, immediately most of us wanted to know why and how a crocodile found it’s way into a team of superheroes. My last reason for picking him is that he just looks like a cool guy and I wanted to know why he had those shades on. Amazing video and very helpful! Thank you!
I'd say Four Eyes is my second favourite but Lockjaw just.... cool croc. Eyes went to croc right away. Love his shades. Looks like he'd be my friend. I'm better around animals than people anyway lol
I like non-human desing because humans are way too similar for me, skin tones are similar, eyes, mouths and noses all in the same place, if you have seen a human you have seen them all, now, non-humans or modified humans have potencially infinite possibilities!! I can make a green humanoid with bioluminiscent antenae, a 4 arm amphibian than can regrow their head, a cute girl made out of a worm hivemind, and so on! Humans aren't that interesting for me because of that. That's the reason why I stopped watching The Expanse, I mean at least put a catgirl COME ON YOU ARE IN THE FUTURE!! PEOPLE WILL MODIFY THEMSELF IN THE FUTURE!!
I feel like the reason lockjaw was the favorite because as an animal in an otherwise human group, he stands out, so people remember him the most. Meanwhile, magic man and 4 eyes are kind of the "default", so people don't really remember thrm. EDIT: I would love to see more videos like this
I was one of the 18% that voted for Sasha, mainly because ever since I found out about Harley Quinn, I've always been drawn (no pun intended) to those types of characters. I find their spontaneity humorous, and I think Harley Quinn and similar characters like Jinx are really good at having the spontaneous crazy side, and the soft vulnerable side. What can I say? I guess I have a thing for the crazy ones.
Honestly, I like lockjaw because he, for like of a better term, goofy! He looks like a big squishy crockadile, ready to give a big hug to a kid. I think it's mostly his head, like his big goofy smile and underjaw, it's low and saggy like old grandma skin
I believe why Lockjaw is widely loved is because he is a crocodile, let me explain. In Big Hero 6 and Guardians of the Galaxy, the most popular characters are Baymax and Groot. These two are juxtaposed to the human and human-like aliens. The reason why Lockjaw is so loved is that he very much non-human. If you look at everyone, and I mean everyone, in the Batfamily lined up, your eye might draw Bat-Cow, a cow at Bruce’s manor that was saved from a slaughter house.
As someone who voted for Mr. Magic Man, I can explain why I did so and why, I assume, others did not. I'm a guy who'd favorite DBZ character is Krillin and favorite Straw Hat is Usopp. To me the most endearing character is the tragically human one. The coward who overcomes his fear to stand by the hero. The weakling who knows he's just buying time for the lead. And that's the vibe I get from Mr. MM, though I know characters like that aren't always widely popular, thus his second to last place in the poll. Just know that his fans are out there!
I prefer non-Human designs/characters, probably because I feel like Ive been oversaturated with Human characters in settings where non-humans are extremely plentiful. For example - Star Wars, never has been a non-Human Main Character in any of the major pieces aside from Thrawn and maybe Maul I believe, which I think is criminal. Plus the variety you can get in the category fills all the happy checkboxes in my brain
imo Lockjaw immediately stands out because he's the only non-human character in the group and very decidedly different. That makes him the first thing anyone would be interested in and spare a second glance - leading into the further details of his design. The twins are kind of on the opposite end of that spectrum. Average build, somewhat "normal" outfits (at least compared to the rest of the group) and generally not very strong themes. Where Lockjaw immediately stands out, just for you to go "okay, dangerous predator, but not aggressive/brutal; instead smart & somewhat happy-go-lucky", and you have the sturdy and dependable Gallant and the very active firecracker with a hint of mystery in Sasha, the twins' role in that group isn't that obvious from their designs.
I voted for Gallant because i find his entire fit to be adorable and unlike anything i've seen before, but my absolute second pick is Lockjaw: he just radiates so much personality with a crocodilian body, and I think they both have a nice contrast in their design. Sasha would be my third, mostly because of her cool mask but also because I empathize with her as an introvert (plus she has that oversized drip) Magik Man and Fore-eyes are perfectly functional design-wise but I just feel like I've seen Magik in some other superhero comic before (i love his matchstick-like body though).. Fore-eyes feels like she'd have a sibling-like relationship with Magik, since their designs contrast each other. I don't like them as much because I just feel like they don't have the same sort of quirky design flare that the other team members have, and I feel like they follow design principles of a generic superhero (but thats just me, theyre perfectly fine characters)
I think part of the reason why the other designs don’t interest me as much is because what they do/ are capable of isn’t immediately apparent. Now note, all of this is subconscious for me I assume, I’m just looking into each one to make a point. Lockjaw can obviously bite people and use gadgets. Plus, crocs don’t normally have intelligence, so that kinda boosts him up. Gallant can use brute strength, and…business? Intimidation? He’s still really cool to me, but I think a lot of that comes from silhouette and the mystery of what exactly he is. Sasha Shrapnel can probably do parkour, and looks like she can get into a scrap and come out unscathed. Nothing else is quite apparent though. She’s just some lady who’s into street wear. Mr. Magik Man has a neat helmet? He can probably move quick or something? Probably has some cool sight thing going on? I assume he can use some sorta magic judging by the name, but that’s the name, not the design. And finally Fore-Eyes. She’s uh. She’s got sight powers, or something. So I imagine the lack of interest in some of the designs comes from not being able to tell their abilities. I’m sure there’s some more visual interest you could work into them and maybe a lil bit of cooler silhouettes (I’m a sucker for exaggerated proportions), but as for something that I noticed off the bat, that’s it.
My opnion about the Freelancers mirror exactly the pool. I see in non human characters the potencial that is often lost in human characters, a human will more often be skinny, pretty and conventional, but a crocodille can't be those. You cant use the conventional when making a monster character. That's why I chose Lockjaw, he exercises creativity since you cant make him just another skinny hot guy. Now, every time a characters body and identity is not part of the design they always default to white skinny man, Missfortune design is of a "pirate capain * lady *", and Braum is of a "friendly * strongman * caretaker", everything that is not implied by design falls into fair skin, male or skinny, that's why Ezreal, the "cocky treasure hunter" is all of the three, his design never required anything outside of the default, so he is default. Thats why all Freelancers fall behind the crocodile imo, everything that is not "required" by design defaults in white skinny man. Gallant and Sasha being above the rest as they are the ones that distanced most from the default TL DR: the furthest they are from the default the more unique and interesting they look, Lockjaw has a rare shape, Gallant and Sasha dip their toes into novel ideas and Mr Magik and Fore-eyes are default characters with different clothing and hair.
I just tend to find non-human characters more relatable than human ones, mostly because most human characters don't look like me, or reflect me personally. The most broadly appealing and prominent characters across different media, especially in videogames or animations, are light-skinned, thin or fit, and are either annoyingly quirky or just magnetically charismatic. Though these are traits I desire, it's liking seeing superman beat the bad guy by punching really hard: it's like his whole purpose to be the strongest, so it's not engaging to just see him do what you expect. Because of this I tend to gravitate towards characters with a spell of tragedy, that feel worn, beaten and tired but have risen from it in such awe inspiring (and usually queer-coated) confidence. Unfortunately this archetype is usually reserved for villains, like Ursula, Scar, or HIM from Powerpuff girls. So then when the stories conclude with them having to die it's a bit deflating. When it comes to your characters then I feel like that's why I gravitate towards Lockjaw. He has such swagger, confidence, and style while also having an air of danger by being quite literally a crocodile. In fact this animal choice is perfect as I've always seen crocodiles as the sly and secretive type that have the power to snap a neck with a twist. Just look on national geographic 😂. For Magik Man and Foir_eyes though, I feel they lack that contrast. Like for being the irresponsible one Magik man is quite well-dressed and put together. His outfit doesn't have signs of being rushed or just thrown together, like an untucked shirt, loose belt, or mis-matched gloves. Four-eyes is more fitting then, in this regard, but aside from the lovely poses and interactions you put these characters in her design doesn't give off older sibling vibes (though I know they're twins) and as such she feels more neutral to Magik man. Sasha suffers from the same problem as Magik man then with her feeling too static and well-kept for her chaotic personality. I honestly find that you showed off her personality best with the drawing of all the freelancers in suits you did, where she was just ripping apart her suit. In that drawing you were able to show how each character's personality causes them to react to the same situation (wearing a suit) differently. Overall however I love the Freelancer's vibes and the implied character relations with the composition of the pieces they've been in, along with their design renditions. I just think a few of them need some tweaks to better show off their personality and powers even when standing statically.
I figured the latter two got the least votes because they look the most simple at first glance, even if their design has more complexity behind it, by no means bad of course. On Lockjaw, I merely have always loved reptiles, especially crocodiles. What makes him special is that you use an animal that is often used for intimidating and is known for its brutality, but manage to bring out a perhaps cuter or goofier personality, yet keeping a good balance between the two. You don't expect to see a crocodile design with cool shades. They're also rather lazy slow bulky animals. Putting Lockjaw in that group, with those designs, contrasts that a lot, makes him look more active, slick and is a unique way of looking at a crocodile. The sharp edges also help towards that feeling. Aside from that, the first time I saw them I kind of associated him with a pet of the group, which I guess helped on the endearment towards him, even if I now know he's as sentient and rational as the rest of the group. Additionally, you didn't stray too far from the design in order to bring out the concept, which is something that, in my opinion, King K. Rool for example, fails completely to do, nothing in it speaks crocodile to me aside from the elongated mouth and it prioritizes making him look goofy a lot more, rather than keeping some of its intimidating traits (the eye is unnerving but it seems unfitting still, at least to me). It makes me think that there were SEVERAL other animals that could translate its design concept better. With Lockjaw here, you still look at him and say "It's a crocodile" and that's the very first thought, without it feeling out of place.
Personally i never related to a lot of human designs because of my aversion to common gender stereotypes. I'm nonbinary and don't fit in the boxes a lot of characters do to appeal to the common folk, which are unfortunately straight, cis people. I don't relate to the muscleman, the wisecracker, the punk girl, or the level headed. But yiu might ask, 'how the hell do you relate to a crocodile, then?' It's simple. I don't fit in. I can relate to this particular crocodile among a group of humans because that's how I feel among 'normal' people. I've always been drawn to non-human designs also because I just don't like people, period. I prefer to be on my own and text rather than call, I can't spend too much time around others or my battery drains and I become quickly exhausted. But around my animals or up at the ranch I ride at, I could spend hours with them and feel great. That alienation from my own species causes me to look to non-human creatures for comfort, whether that be in snuggling with my dog or designing a massive dragon with rainbow fire breathing with my own personality to help me feel powerful. Representation is a lot easier when you can draw yourself as a cool dinosaur with lasers rather than the flawed human being you see in the mirror. Besides, animals are more simple than humans, too. I don't have to worry about the nuances of human relationships when the way to most animal's hearts is through their stomachs. That's just my opinion, it's subjective. But maybe this will help people understand why I (and maybe others) prefer non-human designs. Aside from them just being 'cool'.
although I didn't vote in the poll, I would have picked Lockjaw lmao Im a huge fan of reptilian characters, and I think of all the freelancers, he's probably the most memorable, because he's the most unique. ofc I like all the characters, but an anthro crocodile with cool glasses definitely isn't a common thing to see lol
Speaking from my perspective, I've had drawn furries, creatures, and other non-human characters since I was a kid. I just felt that I can emotionally connect with them better than a human character can. Is it because I have social issues? Yes. Yes it is. However, it is also because I have much more things I can add to a non human, like fur, scales, horns, ect. Pokemon also was a huge factor for my favoritism towards non-human characters and is what got me into drawing in the first place, so maybe I am biased, but whatever.
I usually go for more non-human designs because tails, wings, extra limbs and generally odd body shapes can add a lot of personality to a character while really not being possible to do in humans without it looking too outlandish. (also I'm a furry degenerate but uh, shush) 5:31 Ovid's Roman btw
Well to be honest i do tend to prefer non human characters, so I voted lockjaw immediately, but, if I did have to explain why, I guess it's just the information reptiles already bring with them, this slow, even present group of creatures that has been lumbering around and munching on us since our oldest ancestors, when you combine him with a personality traits and vibes I'm personaly fond of, such as his intelligence being used in a less smart/genius and in more of a older brother giving advice way, or perhaps it's just his pants which perfectly ties together the mood of a chunky crocodile uncle who's here to raid your pantry and give you some life advice As for the other characters, I have to start by saying I really like all of them, but gallant is just *chef's kiss* a gentle giant tuxedo and kilt wearing futuristic golden knight? Like hell have you been reading my mind?! The others are all also really good don't get me wrong but for me personally those two stick out as character designs that not only feel unique, but also fun interesting
Though I did not vote, Lockjaw would be number 1 for me. There is something just so fun about the world they would live in that he as a character make me think about. Aliens, time travel, demons/ghost/supernatural stuff, etc. With him on the squad, I can only imagine the animated series where this crew flies in a big space ship with him as the helmsman, spinning in chair and directing and steering( and staying on board/behind at space docks to handle repairs and cut animation budget down). My mind goes wild with the thoughts since with him, it feels like if the idea would be fun, it would have a chance to exist. Sasha and Gallant also have a similar feel to them as characters. Zany, wild, and over-exaggerated. Lively. I find that Four Eyes and Mr. Magic Man, while really well done, need to be seen interacting with the others. As stand ins for the audience, yet the heads of the team, they fall flat not in their design, but in their inability in single screenshots to truly capture who they are. They are reliant on the dynamics and relationships within their team and each other that need more than a few images to go off of. I am certain that a comic with these two having to rescue their crew by themselves and escape as a unit could easily bring these two (and Sasha and Gallant, if also given some key moments) to help shine.
I personally love non-human characters for a handful of reasons, mainly because it creates some interesting designs those show abilities humans cannot naturally have like natural wings Another kind of design I love is the incomplete human, and this is a bit weird to explain but I like characters those are only an extremely of a human, like an eye, a floating hand, or the legs in classic cartoon parents, is just fun and interesting how by removing everything else we can focused on what the character is capable, for example, if our character is a single hand we know it can grab stuff, point at things, salutate, snap fingers, slap someone in the face, etc. If is a leg it can run, kick people, play football, stomp in enemies, jump, etc. Is just a really fun yet unexplored kind of design, at least that's how I feel it.
Love nonhuman more. Humans are overrated as a species. Also...sometimes the human anatomy can be limiting and study the one of different types of biological life to create your character can present a new challenge
I really like your design of the twins! I myself am a girl with a twin brother, so I identify with them for that haha. I also love when there's a dichotomy between two characters
I was going to post a big text but fuck it. I love non human characters bc I find them fun and interesting bc of my love and fascination for animals I love especially when the character doesn't even move like a human bc of their feathures it's great makes my ape brain go brrr. I'll say that I'm tired of the race metafor with anthro animal characters it doesn't work well bc humans of other races aren't a fucking different species is bad I hate it and I actually feel like they don't utilize the animal feathures for anything more than "roar I have big teeth and I eat other ppl so they're racist too me"
The prawn from district 9 are a great example of insectoid character design. They're alien enough but with expressive eyes and brows that give them a sympathetic quality
Voted lockjaw because he seemed the most visually interesting. I know nothing of the characters personalities or traits so his hyper intelligence is not factor. The helmet guy was the one I was most displeased with because it seemed like he was trying to hard. The helm and suit just does not work for me. Just a helm and gauntlets seems silly. The rest of the humans were just there.
I think all the freelancers are very strong designs and lockjaw just stands out as being the only non human character, but in general non human has always been more apealing to me as you can still sympathize with them because of their anthropamorphism and its easier to imagine yourself as an animal rather than a completely different person
i think the reason we like lockjaw more than foureyes is because lock jaw is different (personally i wanted to pick sasha or four eyes but galland reminds me of escanor so)
I love Gallant because it represents a gentleman with vestment of two different era, modern era with his suit and medieval era with his armor and I thinks thats pretty cool and awesome.
I’ve been helping a friend of mine with a game of his, that doesn’t have any human characters. It’s sort of made me prefer non-human characters, because of how varied some can be.
My answer why I like Lockjaw and the knight more than the other 3 guys is simple... you have 3 similar looking humans with masks/googles who might as well be one character. None of those 3 seem visually distinct enough for me. Two guys with spiky hair, two guys with the same round lenses on their masks/glasses, all of them wearing modern clothes and having a medium generic human body structure and pretty tame proportions. I mean, do you even need the twins? Just have the Freelancers be Lockjaw, Shrapnel and Gallant.
Thinking about it more... what about having 4eyes and Miracle be more similar? Lean into the twin thing and make them less visually distinct from each other. Make it clearer they are related via hair, their masks and clothing. Then your Shrapnel character would feel a bit less like the third sibling and can stand more on her own.
Before I get into the first character, I want to say I probably could make a decently canny ant design considering the obvious what not to do designs in Ant Bully, Bug's Life, and especially Antz. If I did vote in the poll (which I have no idea if I did or not) I would have chosen Lockjaw as well, with Gallant as my second pick. Crocodiles are cool, but also Lockjaw and crocodiles in general look like they have this grin on their faces, and the soft croc throat gives Lockjaw a friendly vibe akin to a chubby/round character or a protective character with a tough outside and soft personality (and they are excellent parents). Couple that with his more intellectual features and the fact that crocs generally are relaxed due to their casual pace in movement or basking in the sun/floating in the water and I just vibe with Lockjaw.
I voted for Gallant because I think the contrast between a medieval knight helmet and a modern business suit is funny. Also I like the way his face isn't shown. I'm not exactly sure why, but I find it pretty charming when a character's face is obscured. Maybe it's because it's fun to see a character express themself more with their body while their face is static. Dunno Oh also I like his kilt
as a art student in high school I would love to see more character design videos. One thing a struggle with in particular is background and foregrounds of artworks, id love to see a video on this.
while i’d definitely appreciate a vid like that too, i doubt this channel would cover that since jack usually makes content on character and creature designs rather than general art
Thank god I got notified before going to bed. I’m considering making non-human OC soon, so this is good help. EDIT: Making this 7 hours later since I was going to bed, but I’m actually giving a 4 minute informative presentation in my public speaking class regarding how animation causes attraction, and one of those aspects involves how non-human characters immediately bring your attention when they exist on completely different plane. I list SpongeBob, Twilight, and Perry as examples, but millions of others exist as well that act as an artist’s excuse for making characters you can relate to without being inspired from the same species as us humans, rather (as Jack said) having anthropomorphic attributes.
I like Lockjaw because of the pure personality that he shines with not only with his posing and description but also for the wise collectedness that only some people have. The kamina-style sunglasses also bring a mental image of a wierd heavily calm battle wisdom even in the worst of times and the fact that Lockjaw is a wise crocodile who survived not by pure unrestrained strength but by wisdom and skill despite so much strength enabling a more brutish possibility speaks volumes to me.
Honestly i mostly do non human designs bc I know that you can make something in human to be even more human though good writing, personality and even their design and the video really helps my confidence into reaching out of places that I don't normally go
Loved this video, DEFINITELY want to see more of these kinds of artistic breakdowns. Lockjaw is my favorite because, like you said, his design subverts a lot of the reptile character tropes as well as genius and sage character tropes as well! He looks like he'd have a Bronx accent and speak very plainly about things before talking shop about particle physics or whatever.
Man, I haven't even known how much I missed those types of videos from you guys... The more educational videos about creating art, charecter design and a little history as well. The Pokemon stuff is really fun, and I'm a huge fan of the league redesigns! But watching a video like this every once in a while is really refreshing :) Keep up the great work! P.S crocodiles with sunglasses? Yep. You got me there.
As a more active writer than visual artist, but a very anxious person, this really resonated with me. I have a bunch of interesting ideas I can't go anywhere with, and I realized thanks to this it's because of my anxiety issues. The best and most cohesive story I've written about people immediately shoved them into a fable by assigning them representative animal totems that defined their "true" personalities, whether they displayed them at first or not. The reason I can't tackle the story I want to is because it focuses on things my avoidance behaviors have hidden from me over the years
Personally i like Gallant the most. I love how he’s this big, intimidating-looking knight that also strikes me as the silent type, but he’s also wearing a suit and a Scottish skirt, which gives him a lot more character than just a knight. Also i really like gold, and the way you drew it looks real nice. :D
For me I can't really say I have much of a preference for either human or non human as long as the design makes logical sense in the world the character thrives in. I think as a whole, based on personal preference and without my storytelling/artist lens on, I do lean towards non human designs. I feel like it is much easier to play it safe or even generic with human designs than non humans.
This video gave me a lot to think about since until I saw this video I thought non human characters were easier (at least for me to draw) due to the ability to use more imagination rather that realistic traits
Man, you've really got me digging deep on why I exclusively have non-human OC's and only really enjoy and relate to non-human characters. I can't get into Fire Emblem, despite being EXTREMELY fond of tactics style games just because all the characters are humanoid. I have the same problem with FFXIV. None of the characters are beastly enough. I exclusively play beast races in games, I have a whole collection of OC's that are just lizards. First half of the video had me like "oh, I guess I'm just in the minority of people" And the second half has me worried that I've got deep-seated anxieties portraying human issues.. Got some thinking to do... I even play a Moon Circle Druid in D&D LMAOOOO
I love crocodiles. I always have loved animals and especially reptiles(cough cough dinosaurs and reptiles). My favorite type of Pokémon are mostly dragon types but I love myself Pokémon like Scolipede, Darkrai, and Torterra. Plus, I love Gurren Lagann. Really cool anime with the stylization and the angular designs. I grew up inspired by the creature designs of RJ Palmer and then discovered Monster Hunter World in 2018. So, you can probably guess what type of design I like.
Why I like the crocodile: he stands out in a group of human characters, the way you pose him makes him look rambunctious/cheerful which contrasts to how crocs are normally depicted, and he's got cute as overalls on! Foureyes or the knight dude would be my second pick (the knight because I love those sorts of designs, and foureyes because she is fashionable and confident)
I believe that the majority votes of lockjaw might also represent the interest of the subjectively community better because of its focus on non-human designs(pokemon, smaugust, mermay). I myself grew up drawing human designs and only now started making more animal designs because of this channel and maybe that's why I voted for Shrapnel, I wonder how different the results would be if the same pole was posted on a channel that focuses more on human characters
You’re probably right- we do tend to design a lot of non-human characters on this channel! We’ve cultivated a bias audience (we’re so proud of our little monster-loving fans)
I quite like both human and non human characters, it really depends on the design, personality, what the character is portraying.
One might even say it's... Subjective.
@@shinysnake u got a giggle out of me
Personally, I voted Lockjaw because he's a lot different than his design would suggest. On the surface he appears like a strong, tanky croc, but in reality he's highly intelligent and wise. The contrast between character and design makes him quite appealing :]
Couldn't have said it better myself
Yeah. That's definitely a factor: you almost always see big, reptile-type characters as brutish, dumb, or antagonistic. The inversion of that trope, and the way you convey that visually with the clever expressions and the cool gadgets definitely adds a ton of appeal.
I think four eyes and magic man are just like, the two that are hardest to interprete their vibe by just looking at them, while the other three are more easy to read.
It's not that their designes are bad but they are the more average looking ones when compared to the rest of the team, like I'd need to interact more with them to know what they are about.
That's exactly what I was thinking. They aren't bad designs at all, but at a single first glance, when we don't know anything about these characters, their personality isn't in your face. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's okay to have characters interactions be more important than the character on their own. And by the looks of things, Mr Magic Man and Fore Eyes have a great dynamic
That's exactly what i thought-
Yeah there more specific you get what the knight and crocodile are about just by looking at them the human characters are more vague
@@fluffernutter792 might be more me but being a love interest disnt even cross my mind, if anything I asumed thry were brother and sister
What you said about why people voted for Lockjaw, I think it's because his expressions can be stretched and displayed in a fun way, although my favorite character of yours is Sasha Shrapnal, because as an introvert I find her to be more relatable with her whole face being hidden.
It’s interesting, to think that people voted for a non-human character not because he omits human traits but because he actually exaggerated them! Never thought about that before 🤔
As much as I love humans, I love the different kind of expression non human designs offer.
This probably isn’t what was meant, but it’s one of the reason I really love object heads. Like, you’ve got human body language and then something that doesn’t even have a face in order to communicate. One I’ve seen is a deck of cards that fans out when they’re angry and shuffles itself when they think.
The first iteration of my sona has a… I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like a floating sphere that’s half full of liquid galaxy. It changes color depending on its mood, but it boils when it’s angry, fizzes when excited or happy, fogs up when it’s unsure, and ripples when it thinks. It goes dim and still when it’s upset
My latest iteration added these glowing thought balls that orbit it like planets. Normally it tries to keep its thoughts in order, but when it gets to be too much, the orbits themselves start rotating like some janked up bohr atomic model or the eye wheels of a biblically accurate angel. If it gets bad enough, the whole system falls apart and it’s left with just the body until it can collect its thoughts
Object heads are great. Canti the TV head robot from FLCL and Zer0 from Borderlands 2 come to mind. Zer0's visor shows emoticons rather than human facial expressions since you'll never see his actual face (if he has one). Your character sounds really interesting!
@@mr.sandman7339 Aw, thank you! It’s just my little contribution to a friend’s choose your own adventure project. They had us all come up with deities and Etamir, god of identity and rumination, is mine. It has many forms, but that’s the one it tends to settle on
Here's a few of my subjective thoughts about what I think about The Freelancers.
1.) MagicMan
- He's kinda like the default guy, which is like The First Character you get from every video game i.e. Jake from Subway Surfers. He's like The Classic Caped Superhero, The Rifle Wielding Soldier from every First Person Shooter Game, and Every Sword Wielding Adventurer from every fantasy game ever- Design wise that is, compared tor the other team members.
This isn't bad of course, it just lends to him being not as bright as the other stars in the team.
However, The thing that makes him standout to me as a Character is his Body Type. He's skinny but not in a femboy and Jack Frost kinda way, but he's actually Thin. I love it. I also find the contrast he has with Four-eyes to be very interesting which I will get into when I talk about her.
2.) Four-Eyes.
I personally love this character. I also find Short haired Girls and Visors to be really rad and really cool. I love her spunk and attitude, but I ultimately think that the her being lancer to MagicMan is not really that obvious to me. The seem more like a Pair rather than Foils. They have more like a Jessie and James feel to them, rather than a Sonic and Tails one.
I do also love how Yes, they are Twins but they don't have that disgusting hive mind copy cat thing going on. They're clearly meant to be different characters and I was actually really surprised when I heard that they were actually Twins - which, yeah, cause not all twins are identical. LOL. Silly me.
But they still feel like one of those "Are you a Boy or are you a Girl?" Pokemon Question thing. Which kinda makes them suffer to have their own identities unlike Sasha, Gallant, and Lockjaw who distinctly have diverse design Identities.
3.) Gallant
I got not much to say about him honestly. Which isn't reflective on how much a value him. I genuinely love his composed nature and gallant features (Hehe), and yeah, that's just it. He certainly standouts with the kilt and armour he's wearing which I definitely love and yeah, no sht. This guy's design slaps and he slaps even harder literally.
4.) Lockjaw
Aaaaaaaaah, The Fan Favorite. He's got that Tahm Kench kinda vibe to him, Yanno? People can see the charm of this fella and how he could sweet talk his wise words into people and project a lot more stuff about him being just an overall chill and relax character.
Lockjaw opens the door to what is possible in the team cause for the most part, everyone's a human and him being an Anthropomorphic Crocodile opens the door to make people think that "With a design that's as wicked and unique as this, what more can we have that has charm to its wit?"
5.) Sasha
My Personal Favorite. Best Girl. I love her strangeness and alien-ness with a the weird ways she poses but I think I kinda prefer her having that more Androgynous looking look from when she had a Blue Theme Color going on, but overall, She is the one I picked in the poll.
What I like about non-humanoid characters is that it helps me become more immersed in whatever they're in. For example, in most of my D&D campaigns, I have chosen more animal/monstrous races because it helps me become more in character if I know that my character both mentally and physically is different from myself.
From what I've seen of Lockjaw, he is designed in a way where he looks anatomically appropriate for a croc while also having a lot of human personality in his design. Kinda proves that you can turn a cold-blooded, emotional apex predator into a lovable looking character. Gallant is probably my second favorite, simply becauseI always love big characters but I hate when their proportions are too unbalanced, like their musculature being overexagerated or their heads being way too small. He fits a nice balance for me.
I think I gravitate more to non-human designs precisely because I can't relate as much, and thus it almost forces me to escape my own world and go to a much cooler one - a world where crocs can and do wear visors. It's also easier to directly reflect themes and personality in non-humans, because their shape is often directly inspired by it. Like Gallant from Jack's own cast, who you can immediately tell is not one for hugs or soft things just by the fact that he's a cold, stoic set of armor. For my confused, developing brain, having an exit wrapped in something easily digestible (not to mention cool, like, c'mon) is so much more appealing.
If I could explain in a simple way why Lockjaw has 50% of votes.
It would be because "The Freelancers" is more like a comic book group, in a world where most superheroes are human, seeing a crocodile with abilities makes it more interesting (e.g. Dinosaurus from Invincible) and seeing a cold-blooded beast like a wise-tech makes it more interesting.
4 Eyes and Magik man maybe they are not so loved because we don't know their abilities, powers or personalities, just by design they are simpler than the rest, maybe if it was a comic where we see how they relate they could be more interesting.
I had chills when you mentioned wanting to not be human to feel comfortable, I actually voted for Lockjaw because I empathize more with animal characters (animal and alien, etc). I'm so glad I watched this video today, I've been feeling terrible these days and having that little part of me understood by another artist just put glow in my eyes TuT Great video as always
I also would feel comfortable not being a human. You’re definitely not alone there
Yah me too, it just hits different
For the longest time I refused to draw humans for my world because I was sure I'd mess it up, then I added one who admittedly, didn't show their face and wore bulky clothes, but after that human and humanoid designs just started sliding into existence and some of them I really like
He good big boy that's all there is to it
I think people like the croc most because in general I've noticed people are empathetic toward animals universally, as they're seen as more "pure" in that even if they're violent it's seen as just how they are. But people can be harder to empathize by default, because if they suck it's intentional. So at least me personally, having liked so many celebrities that turn out to be weirdo ass clowns or being wronged by people, it's hard to just inherently like a human character until they PROVE their worthiness, where as animals are just good boys by default.
When it comes to picking a human or a non-human design, I tend to just go with whatever suits the character best! I will say that I’m in the middle, having designs that are human-like but not directly non human. Traits like adding fins, furs, horns, tails and the like while changing the anatomy of the human body is what I do the most to have a good split between what they represent and their empathy.
That’s just my personal take on that tho, I’m interested in how other people prefer or tackle the topic!
My two cents about your Freelancer characters that are my (and seemingly most people's) least favourite:
Fore Eyes and Mr Magik Man don't really feel visually distinct enough from each other for either one to stand out.
And there also aren't enough character-defining and complementing visual contrasts within a cohesive unity for them to be read as an expression of duality/ two sides of the same coin.
For me, Non Humanoid designs are my thing, I have a situation where its hard for me to feel sympathy and empathy. Because im kinda dead inside (Im NOT edgy im just built this way for some reason). Thats why basically all the Champions I play in LoL are monsters/not humans, exceptions are Pantheon, Jax and Nunu. I just find there designs more interesting, I don’t hate Humans/Humanoid Characters its just Monsters and Beasts are more interesting for me. Examples of this
I have alot of Deltarune OCs. 2 Lightners and alot of not humanoid Darkners.
My 2 FNaF OC Ideas are. 1 wheeled long necked TV head. And a Snake Hydra thing
I think Lockjaw was the most different from the rest of the characters, since he is the least human, so he stood out and made it easier for people to pick. "One of these things is not like the others" is easier to identify and an easier way to make a decision. Noticing what stands out.
Honestly I was someone who voted for fore eyes, she has a very distinct look, composure, and personality to me. But I believe lockjaw is popular because his anthropomorphic nature helps easily define his character in a unique way, Though he is intelligent, reptilian, and sharp, his chunky body and other ques like Sasha riding on him and calm nature give him a huggable dad type personality to me, one who would give you helpfull advice when you're feeling down. choosing an animalistic character also helps as a contrast to the rest of the designs and honestly wouldnt be as powerful if he were still a gorilla . Although a talking crocodile is nothing new, you've made the character unique by flipping the "evil" status quo Crocs have on their head, and breathing life into a unique and believable character, also I like his glasses
I honestly really like your video essay stuff, your pokemon and league videos are good too but I originally subscribed for your videos about character design in general
"why not a character who's just a slug?" *Coughs in flushed away*
20:06 you kinda hit the nail on the mark at least with me. I really really hate common tropes with anthropomorphize reptile characters. They’re usually portrayed as dumb stupid lugging animals. I really like how you made him more cocky yet wise at the same time. If I’m being completely honest he reminds me a lot of Toby from Thomas the tank engine, not just any Thomas the Tank Engine but specifically the original railway series books. You know the thing that Thomas was based off of. I genuinely could see Lockjaw and Toby having a great conversation.
To be clear, the reason why I specifically say Toby is because Toby has the kind of wisdom where he knows how to get candy out of the machine if you kick it a certain way. I just get the same vibes from Lockjaw. He’s obviously old smart and wise but he is a true chaotic neutral character.
Also Crocotaco
It took me a while but this is as short as I can make it:
I created a dragon inspired mainly by crocodile and dolphin characteristics, which allowed me to combine the head shape of a croc but soften it with cetacean atributes like having its teeth hidden when it closes its mouth and leaving the skin smooth with no scales. When I showed a drawing of it smiling with its mouth open to my cousin they said that the dragon looked very friendly and nice, but it having it show its sharp teeth also made it give an aura of "you shouldn't mess with him".
I get that same sensation from Lockjaw.
Lastly, aside from crocs being cool, the idea of an animal typically represented as a cold eating machine turned instead into a wise and reliable figure makes for a very interesting character.
I've been a furry/creature artist for about 10-15 years, and I find that's it's my preferred overall "type" of character to make. I do enjoy human characters and don't avoid drawing them or anything, but I feel like you can only change a human character so much before it's no longer human, so trying to stick with "just" humans can limit potential designs, depending on what you're trying to make. Even something as small as changing ear shape and BAM you've got an elf, so if the line is that easy to cross why not just keep going? I would also argue that anthropomorphic characters ARE essentially human characters. Animals don't smile, or emote with eyebrows or gestures or things like that. So really I think you're drawing a "human" character, just allowing options and flexibility to make it whatever you want.
I enjoyed this video but honestly it was a bit hard to connect with what you were saying Jack, I mean you barely factor in "coolness." You ask "who's more memorable" of the Mass Effect characters, but a large majority may actually pick Wrex LOL, so much of our media is designed around what is "cool", and yes it goes in tandem with making media "relatable" but also it mainly serves as an escape... Wrex could represent the badass space pirate in someone and they may pick him because he simply is more rugged, has harsher colors, and especially is meant to look cool! I mean count how many people want to be Spider-Man, someone distinctively lacking ears, hair, a mouth, and a nose! You say the lack of anthro features help serve to make something scarier but actually... lack of features can help in all directions, some could say defining anthro features even further can actually make things scarier! Like say that characters with very defined teeth can look creepy, or ones with incredibly strong and piercing eyes. I can understand what you're saying for half of the video! But you kind of miss out on a very, very key thing in non human AND human character design. Less is more, which is why you find so many people choosing anime over american media, in american comics with incredibly defined faces and art a lot of people point to it being "ugly" despite these characters looking as human as ever! And in manga people thinking characters look way more adorable or cool, or more handsome while their faces and noses are much less defined as opposed to american comics. I think this video did a good job scratching the surface but I think you could go way more in depth on this topic and I'd absolutely love to hear you talk more about it.
I know that there's no chance this comment will get a response lol but I still just wanted to put my thoughts out there in case this could possibly be seen by one of the subjectively team
Lockjaw is the most eye-catching because he's something so different from the rest of the cast. All the characters have a funny atmosphere to them, but a creature often seen as a basic mindless beast actually being intelligent and having a personality is very fun.
Humans are boring, I see humans everyday, When was the last time you saw a gator with a jetpack?
Personally I really enjoy creating human characters, but I find that nonhuman characters allow me to loosen up and make more creative visual designs.
Lockjaw is a contrast to the 4 humans. So he stands out and is therefore a favourite character
I personally tend to gravitate towards more monstrous characters, I've always loved dinosaurs and dragons and just in general love the aesthetic of reptiles - scales, horns, long body structures etc. it all is just foreign to the everyday monotony a lot of us experience. That being said I also tend to fall in love with characters that express a very unique or charismatic personality. Some of my favourite League champions are monstrous like Urgot, Rek'sai, Warwick and Fiddlesticks, but then again I also really like Akshan and Jhin. So I suppose for me character preference doesn't come down to whether they're human or not, it's whether they have something, a spark I guess, that really grabs me.
My decision to vote Lockjaw was a combination of both, he's a crocodile, and I know you said not to say it but I'm a simple man, crocodiles are cool. You don't see them often, outside of zoos really and he has a really interesting personality that contrasts against the initial assumption someone might have looking at him.
I picked lockjaw honestly because he was prominent in the composition of the drawing you showed us, I also enjoyed (as you said) the obvious subversion of the troupe of villainy. He is also the only nonhuman character, immediately most of us wanted to know why and how a crocodile found it’s way into a team of superheroes. My last reason for picking him is that he just looks like a cool guy and I wanted to know why he had those shades on. Amazing video and very helpful! Thank you!
I'd say Four Eyes is my second favourite but Lockjaw just.... cool croc. Eyes went to croc right away. Love his shades. Looks like he'd be my friend. I'm better around animals than people anyway lol
I like non-human desing because humans are way too similar for me, skin tones are similar, eyes, mouths and noses all in the same place, if you have seen a human you have seen them all, now, non-humans or modified humans have potencially infinite possibilities!!
I can make a green humanoid with bioluminiscent antenae, a 4 arm amphibian than can regrow their head, a cute girl made out of a worm hivemind, and so on! Humans aren't that interesting for me because of that.
That's the reason why I stopped watching The Expanse, I mean at least put a catgirl COME ON YOU ARE IN THE FUTURE!! PEOPLE WILL MODIFY THEMSELF IN THE FUTURE!!
I feel like the reason lockjaw was the favorite because as an animal in an otherwise human group, he stands out, so people remember him the most. Meanwhile, magic man and 4 eyes are kind of the "default", so people don't really remember thrm. EDIT: I would love to see more videos like this
I was one of the 18% that voted for Sasha, mainly because ever since I found out about Harley Quinn, I've always been drawn (no pun intended) to those types of characters. I find their spontaneity humorous, and I think Harley Quinn and similar characters like Jinx are really good at having the spontaneous crazy side, and the soft vulnerable side. What can I say? I guess I have a thing for the crazy ones.
Honestly, I like lockjaw because he, for like of a better term, goofy! He looks like a big squishy crockadile, ready to give a big hug to a kid. I think it's mostly his head, like his big goofy smile and underjaw, it's low and saggy like old grandma skin
I believe why Lockjaw is widely loved is because he is a crocodile, let me explain. In Big Hero 6 and Guardians of the Galaxy, the most popular characters are Baymax and Groot.
These two are juxtaposed to the human and human-like aliens. The reason why Lockjaw is so loved is that he very much non-human. If you look at everyone, and I mean everyone, in the Batfamily lined up, your eye might draw Bat-Cow, a cow at Bruce’s manor that was saved from a slaughter house.
As someone who voted for Mr. Magic Man, I can explain why I did so and why, I assume, others did not. I'm a guy who'd favorite DBZ character is Krillin and favorite Straw Hat is Usopp. To me the most endearing character is the tragically human one. The coward who overcomes his fear to stand by the hero. The weakling who knows he's just buying time for the lead. And that's the vibe I get from Mr. MM, though I know characters like that aren't always widely popular, thus his second to last place in the poll. Just know that his fans are out there!
I prefer non-Human designs/characters, probably because I feel like Ive been oversaturated with Human characters in settings where non-humans are extremely plentiful. For example - Star Wars, never has been a non-Human Main Character in any of the major pieces aside from Thrawn and maybe Maul I believe, which I think is criminal. Plus the variety you can get in the category fills all the happy checkboxes in my brain
imo Lockjaw immediately stands out because he's the only non-human character in the group and very decidedly different. That makes him the first thing anyone would be interested in and spare a second glance - leading into the further details of his design. The twins are kind of on the opposite end of that spectrum. Average build, somewhat "normal" outfits (at least compared to the rest of the group) and generally not very strong themes. Where Lockjaw immediately stands out, just for you to go "okay, dangerous predator, but not aggressive/brutal; instead smart & somewhat happy-go-lucky", and you have the sturdy and dependable Gallant and the very active firecracker with a hint of mystery in Sasha, the twins' role in that group isn't that obvious from their designs.
I voted for Gallant because i find his entire fit to be adorable and unlike anything i've seen before, but my absolute second pick is Lockjaw: he just radiates so much personality with a crocodilian body, and I think they both have a nice contrast in their design.
Sasha would be my third, mostly because of her cool mask but also because I empathize with her as an introvert (plus she has that oversized drip)
Magik Man and Fore-eyes are perfectly functional design-wise but I just feel like I've seen Magik in some other superhero comic before (i love his matchstick-like body though).. Fore-eyes feels like she'd have a sibling-like relationship with Magik, since their designs contrast each other. I don't like them as much because I just feel like they don't have the same sort of quirky design flare that the other team members have, and I feel like they follow design principles of a generic superhero (but thats just me, theyre perfectly fine characters)
I think part of the reason why the other designs don’t interest me as much is because what they do/ are capable of isn’t immediately apparent. Now note, all of this is subconscious for me I assume, I’m just looking into each one to make a point.
Lockjaw can obviously bite people and use gadgets. Plus, crocs don’t normally have intelligence, so that kinda boosts him up.
Gallant can use brute strength, and…business? Intimidation? He’s still really cool to me, but I think a lot of that comes from silhouette and the mystery of what exactly he is.
Sasha Shrapnel can probably do parkour, and looks like she can get into a scrap and come out unscathed. Nothing else is quite apparent though. She’s just some lady who’s into street wear.
Mr. Magik Man has a neat helmet? He can probably move quick or something? Probably has some cool sight thing going on? I assume he can use some sorta magic judging by the name, but that’s the name, not the design.
And finally Fore-Eyes. She’s uh. She’s got sight powers, or something.
So I imagine the lack of interest in some of the designs comes from not being able to tell their abilities. I’m sure there’s some more visual interest you could work into them and maybe a lil bit of cooler silhouettes (I’m a sucker for exaggerated proportions), but as for something that I noticed off the bat, that’s it.
My opnion about the Freelancers mirror exactly the pool. I see in non human characters the potencial that is often lost in human characters, a human will more often be skinny, pretty and conventional, but a crocodille can't be those. You cant use the conventional when making a monster character. That's why I chose Lockjaw, he exercises creativity since you cant make him just another skinny hot guy.
Now, every time a characters body and identity is not part of the design they always default to white skinny man, Missfortune design is of a "pirate capain * lady *", and Braum is of a "friendly * strongman * caretaker", everything that is not implied by design falls into fair skin, male or skinny, that's why Ezreal, the "cocky treasure hunter" is all of the three, his design never required anything outside of the default, so he is default. Thats why all Freelancers fall behind the crocodile imo, everything that is not "required" by design defaults in white skinny man. Gallant and Sasha being above the rest as they are the ones that distanced most from the default
TL DR: the furthest they are from the default the more unique and interesting they look, Lockjaw has a rare shape, Gallant and Sasha dip their toes into novel ideas and Mr Magik and Fore-eyes are default characters with different clothing and hair.
I just tend to find non-human characters more relatable than human ones, mostly because most human characters don't look like me, or reflect me personally. The most broadly appealing and prominent characters across different media, especially in videogames or animations, are light-skinned, thin or fit, and are either annoyingly quirky or just magnetically charismatic. Though these are traits I desire, it's liking seeing superman beat the bad guy by punching really hard: it's like his whole purpose to be the strongest, so it's not engaging to just see him do what you expect. Because of this I tend to gravitate towards characters with a spell of tragedy, that feel worn, beaten and tired but have risen from it in such awe inspiring (and usually queer-coated) confidence. Unfortunately this archetype is usually reserved for villains, like Ursula, Scar, or HIM from Powerpuff girls. So then when the stories conclude with them having to die it's a bit deflating.
When it comes to your characters then I feel like that's why I gravitate towards Lockjaw. He has such swagger, confidence, and style while also having an air of danger by being quite literally a crocodile. In fact this animal choice is perfect as I've always seen crocodiles as the sly and secretive type that have the power to snap a neck with a twist. Just look on national geographic 😂.
For Magik Man and Foir_eyes though, I feel they lack that contrast. Like for being the irresponsible one Magik man is quite well-dressed and put together. His outfit doesn't have signs of being rushed or just thrown together, like an untucked shirt, loose belt, or mis-matched gloves. Four-eyes is more fitting then, in this regard, but aside from the lovely poses and interactions you put these characters in her design doesn't give off older sibling vibes (though I know they're twins) and as such she feels more neutral to Magik man.
Sasha suffers from the same problem as Magik man then with her feeling too static and well-kept for her chaotic personality. I honestly find that you showed off her personality best with the drawing of all the freelancers in suits you did, where she was just ripping apart her suit. In that drawing you were able to show how each character's personality causes them to react to the same situation (wearing a suit) differently.
Overall however I love the Freelancer's vibes and the implied character relations with the composition of the pieces they've been in, along with their design renditions. I just think a few of them need some tweaks to better show off their personality and powers even when standing statically.
I figured the latter two got the least votes because they look the most simple at first glance, even if their design has more complexity behind it, by no means bad of course.
On Lockjaw, I merely have always loved reptiles, especially crocodiles. What makes him special is that you use an animal that is often used for intimidating and is known for its brutality, but manage to bring out a perhaps cuter or goofier personality, yet keeping a good balance between the two. You don't expect to see a crocodile design with cool shades. They're also rather lazy slow bulky animals. Putting Lockjaw in that group, with those designs, contrasts that a lot, makes him look more active, slick and is a unique way of looking at a crocodile. The sharp edges also help towards that feeling. Aside from that, the first time I saw them I kind of associated him with a pet of the group, which I guess helped on the endearment towards him, even if I now know he's as sentient and rational as the rest of the group. Additionally, you didn't stray too far from the design in order to bring out the concept, which is something that, in my opinion, King K. Rool for example, fails completely to do, nothing in it speaks crocodile to me aside from the elongated mouth and it prioritizes making him look goofy a lot more, rather than keeping some of its intimidating traits (the eye is unnerving but it seems unfitting still, at least to me). It makes me think that there were SEVERAL other animals that could translate its design concept better. With Lockjaw here, you still look at him and say "It's a crocodile" and that's the very first thought, without it feeling out of place.
Personally i never related to a lot of human designs because of my aversion to common gender stereotypes. I'm nonbinary and don't fit in the boxes a lot of characters do to appeal to the common folk, which are unfortunately straight, cis people. I don't relate to the muscleman, the wisecracker, the punk girl, or the level headed. But yiu might ask, 'how the hell do you relate to a crocodile, then?' It's simple. I don't fit in. I can relate to this particular crocodile among a group of humans because that's how I feel among 'normal' people.
I've always been drawn to non-human designs also because I just don't like people, period. I prefer to be on my own and text rather than call, I can't spend too much time around others or my battery drains and I become quickly exhausted. But around my animals or up at the ranch I ride at, I could spend hours with them and feel great.
That alienation from my own species causes me to look to non-human creatures for comfort, whether that be in snuggling with my dog or designing a massive dragon with rainbow fire breathing with my own personality to help me feel powerful. Representation is a lot easier when you can draw yourself as a cool dinosaur with lasers rather than the flawed human being you see in the mirror. Besides, animals are more simple than humans, too. I don't have to worry about the nuances of human relationships when the way to most animal's hearts is through their stomachs.
That's just my opinion, it's subjective. But maybe this will help people understand why I (and maybe others) prefer non-human designs. Aside from them just being 'cool'.
although I didn't vote in the poll, I would have picked Lockjaw lmao
Im a huge fan of reptilian characters, and I think of all the freelancers, he's probably the most memorable, because he's the most unique. ofc I like all the characters, but an anthro crocodile with cool glasses definitely isn't a common thing to see lol
Speaking from my perspective, I've had drawn furries, creatures, and other non-human characters since I was a kid. I just felt that I can emotionally connect with them better than a human character can. Is it because I have social issues? Yes. Yes it is. However, it is also because I have much more things I can add to a non human, like fur, scales, horns, ect.
Pokemon also was a huge factor for my favoritism towards non-human characters and is what got me into drawing in the first place, so maybe I am biased, but whatever.
I usually go for more non-human designs because tails, wings, extra limbs and generally odd body shapes can add a lot of personality to a character while really not being possible to do in humans without it looking too outlandish. (also I'm a furry degenerate but uh, shush)
5:31 Ovid's Roman btw
Well to be honest i do tend to prefer non human characters, so I voted lockjaw immediately, but, if I did have to explain why, I guess it's just the information reptiles already bring with them, this slow, even present group of creatures that has been lumbering around and munching on us since our oldest ancestors, when you combine him with a personality traits and vibes I'm personaly fond of, such as his intelligence being used in a less smart/genius and in more of a older brother giving advice way, or perhaps it's just his pants which perfectly ties together the mood of a chunky crocodile uncle who's here to raid your pantry and give you some life advice
As for the other characters, I have to start by saying I really like all of them, but gallant is just *chef's kiss* a gentle giant tuxedo and kilt wearing futuristic golden knight? Like hell have you been reading my mind?! The others are all also really good don't get me wrong but for me personally those two stick out as character designs that not only feel unique, but also fun interesting
Though I did not vote, Lockjaw would be number 1 for me. There is something just so fun about the world they would live in that he as a character make me think about. Aliens, time travel, demons/ghost/supernatural stuff, etc. With him on the squad, I can only imagine the animated series where this crew flies in a big space ship with him as the helmsman, spinning in chair and directing and steering( and staying on board/behind at space docks to handle repairs and cut animation budget down). My mind goes wild with the thoughts since with him, it feels like if the idea would be fun, it would have a chance to exist.
Sasha and Gallant also have a similar feel to them as characters. Zany, wild, and over-exaggerated. Lively.
I find that Four Eyes and Mr. Magic Man, while really well done, need to be seen interacting with the others. As stand ins for the audience, yet the heads of the team, they fall flat not in their design, but in their inability in single screenshots to truly capture who they are. They are reliant on the dynamics and relationships within their team and each other that need more than a few images to go off of. I am certain that a comic with these two having to rescue their crew by themselves and escape as a unit could easily bring these two (and Sasha and Gallant, if also given some key moments) to help shine.
I personally love non-human characters for a handful of reasons, mainly because it creates some interesting designs those show abilities humans cannot naturally have like natural wings
Another kind of design I love is the incomplete human, and this is a bit weird to explain but I like characters those are only an extremely of a human, like an eye, a floating hand, or the legs in classic cartoon parents, is just fun and interesting how by removing everything else we can focused on what the character is capable, for example, if our character is a single hand we know it can grab stuff, point at things, salutate, snap fingers, slap someone in the face, etc. If is a leg it can run, kick people, play football, stomp in enemies, jump, etc. Is just a really fun yet unexplored kind of design, at least that's how I feel it.
Love nonhuman more.
Humans are overrated as a species.
Also...sometimes the human anatomy can be limiting and study the one of different types of biological life to create your character can present a new challenge
I really like your design of the twins! I myself am a girl with a twin brother, so I identify with them for that haha. I also love when there's a dichotomy between two characters
Honey subjectively is on
I was going to post a big text but fuck it. I love non human characters bc I find them fun and interesting bc of my love and fascination for animals I love especially when the character doesn't even move like a human bc of their feathures it's great makes my ape brain go brrr. I'll say that I'm tired of the race metafor with anthro animal characters it doesn't work well bc humans of other races aren't a fucking different species is bad I hate it and I actually feel like they don't utilize the animal feathures for anything more than "roar I have big teeth and I eat other ppl so they're racist too me"
The prawn from district 9 are a great example of insectoid character design. They're alien enough but with expressive eyes and brows that give them a sympathetic quality
I like Lockjaw because crocodile characters aren't really something you see very often, and I'm notoriously attracted to novelty (or so I'm told)
Voted lockjaw because he seemed the most visually interesting. I know nothing of the characters personalities or traits so his hyper intelligence is not factor. The helmet guy was the one I was most displeased with because it seemed like he was trying to hard. The helm and suit just does not work for me. Just a helm and gauntlets seems silly. The rest of the humans were just there.
Thank god I got the creepy stuff warning before a youtube premium ad, would've been terrified without it
I think all the freelancers are very strong designs and lockjaw just stands out as being the only non human character, but in general non human has always been more apealing to me as you can still sympathize with them because of their anthropamorphism and its easier to imagine yourself as an animal rather than a completely different person
"Who is more memorable, Liara or Wrex?"
From what I know about the fanbase, Wrex is much more notable.
What will Bubble Bobble characters look like in 90's Pokemon?
i think the reason we like lockjaw more than foureyes is because lock jaw is different (personally i wanted to pick sasha or four eyes but galland reminds me of escanor so)
if done correctly,both are good.
I love Gallant because it represents a gentleman with vestment of two different era, modern era with his suit and medieval era with his armor and I thinks thats pretty cool and awesome.
You should make a cacao bean pokemon because the Aztecs thought they were gifts from the gods.
I like lockjaw because he’s a crocodile with cool glasses and a jet pack, it doesn’t really get any better than that.
I prefer non-human characters because then i dont need to improve on drawing humans
Dammit, that one-frame joke when you mentioned Invincible got me
10:25
I get to immediately think about District 9, what a movie
Lockjaw is cool because he reminds me how crocodilians are one of the most intelligent reptiles on earth
I’ve been helping a friend of mine with a game of his, that doesn’t have any human characters. It’s sort of made me prefer non-human characters, because of how varied some can be.
ngl, after watching the video , I would have voted differently
My answer why I like Lockjaw and the knight more than the other 3 guys is simple... you have 3 similar looking humans with masks/googles who might as well be one character. None of those 3 seem visually distinct enough for me. Two guys with spiky hair, two guys with the same round lenses on their masks/glasses, all of them wearing modern clothes and having a medium generic human body structure and pretty tame proportions.
I mean, do you even need the twins? Just have the Freelancers be Lockjaw, Shrapnel and Gallant.
Thinking about it more... what about having 4eyes and Miracle be more similar? Lean into the twin thing and make them less visually distinct from each other. Make it clearer they are related via hair, their masks and clothing. Then your Shrapnel character would feel a bit less like the third sibling and can stand more on her own.
i think Lockjaw got most of the votes because he just stands out from the rest
Before I get into the first character, I want to say I probably could make a decently canny ant design considering the obvious what not to do designs in Ant Bully, Bug's Life, and especially Antz.
If I did vote in the poll (which I have no idea if I did or not) I would have chosen Lockjaw as well, with Gallant as my second pick. Crocodiles are cool, but also Lockjaw and crocodiles in general look like they have this grin on their faces, and the soft croc throat gives Lockjaw a friendly vibe akin to a chubby/round character or a protective character with a tough outside and soft personality (and they are excellent parents). Couple that with his more intellectual features and the fact that crocs generally are relaxed due to their casual pace in movement or basking in the sun/floating in the water and I just vibe with Lockjaw.
The prospect of a Crocodile wearing Glasses :)
I voted for Gallant because I think the contrast between a medieval knight helmet and a modern business suit is funny. Also I like the way his face isn't shown. I'm not exactly sure why, but I find it pretty charming when a character's face is obscured. Maybe it's because it's fun to see a character express themself more with their body while their face is static. Dunno
Oh also I like his kilt
Agreed on the obscured face point
as a art student in high school I would love to see more character design videos. One thing a struggle with in particular is background and foregrounds of artworks, id love to see a video on this.
while i’d definitely appreciate a vid like that too, i doubt this channel would cover that since jack usually makes content on character and creature designs rather than general art
@@torquedawg1004 we need to get Claire onto this
19:56 crocodiles look nice
1 view, yet there are 69 comments currently.
Thank god I got notified before going to bed.
I’m considering making non-human OC soon, so this is good help.
EDIT: Making this 7 hours later since I was going to bed, but I’m actually giving a 4 minute informative presentation in my public speaking class regarding how animation causes attraction, and one of those aspects involves how non-human characters immediately bring your attention when they exist on completely different plane. I list SpongeBob, Twilight, and Perry as examples, but millions of others exist as well that act as an artist’s excuse for making characters you can relate to without being inspired from the same species as us humans, rather (as Jack said) having anthropomorphic attributes.
Good luck!
@@EtamirTheDemiDeer THX 😁🙏
Both designs are awesome for me. I do enjoy drawing a lot but scenery is just my favourite of everything.
Yo, why do you come at my man Wrex like that?!
In Mass Effect, the answer is easily Wrex.
I like Lockjaw because of the pure personality that he shines with not only with his posing and description but also for the wise collectedness that only some people have. The kamina-style sunglasses also bring a mental image of a wierd heavily calm battle wisdom even in the worst of times and the fact that Lockjaw is a wise crocodile who survived not by pure unrestrained strength but by wisdom and skill despite so much strength enabling a more brutish possibility speaks volumes to me.
Honestly i mostly do non human designs bc I know that you can make something in human to be even more human though good writing, personality and even their design and the video really helps my confidence into reaching out of places that I don't normally go
Loved this video, DEFINITELY want to see more of these kinds of artistic breakdowns. Lockjaw is my favorite because, like you said, his design subverts a lot of the reptile character tropes as well as genius and sage character tropes as well! He looks like he'd have a Bronx accent and speak very plainly about things before talking shop about particle physics or whatever.
Man, I haven't even known how much I missed those types of videos from you guys...
The more educational videos about creating art, charecter design and a little history as well.
The Pokemon stuff is really fun, and I'm a huge fan of the league redesigns! But watching a video like this every once in a while is really refreshing :)
Keep up the great work!
P.S
crocodiles with sunglasses? Yep. You got me there.
As a more active writer than visual artist, but a very anxious person, this really resonated with me. I have a bunch of interesting ideas I can't go anywhere with, and I realized thanks to this it's because of my anxiety issues. The best and most cohesive story I've written about people immediately shoved them into a fable by assigning them representative animal totems that defined their "true" personalities, whether they displayed them at first or not. The reason I can't tackle the story I want to is because it focuses on things my avoidance behaviors have hidden from me over the years
“We are all human” *sad robot noises*
Personally i like Gallant the most. I love how he’s this big, intimidating-looking knight that also strikes me as the silent type, but he’s also wearing a suit and a Scottish skirt, which gives him a lot more character than just a knight. Also i really like gold, and the way you drew it looks real nice. :D
For me I can't really say I have much of a preference for either human or non human as long as the design makes logical sense in the world the character thrives in.
I think as a whole, based on personal preference and without my storytelling/artist lens on, I do lean towards non human designs. I feel like it is much easier to play it safe or even generic with human designs than non humans.
This video gave me a lot to think about since until I saw this video I thought non human characters were easier (at least for me to draw) due to the ability to use more imagination rather that realistic traits
Loved the video! Wouldn’t mind having more vids about this kind of thing!
20:28 That life lesson though. It really makes me wanna explore through my art, more than I’ve currently have. Thank you!
Man, you've really got me digging deep on why I exclusively have non-human OC's and only really enjoy and relate to non-human characters.
I can't get into Fire Emblem, despite being EXTREMELY fond of tactics style games just because all the characters are humanoid.
I have the same problem with FFXIV. None of the characters are beastly enough.
I exclusively play beast races in games, I have a whole collection of OC's that are just lizards.
First half of the video had me like "oh, I guess I'm just in the minority of people"
And the second half has me worried that I've got deep-seated anxieties portraying human issues..
Got some thinking to do...
I even play a Moon Circle Druid in D&D LMAOOOO
I love crocodiles. I always have loved animals and especially reptiles(cough cough dinosaurs and reptiles). My favorite type of Pokémon are mostly dragon types but I love myself Pokémon like Scolipede, Darkrai, and Torterra. Plus, I love Gurren Lagann. Really cool anime with the stylization and the angular designs. I grew up inspired by the creature designs of RJ Palmer and then discovered Monster Hunter World in 2018. So, you can probably guess what type of design I like.