Work In Progress 'List of Blonde Females in Video Games'. America's Bunnette. Major League Eating: The Game. Brown is the New Blonde. It seems everywhere you look, there are attractive anime boys. Some have blue hair; many black, and many more of them blond. But what about the brown-haired guys? Won't somebody please think of the brunette anime guys!
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Makeovers aren't just for reality TV.
Most video game redesigns incorporate new characters, along with detailed costumes and evolving physiques. Just ask Lara Croft, the titular character of the successful Tomb Raider series. Since 1996, she's been nipped and tucked all over, constantly varying her original outfit.
She's not the only one — from the ladies of Street Fighter, to the timeless Princess Zelda, many an iconic female character has been the product of a new program design. Sometimes the changes are severe and sexual, and sometimes they're near insignificant, signaling a semblance of continuity.
Here are eight legendary characters and their physical evolutions over decades of gaming.
See also: 6 Games That Will Give You a New Perspective
1. Samus Aran in Metroid
The Metroid series stars a space hunter named Samus Aran who fights evil in a huge armored suit. Originally conceived as a man, programmers decided halfway through the first game to make Aran a woman. Players discovered this after beating the game, when Aran whips off her suit for the big reveal. Depending how quickly you beat the game, she's either wearing a one piece bathing suit or a bikini.
Throughout the series, Aran typically dons the heavy suit. However, the tradition of 'revealing' her in a bathing suit at the end has carried on. There was the black and white reveal for the game's sequel, and a taut, tan reveal for Super Metroid. Sometimes, she'll occasionally wear shorts, like in 2002's Metroid Fusion.
Underneath the armor, Aran usually wears sleek blue bodysuit, known as the Zero Suit. She's also sported it in crossover games like Super Smash Bros. Screengrabs from her upcoming Super Smash Bros. appearance feature Aran donning the Zero Suit and a pair of high heels — and some fans are not happy about it.
2. Chun-Li in Street Fighter
The beloved video game Street Fighter has propelled many an iconic character. Among that collective of colorful fighters is Chun-Li, a Chinese girl who can kick an opponent into oblivion.
Unlike many other females in video games, Chun-Li has retained a level of modesty meted with muscle. Her build has always been strong and stocky, with robust thighs and arms. Over two decades, her outfits and anatomical design have remained shockingly consistent. She typically always dons a blue Chinese dress, called a qipao, and combat boots. Her hairstyle is also traditional, knotted up in two 'ox horn' buns covered with white fabric.
One major outfit change arrived for the game's Street Fighter Alpha series; in it she simply wore a blue tank top and a tight-fitting body suit. Her busty-meets-muscular build remained the same. Aside from that era, Chun Li hasn't changed much in a visual sense, giving Street Fighter players a sense of stability.
3. Cammy in Street Fighter
On the other end of the SF spectrum is the busty, blonde Cammy. Appearing for the first time in Street Fighter II, she's a world away from the game's other characters. Typically donning a military green bodysuit and a red beret, Cammy is a member of Delta Red, a special operations unit for elite soldiers.
She's an immensely popular character, often worshipped for her sexuality. As the video game world's design capabilities improve, Cammy's hyper-exaggerated frame only gets more detailed.
The character, who's also appeared in many of the game's crossover worlds, like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, has a fairly consistent look. Green bodysuits cling tight to her extremely muscular frame, ending in a revealing thong. She stepped out in a blue thong leotard in X-Men vs. Street Fighter, an outfit that signals pre-SF Cammy, back when she was a member of crime organization Shadaloo, but that's about as wild as her outfit changes get. But year after year, that thong gets a little bit smaller...
4. Lara Croft in Tomb Raider
Divisive, alluring and always in command — Lara Croft has been a video game mainstay since her 1996 debut in the Tomb Raider series. Clad in a tiny tank top and even tinier shorts, the tough, rich Englishwoman with a penchant for hunting treasure was an instant success.
Despite the much-needed female character in a male-dominated world, Croft's overly-sexual appearance was polarizing. From the get-go, her anatomically exaggerated physique (read: absurdly large breast to waist ratio) disturbed fans who wanted their lady characters with a dash of realism (and respect).
Still, the series sold millions of copies and spawned a successful duo of films starring Angelina Jolie. In an interview with E!, Jolie said she had to pad her bra and simply accept the fact that 'with me playing her, she's much more athletic.' Even someone dubbed the sexiest woman alive couldn't keep up with Croft's oversexed appearance.
With each new game in the series, Croft has finally started to resemble a more anatomically correct woman. She's still donning a tank top, but it's paired with pants, and her breasts have been reduced to something more human. Who knows, 10 years down the line, she might even sport an entire shirt.
5. Jill Valentine in Resident Evil
Jill Valentine is a mainstay in the terrifying world of Resident Evil. As one of the original two playable protagonists, she's a highly trained bomb expert and an agile fighter who loves wielding weapons and crushing zombies.
Throughout it all, Valentine's outfits consist of practical, militaristic gear. However, the designers of Resident Evil 3 decided to mix it up, dressing Valentine in a tube top, mini skirt and boots. It's not the most practical look, and wasn't super well-received. The ultimate shake-up came in Resident Evil 5, when she gets brainwashed by a mind control device, a change ushered in by blonde hair and a skintight body suit.
Valentine eventually goes back to sporting body-covering gear in latter versions of the game. In the game's latest edition, 2012's Revelations, her militaristic garb becomes much more form-fitting.
6. Claire Redfield in Resident Evil
Debuting in the second Resident Evil, Claire Redfield is one of two playable protagonists. She's the 19-year-old little sister to original character Chris, who's gone missing in the second game. A rookie at the start, she quickly levels up in order to escape the dangers of Raccoon City.
Redfield's original outfit was a black cycling skinsuit under a red vest (which bears the motto 'Made in Heaven' on the back). She stuck with the red vest (which rides up more and more over the years) in later iterations, swapping out the cycling suit for a pair of pants.
In 2012's Resident Evil: Revelations, she's more covered up in a button down shirt, red leather jacket and pants. In the upcoming Revelations sequel, released in 2015, Redfield will be the main character alongside fellow female Moira Burton. It also appears that the perennial favorite will continue to sport the same outfit.
7. Meryl Silverburgh in Metal Gear Solid
Meryl Silverburgh is the first lady of the Metal Gear series. The stealth action game stars a special ops team code-named Solid Snake. The mission? To destroy Metal Gear, the mobile tank that can deploy nuclear missiles. Silverburgh is introduced in the third game, Metal Gear Solid.
Silverburgh, introduced in the third game, Metal Gear Solid, starts off as a recruit and a love interest to main protagonist Solid Snake. The game's rugged nature calls for her to don simple but tough attire. She initially runs around in a tank top and pants, but her gear game is stepped up a notch in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
In it, she's the leader of Rat Patrol Team 01 and is dressed for the job, sporting heavy, battle-approved tactical wear.
8. Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda![]()
The princess will see you now. The titular character of the sprawling Legend of Zelda series isn't always the hero, but she's always a leader, guiding the people of Hyrule with a wise and kind fist. There are many 'Zeldas' throughout the series, which follows the otherworldly adventures of a boy named Link, though each princess is similar to the next.
Zelda is usually always portrayed as a young girl, with long blonde (sometimes brown) hair. The face of virtual elegance, she typically wears an ornate gown paired with all kinds of elaborate jewelry. It's fitting attire for a character who often falls into 'damsel in distress' territory.
One major exception is in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The 1998 game, widely regarded as the bestintheseries, follows Link as he fights the evil Ganondorf, who's set to destroy Hyrule. Link receives help from a mysterious character called Sheik. About the same age, Sheik is a young man with blond hair, hidden beneath swaths of skintight gear and a face mask. Later in the game, it's revealed that Sheik is — gasp — actually Princess Zelda.
It's one of the few times she's strayed from her royal garb. Even when she's fighting enemies with swords and crossbows in 2014's Hyrule Warriors, she's decked out in a picture-perfect pink gown.
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