Soul Eater OC Tip #5: Create a distinct head design
When designing a Soul Eater OC, it is a good idea to give the original character a distinct head design. To have a distinct head design means for a character to have a hairstyle, facial features, headwear, or accessories that allow a viewer to easily distinguish them from another character. Making use of these unique features on a Soul Eater character’s head is beneficial in two ways. First, the character will be easily recognizable. Second, the character’s “chibi” soul will be easier to draw.
Creating a distinct head design is a common tip for making an easily recognizable silhouette and thus a good character design. The YouTube channel, BaM Animation, emphasizes the importance of having a unique head silhouette. “Every character design works better if you can recognize them just from the silhouette… Another way to improve silhouette clarity is to take the character’s head and add a little weird shape that is unique to only them.”
Many characters in Soul Eater have head features that make them easily recognizable. Not only do they have weird shapes that accentuate their silhouette, they also have other facial features and hairstyles that do not necessarily add to their silhouette, but make their appearances memorable nevertheless. All these details are effectively utilized in the appearance of their “chibi” soul.
The chibi soul is a representation of a character’s soul visualized by simplifying the character’s head down to its most distinct features. These chibi souls only appear a few times in the series, particularly when Stein is using Soul Perception to analyze the souls of the main characters. Even though the series did not show many chibi versions of its characters’ souls, chibi souls are popular among artists who design Soul Eater OCs. Because chibi souls are such a big part of creating OCs in Soul Eater fandom, it is worth analyzing the designs of canon chibi souls.
Maka’s pigtails are an iconic feature of her head that express the nature of her character very well. While the hairstyle itself can be translated into the stereotypical anime symbol of cuteness, Maka’s pigtails are neat and tidy, rather than flowy and delicate, which appear to reflect her sense of duty and responsibility. The pigtails are also the main feature of her soul, and in some depictions appear to represent the wings of her Grigori soul.
A defining feature of Soul’s face is his sharp teeth, which also happen to be the main feature of his chibi soul. The teeth symbolize the “eater” part of his character, and is also featured in the Soul Eater logo.
Black Star’s silhouette is instantly recognizable because of his star-shaped hair. As a visual representation of his energy and desire to be a star, it is the feature that is prominent in the design of his soul.
Tsubaki’s unique head shape is formed by her long ponytail. Appearing to be an expression of her femininity and practicality, it is the main shape featured in her chibi soul.
Death the Kid’s head is unmistakably his because of his incomplete Lines of Sanzu. While they do not contribute to his silhouette, they are defining part of his appearance, and is the main feature of his chibi soul. What does make his silhouette distinguishable from generic male anime characters with short straight hair, however, is the strands of hair that stick out at the base of his neck.
Liz and Patty’s souls are characterized by their cowboy hats. The two are distinguished from each other with their facial expressions. Patty’s is more cheerful and has a blush, while Liz’s appears to have more droopy eyes.
Not all Soul Eater characters have chibi version souls, but is still significant to point out that Soul Eater character designs have very distinct head details and silhouettes compared to other anime and manga series. To name a few more more examples would be Stein’s head screw, Ragnarok’s X face, Medusa’s hood and Rod of Asclepius hair, Arachne’s spider hair bun, Ox’s glasses and hair spikes, Harvar’s visor and ponytail, Mira’s bandages and dreadlocks, Marie’s eyepatch, Justin’s Zucchetto, and Lord Death’s mask.
It is not mandatory for a Soul Eater OC to have a chibi soul, but understanding the design choices made in the chibi souls of the main characters can help make an OC design that fits the Soul Eater universe better. Not only that, one useful trick could be to design a chibi soul first and adding details later. This will prevent the character design from becoming too generic or overly detail-oriented because it helps the design to start out with a solid and simple base shape.
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