Character Design

A square is a very rigid shape with four right angles and straight lines. Sources online characterise squares as being solid, sturdy, stubborn, and strong, but also a bit boring and inflexible. There are a few different ways you can apply this to a character's design.

Sometimes square characters are characterised as being physically strong and sturdy. Strong main characters in anime are often square-shaped (take any protagonist from JoJo's Bizarre Adventures as an example). Of course, the key to shaping language is to not just make the square resonate in the torso and silhouette but in all aspects of the character. A good example of a square character is Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, as seen at the top left. Of course, his entire body is sort of square-shaped; however, you can see hints of squares in his jaw, nose, eyes, and hair. Gaston is made up almost entirely of squares, which reflects his character of being muscular, unbending, and stubborn.

Square characters don't always have to represent strength or sturdiness, as many people might think. Squares are also often used as an allegory for boring or old characters. Older men, for example, tend to have bushy eyebrows and a larger body type, which might suit an overall square character design. A good example of this is Flint's dad, Tim, from the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. In this movie, all of the character designs are very exaggerated, and this character is no exception. Not only are his general posture and silhouette square, but his eyebrows and moustache are as well. You can especially see it in his nose and head shape, which are almost exact rectangles. This all fits in with his characterization of himself as boring, stubborn, and to-the-point.

Overall, rectangular or square characters are unanimously seen as strong, rigid characters who can be relied upon to stick to their morals and aren't subject to much change.

Triangles are characterised as being sharp, directional, and dynamic. They are unpredictable and powerful; street signs use triangle signs to show danger. Characters with triangles in their designs are almost always meant to be mysterious and mature. This is commonly used by villains but can be used in other ways as well.

Villains are the most common subject of triangular designs, especially Disney villains; think Jafar, Maleficent, Captain Hook, or Shere Khan. I'll use Scar as a good example since his design contains the most prominent triangles. As you can see in the image on the right, every aspect of his character design is sharp and angular. His nose creates a triangle at its point; his mane is unkempt and spikey, forming a widow's peak sort of shape at his forehead; and of course, his eyes are long and angular. This fits with his personality as a dangerous schemer and shows the viewer right from the beginning that he is an aggressive, mysterious character.

Of course, triangles aren't just used for villains. Another way that triangles are often used in character design is to allude to femininity. Using an angular face, hair, and body shape can allude to maturity and make a character's design look dynamic. "Sexy" characters often have triangle-shaped character designs, for example, Heather from Total Drama Island or Meg from Hercules. These characters always have sharp chins, long, angular eyes, often with exaggerated eyelashes, and a tall frame with exaggerated curves. A good example I found of how a character's design can look both villainous and sexy is Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender. As you can see through her character design on the bottom right, she is meant to be seen as dangerous and beautiful, a picture of maturity in the show. You can see how angular her face is; her eyes, eyebrows, hair, and chin are all made of triangles. This fits well with her character, as she is manipulative, dangerous, and a little unhinged.

Circles represent a lot of different things in someone's mind. When you see a circle, you often think of clouds, bubbles, and generally soft things. Circles can represent infinity in some cases and generally positive things. This isn't always the case in character design, however, as circles can also represent something large, which is often more of a threat.

One of the first things people think of when they think of a circular character design is obesity, or a comedically large character. These characters are often sidekicks or background characters who are also meant to be seen as friendly and approachable; examples of this could be Carl Wheezer from Jimmy Neutron or Olaf from Frozen. These characters often contrast with the main character, who might be triangular or square-shaped. A good example of this is Fishlegs from the How to Train Your Dragon movies, whose character design is made of circles to show that he is soft and approachable. He also contrasts the main character, Hiccup, who is a triangular character. Occasionally villains will be circular, such as Ursula from the Little Mermaid or King Candy from Wreck it Ralph, but their designs are often combined with angular shapes as well to allude to their villainy.

Circles don't have to be used in this way, however, and sometimes circular designs are much more subtle. Anime characters often use circles in order to make their characters look more young and innocent. Characters such as Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, young Simba from The Lion King, or Sailor Moon are all examples of how a character can look youthful with the help of circles in their character design. A really good example of this is the character Anya from Spy X Family, as seen at the bottom left. You can see that her face is very circular, her eyes are wide ovals, and her hair is round and soft. Her frame is very small; however, all of her limbs and clothes are also rounded and circular. This fits with her character of being happy, bubbly, and childish.

Circular characters are almost categorically opposites of triangular characters. Where triangles are sharp, dangerous, and unstable, circular characters are soft, consistent, and childish. This is why if the main character's design is made of triangles, their supporting cast will almost always have a circular character.

The shape of a character's eyes directly translates to their personality. It's the focal point of the face, and some would argue that it's the most important feature in an entire character's design. Especially when you consider animation, a lot of the time there will be focus on the face as the character is talking or expressing emotions. The shape of a character's eye can tell you a lot about their personality, and it is generally accepted that if their eyes follow the basic shape language, then it shows a lot about a character.

The chart to the top right is a good example of how the shape of an eye can change depending on the character's personality. Characters who have large eyes are generally more innocent, as large eyes will remind the viewer of babies or puppies. Smaller, slender eyes are a lot more shifty and are often given to more mature or dangerous characters. The direction that the tail of the eye is going can tell you a lot as well; a character with downturned, droopy eyes could be seen as more shy, quiet, and even lazy. Eyes with upturned corners display extroversion, maturity, and confidence. By applying both of these tactics together, you can create a dynamic-looking eye that matches its character.