Kratos, Lara Croft, and Mario: Iconic Character Redesigns

Some game redesigns don’t just refresh a character—they completely reset how players feel about them. Over the decades, a handful of iconic figures have been reimagined in ways that kept major franchises afloat while making the leads feel more grounded, more expressive, or simply more memorable. Three of the most striking examples span nearly every era of modern gaming: Kratos, Lara Croft, and Mario.

One of the newest—and arguably most impactful—makeovers is Kratos. The God of War protagonist was effectively “reborn” in 2018 when the Santa Monica Studios reboot launched. The change moved him away from a more one-dimensional portrayal driven largely by vengeance. In its place came a broader emotional profile, including layers of hope and shattered expectations, along with a noticeable shift in presence and tone. The redesign also leans into a darker, more cautious personality, highlighted by a striking new look that includes an impressive beard. Visually, the character’s style aligns with a renewed Norse direction for the series—an artistic course that is set to continue the following year with the upcoming God of War Laufey.

Lara Croft’s most famous reboot-era redesign arrived in 2013. While she’d been restyled before, that specific iteration is framed as the most successful and the most immediately impactful. That year’s Tomb Raider reboot introduced a Lara who is far less experienced and far more vulnerable than the older image fans were used to. From the moment players take control, the design communicates that she isn’t a seasoned adventurer—it’s a young woman thrown into danger, trying to “find her footing” just to survive. The familiar classic look is replaced: no old-school toughness, no signature earlier styling, and no presentation that suggests confidence. Instead, this Lara is portrayed as someone motivated by fear and survival instincts, a character shaped by uncertainty rather than dominance.

Then there’s Mario, arguably the most recognizable character makeover of the last forty years and beyond. In 1996—more than a decade after his debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System—Mario made the leap from 2D to 3D. The redesign is described as legendary, and its influence has held up for years, evolving with each console generation while keeping the core identity recognizable. What had once looked like a compact cluster of pixels became a fully three-dimensional character with emotions, ambitions, and more expressive presence. The article highlights that the improvements still show their effects today, pointing to Super Mario 64 as a key moment where the benefits of that transition remained visible even decades later.