Strength isn't everything when it comes to being a great video game protagonist, antagonist, or character in general. In order for fans to truly fall in love with a character, they need a memorable appearance; that means a great sense of fashion, flashy moves on the battlefield, and of course, a fancy hairdo.
However, to achieve the elaborate styles the designers had in mind, a bit (or a lot) of practicality was lost in the designing process. Gamers are always presented with the end product of a character, but it's curious to think about all the behind-the-scenes prep that happens before players press start. Here are some of the most iconic video game hairstyles, ranked in order of how much maintenance they require.
8 Street Fighter – Guile
Out of all the stylish Street Fighter characters, Guile is the one that stands out the most when it comes to the most impressive hairdos. Guile has maintained his signature blonde updo throughout the entire Street Fighter legacy with no drastic changes to make it more "realistic" or practical. Despite it being a bit high maintenance, it seems as if Guile still finds time throughout his busy day to keep his signature look for the sake of the fans.
It's likely that his blonde color is his natural hair color but his gravity-defying hairdo definitely needs a healthy amount of gel in order to stay up during every battle. Luckily, it seems Guile carries a comb on him every match for quick touch-ups whenever the gel starts giving out.
7 Genshin Impact – Zhongli
Mr. Zhongli, the sophisticated and dapper Geo Archon from Genshin Impact, has long, beautiful locks that he keeps in a low ponytail that gently flows behind him. Aside from his long ponytail, he also has shorter layers that frame his face in the front.
What makes his hairstyle particularly complicated to upkeep is his amber ombre. In order to contrast his black hair more and to match his golden eyes, the ends of his hair gradient into a beautiful amber color to reflect his status as the Geo Archon. After every trim, the gradient must be bleached and redyed all over again! It's likely that Mr. Zhongli is a frequent customer of the local Liyue hairdresser.
6 Final Fantasy 7 – Sephiroth
Sephiroth may only have one solid hair color and doesn't need a bunch of hair dye to worry about, but that doesn't stop him from having an intense hair care routine. Final Fantasy 7's iconic antagonist is known for his long, flowing silver hair that almost reaches the floor wherever he wreaks havoc.
In addition to the long hours of hair masks and brushing that Sephiroth must go through on a regular basis (there's no way those knots are taking care of themselves), he also has a lot of volume going on in his bangs. His signature hairstyle isn't an easy one; his bangs definitely need a few good pumps of mousse and hairspray in order to maintain its distinct "M" shape to frame his face.
5 Kingdom Hearts – Axel
Even with Kingdom Hearts' Axel having naturally red hair, there are definitely a few high and lowlights hidden in his ever-so-stylish hairdo. Maintaining the gorgeous depth he has in his hair color is far from easy, and the maintenance doesn't even stop there.
Any hairdresser would get a headache just looking at all the intricate layers that would need to be carefully cut for Axel to even begin the hairspray and gelling process. Much like many other video game characters, Axel's hair seems to defy gravity and keep its defined spikes upright in every direction and would absolutely need at least two whole cans of hairspray in order to achieve.
4 Elite Beat Agents – Agent J
All the members of the Elite Beat Agents have rather impressive (and unique) hairdos but Agent J seems to be the one that usually sits front and center and steals the show. Agent J has a carefully styled pompadour that flows into a tornado-like swirl at the ends, finished with a mullet in the back.
Whether Agent J has a naturally strawberry-blonde hairdo or not, the styling would still take an hour at the very least. After the meticulous hair-drying and gelling to achieve the swirl shape, there's then his signature "J" shaped side-burns and mullet left to cut, clean up, and style as well.
3 Final Fantasy 7 – Cloud Strife
Cloud has gone through a few different iterations of his character design, and as years passed Cloud was finally able to go from Lego-like pixels to a more hyper-realistic design. Keeping Cloud's iconic blonde hair close to his original design was a bit of a challenge, but Square Enix managed to pull it off. Cloud's hair is a bit on the shorter side but all the layers and defined spikes make it just as complicated as a longer hairdo.
What makes Cloud's hair particularly difficult to maintain are the spikes. The spikes of his hair aren't hard and rigid like his original Final Fantasy 7 design; instead, they're softer and wave around with the wind and can't be achieved with loads of hardened gel. Cloud would not only need hairspray or mousse, but he would also need an intense hair-drying and straightening/flat ironing session beforehand. Looks like Tifa and Barret will have to wait a few hours; after all, Cloud's beauty routine comes first.
2 Bayonetta – Bayonetta (Cereza)
Bayonetta has gone through a few makeovers so far, but her hair in the very first Bayonetta game is unmatched. Long locks are generally more high maintenance, especially with how healthy Bayonetta's hair looks on the regular. All the hair masks and special treatments she would require before heading out for the day are nothing in comparison to all the styling that follows.
A formal updo like her signature beehive takes hours to get done on its own, but she also has lots of accessories to add a bit of glam to her look as well. After all the haircare, styling, braiding, and adding in the ribbons and chains, Bayonetta may just end up asleep in the stylist's chair before her adventure begins.
1 Guilty Gear – Millia Rage
Millia Rage from the Guilty Gear series, much like Bayonetta, finds her power tied to her fancy hairdo and utilizes her cursed hair in battle by contorting it into any shape she pleases.
Bayonetta and Millia have similar hair maintenance issues but while Bayonetta's default hairstyle is still rather achievable (with lots of effort), Millia's default hairdo is near impossible to achieve in real life regardless of how much styling is involved.
Her long blonde hair flows into a giant scythe-like blade that suspends itself in the air. Milla's hair would require hours, endless bottles of gel or cans of hairspray, and a bit of physics planning, just for it to naturally undo itself within the next half-hour or so.