Poll: Which would you prefer to play as?

[Unia]

Both the designs are fairly original, certainly not something that would detract my interest. I'm sorry to say I only notice character design when it rubs me the wrong way. For instance FFIX was hard to get into because the supposedly human characters looked like bobbleheads to me.

I was once forced to switch to a different class in some MMORPG because the female cleric stood in this weird pose that made my back ache just looking at it. Then there's the slightly too accurate self-insert in Oblivion that ended up wearing a sub-optimal heavy helmet just so I didn't have to see that face. Damn uncanny valley

 

[the December King]

I feel that the little girl with the razor is a story that I will have told to me. The little boy beggar is a story I get to tell with him. For me this is because the levels of information communicated to me by the visuals leads me to consider the first picture a portrait, it is a static pose meant to illustrate the character, while the second pic could be considered an in-action pose, in the process of doing, and the style of art leaves more room for interpretation and impression. Neither of these characters are any 'better' than the other, and I would consider a game that featured either style... pending said game's quality or genre, of course.

On a personal note, I don't like playing female protagonists, so I'd pick the boy, I guess, but again, pending the game's genre, narrative and quality.

 

[Smiley Face]

Both seem quite nice, but the one on the right looks more appealing and interesting to me - crouched over a rock, looking quite used to being out in nature, there's a lot of characteristics that can be implied by this one static drawing, that if developed would make for an interesting character. The one on the right seems less relatable, what with the stock-straight pose, staring red eyes and straight razor, she/he looks potentially unhinged, which while making for an interesting secondary character or generic avatar, would not make for a relatable protagonist if imbued with character of that sort.

 

[Story]

Oh hey, I have an art book from Keith Thompson with that picture in it.

Hey me too! And frankly because I know the backstory of the character on the left, I feel basis and don't think I should be voting.
That said, I also can't really see the character on the right. What or who am I looking at exactly? I suppose that's the point. I'd say I don't really have a perfence but that's not true, I like to play characters that posses one or more characteristics in my games:
1. Is female
2. Is related to nature in one way or another (my favorite class of anything is the Druid)
3. Is an animal or posses animal-like qualities.

Also, I'm not really that interested in character design by itself. Though I am drawn to interesting Art styles in the game like in Okami, Limbo, Child of Light, Bastion ect.
I've stopped playing games becuase I didn't like my character's personality or how they worked mechanicaly but never because of visual style alone.