Character Reimagining: Nano Banana Prompt Guide
Reimagine yourself as an anime character, fantasy hero, or game avatar with Nano Banana. Master style transfer and character design.
Character reimagining is about taking the essence of a person—their features, expression, and vibe—and translating it into a completely different artistic universe. Whether you want to be an anime protagonist, a fantasy hero, or a cyberpunk mercenary, Nano Banana can rewrite reality while keeping you in the picture.
Understanding Character Reimagining
The challenge in character reimagining is striking the balance between Style (the new look) and Identity (the original person). If the style is too weak, it just looks like a filter. If the identity is too weak, it looks like a generic character.
Example Starting Image
For the examples below, we'll use this portrait as our subject:
ANIME PROTAGONIST
Let's start with the foundation example from the Transformations overview. Here is the complete, fully detailed prompt to generate the "ANIME PROTAGONIST".
[Subject Image] Transform this person into a high-quality anime character.
Preserve:
- Eye color and shape (adapted to style)
- Hairstyle and color
- Distinctive accessories (glasses, jewelry)
Transform:
- **Art Style**: Modern high-fidelity anime style (Makoto Shinkai / CoMix Wave Films influence)
- **Lighting**: Dramatic "golden hour" lighting with lens flares and dust particles
- **Background**: Detailed, painted urban cityscape at sunset
- **Line Work**: Fine, crisp lines with detailed coloring
- **Expression**: Slightly dramatized, emotional gaze
Details:
- **Skin**: Smooth anime shading with blush
- **Eyes**: Highly detailed, gem-like irises with reflections
- **Hair**: Detailed strands with backlighting
Why This Works
The Specific Style Reference: Referencing "Makoto Shinkai" or "CoMix Wave Films" gives the AI a very specific visual target: hyper-detailed backgrounds, emotional lighting, and high-quality character art. This prevents the result from looking like generic "TV anime."
The Lighting Cues: "Golden hour" and "lens flares" are staples of high-budget anime. Adding these lighting effects instantly elevates the perceived quality of the image.
The Eye Detail: In anime, eyes are the window to the soul (and the budget). Asking for "gem-like irises" ensures the face remains the focal point and retains the subject's personality.
Common Mistakes
Note:
Avoid "Cartoon" as a keyword: If you just say "cartoon," you might get a Western Saturday morning cartoon style. Always specify "Anime," "Manga," "3D Animation," or a specific studio style.
The Cyberpunk Edgerunner
Swap the emotional sunset for neon-soaked grit.
[Subject Image] Reimagine as a cyberpunk mercenary in Night City.
- **Style**: Semi-realistic digital concept art (Cyberpunk 2077 style)
- **Features**: Glowing cybernetic lines on face, mechanical arm
- **Outfit**: High-collar techwear jacket with LED accents
- **Lighting**: Neon pink and blue rim lighting (bisexual lighting)
- **Background**: Rainy futuristic street with holograms
- **Vibe**: Gritty, dangerous, cool
What Changed: We moved from "anime shading" to "digital concept art" and introduced sci-fi elements like "cybernetics" and "neon lighting."
The High Fantasy Paladin
Travel to a world of magic and armor.
[Subject Image] Transform into a fantasy paladin in shining armor.
- **Style**: Realistic oil painting / Dungeons & Dragons cover art style
- **Outfit**: Intricate plate armor with gold filigree
- **Weapon**: Holding a glowing rune-etched sword
- **Background**: Epic mountain peak or dragon's lair
- **Lighting**: Divine light from above
- **Texture**: Visible brushstrokes, painterly finish
What Changed: We specified "oil painting" and "D&D style" to get a textured, illustrative look rather than a clean digital one.
The Studio Ghibli Character
Enter the dreamy, pastoral world of Miyazaki's films.
[Subject Image] Transform into a Studio Ghibli animated character.
- **Style**: Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki style (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle)
- **Color Palette**: Soft, warm earthy tones with pastel accents
- **Features**: Gentle, expressive eyes with realistic proportions, rosy cheeks
- **Lighting**: Natural, diffused sunlight with soft shadows
- **Background**: Hand-painted watercolor landscape (rolling hills, blue sky, clouds)
- **Texture**: Traditional cel animation look with subtle grain
- **Mood**: Peaceful, nostalgic, whimsical
What Changed: Ghibli style prioritizes warmth and relatability over exaggeration. The soft color palette and hand-painted backgrounds create a comforting, storybook aesthetic.
The Comic Book Superhero
Become a larger-than-life comic book icon.
[Subject Image] Transform into a comic book superhero character.
- **Style**: Modern Marvel Comics / Alex Ross painted style
- **Costume**: Superhero suit with dynamic cape, emblem on chest
- **Pose**: Heroic stance, slightly low angle (power pose)
- **Lighting**: Dramatic rim lighting with volumetric rays
- **Background**: City skyline at dusk, comic panel borders optional
- **Texture**: Painted realism with bold outlines
- **Details**: Muscular physique, determined expression
- **Color Treatment**: Vibrant primary colors with strong contrast
What Changed: The "Alex Ross" reference brings painted realism to comic art, avoiding the flat look of traditional comics while keeping the heroic proportions and dramatic lighting.
The JRPG Hero
Design your Final Fantasy character.
[Subject Image] Transform into a JRPG video game character.
- **Style**: Final Fantasy / Tetsuya Nomura character design
- **Outfit**: Elaborate fantasy-modern fusion costume with belts, zippers, asymmetrical design
- **Weapon**: Oversized iconic weapon (sword, staff, gunblade)
- **Hair**: Gravity-defying anime hair with detailed highlights
- **Lighting**: Soft studio lighting with magical particles/sparkles
- **Background**: Abstract colorful gradient or fantasy ruins
- **Texture**: High-quality 3D render with hand-painted details
- **Pose**: Dynamic action-ready stance
What Changed: JRPG characters are known for impractical-but-cool designs. The "Nomura" reference triggers the signature over-the-top costume complexity and spiky hair.
The Fighting Game Champion
Prepare for battle with arcade-style intensity.
[Subject Image] Transform into a fighting game character.
- **Style**: Street Fighter / Capcom fighting game style
- **Physique**: Athletic, exaggerated muscular definition
- **Outfit**: Combat-ready attire (martial arts gi, tactical gear, or fantasy armor)
- **Pose**: Dynamic fighting stance mid-action
- **Energy Effects**: Glowing aura, motion lines, impact effects
- **Facial Expression**: Intense, focused battle face
- **Background**: Stage environment (dojo, arena, urban battlefield)
- **Visual Effects**: Comic-style speed lines, energy particles
What Changed: Fighting game characters are all about dynamic energy and readable silhouettes. The exaggerated poses and visual effects (auras, motion blur) communicate power and movement.
The Manga Panel Character
Become part of a serialized story.
[Subject Image] Transform into a manga character panel.
- **Style**: Black and white manga illustration (shonen/seinen style)
- **Linework**: Clean, confident ink lines with varied line weight
- **Shading**: Screentone patterns (dots, gradients, speed lines)
- **Eyes**: Detailed with intense highlights
- **Background**: Action lines or minimal environmental details
- **Effects**: Motion blur, impact effects, dramatic angles
- **Composition**: Dynamic panel framing, slight perspective distortion
- **Expression**: Intense emotion (determination, shock, excitement)
What Changed: Traditional manga uses screentones and line art instead of color. The dramatic angles and action lines capture the energy of weekly serialization.
The Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print
Classical Japanese art meets portraiture.
[Subject Image] Transform into a ukiyo-e woodblock print.
- **Style**: Edo period ukiyo-e (Hokusai, Hiroshige influence)
- **Technique**: Flat color blocks with bold outlines
- **Colors**: Limited palette with muted earth tones and accent colors
- **Patterns**: Traditional Japanese textile patterns on clothing
- **Background**: Stylized clouds, waves, or cherry blossoms
- **Composition**: Three-quarter view or profile
- **Details**: Simplified features with emphasis on lines
- **Texture**: Visible wood grain texture overlay
What Changed: Ukiyo-e emphasizes graphic simplicity and decorative patterns. The woodblock print aesthetic creates a timeless, museum-quality look.
Expanding Your Universe
Try completely different mediums and dimensions.
The Noir Detective
Create a stark, dramatic graphic novel look.
[Subject Image] Transform into a noir graphic novel detective.
- **Style**: Frank Miller / Sin City comic style
- **Palette**: High contrast Black & White with ONE color accent (e.g., red tie)
- **Lighting**: Harsh shadows (chiaroscuro), silhouette effects
- **Environment**: Rainy city street, smoke
- **Vibe**: Hard-boiled, mysterious, dangerous
The Pixar 3D Character
Become the star of a family-friendly animated film.
[Subject Image] Transform into a 3D animated movie character.
- **Style**: Modern Disney/Pixar 3D animation style
- **Features**: Large expressive eyes, soft rounded features ("gummy" texture)
- **Lighting**: Soft, warm global illumination (subsurface scattering on skin)
- **Hair**: Stylized "clumped" hair strands
- **Expression**: Friendly, appealing smile
- **Background**: Colorful, slightly blurred 3D environment
Troubleshooting
Next Steps
- Toy Transformations: Turn your character into a physical collectible.
- Vintage & Nostalgia: Transport yourself to different eras with period-accurate photography.
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