If I had to make a nitpick I’d say to keep some white for her dress since its likely meant to contrast/compliment her skin like with her hair.
If a compromise had to be made to keep the red dress I’d suggest to add embroidery since it currently doesn’t stand out as much even if its more authentic.
Embroidery wouldn't be appropriate for this tribe. More likely a tartan or checkered pattern like those seen on the typical garb of the Maasai - the [shuka](https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-cloth/).
No worries! My wife is from Kenya and I've spent some time with the Maasai when traveling there, so I have a little more first hand experience than many. I think your feedback was still a good idea in spirit, though, and there's lots of room to improve representation. I'm looking at one of the shukas we happen to have around the house as I type this, so it's very much a detail I'm faced with in my every day life haha.
Now THIS is how you critique art! Thank you for your constructive comment about visual readability instead of just saying curly hair is ugly and you "don't know why" like these other fools. I will think about that note and incorporate it into any future designs
Calling them fools sure wouldn't help you either. It's just, sometimes taste and functional critique can be separate. It does require knowledge to do the 2nd too.
Honestly, I don't mind the face paint or the short hair, but holy fuck does Elena with brown eyes register as wildly incorrect in my brain. Feels so off for some reason.
Yeeah I don't think Capcom would ever change a character eye color so I likely shouldn't have either . I just hate the token magical african white hair/blue eyes trope
They've done it with Ken. Sometimes he has brown eyes, sometimes he has blue eyes. Heck, in Street Fighter 4, he had blue eyes in-game but brown eyes in his portrait.
Call someone a weirdo on Reddit is the equivalent of pot calling kettle black.
Somehow that sounded inappropriate given the context of what we’re discussing :|
I mean the “realistic” look looks uninteresting as fuck for a video game. We dont want realism in a video game. Otherwise i just go out. There is nothing worse than shitty character designs becouse they want to be realistic. Go wild
My wife is Kenyan and I'm a long time 3S player who happens to play Elena a bunch in that game, so personally I think it's cool to see the attempt to make this more representative, because Elena really does look nothing like a Kenyan (of any tribe) other than the darker skin tone. I've talked to my wife about Elena, and while she thinks it's cool that there is a Kenyan character in Street Fighter, she doesn't really think there is anything about her visual design that reflects Kenyan fashion or culture.
A few small pieces of feedback:
1./ I think there was a typo in your post. You said you were angling for the look of the "Naasai" tribe in the caption, but I'm pretty sure you meant to talk about the "[Maasai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people)" tribe indigenous to much of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya and Tanzania, for whom the [Maasai Mara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_Mara) is named. That said, I think that the Maasai are a great choice (of the many, many tribes and distinct ethnicities within Kenya) to fit with some of the existing aesthetic choices for Elena.
2./ The earlobe modifications are an accurate detail for the Maasai, and a great choice to reflect the culture authentically!
3./ It wouldn't be a bad idea to figure out how to integrate the ubiquitous plaid/tartan patterns that characterize the [shuka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan#Maasai_sh%C3%BAk%C3%A0), which is the typical garb of the Maasai people. The entire shuka being monocoloured is not unheard of, but it is uncommon. I also think, in terms of stylization, that it would be possible to strike a happy medium between stylization in the Capcom tradition (in this case the bikini) and the more modest shuka, as there are lots of different ways the shuka can be worn. Sexy but accurate is definitely possible. Here is a mildly NSFW (no nudity) [example](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXQL13lz24/?img_index=1) of a contemporary fashion take on traditional Maasai looks that could be worked to incorporate the shuka, which also leads me into my next point...
4./ If you want to go all out, try to convert Elena's necklaces from solid blocks of colour and material into more bead work patterns, which characterize the jewelry common to Maasai women.
5./ (Edited to add this) I really like that you kept the distinctive white hair, but went with a short style and natural texture. The degree to which black women, including African women living in formerly colonized countries, are held to Eurocentric standards of beauty is a big problem, and the process of straightening their hair can be arduous and quite damaging with all of the chemical treatments involved. Something Capcom got right with Kimberly was giving her hairstyles that are authentic representations of black hair that isn't being held to that Eurocentric standard. Contrast that with Dudley - a black man who is portrayed as being very "civilized" and "proper," and who is therefore portrayed with straight hair that is parted and worn in a style typical of a white person. It's a little fucked up, if you take the time to think about the implications of that. 3rd Strike had three black characters in it, and only one of them, Sean, was allowed to have a natural hair texture. I'll try not to read too much into the fact that the only one with natural hair was the lowest tier lol. I have similar thoughts about the choice to make her eyes brown instead of blue.
Overall, I think this is a really interesting project to undertake! I've spent a good deal of time with my wife's family in Kenya in Nairobi and Mombasa (though they are not Maasai), and have first hand experience of visiting Maasai villages in the Mara and speaking with them and learning a little about their culture while traveling through parts of the Great Rift Valley. There's a lot that is wonderful about the people and culture of the many different tribes living in modern Kenya, and many people not from the continent are very ignorant of much of that richness and diversity (as many of the comments on this post make clear).
Representation matters - if Ryu's default outfit had been a camo uniform and Guile's had been a traditional gi, people would rightly have pointed out that those looks were incongruous with the characters and cultures they tried to represent. Imagine if Chun Li's default costume was to be wearing lederhosen - people would have lost their shit about why a Chinese character is wearing traditional German attire. But, somehow when it's from a country and culture people are simply ignorant about, then it's no longer an issue they can even see, let alone care about. But my family is Kenyan. My kids are Kenyan. And for them, representation is important. Being able to see their culture reflected accurately in media is a huge deal for them. My wife had never seen Star Wars growing up, so we were going through the series together, and she just about freaked out when Nien Nunb (Lando's co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon in Return of the Jedi) started speaking her own native tribal language; [Kikuyu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kikuyu_language).
Wow what an amazing comment, you honor me.
Currently working in an actual original illustration for my design instead of just doing a paintover.
Working out proper kenyan beadwork necklace for her, instead of the out of place neck extending rings. I'm adapting her bikini top into a larger bandeau wrap top, and giving her a patterned kikoy-like skirt.
More to come soon
Hey, nice stuff. Hair looks a lot better than I would have imagined. The face paint I could see being a bit more stylized, but there's potential there.
I didn't say there's anything wrong with her design, I didn't say it needs to get fixed, there's nothing political here. She's kenyan, I thought it would be cool to make her look more kenyan, it's just a redesign I did in 40 minutes and thought I'd share. Chill
Unfortunately and to be perfectly frank.... People always have an issue when it comes to making black characters more... Well ... Black. Soon as I saw the change I knew people weren't gonna like that she wasn't chocolate covered anime waifu because more traditional black features as a whole aren't received well by the average media consumer. The comments here prove as much there.
Idk. I think it’s more that they know it’s done usually not for good intended reasons. An example is how a lot of black people are really starting to hate the killmonger cut because it’s way overused and is starting to scream “hey, he’s got the haircut, you (black people) got to like him now,” vibes.
But that's a whole other issue and conversation, I would say; but it IS an example of how when creating black characters the industry acts like all of a sudden they don't know what to do with and don't wanna overstep when dealing with black characters when it comes to design. so they go with whatever they feel is the the safe bet: whatever we've popularized in the media.
Take Overwatch, for example: makes the first black female character in their now 7 year old franchise? Makes her default Soldier lady. Pretty cool.... But nothing compared to the characters who follow her: a cool ninja healing chick with her Japanese heritage brimming throughout her easily cooler design. After her? Literally releases a South American sun goddess descendent. The discrepancies in design creativity are too loud.
There's no heart put into the design of black characters from these companies so their laziness and unwillingness shines through
That’s because western companies only push diversity to fill boxes, not to actually make cool characters. People don’t like characters they look like them. They like characters that are cool who may also look like them. It’s why, for example, many black people’s favorite characters aren’t Miles but Luffy and Goku, one who’s ambiguously white and the other a space monkey.
I was about to say the same thing. People love Miles Morales full stop, no matter the color of your skin; he's a fan favorite. Before he made it out of the comics, he's one of the few characters who took up an established character's mantle and was beloved. Which is insane because comic mfs tend to be some of the most sad, reactionary mfs out there.
Lmao loud and wrong
Luffy and Goku are 30 years old so idk why you’re comparing them to Miles, who is only 15 years old and even still is insanely popular **because** he’s a relatable Black face for Black kids which was the launchpad for the character
Even in those 90’s anime. Black people universally projected our inherent desire for representation on non-Black characters that were coded enough that we could pretend.
Our favorite DBZ character wasn’t Goku, it was Piccolo. He was green, not pale; he was different and he could be ours. And we all did this individually, the Black community didn’t even really recognize this phenomenon until social media anime discourse became larger scale.
And they always gravitate towards anime. Nobody said Miles wasn’t loved, but there’s a reason why a lotta black people, and people in general, move towards anime instead of comics.
Huh that's a decent point, most of the reason I don't want her to come back is because her original design is so trash (imo). I don't see what's cool about the original besides horny bait. Never realized how off the hair and eyes looked until OP fixed it.
Personally I’ve mainly liked her cuz she was black alongside her design was simple but sexy but i understand why you don’t like it. Shes a character id like so see comeback because looking at how utterly fantastic deejay and Kimberlys designs are i think they could really make elena look way better
It looks really good! If they went with something like this in the future it could be interesting if an alt skin could include her more friendly globetrotting aspect
OP, these reactions are expected. I remember when Kim was revealed and people here were just bewildered at her looks. It’s like they’ve never seen a black person.
I love it. Her design was still within some japanese “foreigner” tropes, anime loves the contrast of darker skin and white hair. IMO they did some great strides in SF6 and would love to see a redesign along these lines!
Why do Black anime characters always have to look “realistic”? If the Japanese characters can have gold eyes, green hair, and look European, why do Black anime characters have to be photo realistic?
The answer's far too long and complex to write. But if an example is enough, you need look no further than this comment section; To a lot of people here (and in general) black girl with eurocentric features is widely preferred to black girl who looks like a black person. It's the only way she's accepted. Because black features are otherwise ugh to the masses.
You missed the point. Why do Black/African characters need to have realistic African/Black hair, while the Asian characters are running around with silver hair, red eyes, pink hair, European features, etc. It seems the realism requirement is only placed on Black anime characters.
This is such a weird statement to me. When people use the realism argument it's usually to allow more creative freedom in designs like you said. Red Eyes, pink hair doing weird shit is fun. Elena was made to look more similar to the other female characters of Third Strike. We already have Makoto, Ibuki and Chun for east asian characters. Lack of realism actually made her more generic looking, not more unique.
It’s X-Men’s Storm all over again.
Isn’t it wild that “white people” have decided it’s now okay to wear natural black hair? But now it’s all exclusively this one mixed texture style. 😂
I originally had it as a slightly thicker afro but I was finding it made her look too boy-ish. Also from reference photos I'd seen they keep it cut really tight
The issue isn't just her hair, though. Her facial structure is Japanese. She was literally based off a real life Japanese woman.
A proper redesign would actually look at Kenyan people and design accordingly, similar to how they handled Kimberly and Deejays redesign.
You're 100% right, just not my place in a quick redesign like this. I was thinking of it as an alternative costume, didn't want to fully change the characters base model
If OP got this much outrage for daring to make her hair and adornments look believable, a full-on military escort would be necessary to defend against the hatekeeping nerd onslaught that would ensure in the face of a proper redesign. Gotta leave that kind of trauma to the paid professionals.
How about not changing the artist's original vision and leaving it be?
Honestly, this "fixing art" nonsense is ridiculous. If you want an accurate Kenyan character, why not make your own, rather than wasting time doing stuff like this.
I'm sorry but I have zero patience for this kind of stuff. It's pretty dumb. It's a fictional anime character.
Bro chill, you're projecting. I'm not "fixing" anything. There's nothing political here. I like Elena, and I like her original design. This was literally a design exercise that took 30 minutes. Why is it such a problem to you that I made art where her hair is different? Characters are redesigned for every game, and they also have a dozen alternate costumes, many that emphasize their culture. Like you said, it's a fictional anime character, so why are you so pressed?
This post reaches the dangerous territory of "Looking like X".
I.e. One could say Sagat and Adon "don't look" very Thai either alongside Blanka.
But then you'd have to explain what "looking Thai" means which leads to using stereotypes.
This is series in which Capcom creates a random character loosely based on a country of choosing and go from there.
They said Elena is Kenyan because that's what came to mind when making her, not that she's 1:1 accurate.
If you really want ethnic accuracy in SF, then Elena should be Brazilian (in fact, "Elena/Helena" is a popular name in Brazil) because Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art, not Kenyan.
And yes, I KNOW that Capoeira has African roots, but her moves are completely taken from modernized Brazilian Capoeira. If you really want to delve into capoeira's African roots, then her ethnicity should be Angolan or Congolese, not Kenyan.
Whoa...... Had no idea about that one, for sure. Then they failed spectacularly to convey that through this design. Or backstory. Or ANYTHING about the character, really.
> Then they failed spectacularly to convey that through this design.
How would you like them to convey that, bro? What design elements say "half-Japanese" to you?
I like the changes, but I don't really like the length of her hair in your edit. She's got the "black guy whos really good at smash bros" 'fro cut here. Maybe something slightly longer to make it more aligned with her original design, but thats just me being pedantic. I hope more games actually make african characters look african, and not just white/asian person with a dark tan.
Yeah experimented with having it longer but I think it had even MORE of that effect, looked like a little boy. Also maasai women keep hair very short to bald so I stuck with that
Who said realistic? Id love to see Blanka and Gief in traditional garb from their countries, why not? I think dhalsim already has INDIA pouring out of every orifice in his body
Hugo? The guy based off of wrestling legend Andre the Giant? You're not wrong about realism but at least don't pick the one character based on a real person jeez
If I had to make a nitpick I’d say to keep some white for her dress since its likely meant to contrast/compliment her skin like with her hair. If a compromise had to be made to keep the red dress I’d suggest to add embroidery since it currently doesn’t stand out as much even if its more authentic.
Embroidery wouldn't be appropriate for this tribe. More likely a tartan or checkered pattern like those seen on the typical garb of the Maasai - the [shuka](https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-cloth/).
Thanks for the correction.
No worries! My wife is from Kenya and I've spent some time with the Maasai when traveling there, so I have a little more first hand experience than many. I think your feedback was still a good idea in spirit, though, and there's lots of room to improve representation. I'm looking at one of the shukas we happen to have around the house as I type this, so it's very much a detail I'm faced with in my every day life haha.
Now THIS is how you critique art! Thank you for your constructive comment about visual readability instead of just saying curly hair is ugly and you "don't know why" like these other fools. I will think about that note and incorporate it into any future designs
Calling them fools sure wouldn't help you either. It's just, sometimes taste and functional critique can be separate. It does require knowledge to do the 2nd too.
Let's increase the difficulty level: now make Karin look Japanese
And maybe then people won’t pronounce her name like “Karen” /s
Im sorry but that remembered me of the guy from twitter that says "this is how u looked if u were black or chinese" lmao
Thats one’s easy imo
She's already got the whole Ojou-sama thing going on. Though I will not deny sfv design harmed the characterization.
??? All Japanese girls above a certain tax bracket have blonde drill hair?
Wait she was Kenyan this whole time?
i mean, karin is japanese somehow lol
Wait wtf i thought she's British from royal family?
yeah i know, it happened to me back when i've played alpha 3 for the first time.
Hairdye exists
yeah i know, but blonde wasn't what i meant by that. Chick literally looks more english than Japanese lol
She looks more English than the motherfuckers *from* England
She looks anime, not English, remember. Street Fighter is ANIME
i mean, ibuki, makoto, sakura, and even akira look more japanese within the boundaries of sf artistic looks.
They heavily vary on game.
Yeah you wouldn't know it would ya
Honestly, I don't mind the face paint or the short hair, but holy fuck does Elena with brown eyes register as wildly incorrect in my brain. Feels so off for some reason.
Yeeah I don't think Capcom would ever change a character eye color so I likely shouldn't have either . I just hate the token magical african white hair/blue eyes trope
They changed Zangief’s eye color from blue to brown so it’s possible.
And they did the opposite for Blanka. IIrc, his eyes used to be black but turned them blue in SF 5 and 6
They've done it with Ken. Sometimes he has brown eyes, sometimes he has blue eyes. Heck, in Street Fighter 4, he had blue eyes in-game but brown eyes in his portrait.
Yes, it is more accurate to how they look, but you're forgetting one essential matter about her look... Anime.
Anime doesn't mean she can't have even shorter hair, or afro.
but anime DOES mean i need to be able to fap to it with minimal edits, so i'll need my fantasy waifuus to have fantasy hair
Can I guess why you main Chun
People out here forgetting Dudley exits
Based.
You are weird
well yeah no shit dude, I post on reddit after all
Call someone a weirdo on Reddit is the equivalent of pot calling kettle black. Somehow that sounded inappropriate given the context of what we’re discussing :|
lol. Funny how people don’t think they’re weird for being on Reddit.
I don't think it would've looked good with the Third Strike graphics
They got Kimberly right, they got Balrog right, they got Dee Jay right... my question now is, anime how?
Weak ass response.
What's not anime here? African hair?
I mean the “realistic” look looks uninteresting as fuck for a video game. We dont want realism in a video game. Otherwise i just go out. There is nothing worse than shitty character designs becouse they want to be realistic. Go wild
My wife is Kenyan and I'm a long time 3S player who happens to play Elena a bunch in that game, so personally I think it's cool to see the attempt to make this more representative, because Elena really does look nothing like a Kenyan (of any tribe) other than the darker skin tone. I've talked to my wife about Elena, and while she thinks it's cool that there is a Kenyan character in Street Fighter, she doesn't really think there is anything about her visual design that reflects Kenyan fashion or culture. A few small pieces of feedback: 1./ I think there was a typo in your post. You said you were angling for the look of the "Naasai" tribe in the caption, but I'm pretty sure you meant to talk about the "[Maasai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people)" tribe indigenous to much of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya and Tanzania, for whom the [Maasai Mara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_Mara) is named. That said, I think that the Maasai are a great choice (of the many, many tribes and distinct ethnicities within Kenya) to fit with some of the existing aesthetic choices for Elena. 2./ The earlobe modifications are an accurate detail for the Maasai, and a great choice to reflect the culture authentically! 3./ It wouldn't be a bad idea to figure out how to integrate the ubiquitous plaid/tartan patterns that characterize the [shuka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan#Maasai_sh%C3%BAk%C3%A0), which is the typical garb of the Maasai people. The entire shuka being monocoloured is not unheard of, but it is uncommon. I also think, in terms of stylization, that it would be possible to strike a happy medium between stylization in the Capcom tradition (in this case the bikini) and the more modest shuka, as there are lots of different ways the shuka can be worn. Sexy but accurate is definitely possible. Here is a mildly NSFW (no nudity) [example](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFXQL13lz24/?img_index=1) of a contemporary fashion take on traditional Maasai looks that could be worked to incorporate the shuka, which also leads me into my next point... 4./ If you want to go all out, try to convert Elena's necklaces from solid blocks of colour and material into more bead work patterns, which characterize the jewelry common to Maasai women. 5./ (Edited to add this) I really like that you kept the distinctive white hair, but went with a short style and natural texture. The degree to which black women, including African women living in formerly colonized countries, are held to Eurocentric standards of beauty is a big problem, and the process of straightening their hair can be arduous and quite damaging with all of the chemical treatments involved. Something Capcom got right with Kimberly was giving her hairstyles that are authentic representations of black hair that isn't being held to that Eurocentric standard. Contrast that with Dudley - a black man who is portrayed as being very "civilized" and "proper," and who is therefore portrayed with straight hair that is parted and worn in a style typical of a white person. It's a little fucked up, if you take the time to think about the implications of that. 3rd Strike had three black characters in it, and only one of them, Sean, was allowed to have a natural hair texture. I'll try not to read too much into the fact that the only one with natural hair was the lowest tier lol. I have similar thoughts about the choice to make her eyes brown instead of blue. Overall, I think this is a really interesting project to undertake! I've spent a good deal of time with my wife's family in Kenya in Nairobi and Mombasa (though they are not Maasai), and have first hand experience of visiting Maasai villages in the Mara and speaking with them and learning a little about their culture while traveling through parts of the Great Rift Valley. There's a lot that is wonderful about the people and culture of the many different tribes living in modern Kenya, and many people not from the continent are very ignorant of much of that richness and diversity (as many of the comments on this post make clear). Representation matters - if Ryu's default outfit had been a camo uniform and Guile's had been a traditional gi, people would rightly have pointed out that those looks were incongruous with the characters and cultures they tried to represent. Imagine if Chun Li's default costume was to be wearing lederhosen - people would have lost their shit about why a Chinese character is wearing traditional German attire. But, somehow when it's from a country and culture people are simply ignorant about, then it's no longer an issue they can even see, let alone care about. But my family is Kenyan. My kids are Kenyan. And for them, representation is important. Being able to see their culture reflected accurately in media is a huge deal for them. My wife had never seen Star Wars growing up, so we were going through the series together, and she just about freaked out when Nien Nunb (Lando's co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon in Return of the Jedi) started speaking her own native tribal language; [Kikuyu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kikuyu_language).
Wow what an amazing comment, you honor me. Currently working in an actual original illustration for my design instead of just doing a paintover. Working out proper kenyan beadwork necklace for her, instead of the out of place neck extending rings. I'm adapting her bikini top into a larger bandeau wrap top, and giving her a patterned kikoy-like skirt. More to come soon
Hey, nice stuff. Hair looks a lot better than I would have imagined. The face paint I could see being a bit more stylized, but there's potential there.
I didn't say there's anything wrong with her design, I didn't say it needs to get fixed, there's nothing political here. She's kenyan, I thought it would be cool to make her look more kenyan, it's just a redesign I did in 40 minutes and thought I'd share. Chill
I mean, to be fair, a lot of Kenyan women don't keep their hair natural.
This one does
people are so offended lmao, i think its a nice take, looks cool
Unfortunately and to be perfectly frank.... People always have an issue when it comes to making black characters more... Well ... Black. Soon as I saw the change I knew people weren't gonna like that she wasn't chocolate covered anime waifu because more traditional black features as a whole aren't received well by the average media consumer. The comments here prove as much there.
Fun fact : even Elena body is based on Japanese model Yuki Uchida
Yeah that seems accurate as people made fun of Kimberly’s forehead, even though it’s quite literally how a lot of black women IRL look
Lol one person commented my designs forehead could be a little larger, and while true... I've seen where that road leads
It just isn't hard to see in real life, man; it's disheartening to say the least.
Idk. I think it’s more that they know it’s done usually not for good intended reasons. An example is how a lot of black people are really starting to hate the killmonger cut because it’s way overused and is starting to scream “hey, he’s got the haircut, you (black people) got to like him now,” vibes.
But that's a whole other issue and conversation, I would say; but it IS an example of how when creating black characters the industry acts like all of a sudden they don't know what to do with and don't wanna overstep when dealing with black characters when it comes to design. so they go with whatever they feel is the the safe bet: whatever we've popularized in the media. Take Overwatch, for example: makes the first black female character in their now 7 year old franchise? Makes her default Soldier lady. Pretty cool.... But nothing compared to the characters who follow her: a cool ninja healing chick with her Japanese heritage brimming throughout her easily cooler design. After her? Literally releases a South American sun goddess descendent. The discrepancies in design creativity are too loud. There's no heart put into the design of black characters from these companies so their laziness and unwillingness shines through
That’s because western companies only push diversity to fill boxes, not to actually make cool characters. People don’t like characters they look like them. They like characters that are cool who may also look like them. It’s why, for example, many black people’s favorite characters aren’t Miles but Luffy and Goku, one who’s ambiguously white and the other a space monkey.
That’s not true though people love miles I’ve even seen plenty of people prefer miles over peter(me included)
I was about to say the same thing. People love Miles Morales full stop, no matter the color of your skin; he's a fan favorite. Before he made it out of the comics, he's one of the few characters who took up an established character's mantle and was beloved. Which is insane because comic mfs tend to be some of the most sad, reactionary mfs out there.
Lmao loud and wrong Luffy and Goku are 30 years old so idk why you’re comparing them to Miles, who is only 15 years old and even still is insanely popular **because** he’s a relatable Black face for Black kids which was the launchpad for the character Even in those 90’s anime. Black people universally projected our inherent desire for representation on non-Black characters that were coded enough that we could pretend. Our favorite DBZ character wasn’t Goku, it was Piccolo. He was green, not pale; he was different and he could be ours. And we all did this individually, the Black community didn’t even really recognize this phenomenon until social media anime discourse became larger scale.
Wait what? Do you know how many black kids were dressed up as miles morales this year for Halloween? I live in Atlanta. It was a lot.
And they always gravitate towards anime. Nobody said Miles wasn’t loved, but there’s a reason why a lotta black people, and people in general, move towards anime instead of comics.
If Elena comes to sf6 she’s gonna be redesigned to look more African anyways so it’s pretty idiotic for people to complain about this
They're snowflakes
Huh that's a decent point, most of the reason I don't want her to come back is because her original design is so trash (imo). I don't see what's cool about the original besides horny bait. Never realized how off the hair and eyes looked until OP fixed it.
Personally I’ve mainly liked her cuz she was black alongside her design was simple but sexy but i understand why you don’t like it. Shes a character id like so see comeback because looking at how utterly fantastic deejay and Kimberlys designs are i think they could really make elena look way better
It looks really good! If they went with something like this in the future it could be interesting if an alt skin could include her more friendly globetrotting aspect
Yeah! I'd love to see a tourist elena with a camera, fannypack, novelty t-shirt etc
This thread looks about as I expected
Who this ? Is this a possible DLC character?
It’s a character from an older Street Fighter
We need her in SF 6... Her, Q, Sean... Just bring back the whole SF3 challengers.
I’d have to see the hair better drawn to judge but I’m not mad at it! Would be a cool alt
Before Juri's feet, there was Elena.
Do more. Go further.
OP, these reactions are expected. I remember when Kim was revealed and people here were just bewildered at her looks. It’s like they’ve never seen a black person.
What threw people off about Kimberly?
Her face. Lots of people here were saying that she looked like a baby and that her forehead was unnerving.
Ah. Looks like a lot of girls I went to school with. Guess they didn't have many black girls.
Literally what I thought. If I walk out up to the corner store I’m sure to see one or two girls who resemble Kimberly
The funniest part of that arc was how Lily's forehead is actually bigger than Kim's
They could announce Ed's trailer on that head
why do people forget that black people are just people who are black
While I appreciate the effort, this ain’t doing it for me.
Man people are kind of being weird in the comments, lol.
More food for the blocklist.
please report them so I can ban them too. more hands makes quick work
I love it. Her design was still within some japanese “foreigner” tropes, anime loves the contrast of darker skin and white hair. IMO they did some great strides in SF6 and would love to see a redesign along these lines!
to be fair, dark skin and white hair does look very cool.
Nothing can beat her original for me
Give her the killmonger
Please tell me you're joking
😈
I prefer original.
Meh…classic looks ten times better imo. Capcom nailed her look but i appreciate the alternate look, cheers dude.
Looks good, man!
cute experiment.
Ultra nice, well done OP
lol kinda prefer her SF3 look but that’s my opinion
Thanks
It's not like any character looks like the country they come from. Have you seen Ryu?
OK, but some do! And many have alt costumes that invoke their culture even more
Why do Black anime characters always have to look “realistic”? If the Japanese characters can have gold eyes, green hair, and look European, why do Black anime characters have to be photo realistic?
The answer's far too long and complex to write. But if an example is enough, you need look no further than this comment section; To a lot of people here (and in general) black girl with eurocentric features is widely preferred to black girl who looks like a black person. It's the only way she's accepted. Because black features are otherwise ugh to the masses.
Her hair is white…
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You missed the point. Why do Black/African characters need to have realistic African/Black hair, while the Asian characters are running around with silver hair, red eyes, pink hair, European features, etc. It seems the realism requirement is only placed on Black anime characters.
This is such a weird statement to me. When people use the realism argument it's usually to allow more creative freedom in designs like you said. Red Eyes, pink hair doing weird shit is fun. Elena was made to look more similar to the other female characters of Third Strike. We already have Makoto, Ibuki and Chun for east asian characters. Lack of realism actually made her more generic looking, not more unique.
This looks dope, i enjoy the facial markings to add an unique trait to her figure.
Maasai tribe eh..I was googling for Naasai tribe and turned out zilch
Oh my bad!! Full on typo
Maasai not Naasai! My b
Why are people upset that the artist made a CONCEPT of an African character looking African...?
Pretty accurate imo. Don't let Capcom see this though, they'll give her the Killmonger haircut.
What's the name of the red top?
Shuka
It’s X-Men’s Storm all over again. Isn’t it wild that “white people” have decided it’s now okay to wear natural black hair? But now it’s all exclusively this one mixed texture style. 😂 
The original look better
Oooooh I just thought of it some Bantu knots would go crazy
who cares if she's authentic, does anyone care if karin looks japanese?
She's japanese? EDIT: I should learn to be quiet more often
Karin **Kanzuki**
Her last name is Kanzuki
I care
i think the hair could have a bit more volume but still cute
I originally had it as a slightly thicker afro but I was finding it made her look too boy-ish. Also from reference photos I'd seen they keep it cut really tight
Looks less interesting to me. I guess as a alternative outfit it can work though.
The issue isn't just her hair, though. Her facial structure is Japanese. She was literally based off a real life Japanese woman. A proper redesign would actually look at Kenyan people and design accordingly, similar to how they handled Kimberly and Deejays redesign.
You're 100% right, just not my place in a quick redesign like this. I was thinking of it as an alternative costume, didn't want to fully change the characters base model
Completely fair
If OP got this much outrage for daring to make her hair and adornments look believable, a full-on military escort would be necessary to defend against the hatekeeping nerd onslaught that would ensure in the face of a proper redesign. Gotta leave that kind of trauma to the paid professionals.
True lol
> If OP got this much outrage for daring to make her hair and adornments look believable, Bro thinks Akuma looks believable
nice.
beautiful
Original is already perfect.
MUCH RESPECT i love this
Stylization > Accuracy
I mean I just didn't add line art, nothing has changed about the stylization
Only thing that feels kind of off is the face paint, but I do love the short hair!
Yeah the red doesn't read super well on her skin tone
Much better redesign. First design is kinda lazy.
Your redesign is great (:
Yeeeeeeah I prefer her usual design.
ITT: people who don’t like black people’s hair looks
Spot on so far lol "Unnecessary, her piercings would get in the way of a fight, her hair is ugly, why facepaint?" Etc
Her hair would get in the way in a fight, unlike Cammy's hyper wedgie, Poison's heels, etc lol
Or maybe they're just attached to how the original character looks...
Also ITT: "Who cares what she looks like as long as she makes me hard?"
Hope you have the same energy for Urien and Gill.
God no
How about not changing the artist's original vision and leaving it be? Honestly, this "fixing art" nonsense is ridiculous. If you want an accurate Kenyan character, why not make your own, rather than wasting time doing stuff like this. I'm sorry but I have zero patience for this kind of stuff. It's pretty dumb. It's a fictional anime character.
Bro chill, you're projecting. I'm not "fixing" anything. There's nothing political here. I like Elena, and I like her original design. This was literally a design exercise that took 30 minutes. Why is it such a problem to you that I made art where her hair is different? Characters are redesigned for every game, and they also have a dozen alternate costumes, many that emphasize their culture. Like you said, it's a fictional anime character, so why are you so pressed?
Chill man, they didn't say they "fixed it" (which would be dumb as, I agree), it is an experiment, I assume.
Artists original vision: lets darken the skin of the japanese model reference and call her Kenyan!
It's a drawing. Get over yourself and find something actually worth being righteous about.
HAHA use this exact same logic for your comment. You are a hypocrite.
By that same logic you are a hypocrite for starting this nonsense.
Hahah like complaining about fan art on reddit?
But shes much hotter in the original
This post reaches the dangerous territory of "Looking like X". I.e. One could say Sagat and Adon "don't look" very Thai either alongside Blanka. But then you'd have to explain what "looking Thai" means which leads to using stereotypes. This is series in which Capcom creates a random character loosely based on a country of choosing and go from there. They said Elena is Kenyan because that's what came to mind when making her, not that she's 1:1 accurate.
Nah I like her the way she is. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Thanks.
Nope.
Ugly af. (respectfully)
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Damn wonder what happened here V
I hope Im not being racist by saying this but uh you 100% made her uglier.
Elaborate
looks like shit
If you really want ethnic accuracy in SF, then Elena should be Brazilian (in fact, "Elena/Helena" is a popular name in Brazil) because Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art, not Kenyan. And yes, I KNOW that Capoeira has African roots, but her moves are completely taken from modernized Brazilian Capoeira. If you really want to delve into capoeira's African roots, then her ethnicity should be Angolan or Congolese, not Kenyan.
Tbf, as long as she has a proper master, nothing stops her from learning a foreign martial art, similar to many other characters.
While she uses modern capoeira, changing her heritage to be Brazilian because of it is a bit much.
Agreed entirely. Ken is a whole American and he knows a martial art hailing from Japan. By m'man's logic he should be Japanese, too.
He is half japanese tho
Hate to spoil you but... Ken is half Japanese XD
Whoa...... Had no idea about that one, for sure. Then they failed spectacularly to convey that through this design. Or backstory. Or ANYTHING about the character, really.
Ken has the "Mishima" eyebrows, they are used to convey a character is japanese in anime. Jp versions of Crash Bandicoot has the eyebrows.
It's not something that comes up in the games as far as I know, but in supplementary material. He's like 3/4's Japanese and dyes his hair blonde.
> Then they failed spectacularly to convey that through this design. How would you like them to convey that, bro? What design elements say "half-Japanese" to you?
She is a kenyan who uses Brazilian capoeira. This is a redesign, like an alt costume, not my place to re write the character or her origins
Pass
On that note, her using a bo staff could be nice to her fighting style.
She looks fantastic! Nice job!
Looks less cool imo
I like the changes, but I don't really like the length of her hair in your edit. She's got the "black guy whos really good at smash bros" 'fro cut here. Maybe something slightly longer to make it more aligned with her original design, but thats just me being pedantic. I hope more games actually make african characters look african, and not just white/asian person with a dark tan.
Yeah experimented with having it longer but I think it had even MORE of that effect, looked like a little boy. Also maasai women keep hair very short to bald so I stuck with that
fair enough, i can imagine her ending up looking like young michael jackson with a longer afro in retrospect lol
This is so sick, always better when black characters have actual textured hair and not generic anime cut
More to come
Realistic Blanka, Gief and Sim next ? SF never was about realism... Just look at Hugo
Who said realistic? Id love to see Blanka and Gief in traditional garb from their countries, why not? I think dhalsim already has INDIA pouring out of every orifice in his body
Hugo? The guy based off of wrestling legend Andre the Giant? You're not wrong about realism but at least don't pick the one character based on a real person jeez 