20 Small Design Choices That Created Iconic Characters

They say the devil is in the details, and nowhere is that more true than in the recent Some Guy / The Guy meme. Starting in July and growing more popular among anime and video game fans on X over the past few weeks, the template showcases how a subtle design quirk on a generic template can create an instantly recognizable character. For example, one can draw a blonde girl and it might look like one of a thousand characters. However, put a little squiggle in that girl's hair, and you immediately get VTuber Amelia Watson.

Fan artists have had a field day with this idea, drawing the "generic" version of a character and labeling it "some guy," followed by a drawing of the character with their iconic design quirk, showcasing the heavy lifting that quirk does in making the character stand out. It's a meme that celebrates character designers in anime while poking a bit of fun at how many characters look very similar minus one or two key details.