REPORT: Attractiveness of Video Game Heroes and Heroines, Part 2

In the first part of our report on the attractiveness of video game heroes and heroines, we explored the concepts of beauty and heroism, along with an attractiveness ranking of popular game characters. In this section, we’ll investigate how game characters engage players. We’ll also look at how the appeal of male and female video game characters compares to real-world preferences. Finally, we’ll highlight the key physical traits and personality features that make a video game hero or heroine stand out.

Gender Perception and Stereotypes in Video Game Characters

Gender is the cultural, social, and psychological aspect of being male or female. It involves a set of behaviors and characteristics traditionally associated with men or women at a given point in time. Research indicates that most occupations are commonly perceived as masculine, particularly those associated with power or product-oriented roles. In contrast, caregiving roles are more likely to be viewed as feminine. Similarly, in modern Polish society, professions like driver, programmer, or engineer are often considered more suitable for men, while roles such as interior designer, pharmacist, or nurse are seen as „typically” female.

Cultural norms play a huge role in shaping how we learn which are the traits of a „real man” or a „real woman.”

Therefore, in Western culture, a man who is gentle, helpful, or empathetic might not be seen as traditionally „manly.” Similarly, a female character isn’t automatically viewed as feminine just because of her biological sex.

This way of thinking also applies to video game characters. Their perceived masculinity or femininity often depends on their traits and behaviors rather than their sex. For example, Joel from The Last of Us (Naughty Dog) is seen as a father figure, while Aloy from the Horizon series (Guerilla Games) is a fearless warrior, both challenging traditional gender expectations.

To explore how players see the masculinity and femininity of video game characters, we created a psychological gender index. This index looks at the roles characters play in cultural, biological, and social contexts, using Bianca Grohmann’s method for measuring masculinity and femininity. With this index, we placed each character on a scale ranging from very masculine to very feminine, with gender neutrality in the middle. This helped us understand how players categorize heroes and heroines based on their perceived gender traits.

Heroes

Perceived as Most Masculine

• Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Project Red),
• Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft Montréal).

Perceived as Most Feminine

• Lucian (League of Legends, Riot Games),
• Joel (The Last of Us).

Heroines

Perceived as Most Feminine

• Kokoro (Dead or Alive series, Team Ninja),
• Lara Croft (Tomb Raider series, Crystal Dynamics).

Like the male heroes, both characters also secured a spot in the top three of the attractiveness ranking.

Perceived as Most Masculine

• Juri Han (Street Fighter series, Capcom),
• Christie Monteiro (Tekken series, Bandai Namco Entertainment).

To explore how declarative data relates to players’ psychophysiological responses—or whether such a correlation exists—we conducted a psychophysiological study (read more about these methods here). To determine if players reacted to the heroes and heroines, we measured their electrodermal activity (EDA), also known as galvanic skin response (GSR), their heart rate, and applied eye tracking.

Arousing Heroes: Geralt

Geralt turned out to be the male hero who triggered the highest arousal levels among players.

Both men and women showed clear changes in electrodermal activity when reacting to the Witcher. The strongest responses occurred during close-ups of Geralt’s face, where players’ attention was drawn to the veins on his neck and his movements during an intense combat scene. Psychologically, this response could be explained by the emotional intensity of the situation.

Non-Arousing Heroes: Joel and Agent 47

Joel from The Last of Us turned out to be the least stimulating hero. However, the trailer still had moments that strongly engaged the respondents. Joel was rated as the least masculine in gender classification, and in the trailer, he was portrayed as a protector and defender. This placed him in a more stereotypically feminine role, which might have led participants to view him as a more feminine hero.

Agent 47 from Hitman was also considered equally unstimulating by both men and women. Interestingly, some scenes with Agent 47 seemed to engage women, as our software detected subtle changes in their facial expressions, indicating interest. However, these moments didn’t lead to significant galvanic skin responses or increased heart rates in women. We refer to this as “shallow player engagement”—a reaction tied more to cognitive responses and rational assessments rather than deep, emotional involvement.

Arousing Heroines: Kokoro and Juri

When it comes to Juri, the participants were particularly stimulated by close-ups of her bust, the fight scenes, the moment just before the knockout, and the final close-up of the heroine.

Non-Arousing Heroines: Lara Croft, Christie and Faith

Lara Croft elicited the least stimulation from the male participants, while women were least aroused by Christie. Faith Connors was another character who failed to generate much engagement from either sex. Her trailer was the least stimulating of all the heroes and heroines featured.

Gender Differences in Character Engagement

Engagement with Male Characters

Although Lucian clearly stimulated both men and women, their levels of engagement differed.

The romantic scene with his beloved elicited both arousal and engagement in women. However, men, while also aroused by the scene, didn’t show external signs of engagement—”poker faces” prevailed.

Engagement with Female Characters

Kokoro engaged women the most, while men showed the greatest engagement when watching Juri. However, regardless of which heroine appeared on screen, men’s engagement was consistently less pronounced than women’s.

Men’s engagement remained high during the fighting scenes but declined afterward.

Lara Croft was the least engaging for men, while women were least engaged by Mila (Dead or Alive series, Team Ninja). Faith Connors was another character who failed to engage players—her trailer was the least stimulating and least engaging of all the heroes and heroines featured.

Eye Tracking and Visual Attention

Eye tracking revealed that women frequently and for long periods fixated on the abdomens of heroines.

There are several possible explanations for this behavior. From an evolutionary psychology perspective, certain body regions, particularly those associated with reproductive health and fertility, naturally attract attention. Research suggests that both men and women tend to focus on areas of the body that signal reproductive fitness. The abdomen is one such area that draws attention, as it can be perceived as an indicator of attractiveness and reproductive capability.

Another possible explanation is social comparison or self-evaluation. Women may fixate on heroines’ abdomens as they evaluate their own bodies in relation to societal beauty standards, which often emphasize specific body shapes and sizes. This focus may be influenced by these ideals, leading to a heightened attention to areas that are considered attractive.

Alternatively, it could simply reflect a desire for pleasant, aesthetic experiences. The emotional and psychological significance of body image might drive attention towards features that align with personal or cultural ideals of beauty.

This tendency was most noticeable when women watched characters like Lara Croft and Christie Monteiro, though a similar pattern, albeit less pronounced, was observed when viewing other heroines.

What Appeals to Young Adults in Men and Women

We explored the qualities of men and women that players appreciate both in real life and in video games through interviews with our respondents. We asked them about their preferences regarding the appearance and behavior of real women and men, what features they find attractive, and whether those preferences align with the characters they are drawn to in games.

Women’s Appeal

Both men and women agreed that they most often focus on a woman’s face. For men, the way a woman speaks, the content of her words, and the overall experience of interacting with her were equally significant. Women, however, placed greater emphasis on warmth and kindness in a woman’s speech, appreciating a tone that avoids profanity.

Our research suggests that the “ideal woman” is often perceived as athletic, slim, and tall (around 1.70 m), with long hair and large eyes. These preferences align with findings from David Buss’s Evolution of Desire, which highlights evolutionary factors influencing perceptions of attractiveness. Additionally, women respondents valued other women’s attention to appearance and stylish clothing. Men, on the other hand, emphasized physical traits such as delicate facial features, shapely buttocks, and vibrant eye colors—blue and green being particularly favored.

Both genders considered femininity an attractive quality but interpreted it differently.

Women associated femininity with a blend of delicacy, strength, and confidence, alongside politeness in speech. Men, meanwhile, appreciated femininity expressed through care, sensitivity, and modesty.

Men also valued intelligence in women, particularly when demonstrated through engaging conversations, a sense of humor, broad knowledge, and an openness to new experiences.

Men’s Appeal

When it comes to men, all respondents agreed that height is one of the first things they notice upon meeting someone. For men, whether the other man is taller was particularly important. They also paid attention to how a man speaks, his level of maturity, and his sense of humor. Women, however, focused on traits like self-confidence, attitude toward others, and the timeless quality of being a gentleman. We also compared these real-world preferences to how players choose and respond to male and female characters in video games.

Interestingly, the traits admired in real life often align with the qualities players seek in male game characters.

For both men and women, the “ideal man” is described as determined, brave, open-minded, and a gentleman with a good sense of humor. However, perceptions of what defines a gentleman vary slightly: women associate it with politeness and chivalry, while men see it as a combination of style and sophistication.

The muscularity of attractive men is also perceived differently by the genders. Women place more emphasis on the muscularity of the arms, while men focus on the overall physique, including the arms, chest, hips, and legs.

Real-Life vs. Virtual Ideals

Ideal Men: Real Life vs. Video Games

Our study reveals a strong correlation between the characteristics of an ideal, attractive male video game hero and the respondents’ stated preferences for men in real life.

The perfect male hero in a video game is tall and well-built, with sharp facial features and neatly groomed facial hair. He embodies courage and confidence, aligning with traditional ideals of masculinity.

Interestingly, the bar for real-world men appears even higher.

According to both men and women, a real-life man must demonstrate more diverse and refined character traits than his gaming counterpart. To be considered attractive, he must be determined, open-minded, resolute, chivalrous, and have a good sense of humor. While women often described their ideal male video game hero as experienced and slightly older (around 40 years old), these qualities were notably absent from their descriptions of an ideal man in real life.

Ideal Women: Real Life vs. Video Games

A similar pattern emerged when discussing the attributes of an ideal heroine. The perfect video game heroine is athletic, slim, tall (approximately 1.70 m), and has long hair, which mirrors many of the physical characteristics admired in real-life women.

However, when it comes to character traits, real-world expectations for women differ from those for gaming heroines.

A real-life woman is expected to be kind, intelligent, and gentle. Confidence and strength are valued in both video game heroines and real-world women, but a subtle divergence appears in men’s preferences. While confidence is seen as an appealing trait in gaming heroines, men’s descriptions suggest they prefer real-life women to exhibit slightly less dominance.

Key Traits of Attractive Heroes and Heroines

When asked about the qualities of attractive heroes and heroines, our respondents highlighted both physical traits and personality characteristics.

Key Qualities of a Heroine

An attractive female character in a video game, according to the participants, is typically around 20 years old with a well-proportioned figure and a strong sense of confidence. She seems to be a combination of youth, physical appeal, and self-assuredness.

However, there was a notable difference between men and women regarding the character’s outfit.

While men preferred the heroine to wear a tight, form-fitting outfit, women favored a more modest, body-covering attire for the character.

For women, the preference for modest clothing may reflect a desire for representations that align with their values and experiences, focusing on empowerment rather than objectification.

Meanwhile, men’s preference for tighter outfits can likely be traced to sociocultural influences that emphasize physical attractiveness and sexual appeal.

Key Qualities of a Hero

In contrast, the ideal male hero is typically portrayed as confident, muscular, and around 40 years old. Both men and women agree that this hero should possess experience and a strong, well-built physique.

Summary

The Witcher strikes again! Our study shows that Geralt isn’t just the most attractive, but also the most stimulating, engaging, and masculine. It seems our complex research method has confirmed what we already knew–Geralt of Rivia is a well-crafted character in every way. It appears that players are most aroused by stereotypical male warriors. Joel from The Last of Us, despite being an interesting character, generated the least excitement among participants. For video game heroes, masculinity clearly takes the lead.

The female world, however, is more complex. Both the delicate Kokoro (a stereotypically feminine character) and the aggressive Juri (a more masculine figure) were equally stimulating for the players in the study.

Interestingly–and probably not a surprise to some of our readers–engagement and excitement don’t always go hand in hand with video game heroes and heroines. When it comes to playing or watching video game content, facial expressions and physiological reactions don’t always align with what respondents openly declare. People aren’t always willing to fully express their preferences regarding attractiveness. This is why it’s essential to use multiple methods, or the „triangulation technique,” to get a full picture of the phenomena we’re studying. In our research, this means combining interviews, surveys, and real-time psychophysical measurements.

Our findings about heroes and heroines show that the standards are high both in video games and in real life.

These characters must meet exaggerated expectations for both personality and appearance. In fact, the traits that make up the perfect video game hero or heroine reflect deeply ingrained ideas about femininity, masculinity, and heroism. What’s even more interesting, the expectations for real-world men appear to be even higher than those for their virtual counterparts. While it’s challenging for any character to meet all of these criteria, as we’ve seen, some „monster hunters” come remarkably close.