Turn yourself into anime: 12 original character styles
Upload a selfie, choose a style and paste the prompt. You keep your face shape, eyes and hairstyle, redrawn as an original anime character, never a copy of an existing series.
14 promptsOriginal charactersImage + video
Quick answer
To turn yourself into an anime character, upload a clear selfie to ChatGPT, Gemini, Kling or Midjourney and paste a prompt that keeps your face shape, eye shape and hairstyle while describing an original anime style (90s cel, film anime, cyberpunk). Describe the look instead of naming a studio, series or character, and generate 3–4 versions.
The 'turn yourself into anime' trend redraws your selfie as a hand-drawn character: sunset film-anime scenes, 90s cel looks, cyberpunk hackers, fantasy mages or a chibi sticker set. Image models keep your recognisable features, like hairstyle, eye shape and face shape, while switching the art style.
This page describes styles by their visual ingredients (lineart, shading, palette and background) rather than naming studios, series or characters. That keeps your character original, avoids copyright issues, and still gets you the look you want.
Original and adult. Use your own selfie or a friend's with consent. All characters here are adults in fully covered outfits. Don't recreate existing anime characters or studio logos, and don't use anime filters to sexualise anyone.
How to
How to turn your photo into an anime character
Upload a clear selfie
Front-facing, with your hairstyle visible; hair is what makes an anime version recognisable.
Pick a style
Film anime, 90s cel, action, magic, cyberpunk, fantasy, mecha, slice-of-life, swordsman, villain or chibi.
Paste into ChatGPT, Gemini, Kling or Midjourney
OpenArt also has anime-tuned models; Midjourney needs a character reference.
Keep it on-model
Generate several, pick one, then reuse it as the reference for more poses.
Animate
Use the opening-shot or real-to-anime prompt to make a short clip.
Guide
A practical guide to AI anime characters
Hair and eyes carry identity
In anime, faces are simplified, so likeness lives in your hairstyle, hair colour, eye shape and face outline. Use a selfie where your hair is clearly visible, and say 'keep my hairstyle' if the model invents a new one.
Describe the style's ingredients
Instead of naming a studio, list what you see: 'bold lineart, flat cel colours, airbrushed highlights, VHS grain' for 90s; 'soft cel shading, painterly sky, warm magenta-and-gold light' for modern film anime. You get the look and an original result.
Backgrounds make it cinematic
A detailed background (a seaside town, a neon rooftop, a forest library) turns a portrait into a scene. Keep text out of it: signs and speech bubbles usually come out garbled.
Stay on-model across images
Once you love one version, upload it as the reference for new poses or outfits. That keeps your character consistent for a series or a sticker set.
Keep it respectful
Make adult characters in normal outfits, ask before using friends' photos, and don't copy existing characters or logos for things you sell.
Prompts
14 AI anime character prompts
Upload a selfie first. #13–14 are video prompts.
14 of 14 shown
#01
Sunset hillside film anime
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into a modern anime film character standing on a grassy hillside at sunset, wind blowing petals, long navy coat over a cream sweater, a seaside town in the distance, soft cel shading, painterly background, warm magenta-and-gold sky.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into a 1990s hand-painted cel anime character: bold lineart, flat cel colours with soft airbrushed highlights, slight VHS grain, city rooftop at dusk, leather jacket, nostalgic retro mood.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original action-anime hero (adult): dynamic pose mid-jump, glowing blue energy around my fists, torn travel cloak, dramatic speed lines in the background colours only, high-contrast cel shading, intense determined eyes.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original adult magical guardian: elegant long coat-dress in white and gold with star motifs, a crystal staff, ribbons of light swirling, night sky with constellations, sparkling soft-glow shading, graceful and fully covered.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original cyberpunk anime character: oversized techwear jacket, holographic visor, neon-lit rainy megacity rooftop, cables and floating holographic panels with abstract symbols only, cyan and magenta rim light, crisp lineart.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original fantasy adventurer anime character: leather armour, a travel satchel, a short sword, standing at the edge of a forest overlooking a floating-island kingdom, bright adventure palette, detailed background art.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original elf mage anime character: pointed ears, flowing green-and-silver robes, a glowing spell circle in my hand, ancient forest library with roots and lanterns, soft magical light, painterly shading.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original mecha pilot anime character: sleek white-and-orange pilot suit with no logos, helmet under my arm, standing in a hangar in front of a giant original robot, dramatic floodlights, clean mechanical detail.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into a slice-of-life anime character sitting by the window of a cosy café on a rainy afternoon, oversized knit sweater, holding a warm latte, soft watercolour backgrounds, gentle pastel palette, calm happy expression.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original wandering swordsman anime character: dark haori over a simple kimono, a sheathed katana, standing on a wooden bridge under falling autumn leaves, ink-wash-inspired shading, calm stoic look.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original elegant anime villain: long black coat with crimson lining, gloves, a confident smirk, standing on a throne-room balcony under a red moon, dramatic shadows, sharp stylish lineart. Menacing but tasteful.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Use my uploaded photo as the reference and keep my recognisable features (face shape, eye shape, hairstyle, skin tone) in anime form; adult character; original design, not from any existing anime, game or studio. Turn me into an original chibi character sticker sheet: 6 poses (waving, laughing, thumbs up, crying, sleepy, heart hands), big head small body, thick white outline around each sticker, plain pastel background. Adult character drawn in chibi style. No text.
Negative prompt: childlike proportions, school-age look, revealing outfit, fan-service, existing character, franchise logo, text, speech bubbles, watermark, extra fingers, messy lineart
Start from my anime character image. Anime opening-sequence shot: wind sweeps through hair and coat, petals fly past the camera, I turn and smile, then the camera tilts up to the sky, 6 seconds, smooth 24fps anime motion, no text.
Negative prompt: identity drift, flicker, off-model frames, warped hands, text, watermark
Keyframe 1: my real photo. Keyframe 2: my anime character. A smooth 6-second transformation where lines and cel shading sweep across me from left to right, background shifting from photo to painted art, locked camera, consistent pose.
Negative prompt: identity drift, flicker, off-model frames, warped hands, text, watermark
Upload a selfie to ChatGPT, Gemini or Kling on their free plans and paste a prompt from this page.
Can I ask for a specific studio's style?
We recommend describing the look (cel shading, watercolour backgrounds, warm sunset palette) instead. Named studios and characters can be refused and produce copies rather than your own character.
Why doesn't it look like me?
Use a sharper selfie, keep the first sentence (it locks face shape, eyes and hairstyle), and ask to 'keep my hairstyle and eye shape'.
Can I make stickers?
Yes. Prompt #12 makes a 6-pose chibi sticker sheet. Cut them out with our free background changer if you need transparent PNGs.
Is it OK for kids?
These prompts create adult characters. For children's photos, use only with a parent's permission and keep everything age-appropriate.
