Summary
When it comes to immersion, particularly in role-playing games, character creation is one of the most important factors. It allows players to fine tune their avatar, re-invent themselves, and become an entirely new person. Customizing their character can also affect gameplay, with certain skills and traits being made available to the player upon creation.
Bethesda is a well-established name in the gaming industry, having an impressive roster of RPGs, shooters, and racers under their belt, many of which utilize character creation. These are some of thebest character creators in Bethesda games, including those developed by Bethesda Game Studios and/or published by Bethesda Softworks.
“Character creation” in this list refers to the physical attributes and skills/traits selected at the beginning of the game, rather than the broader scope for character progression.
Wolfenstein: Youngbloodis a spin-off game set afterWolfenstein II: The New Colossusand follows teens Jess and Soph on a search for their father, the iconic B. J. Blazkowicz.In trueWolfensteinfashion, they discover that the Nazis have other larger, much more sinister plans to ensure their worldwide domination.
As primarily an FPS,Youngblooddoesn’t waste a lot of time on character creation in the way other genres do, but that’s not to say there isn’t any room for customization. When beginning the game, players can choose between the two sisters and select their armor, weapons, and gear. While not the most extensive personalization and mostly cosmetic, some choices do have an impact on gameplay.
Fallout 3is the first game in the franchise that Bethesda Game Studios developed after getting their hands on the rights. The game introduced a lot of new elements, such as the V.A.T.S. and 3D graphics, whilekeeping a lot of the previous games' story, setting new and solidifying old foundations for future entries. Players take on the role of a survivor, searching for their father, who left Vault 101 with no explanation.
Fallout 3offers ample room for players to edit the appearance of the Lone Wanderer. In keeping with many other RPGs of the time, this is confined to choosing from a much more limited list selection, rather than fine-tuning by hand. Despite this, there is a lot of specificity, with players being able to alter their nose, cheek, chin, and jaw, as well as picking hair and makeup styles.
Fallout: New Vegashas a very similar character creator toFallout 3, so it hasn’t been included as a separate entry.
Much likeFallout 4,Skyrimis often hailed as the best entry to theElder Scrollsseries, leaning away from the heavy and at times complex RPG elements fora less punishing and more accessible experience. Compared to the previous entries in the franchise, the character creation inSkyrimis relatively stripped back.
Gone are the streamlined skill and class choices that help specialize the character, replaced by more in-depth options for appearance. While outlandish colored hair and deformed faces aren’t possible inSkyrim, there is no doubt that the characters are better looking and have lots of nuances — such as warpaint, scars, and facial hair — that players appreciate.
Morrowindis one ofthe most influential open-world RPG titles, memorable for its outlandish fantasy settings and grindy in-game systems. Because of its immersive design, it is easy to spend a lot of time considering what kind of character and playthrough to go for, with a lot of focus being on class creation rather than appearance.
Players can take a class quiz to get assigned a class based on their answers, choose a predetermined class, or create a custom one by selecting attributes and major/minor skills. The character creator is much more limited in terms of appearance, with only basic sliders for face, hair, and sex. It did, however, introduce the trademark birthsign, which grants certain abilities depending on choice — something that would later reappear inOblivion.
Falloutis one of Bethesda’s bestselling franchises, expanding from the original 1997 game to earn a pretty great Amazon TV series. While not necessarily the bestFalloutgame,Fallout 4is widely regarded as a good starting point for players new to the franchise because of its relative ease and hand-holding. It hasall the elements of a good open-world RPG, including base-building, exploration, and action.
The character creator inFallout 4is intricate, offering aSims 4-like level of precision when customizing the Sole Survivor. Players can alter most elements of their avatar’s face, from size and angle to color, as well as details such as piercings and blemishes. They can also change their body shape. Skill (or “SPECIAL”) points are available at the start of the game, which players can allocate to any of the seven attributes, depending on the build they want to go for.
The character creator inFallout 76is very similar, so it hasn’t been included as a separate entry.
For many Bethesda enthusiasts,Starfieldwas a disappointing release that had surprisingly underwhelming travel gameplay consideringits core premise of space exploration. That said, the RPG mechanics are commendable, with a lot of freedom in terms of progression. Whether players build their character based on personality or choose the options with the best skills, is entirely up to them.
Not only can players select the traits of their character, but they can also choose their background, with options ranging from Beast Hunter to Professor. As well as determining their starting skills, this introduces more depth to the character; a little backstory can go a long way when it comes to players' immersion and role-playing.
The originalOblivionis remembered for its potato-models and buggy gameplay, though not with any animosity; it was a charming addition toThe Elder Scrollsfranchise. That said, the game was in dire need of a remaster — something that fans were finally served whenOblivion Remasteredshadow-dropped in April 2025.
Of allthe improvements, which do not exclude gameplay and content, the most noticeable changes were visual ones, particularly the character models. Alongside the extensive class options, character creation both looks better and is generally more streamlined, moving away from the problematic slider system while still offering the classic opportunity to create diabolical avatars. Overall, the character creator inOblivion Remasteredoffers a solid mid-point between the build focus ofMorrowindand the appearance focus ofSkyrim.
