So, you’ve started making a game, or are thinking of creating one. You load up the project, you build your map, and you want to continue. Just one thing is missing…the protagonist!
Experts would recommend you develop your own art and assets for your game. This is definitely best practice and you should get used to creating art.
However, if you’re not very artistic (like me) and trying to self-learn (also like me) then you just want a nice, free sprite to use for the start of your project.
Each of the sprites below have been carefully chosen out of THOUSANDS as the coolest and most useful for your fantasy RPG game.
They come with animations for moving, idling, attacking, and dying. All the basics have been covered, giving you a choice of the perfect sprite for your protagonist.
Not sure how to add sprites to your game? Simply follow our step by step guide: https://example.com/how-to-add-sprites-gamemaker/
10) Simple Knight by Phi9009
Get it here: https://marketplace.gamemaker.io/assets/10255/simple-knight-free
Very simple knight with attacks, jumps, walks, and everything in-between. It has a high pixel density so may not be suitable for low pixel games, but otherwise it would be a great choice!
The main reason for it coming in number 10 is due to its shield. While attacks and movement are easy to code, blocking is slightly more difficult. If you’re just starting off, you’ll definitely want to save this one for later to save the headaches.
9) Hero by Balmer
Get it here: https://opengameart.org/content/hero-spritesheets-ars-notoria
Not only does this hero sprite come with the usual animations, it also comes with attack and weapon animations too!
Everything you need for your side scrolling run and fight game is right here. In addition, the low pixel density makes it great for small games, or you can scale it up if your game has a higher resolution.
5 different melee attack sprites are included to give you plenty of variation. You’ll have a lot of fun with this one.
8) Male by Cruz Ferreira
Get it here: https://marketplace.gamemaker.io/assets/3273/male-hero
There are so, so many different top-down sprites available. Cruz Ferreira’s male hero was my favorite of the bunch.
Ideal for games without combat on the main map, this sprite is good for adventure or turn-based games.
Especially welcoming for new developers, this sprite will be simple to add and code into your game.
7) Pixel Chars by GandalfHardcore
Get it here: https://gandalfhardcore.itch.io/free-pixel-art
One of the best you can find if you’re just starting your game-making career. These high quality characters come with a ton of animations even layers. You can customise the characters to wear different clothes, hairstyles, or equipment.
With such a lot to unpack, these sprites can be a little daunting for developers with little confidence. It’s worth it though, for sure. Don’t shy away from these sprites, give them a try!
6) Knight by Xzany
Get it here: https://xzany.itch.io/free-knight-2d-pixel-art
For me, this was actually the first sprite I added when I was developing my first project. Just be aware, it is quite large. If you’re developing a 16×16 game then you’ll want to steer clear.
If you don’t mind the size then this Knight can work really well. The animations are clean, the colors are crisp and it responds well to user input.
5) Girl Knight by Jump_Button
Get it here: https://jumpbutton.itch.io/girlknightasset
Coming with 24 different animations(!!), you could literally make an entire game just with this sprite sheet alone. You wouldn’t have to add or change anything yourself.
For this reason, the Girl Knight character sprite is definitely one of the best, especially for new developers.
Here’s a link to a game someone made using this sprite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6xV8SWjkus&ab_channel=MoonDi
The video above shows how well the animations work. Jump_button has done an excellent job here as its author, and deserves a lot of love.
4) DarkSamurai by AimMaga
Get it here: https://aimmaga.itch.io/darksamurai
You could easily use this sprite sheet as a boss, 2nd player, or even just a normal enemy.
Absolutely the best aspect is the low pixel density. This allows you to edit it to your heart’s content without worrying about ruining anything.
Colors can be freely changed, and additional weapons could be added, no problem.
For some reason, the author allows usage of this sprite for commercial purposes. I’m surprised we don’t see it in more games!
3) Hooded Protagonist by Penzilla
Get it here: https://penzilla.itch.io/hooded-protagonist
Remarkably simple and easy to add to your game. Hooded Protagonist doesn’t require much to get it working with your game. Such an uncomplicated sprite fits into almost any game theme you can think of, whether it’s an RPG hack’n’slash or a turn-based adventure.
Thanks to the low pixel count, you can utilise this sprite on any scale game. I’ve tested it thoroughly with various tilesets and they all work seamlessly, there are no complications.
Overall, I absolutely love this sprite and I’m even using it as the default character for my new game. 😀
- Hero Knight by LuizMelo
Get it here: https://luizmelo.itch.io/hero-knight
This eye-catching hero knight sports some amazing animations, with a low pixel density to fit into your low-res game.
Coming with idle, run, jump, fall, and even multiple attacks, it could be the perfect starting point for you. What I also love is the weapon, as it can be easily colored or changed to equip different types of weapons.
1) Warrior by Clembod
Get it here: https://clembod.itch.io/warrior-free-animation-set
Featuring some of the nicest animations I’ve seen on itch.io, this female warrior protagonist could very well be the headliner of your game.
Available for use for commercial purposes, you can simply download the sprite sheets and you’re set for your entire video game journey.
As well as your usual walk, idle, attack, and jump animations, this sprite also offers dashes, slides, edge grabbing, and even ladder climbing.
Trust me when I say that this is a very special sprite indeed. And remember, you can always edit it later on if you want to change the gender or add some sort of equipment (such as a helmet).
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