April 15 marks a playful joke about bald men. To honor the gag, this piece revisits some of the most colorful bald or nearly hairless heroes in video games and what their looks say about their characters.
Agent 47 from the Hitman series
IO Interactive built Hitman around a stark, hairless silhouette. In the original Codename 47, the assassin appears without body hair beyond his eyebrows. Fans have long speculated that the shaved look hints at an origin tied to a manufactured identity. As the franchise evolved, later entries like Hitman Blood Money introduced other clones who carried more varied appearances, including fuller head hair, underscoring that Agent 47’s look is a deliberate design choice rather than an absolute rule for every character in the world.
What stands out most about Hitman is the precision of its stealth and the way posture, timing, and minimalistic visuals create a sense of danger and control. The bald design becomes an emblem of efficiency, a blank canvas that invites players to project strategy and restraint onto every mission.
Favorite aspects of the Hitman series
Trevor Philips from GTA 5
Before GTA 5 arrived, rumors swirled about Trevor’s look, with some fans hoping for a more conventional hairstyle. When the game released, players connected with a character who embodies volatility and surprise, a man capable of brutal acts yet capable of tenderness toward those he cares about. Trevor’s shaved or closely cropped appearance, paired with a rough demeanor, reinforces his identity as a volatile antihero who can switch between merciless impulse and surprising loyalty.
Trevor’s presence invites players to explore moral ambiguity, as his actions provoke both fear and a strange, stubborn sense of loyalty. The design underlines the tension between chaos and personal code, making him one of the most memorable bald or nearly bald figures in modern open-world gaming.
Chronicles of Riddick: Riddick
In 2009 a continuation titled Assault on Dark Athena followed Escape from Butcher Bay, though it drew mixed reactions compared with the first part. Riddick is often regarded as a character perfectly suited to game form, with stealth, close-quarters combat, and gunplay flowing together in a way that mirrors his screen presence. The portrayal, guided by Starbreeze Studios, amplified the character’s on-screen persona, with Vin Diesel contributing to likeness and voice to anchor the experience for fans of the series.
Riddick remains a touchstone for how a bald hero can carry a franchise, balancing menace, cunning, and reluctant heroism across an action-packed fantasy realm.
Kratos from the God of War series
Kratos is widely remembered as one of gaming’s most brutal figures. His bald head, the iconic red tattoo that runs across his pale skin, and a hairless physique reinforce the relentless, uncompromising nature of the war god. The stark look is so ingrained that any deviation would feel off, making Kratos a perpetual visual touchstone for the series. The early entries established this silhouette as a symbol of raw power and mythic conflict.
Reflecting on the early games, the creators built the world around a spine of myth, scale, and stark visual language. The first God of War game marked a turning point, and even today a glance at Kratos triggers recognition of a long-running arc that blends tragedy, revenge, and unlikely tenderness in equal measure.
Wilhelm Strasse (General Skull) from the Wolfenstein Series
Bald antagonists have a commanding presence in the Wolfenstein universe. Wilhelm Strasse, known as General Skull, wields advanced tech and mind-bending experiments to build a formidable foe. He appears across multiple installments, including Return to Castle Wolfenstein and The New Order, where he clashes with the protagonist in battles that feel personal and epic. The design emphasizes menace and intellect, turning the bald villain into a memorable benchmark for the series’ dark, immersive atmosphere.
The confrontation with the hero often centers on a clash of ideologies, with Strasse embodying calculated ambition and a ruthless hunger for power that drives the series forward.
Machine gun of Team Fortress 2
In Team Fortress 2 the Heavy stands as a formidable force, his presence amplified by a towering frame and a massive minigun. His health reserve and firepower define how battles unfold, making him tough to defeat in direct encounters. Players typically rely on snipers to whittle him down from a distance, while teammates provide flank support and healing. The sheer visual heft of the Heavy, often depicted with a bald or shaved head, reinforces his role as the frontline juggernaut and a cornerstone of team strategy.
The character’s look and loadout become a memorable shorthand for brute strength and relentless tempo on the battlefield, shaping countless plays and memes alike.
Kuan Chi from Mortal Kombat
Quan Chi stands as a powerful necromancer within Mortal Kombat lore, a figure whose presence extends beyond a single game arc. Though not always depicted as bald in every rendition, his iconic, bald silhouette and mask reinforce a sense of otherworldly threat. Across the franchise, Quan Chi’s mastery of dark magic and manipulation influences battles and rivalries, making him a throughline of atmospheric menace within the series. His role demonstrates how a distinctive head shape and wardrobe can anchor a formidable villain in mixed-media narratives.
In the broader MK universe the bald look adds to the sense of authority and mystery that surrounds this sorcerer, aligning with the franchise’s tradition of visually striking antagonists.
Sergeant Tarkus from Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2
Within the Warhammer 40,000 setting, bald and imposing figures often signal veteran leadership and hardened resolve. Sergeant Tarkus leads a space marine detachment in Dawn of War 2, embodying discipline and tactical precision. The broader lore occasionally explores factions that flirt with chaos, yet Tarkus remains steadfast in allegiance to the Emperor. His presence emphasizes the endurance of heroism amid grim, brutal conflict, and his shaved, durable look reinforces the sense of battle-worn resilience that defines the series’ military drama.
Across the campaign, Tarkus’s role illustrates how a clean, austere silhouette pairs with heavy weapons and armored command to create a memorable commanding presence on screen and in gameplay.
Kane of the Command & Conquer
Kane stands as a magnetic leader behind the Brotherhood of Nod in Command & Conquer. His charisma and unwavering resolve give the faction its sense of purpose and drive the broader narrative forward. The role helped shape a legend within the series, with the early live-action elements lending weight to his forceful rhetoric and grand ambitions. Kane’s head kept clean and simple, a visual cue that aligns with the character’s ruthless efficiency and strategic mind.
In the lore, Kane’s presence marks turning points in the struggle for control, and his silhouette remains a powerful reminder of how a strong, minimal look can carry deep storytelling heft.
Eit Bull from the GTA series
Eit Bull is a recognizable name in Grand Theft Auto circles, though details about his real name hover in the shadows. The character is tied to Liberty City’s underworld and appears across several titles including GTA 3, Liberty City Stories, and GTA Advance. Canonically his fate remains ambiguous, and his bald or closely shaved appearance aligns with a gritty, street-smart vibe that suits the game’s urban storytelling. The character’s presence underscores how small but memorable figures contribute to the texture of the city’s criminal landscape.
Beyond the mainline chapters, Eit Bull and similar figures illustrate how a few design choices can leave a lasting impression on players navigating sprawling, interconnected narratives.
A different question lingers for fans: which bald hero left the strongest imprint, and why? Share thoughts in the comments below or in discussion threads.
The most charismatic bare hero
Final reflections consider which bald hero stands apart for sheer presence, influence on design, and lasting memorability across generations of players.
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