Last week, I wrote about avatar creation in VRChat. Trust me, the process is much, much easier than people realize. Even if the term “Unity hierarchy” gives you a migraine, you should still try uploading your own avatar to VRChat. It’s a fantastic learning opportunity — and a great way to customize your VRC experience to your personal preference. Whether that’s streaming as an android furry or roleplaying as a giant woman rampaging across a city like Godzilla, you do you. But free yourself to engage in self-expression on your terms.
Granted, while I do recommend creating your own avatar, I don’t necessarily recommend creating your own avatar model from scratch. 3D modeling and rigging is a complicated endeavor altogether. Luckily, there are tons of fantastic VRC avatar bases available on the internet. So, if you don’t know where to start with your very first VRChat avatar, consider these suggestions. Please note, they’re based on a mix of personal recommendations and, in my eyes, importance or relevancy. Other VRChat users may have contrasting opinions.
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Runa & Ranu – Torinyan x nradiowave
I had a really hard time picking just one Torinyan model to recommend for this article, because this creator is simply fantastic. Every time my GOAT sits down to create, Torinyan cooks. Every single time.
Torinyan is well known for collaborating with a wide assortment of popular artists, with an emphasis on designing robotic female avatars. These projects are all about bringing the illustrator’s style to life. Torinyan and nradiowave’s work on Runa & Ranu is a perfect example, as both avatars accurately transfer nradiowave’s aesthetic into a 3D space. Not to mention, Runa & Ranu have a wide assortment of add-ons available for purchase, and you can even customize these robot girls’ hair color in-game. If you like what you see, I highly recommend digging through Torinyan’s larger catalog.
Novabeast – Kittomatic
I think VRChat furries would riot if I didn’t mention Novabeast. This is simply one of the most ubiquitous anthro avatars throughout all of VRChat. Creator Kittomatic describes Novabeast as a “dragon-like” being with an “oversized mane and fluffy features.”
“Elegant, calm, and friendly, these creatures deeply connect to their surroundings,” the modeler writes, noting that Novabeasts are an original creation. “Elegant, calm, and friendly, these creatures deeply connect to their surroundings.”
I can’t recommend Novabeast enough as a starting furry avatar. It’s affordable to pick up, features full-body tracking, and there are endless assets available for your own version.
mamehinata – mukumi
I really like Mamehinata. Whenever I see this lovely little critter, I think of spooji. Spooji is one of my long-time IRL friends, and this is his avatar. He introduced me to VRChat while using it, kicking off my career as a VRChat-based VTuber. So, in my eyes, Mamehinata is spooji, and spooji is Mamehinata. They are one and the same.
You, too, can think of spooji when you use Mamehinata. Go purchase mukumi’s model and experience spooji for yourself. Don’t stop there, though. I recommend going through mukumi’s entire Booth lineup, as the playful and innocent vibes seen throughout this creator’s catalog warm my heart.
Selestia – Studio Jingo
When it comes to Japanese VRChat avatars, Selestia is one of the most popular on the market. One quick glance and you can see why. She’s a gorgeous pink-haired anime girl with a curvy figure and kind, soft eyes.
But personally, I think Selestia’s popularity isn’t just about her attractive appearance. The real appeal for STUDIO JINGO’s avatar is her sheer customizability; there are literally thousands of items designed for her, per Boothplorer. You can change her hair, make her dress like an office worker, even give her a pregnant tummy. Selestia isn’t just a good model, she’s one of the most versatile. Any VRChat player interested in becoming an anime girl should own her, just because they can do so much with her.
Deltaflair – VERMILION .STUDIO
I really love tacticool stuff, and DELTAFLAIR is the coolest tacticool fox girl I’ve ever met. What I love most about her is her simplicity. DELTAFLAIR is an anime girl in a sweatshirt, a skirt, a jacket, and tights, all while sporting a streetwear flair. “Brooklyn furry” is how I’d describe her. I’ve definitely seen this girl around Williamsburg, sans real tail.
For me, DELTAFLAIR is the VRChat equivalent of sweatpants: A comfy, cozy avatar to slip into when I just want to vibe and watch anime with friends. Except I like to give her a gun, because, you know. She obviously is good with guns. Go check out VERMILION .Studio’s full catalog for more avatars like her.
Chibigen – TheRPGslayer
As a furry, I have a real soft spot for Protogens. Anthropomorphic cyborg animal creatures? Yeah, sign me up. While I haven’t used a Protogen model in VRChat yet, they’re pretty common throughout the community. So common, in fact, it was very challenging to choose a sole Protogen avatar to spotlight. I personally think the Chibigen by TheRPGslayer earned its spot in this article, however. A stylized take on the Protogen featuring an adorable diminutive frame, furries looking for a chibi vibe will get a lot out of this avvie. And, yes, it’s facetracking-compatible via ARKit.
GodMagician – Godfall
I’ve seen Godfall’s avatars around the VRChat community for a hot minute, and the level of customization offered under the line is insanely impressive. No doubt about it, Godfall’s upcoming GodWhisper avatar is on my radar; I’m literally counting down the days until I can purchase it. But in the meantime, I’ve seen nothing but kind words for GodMagician, an incredible avatar base offering optional tattoos, an intense number of clothing options, and even the opportunity to become a furry. If you’re interested in an avatar that provides a little bit of everything for everyone, grab your credit card and purchase GodMagician, it’s just on another level.
魔物娘図鑑 デーモン – guminit
Out of all the devils and demons in anime, the Demon from Monster Girl Encyclopedia 2 is my favorite. So when I discovered VRChat creator guminit had designed the character for VRC, I was overjoyed. My fans bought the model for me almost immediately. And after fooling around with her for a bit, I can confirm: This is one of the most underrated avatars on this entire list. It’s a true sleeper you should absolutely pick up.
Note that this model may be difficult to find if you’re not a Japanese-speaking VRChat player. It’s listed as “魔物娘図鑑 デーモン【公認二次創作VRChat用モデル】” by ぐみ～んのポリ魔に！ぐみ～んのポリ魔に！
Every time I use guminit’s VRChat Demon model, I immediately recognize the attention to detail. I can tell guminit painfully studied the Demon’s artwork in MGE; it literally feels like she walked right off the page. And while some interpretation is in order to bring a 2D anime character into 3D, guminit offers a fantastic argument for what the Demon would look like if Monster Girl Encyclopedia were in 3D. I recommend picking this one up if you’re also a fan of succubi in anime, especially if you’re someone who wants to capture the more supernatural and monstrous elements of these characters.
Your VRM (AKA Go Use ‘VRoid Studio’)
Did you know that you can port your very own VRM into VRChat? In fact, it’s actually a much easier process than most people realize. I highly, highly recommend doing this if you’re a VTuber, as it lets you quickly and easily engage in all the best parts of VRChat without changing your brand.
To learn more, watch Syafire’s video on converting VRMs into VRChat via Unity. You’ll need to get your hands dirty with some extra steps, but a lot of incredible programmers have already done most of the hard work involved with VRM-to-VRC conversion. It’s how I learned Unity and VRChat avatar creation last year, despite having zero prior experience with the former.
