, character presets are primarily managed through files, which store all sliders for body, face, and hair. While the base game offers limited preset variety, the modding community provides extensive libraries to enhance your squad's appearance. Kenshi Wiki Core Preset Management To manage your character looks, use the buttons within the character creation screen or at a Plastic Surgeon Saving a Preset : Clicking
file containing all current sliders. By default, these are located in ..\Kenshi\data\character\bodies\export Loading a Preset : To use a downloaded or shared preset, place the file into your ..\Kenshi\data\character\bodies folder. It will then appear in the list during customization. Essential Character Customization Mods
Since vanilla presets can feel repetitive, these community-favorite mods expand your options significantly: Advanced Character Creation (ACC)
: A massive overhaul adding new sub-races (like Palelanders and Southern Hives), 10+ eye colors, and diverse face textures across all races. Radiant Better Faces & Eyes
: Reworks 101 faces and provides custom exclusive textures for all Unique Recruits (like Beep, Burn, and Sadneil). Faces Plus
: A lightweight alternative to ACC that adds brighter eye textures and unique race-specific face variants. Pretty Female Preset
: A popular Nexus preset for Greenlanders that provides a specific body and face configuration. Steam Community Unique Recruits & Presets
If you are looking for specific characters rather than general presets, these notable recruits come with unique dialogue or stats and are often the target of "re-skin" mods: Key Feature Hive Worker Fan favorite, unique dialogue progression. Free recruit, decent early stats for a Shek. Burn's Tower Rare Skeleton recruit with high starting stats. Hive Prince High-tier sniper recruit. Greenlander Often the first free recruit for new players. Expert Tips Radiant Better Faces & Eyes - Workshop - Steam Community
Reworked faces & eyes count (Base+Custom) : Sheks (18+8) Scorchlander (6+9) Greenlander (22+17) Western Hive (0+5) Southern Hive ( Steam Community kenshi character presets full
, "character presets" generally refer to .bod2 files , which save the physical sliders, race, and gender of a character for reuse. While the vanilla game offers limited starting presets, the community has expanded these through extensive modding and sharing. Types of Character Presets Vanilla Presets:
These are the standard starting options for Greenlanders, Scorchlanders, Shek, Hivers, and Skeletons. They are largely randomized each time you open the editor unless you have previously exported a design. Community Presets (.bod2):
Individual players often share these files on platforms like Nexus Mods Steam Workshop
. These allow you to import specific, often more "human" or aesthetically stylized looks. Advanced Character Creation (ACC) Mods: Popular mods like Advanced Character Creation Faces Plus
significantly expand the available "presets" by adding dozens of new eye colors, face textures, and sub-race variations (e.g., Palelanders, Southern Hives, and new Skeleton models). Steam Community Managing Your Presets
To use or save a character preset, use the following features in the Character Customization screen (also accessible via a Plastic Surgeon Kenshi Wiki Character Customization | Kenshi Wiki | Fandom
, character presets are technically saved as .bod2 files located in your game's data/character/templates folder. While the vanilla game includes a robust editor for manual adjustments, you can use presets to instantly apply specific looks or body types. How to Use Character Presets
You can apply presets during initial character creation or later at a Plastic Surgeon: , character presets are primarily managed through files,
Exporting: After manually sculpting a character you like, click the Export button in the character creator. Give your preset a name (e.g., "MainChar_Look") and it will be saved as a .bod2 file.
Importing: To use a preset, click the Import button in the editor and select the file name from the list. This will instantly apply all saved slider values to your current character. Vanilla Customization Scope
The default editor allows for highly detailed physical manipulation:
Facial Features: Adjust face types, 40 hair types, and specific facial proportions.
Body Sliders: Manage chest broadness, arm bulk, hand size, neck length, and overall height independently.
Posture & Frame: Customize posture (ranging from "hunchback" to "English gentleman") and musculature vs. fat.
Dynamic Changes: A character's physical appearance (muscles and fat) naturally changes in-game based on their activities and hunger levels. Popular Preset & Customization Mods
Because vanilla options for certain races or facial diversity are limited, many players use mods to expand their preset library: A true Kenshi character presets full experience changes
A true Kenshi character presets full experience changes over time. Kenshi is unique because your preset is just the beginning.
Pro Tip: Keep a "Twin" save. When you reach day 100, use the plastic surgeon in the United Cities to compare your starting preset with your current battle-scarred face. The difference is the true story of Kenshi.
Goal: Build an in-game and community-driven “Character Presets” feature for Kenshi allowing players to create, share, search, and import/export full character builds (appearance, stats, skills, inventory, tags, and optional backstory). Below is a concise, actionable spec covering UX, data model, file format, sharing, moderation, UI flows, and implementation notes.
If you are looking to overhaul the population of Kenshi or play as a specific looking protagonist, these are the gold standard files currently available on the Steam Workshop and Nexus Mods.
These packs add characters from popular anime, games, and media. They are incredibly popular for players who want to roleplay as a specific protagonist.
Before installing mods, master the base game. Here is the complete breakdown of vanilla Kenshi character presets full by race.
The game’s presets folder (.../Kenshi/data/character/) allows players to go beyond the 42 base presets.