Nariko, Heavenly Guardian

Nariko stands atop the cliffs of her village, sacred sword in hand. The flags of her enemies warn any invaders that only peace lies beyond. They were right to fear the child of prophecy, for true power lies within her!

This image was inspired by Heavenly Sword, one of my favorite video games and a challenge from an online art group I'm in to redesign a female character. I couldn't resist redesigning Nariko, whose oversexualized design conflicted with her strong personality and warrior status.

This image was also featured in What Women Want...in Women Characters over at Muddy Colors:
http://www.muddycolors.blogspot.com/2015/03/what-women-wantin-women-characters.html

You can also read about my design and painting process over at this painting's Sketch Diary:
http://www.angelasasser.com/sketch-diary-nariko-of-heavenly-sword-part-1/