Dark skin Vivi, because her family has lived in a desert near the equator for probably 4000 years or more.
Any_ILL
Nov 8, 2025 10:36AM
Light skin tend to be a mark of status for the higher class because they're not working under the sun so I was never that bothered about light skin Vivi, but I do love dark skin Vivi, especially since it acknowledges the Indian inspirations for Alabasta which tend to be more overlooked and not just the Egyptian ones.
Plus I don't know, something about the overall coloring and contrasts in that picture looks great.
last edited at Nov 8, 2025 10:40AM
ImheretoDie
Nov 8, 2025 10:53AM
^ isn't the whole white skin being rich more of a Japanese/Chinese thing? And yes, I'm aware, this is obviously fiction, but I don't think many white people would survive long in the desert... I don't even have white skin and I still get sunburns- Sounds like hell.
Moedred
Nov 8, 2025 11:34AM
^It happen on Europe too, where women were using cosmetics to "whiten out" their skin. Sickly white skin was considered attractive. It's possible that it happened in Egypt too.
On the side Nefer from Genshin Impact have clearly Ancient Egypt aestetic is mentioned by ine character in-game to be "unusually fair-skinned for someone from the desert". She is as white as most other characters.
last edited at Nov 8, 2025 11:39AM
ImheretoDie
Nov 8, 2025 12:25PM
^oh righttt I forgot about the whole tuberculosis thing.
I think I'm missing something with the genshin thing since aren't they just known for stealing other people's cultures and then whitewashing everything?
FluffyCow
Nov 8, 2025 12:26PM
Don't forget other messed up things like bloodletting, and that the cosmetics used back in the day led to poisoning (I think mainly lead poisoning if I remember correctly). People go to some insane lengths...
Moedred
Nov 8, 2025 12:28PM
^^I added it only as a tidbit, because it's probably first time a "not fitting" skin color was mentioned in-game.
juanelric
Nov 8, 2025 7:44PM
@Any_ILL what Indian inspirations? I never heard of this until after an Indian actress was cast as Vivi.
MultiLimbedXeno
Nov 9, 2025 5:43AM
Oh cool. Glad to see this piece made it in. Proposing the tag "Dark skin" for this.
Any_ILL
Nov 28, 2025 8:59PM
@ juanelric The royal palace is a mix of the Taj Mahal and another monument near Delhi. There are other architectural inspirations taken from India over Egypt too, particularly in Alaburna.
Titanoktonon Nov 8, 2025 1:27AM
Dark skin Vivi, because her family has lived in a desert near the equator for probably 4000 years or more.
Any_ILL Nov 8, 2025 10:36AM
Light skin tend to be a mark of status for the higher class because they're not working under the sun so I was never that bothered about light skin Vivi, but I do love dark skin Vivi, especially since it acknowledges the Indian inspirations for Alabasta which tend to be more overlooked and not just the Egyptian ones.
Plus I don't know, something about the overall coloring and contrasts in that picture looks great.
last edited at Nov 8, 2025 10:40AM
ImheretoDie Nov 8, 2025 10:53AM
^ isn't the whole white skin being rich more of a Japanese/Chinese thing? And yes, I'm aware, this is obviously fiction, but I don't think many white people would survive long in the desert... I don't even have white skin and I still get sunburns- Sounds like hell.
Moedred Nov 8, 2025 11:34AM
^It happen on Europe too, where women were using cosmetics to "whiten out" their skin. Sickly white skin was considered attractive. It's possible that it happened in Egypt too.
On the side Nefer from Genshin Impact have clearly Ancient Egypt aestetic is mentioned by ine character in-game to be "unusually fair-skinned for someone from the desert". She is as white as most other characters.
last edited at Nov 8, 2025 11:39AM
ImheretoDie Nov 8, 2025 12:25PM
^oh righttt I forgot about the whole tuberculosis thing.
I think I'm missing something with the genshin thing since aren't they just known for stealing other people's cultures and then whitewashing everything?
FluffyCow Nov 8, 2025 12:26PM
Don't forget other messed up things like bloodletting, and that the cosmetics used back in the day led to poisoning (I think mainly lead poisoning if I remember correctly). People go to some insane lengths...
Moedred Nov 8, 2025 12:28PM
^^I added it only as a tidbit, because it's probably first time a "not fitting" skin color was mentioned in-game.
juanelric Nov 8, 2025 7:44PM
@Any_ILL what Indian inspirations? I never heard of this until after an Indian actress was cast as Vivi.
MultiLimbedXeno Nov 9, 2025 5:43AM
Oh cool. Glad to see this piece made it in. Proposing the tag "Dark skin" for this.
Any_ILL Nov 28, 2025 8:59PM
@ juanelric The royal palace is a mix of the Taj Mahal and another monument near Delhi. There are other architectural inspirations taken from India over Egypt too, particularly in Alaburna.
last edited at Nov 28, 2025 9:01PM