Kenshi is a fantastic game, but after your tenth playthrough getting your teeth kicked in by Dust Bandits, you might start wondering: what if my squad looked as though it had stepped out of my favorite manga or anime?
These are the best anime mods for Kenshi in my admittedly humble opinion, and they can completely change the atmosphere of your next playthrough.
Geisha — The Faction
Ever feel like Kenshi is missing a little flair? For example, besides the graceful arc of a flying limb? This mod fixes that by adding a full-fledged Geisha faction.
The problem with the world of Kenshi is that most factions are just different types of hostile, starving or fanatical groups. Geisha – The Faction introduces a band that brings art, culture, and seriously stylish armor to this bleak landscape. They're not just another group of thugs to hit over the head with.
- A completely new faction of Geisha, located in a custom city called Berk.
- Over 20 new pieces of beautiful kimono style armor that look incredible.
- Three unique weapon classes that can be collected or… "borrowed".
- NPCs with unique dialogues, including song and poetry emotes. How cool does that sound?
✅ Gameplay Changes: This mod adds a new neutral hub to the world, giving you a fresh place to trade and interact with unique NPCs. Armor isn't just for looks; it provides decent protection, making your squad much more sophisticated. This is a fantastic addition for roleplayers who want to build a story around diplomacy or simply collect the best gear in the game.
Geisha Face
So you have a kimono, but your character's face still says, "I ate sand for a week." The Geisha Face mod is a simple cosmetic tweak that makes a huge difference.
This is a quick and easy solution for anyone who wants to match the Japanese aesthetic. It replaces one of the vanilla textures of a woman's face with classic white oshiroi makeup and red lipstick, instantly giving your character a distinct and elegant look.
- High quality facial texture replacement.
- Classic white makeup with red lipstick.
- Applies to one of the default female Scorchlander faces.
✅ Gameplay Changes: This is a purely cosmetic mod, so it won't break your game or affect your stats. Just select your new face from the character editor (or from your plastic surgeon) and you're good to go. It's super lightweight and compatible with almost everything, which is a huge plus. A simple mod that perfectly complements the faction mod above.
JRPG Race / 美形種族追加
Kenshi's character faces tend to look rather wooden. JRPG Race is one of the most popular answers, adding new subraces that look as though they belong in Final Fantasy.
It adds JRPG subraces for both Greenlanders and Scorchlanders, complete with the large eyes and softer facial features associated with anime and JRPG characters.
- Two new subraces: JRPG Greenlander and JRPG Scorchlander.
- Dozens of new anime style face presets to choose from.
- Includes optional hairstyles to suit your aesthetic perfectly.
✅ Gameplay changes: A fantastic mod for creating a squad with a distinctive look. The new races fit into the world naturally. There is one catch: you may encounter a ghost-body problem, but the mod page provides a simple fix that involves copying a file. Do not let that put you off; the result is worth it . I had an entire squad of these characters, and it felt as though I was playing a different game.
Radiant Better Faces & Eyes
Maybe you don't want to go completely anime, but you still want your characters to look less like they've been hit with a shovel. Radiant Better Faces & Eyes is the perfect middle ground.
This is an HD retexture that improves the faces and eyes of all vanilla races. It smoothes out the rough edges and gives the characters cleaner, more expressive eyes, leaning towards a semi-realistic, no-frills anime look.
- High definition eye textures for all races.
- Softer face normals for a cleaner, less blocky look.
- A huge improvement over vanilla without changing the core art style too radically.
✅ Gameplay changes: This is a must-have for me, even in playthroughs that stay close to vanilla. It simply makes everyone look better. Load order matters: put this mod below any mods that add races , such as JRPG Race. That gives you their custom head shapes with these excellent textures applied on top. A win all round.
KawaiiClothes
Sometimes you just want to fight cannibals while wearing lacy lingerie. No judgment. The KawaiiClothes mod is here to satisfy this very specific need.
This mod adds four different styles of cute lace lingerie and stockings. If you want your squad to look amazing even when their armor is removed, this mod is for you.
- Four styles of underwear and stockings.
- Replaces standard underwear when a shirt is not worn.
- Crafted at the clothing workbench after a little research.
✅ Gameplay Changes: This is a fun, purely cosmetic mod that adds a little personality to your characters. It is only for female characters and may have some clipping issues with certain custom body mods, so check the mod page for compatibility. It's a simple, fun addition that brings a little joy to the dark reality of Kenshi.
Honey Cute Dress
Tired of armor that looks like it came from a landfill? Honey Cute Dress adds a frilly, adorable short dress that stands out in the best possible way.
This is a simple mod that adds one dress, but it's really well done. It's sold by vendors in bars, so it feels like a natural part of the world. A little sweetness in a world of pain.
- One high quality frilly dress.
- The default is white, but includes pink and black textures that you can switch between.
- Sold by various vendors in bars, making it easy to find.
✅ Gameplay Changes: This is another great cosmetic mod for roleplaying. Just remember to import your save if you add it mid-playthroughotherwise the merchants won't have it in stock. It takes up a shirt slot so protection is minimal, but who needs protection when you look this good?
Dojutsu (Naruto mod)
Dojutsu adds a new race of “Dojutsu Masters” with the iconic eyes from Naruto: Sharingan, Byakugan, Rinnegan and Tenseigan.
Your characters currently have ordinary human eyes. This mod lets them become ninjas with genetically superior eyes that grant actual stat bonuses. A dream addition for a Naruto fan.
- New race "Dojutsu Master" with unique powerful eyes.
- Each eye type provides different passive buffs (such as perception, combat speed, etc.).
- You can choose at the start or get it through surgery or from merchants.
✅ Gameplay changes: This fundamentally changes character progression. You are training skills while also hunting for a particular set of eyes to complete your build, making exploration and visits to surgeons more exciting. The stat bonuses are noticeable without completely breaking the game, striking a good balance. One of the coolest Naruto mods for Kenshi.
Bounty: Zabuza
The Fog Islands are frightening enough, but what if they were worse? This mod adds Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, as a unique bounty target, complete with his legendary Kubikiribocho.
This mod brings a seriously challenging boss fight to the Fog Islands. Zabuza is no pushover. He spawns on a hill northwest of Mongrel, and defeating him is a real test for a squad in the middle or later stages of the game. The 60,000-Cat bounty is almost as satisfying as taking his magnificent sword.
- A unique and very difficult boss fight.
- Custom weapon, Kubikiribocho (Decapitator).
- High bounty for good earnings.
✅ Gameplay Changes: This adds a clear objective for players looking for a good fight. Plus, if you use the prisoner recruitment mod, you can even get Zabuza into your squad. I recommend using this in conjunction with the mod Hidden Mist Ninjas – Zabuza Expansionwhich makes his team spawn as roaming units, really making the world more dynamic.
Welcome to your anime wasteland
That's it. With these anime mods for Kenshi, you can turn a vanilla experience into something completely new. Whether you want the elegance of a Geisha, the stylized look of a JRPG hero, or the brute strength of a Naruto shinobi, there's a mod for you on this list. Kenshi is all about creating your own story, and these anime mods simply give you a much more colorful and exciting palette to draw from.
Many mods conflict with each other if not configured correctly. Read the installation instructions to avoid startup problems.
If you know a mod that I missed and it really works without bugs, write me, I’ll test it and add it. I'm always looking for options that don't ruin the build after an hour of play.
