Twice Shy

When it comes to shy video game characters, it’s hard not to think of the Shy Guys from the Mario franchise. The bashful baddies have appeared in dozens of games since making their first appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2, but we have yet to see their real faces. There’s nothing about their behavior that seems especially reserved or timid, however, so I’m mentioning Boos instead. These shy ghosts like to sneak up on others from behind, but they’re wary of attacking if someone is watching them. They’ll happily pursue anyone who turns their back, but they freeze in place the moment someone looks at them. They occasionally overcome their anxiety long enough to race go-karts or play a round of tennis, but they’re usually too shy to show their faces and often cower in embarrassment.

There are a number of timid characters in the Fire Emblem series, but Sakura can’t even have a conversation without stuttering. This becomes more apparent when she’s nervous, and she’s easily intimidated when she’s outside her comfort zone. Her older siblings are self-assured and confident, so Sakura’s meekness is hard to ignore. At the same time, her heart is filled with compassion and kindness, and her iron will is apparent whenever her loved ones are threatened. Sakura was the youngest of four royal siblings, but her family was torn apart by politically-motivated kidnappings. This had an affect on her personality, and it’s implied that bashfulness runs in the family. Her sanguine siblings were apparently just as shy as she was when they were younger, so Sakura will likely grow out of it.

Nitori Kawashiro is a brilliant engineer who considers herself to be superior to humans and even other youkai. Although she’s sociable around her circle of friends, she’s so shy around humans that her first instinct is to run away whenever she sees one. When she’s not running for the hills, she’ll sometimes hide herself with an optical camouflage suit. She’ll defend herself if she feels cornered, but she only fights because she wants to be left alone. Nitori is naturally curious and has a fascination with the outside world. She has gadgets and gizmos aplenty and keeps an inventory of man-made contraptions that she has collected over the years. At the same time, she’s too shy to be around humans when she’s by herself. Nevertheless, Nitori likes to think that she’s on good terms with humans.

As a brave knight named Link sets forth to save Hyrule from a great calamity, Paya is eager to help in anyway she can. She can’t talk to him without stuttering, however, and often has to cover her face to hide her bashfulness. Her heart beats a mile a minute whenever he’s around, but she has no idea how to interact with young men and has to force herself to look him in the eye. Although she’s supportive of a hypothetical relationship between Link and Princess Zelda, the mere thought of them together makes her heart hurt. She mistakes her feelings for illness and even seeks out medicine, but her elders just laugh at her immaturity. Paya grows to understand her emotions and is grateful for the way she feels, but she’s still pushed to the brink of orgasm whenever she sees Link. Sploosh!

Elize’s shyness is the result of the environment she was raised in. She became proficient with dark spirit magic and healing artes at a young age, and the other people in her small mountain village treated her like an outcast as a result. At the same time, her caretaker was so concerned about her safety that she rarely let her leave home. Elize was forced to live a sheltered life, but she didn’t especially like the company of others in the first place. When forced to interact with other people, she usually let a stuffed doll named Teepo act as her mouthpiece. Elize considered Teepo to be her only friend, and she brought him with her everywhere she went. Teepo was basically a physical representation of Elize’s emotional dependence, but the young lady gradually began to open up to others and learned how to speak for herself.

It’s surprisingly common for celebrities and entertainers to be introverted when they’re not performing, and this is certainly true of Lammy. Lammy is a timid girl who gets nervous when she’s around others, but everything changes when she has a guitar in hand. As the lead guitarist of the band MilkCan, Lammy has no problem rocking out in front of an audience. She eventually learns to channel this energy to other areas in her life. When faced with new obstacles, she simply imagines that she’s performing. When tasked with putting out a fire, she imagines that the fire hose is her guitar. When she needs to fly an airplane, she pretends that the plane’s controls are her guitar. She uses this technique on everything from chainsaws to newborn babies, and her imagination gives her the confidence she’s lacking.

Mikan Tsumiki is a talented nurse who can treat any injury, but she has no self confidence whatsoever. It’s difficult for her to hold a conversation without bursting into tears, and she constantly worries about boring or offending others. She also frequently apologizes when it’s not necessary to do so and incorrectly assumes that she is disliked by everyone. When she’s not tripping over her words, Mikan often trips over her feet. She’s ridiculously clumsy and often ends up in embarrassing poses. She almost certainly exaggerates her clumsiness for attention, however, and she’ll put herself in compromising situations because she’d rather be treated badly than ignored altogether. As a victim of abuse and bullying, Mikan grew to fear loneliness and ultimately became a nurse so that she’d feel wanted.

Mimikyu resembles Pikachu at a distance, but no one knows what it looks like under its veil. The lonely Pokémon is so self-conscious about its appearance that it feels the need to mask itself with an old rag at all times. Sadly, Mimikyu has no positive reinforcement in its life and its despondency is justifiable. A scholar supposedly died from shock upon seeing Mimikyu’s true form, so it’s understandable why the unfortunate creature goes to such lengths to hide itself from the world. In order to get closer to people and other Pokémon, Mimikyu opts to disguise himself as the most beloved Pokémon of all. It’s easy to see through the ruse since its neck is easily broken and the costume droops backward when it’s damaged. The disguise is absurd, but Mimikyu sees it as its only opportunity to make friends.

Nonoka is a loyal shinobi tasked with protecting an illustrious priestess. She takes pride in her role and carries out her duties to the best of her abilities, but she’s easily excitable and her performance is adversely affected by her awkwardness. Nonoka is so shy that she wears a cardboard box over her head to hide her face. This makes her seem clumsy, and she often makes mistakes in a comical fashion. Her friends enjoy teasing her, but it’s all in good fun even when Nonoka becomes flustered. Nonoka will only reveal her face when she’s really comfortable, but she has no reason to be embarrassed about the way she looks. Thankfully, Nonoka has no shyness when it comes to her body. Her fishnet bodysuit would likely draw the attention away from her face, so I question if the cardboard box is even necessary.

Futaba Sakura is a NEET (Not currently engaged in Employment, Education, or Training) who rarely leaves her house. She has a serious case of social anxiety bordering on agoraphobia, and the only social interaction she has is over the Internet. On the rare occasion she goes outside, she hides behind others or masks her face entirely. She uses video games and technology as a form of escapism, but she’s prone to bouts of depression and self-loathing. She only became a shut-in after her mother was killed in a tragic accident. Futaba was blamed for the death and passed around to various relatives who refused to treat her like a real person. It’s easy to understand why she’d want to close herself off from the world, but she’s a sweet girl who eventually learns how to function in society.