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To create a recognizable character across multiple Leonardo AI images, start with a clean anchor portrait, add it as a Character Reference through Image Guidance, repeat the character’s defining traits in your prompt, and change only one scene variable at a time. This improves identity consistency, but Leonardo does not guarantee a pixel-identical copy or perfect likeness.
What “consistent” means
Consistency can mean several different things. Decide which kind you need before choosing a workflow:
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- Identity consistency: the face, hair, body proportions and distinctive marks remain recognizable.
- Style consistency: the illustrations share the same rendering, palette, lighting and texture.
- Wardrobe consistency: clothing and accessories stay the same unless you deliberately change them.
- Pose consistency: the body position or composition is preserved.
- Scene consistency: the setting, lighting and atmosphere remain stable.
A character can retain the same identity while wearing different clothing or appearing in a different art style. Character Reference is primarily an identity tool; Style Reference and pose-related guidance solve different problems.
The fastest method: Character Reference
Leonardo’s documented Character Reference workflow is the best starting point for reusing one fictional character in different scenes. It can preserve a subject’s general likeness while you change the pose, location or activity. Leonardo says it is not a face-swap tool and does not guarantee a perfect replica. It generally works best with generated subjects, while externally sourced images may require more detailed prompting. See Leonardo’s Image Guidance documentation.
In the current Image Generation interface, open the image or reference control beside the prompt bar, choose Character Reference, then upload or select your image and adjust the Character strength. In an older workspace, the same control may appear under the Image Guidance tab in Legacy Mode. Interface labels can change, so look for the image/reference control near the prompt field.
| Strength | Typical result | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Low | More creative freedom, weaker resemblance | The reference is loose inspiration |
| Mid | Balance between likeness and variation | You need a practical default |
| High | Stronger resemblance, less flexibility | Identity matters more than variation |
Start at Mid. Move to High if the face drifts, or reduce the strength when the reference prevents the new pose or scene from working. In the API, Leonardo documents different numerical strength ranges for Low, Mid and High; do not assume those ranges are identical to a web-app slider.
The Tool Desk
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Your first reference controls the quality of many later images. Generate a simple, readable portrait rather than an elaborate action scene.
- Use one character only.
- Choose a front-facing or three-quarter view.
- Use even, clear lighting.
- Keep the face unobstructed.
- Avoid motion blur, extreme perspective and heavy props.
- Show distinctive hair, marks, glasses, jewelry or other identity cues.
- Use a neutral or mildly expressive face.
Inspect the anchor before building a series. Asymmetrical eyes, ambiguous hair, distorted accessories or unclear clothing can become recurring defects. A clean portrait is usually more useful than a visually dramatic but confusing reference.
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Step 2: Separate identity from the scene
Write a compact character specification and keep its identity section stable. For example:
Mara Vale, a 29-year-old woman with a heart-shaped face, warm brown skin, large dark-green eyes, a small straight nose, a short rounded afro with one silver streak on the right side, a small crescent-shaped scar above her left eyebrow, and a compact athletic build.Then add a stable style block:
cinematic editorial illustration, soft directional lighting, clean shapes, subtle paper texture, restrained teal-and-amber paletteFinally, add a changeable scene block:
standing in a rainy train station at night, holding a red umbrella, three-quarter view, medium shotA complete prompt might look like this:
Mara Vale, a 29-year-old woman with warm brown skin, a heart-shaped face, large dark-green eyes, a short rounded afro with one silver streak on the right side, a crescent-shaped scar above her left eyebrow, and a compact athletic build. She is standing in a rainy train station at night, holding a red umbrella, three-quarter view, medium shot, cinematic editorial illustration, soft directional lighting, restrained teal-and-amber palette.Describe the appearance even when a reference image is attached. Leonardo specifically recommends describing the subject, particularly when using an externally sourced image.
Step 3: Generate the first consistent variations
- Open Image Guidance and select Character Reference.
- Add the clean anchor image.
- Set Character strength to Mid.
- Paste the stable identity and style blocks into the prompt.
- Add one new scene, action or framing instruction.
- Keep the model, aspect ratio and general lighting unchanged.
- Generate several candidates.
- Choose the closest result rather than automatically accepting the first image.
For the first test, change only one variable. For example, keep the character, style and lighting fixed while changing “standing” to “sitting.” Once that works, try a new location or camera distance. This makes it easier to identify what caused identity drift.
Build a character bible
For a comic, book, game, campaign or illustration series, keep a small character bible alongside your images:
Character name: Mara Vale
Age: 29
Face: heart-shaped
Skin tone: warm brown
Eyes: large, dark green
Hair: short rounded afro, one silver streak on the right
Distinctive mark: crescent scar above the left eyebrow
Build: compact, athletic
Default wardrobe: charcoal jacket, rust-red scarf, dark trousers
Palette: teal, amber, rust, charcoal
Style: cinematic editorial illustration
Avoid: different eye color, bangs, added facial tattoos, older appearanceKeep identity traits separate from scene traits. Record the accepted image, model, aspect ratio, guidance type, strength, prompt version and seed where available. This turns a one-off success into a repeatable production workflow.
Create complementary references, not a confusing collage
A single portrait may not show enough information for a full-body pose or side view. You can create separate front, three-quarter, side and full-body references, plus images showing important expressions or clothing.
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More references are not automatically better. A sheet containing different hairstyles, outfits, ages or art styles may give the model contradictory information. A practical sequence is:
- Create a clean portrait.
- Create a full-body version.
- Create a side or three-quarter version.
- Save the best individual images with clear filenames.
- Use the reference that best matches the shot you are generating.
If you use a crowded turnaround sheet, clearly describe which figure or panel is the intended subject. When body position matters, combine identity guidance with the available Pose, Depth, Edge or Sketch guidance. Availability varies by model and interface.
Character Reference vs other Leonardo tools
| Tool | Best use | What it does not reliably solve |
|---|---|---|
| Character Reference | Preserving a humanoid character’s recognizable identity | Perfect face duplication or every pose |
| Style Reference | Carrying over illustration style, palette, texture and lighting | Exact character identity; it can introduce unwanted facial traits |
| Content Reference | Preserving broader shapes, objects or arrangement | Exact likeness of a person or character |
| Image-to-Image | Transforming an existing composition, pose or silhouette | Automatic identity consistency across unrelated scenes |
| Omni models and Inline Editor | Targeted edits, such as changing clothes while preserving other elements | A guarantee that every complex edit will retain identity |
| Elements | Reusable learned visual components for a character used repeatedly | A necessary step for every project |
Use Character Reference for identity and Style Reference for visual treatment. Leonardo warns that Style Reference can carry over unwanted characteristics, including facial characteristics, so reduce its strength if the character begins to change.
Use Omni for targeted changes
When you already have a good image and want to alter one part, an Omni model with the Inline Editor can be more controlled than regenerating the entire scene. For example, ask to change the character’s jacket from charcoal to ivory while preserving the face, hair, pose, background and lighting. Leonardo describes Omni models as capable of interpreting multiple reference images and instructions about how those images should interact. The number of references depends on the model and interface; do not treat the limits as universal. See the Omni and Inline Editor documentation.
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There is no universal best model for character consistency. Leonardo documents different Image Guidance behavior across Phoenix, Flux, SDXL and Lightning workflows. Its guidance documentation generally recommends Phoenix, Flux or regular SDXL for several reference workflows, while noting that Character Reference can work well with some Lightning models, including Anime XL.
Test the same anchor image, prompt and aspect ratio in the models available to you. Choose the model that produces the most recognizable character for your particular art style and pose range, rather than assuming a strength value transfers perfectly between presets.
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Advanced workflow: Leonardo’s API
The API is useful for batch generation, automated asset pipelines and repeated reference-and-prompt combinations. A simplified Phoenix request looks like this:
{
"model": "phoenix-v1.0",
"parameters": {
"prompt": "Mara Vale, a 29-year-old woman with warm brown skin, a heart-shaped face, large dark-green eyes, a short rounded afro with one silver streak on the right side, and a crescent-shaped scar above her left eyebrow, standing in a rainy train station at night",
"width": 1024,
"height": 1024,
"guidances": {
"character": [
{
"image": {
"id": "YOUR_REFERENCE_IMAGE_ID",
"type": "GENERATED"
},
"strength": "HIGH"
}
]
},
"quantity": 4,
"mode": "QUALITY",
"prompt_enhance": "OFF"
},
"public": false
}Check the current Phoenix API documentation before implementing this, because model names, limits and account availability can change. The documented Phoenix workflow supports one Character Reference, one Content Reference, up to four Style References, fixed seeds, multiple outputs and dimensions from 32 to 2048 pixels in multiples of 8. Those API limits should not automatically be applied to every web-app workflow.
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quantity: creates several candidates so you can select the strongest result.public: false: keeps the generation out of the community feed when supported by your setup.prompt_enhance: OFF: can be useful when you need tighter control over the exact prompt; it is not a guarantee of better identity.- Stable dimensions: keep width, height and aspect ratio fixed while diagnosing consistency.
Why the character changes—and how to fix it
The face changes too much
Use a clearer, closer anchor portrait, increase Character strength from Low to Mid or High, repeat the defining facial traits, and remove contradictory adjectives. Extreme camera angles and difficult poses can also cause drift. Generate multiple candidates and use a successful result as a new reference only when it genuinely preserves the identity.
The face is right but the hair or clothes change
Describe hair, accessories and stable clothing explicitly. If Style Reference is overpowering the character, reduce its strength. If you want a deliberate wardrobe change, use a clear instruction with Omni and the Inline Editor rather than regenerating everything.
The images match stylistically but not personally
Style Reference is not a substitute for Character Reference. Use Character Reference for the subject and Style Reference only for the visual language. A consistent palette cannot compensate for a drifting face, hairline or body shape.
Two characters become mixed together
Establish each character separately first. Use one clean reference per character where possible, describe each person in a clearly labeled clause, and avoid giving both characters similar clothing or facial descriptions. Combine them only after their individual designs are stable.
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The character works in one pose but not another
Your anchor may not show enough information about body proportions or angles. Add front, three-quarter, side and full-body references, use pose guidance when available, and move from moderate pose changes to extreme action poses gradually.
The art style changes between images
Use one model and a fixed style block. Keep the aspect ratio and general rendering instructions stable, and record the settings for every accepted image. Switching models or workflows can require fresh testing.
An external photograph does not reproduce well
Leonardo says Character Reference generally works best with generated subjects and does not guarantee an exact likeness. Use an image you own or have permission to use, describe the person’s traits explicitly, and do not present the workflow as a face-swap or identity-replication service. Consider privacy, consent, publicity rights and applicable platform rules.
An animal character keeps drifting
Leonardo notes that Character Reference may be less reliable for non-humanoid subjects such as pets. Use a clean full-body reference, describe distinctive markings, and combine Character Reference with Content or Image-to-Image guidance where shape matters. Expect more manual selection and editing than with a humanoid character.
When should you use an Element?
Consider an Element when the same character will appear throughout a large project, you have a sufficiently consistent image set, and ordinary reference prompting is not repeatable enough. It is less suitable for a one-off illustration or a character that is still being redesigned.
Elements add setup and may involve plan or token considerations that vary over time. Leonardo confirms that Elements can be combined with image guidance, but check the current interface and account terms for training requirements, availability and restrictions before committing to that workflow.
Can Leonardo create a perfect copy of a person?
No. Character Reference aims to preserve recognizable visual identity; it is not a guarantee of a perfect replica or forensic likeness. For a real person, use only images and instructions you have the right and permission to use, and consider consent, privacy and publicity rights. For commercial work, review Leonardo’s current character-generation information, terms and plan documentation, and any applicable laws rather than assuming that every input or output is unrestricted.
Quick Recap
A practical production checklist
- Choose one clean anchor image with a visible face.
- Write a stable identity block and a separate style block.
- Use Character Reference for identity.
- Start at Mid strength and adjust based on the result.
- Keep model, aspect ratio and lighting stable while testing.
- Change one scene variable at a time.
- Generate several candidates and select deliberately.
- Save accepted images, prompts, settings and seeds.
- Use Style Reference for style, not identity.
- Use Omni and Inline Editor for localized edits.
- Create complementary angle and full-body references for larger projects.
- Use Elements only when the project justifies the additional setup.
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