A Guide to Consistent Midjourney Characters Across Different Scenes

Getting your AI characters to look the same in every Midjourney image can feel impossible. You create a great character but when you put them in a new scene or try to show them doing something different, they change. Their face is different, their body shape shifts, or the details you liked are gone.

This post will walk you through how Midjourney handles character information and share simple techniques to keep your characters consistent. You will learn how to use character references effectively, generate the references you need, and make sure your text prompts help, not hurt, your character's look. By the end, you will be able to place your character into various scenes, including ones with multiple characters, and even show them at different ages, all while keeping that consistent look.

Understanding Midjourney's Image Prompts

Before you start creating consistent characters, it helps to know how Midjourney uses image information.

The Three Types of Image Prompts

• Classic Image Prompt: This is the original type. When you upload an image here, Midjourney looks at *all* the visual data in it – colors, objects, style, everything. It turns this visual information into data points that influence your text prompt. Think of it as adding a visual description shortcut to your words.

• Style Reference (--sref): This type focuses only on the *look* or *style* of the image. Midjourney tries to ignore the actual subject or background. If you upload a watercolor painting as a style reference, it will try to make your new image look like that style, no matter what you are asking it to generate.

• Character Reference (--cref or SEF): This is the one specifically designed for people. Midjourney looks for the visual details that make a person unique – face shape, eye color, hair, clothing, textures. It tries to capture the "essence" of that specific person. This is helpful because describing someone's face in words is difficult. Character references give Midjourney visual data about the person you want to create.

Character references take visual data about a person and use it to guide the generation process. The more precise you can make the input data, the more consistent your output character will be.

Proven Methods for Character Consistency

To make your characters reliable across images, control the inputs Midjourney receives. Here are powerful techniques:

• Use Detailed Prompts: When you combine your character reference with a very clear text prompt, you leave less room for Midjourney to guess. This helps the character reference apply correctly.

• Fix the Seed: The ` --seed` parameter controls the initial randomness in Midjourney. Setting a specific seed (`--seed 1` for example) removes one variable, making subsequent generations more predictable, especially when combined with the same prompts and references.

• Keep Characters Visible: Make sure your character's face or key features are clear and prominent in the image you are trying to generate. This helps Midjourney focus its processing on getting the character right based on your reference.

• Use Multiple Character References: One image is often not enough. Midjourney sometimes misses details from a single reference. Using three or more character references from slightly different angles or shots of the same person helps Midjourney build a stronger, more reliable data set for that character. It is like giving it more examples to learn from.

• Implement a Prompt Framework: Your text prompt heavily influences the final image, even with a character reference. Putting your character in a gym might make them look more muscular; putting them in a fashion show might make them look different. Develop a standard way of describing your character in your text prompt that you use every time, regardless of the scene. This ensures consistent attributes regardless of the background or activity.

Putting all these steps together improves consistency dramatically. While it might seem like a lot at first, breaking it down makes it easier. These techniques are part of creating a solid workflow for repetitive tasks in Midjourney. For a tool that can help automate aspects of your Midjourney workflow, check out the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT.

Getting the Right Character References

To use character references, you first need good references of the person you want to create. This can be a challenge: you need consistent images of a character you haven't consistently generated yet! Here are two ways to get those initial images.

Method 1: Grid Generation (Simple Characters)

You can generate a grid of potential characters from a text description. A custom tool or GPT can help write a prompt for a grid of variations of your idea (like "an old man professor with gray hair"). Generate the grid, then pick the variations you like most. Upscale the best image or images. Then, use a snipping tool to cut out individual portraits of the character from the upscaled image.

Each snipped image becomes a character reference you can use. Remember, these don't have to be perfect final images. They are just the input Midjourney uses to understand the character's features. Midjourney is better at generating one clear portrait than many small ones in a grid, but a grid gives you options to select from.

Method 2: Editor Expansion (Complex Characters)

For characters with specific details (like horns, unique accessories, or very specific facial features) or to get higher quality initial images, start with just *one* great image of your character. Generate it until you get the perfect one.

Then, use the Midjourney editor. Change the aspect ratio to add space next to the character. Write a prompt asking for the *same character* again, perhaps from a different angle, still in sharp detail. Use your initial image as a character reference for this editor task. Erase a bit of the original to make room. Generate. If you get a good match, snip it out. Go back to the editor for the expanded image, add the new snip you just took as another character reference, and repeat the process, adding more versions of the same character and snipping them out until you have your collection of 3+ consistent references.

Integrating Consistent Characters into Scenes

Adding a character reference to a simple scene prompt often works. But what about complex scenes, action shots, or specific poses? Just adding the CR might make your character look posed or out of place, while the scene looks natural.

The solution: Use the Midjourney Editor and a "Template Scene" approach.

Template Scene Method

First, generate the scene you want *without* your specific character reference. Focus the prompt on getting the right environment, lighting, action, and composition. The people in this "template scene" won't be your consistent character, but they will be doing the right thing in the right place. For example, generate a realistic-looking skydiving scene with someone whose hair is blowing naturally.

Once you have a template image, go to the Midjourney Editor. Use the erase tool to remove the face or character you want to replace. *Then*, add your collection of character references and write your prompt using your established prompt framework. Generate. Midjourney will use the character references and prompt framework to insert *your* consistent character into the action and style of the template scene.

This method is especially good for close-ups where character detail matters most. Sometimes you might need to zoom out in the editor after placing the character if you want them to appear further away in the final image. For generating various template scenes quickly or managing your multiple character references, tools designed for workflow automation can be very helpful. Explore the TitanXT Midjourney Automation Suite to see how it could streamline these steps.

Why Your Prompt Framework Matters with CRs

Even with multiple character references, the text you write still matters. Simple prompts might lead to characters looking airbrushed in one scene and having freckles in another. They might appear toned in one image and less so in another, even with the same CRs.

Your prompt framework is key. Have a standard description for your character that covers traits like skin texture, build, or style preference that you include in *every* prompt where you use that character. This tells Midjourney how those features should look consistently, regardless of the scene details.

You can use a tool that helps generate prompts with a consistent framework, or you can build your own. To build your own, experiment: start with a base prompt and CRs, set a seed, and try different scene descriptions. See how your character changes. Adjust your base prompt description to better define the traits you want to keep consistent (like "smooth skin," "athletic build," etc.) and test again in different scenarios. Once you find a description style that works for your character in various settings, use it every time.

Creating Scenes with Multiple Consistent Characters

Putting two consistent characters in the same scene builds on the template scene method.

First, generate your template scene with the basic setup you want (e.g., two people boxing, two people talking). Focus on the scene, composition, and action.

Go to the editor. Erase the first character you want to replace. Add the character references for your *first* consistent character. Write your prompt using your framework and generate. Midjourney should replace the first placeholder character with your consistent character.

Now, erase the *second* character from the *newly generated* image (the one with your first consistent character in it). Add the character references for your *second* consistent character. Adjust the prompt framework text to also describe the second character. Generate again. If you erased enough space and the prompt is clear, Midjourney should now have both of your consistent characters in the scene, matching their references.

You can repeat this, erasing and regenerating one character at a time, until both are placed correctly and look consistent based on their respective references and your prompt framework. This method allows complex interactions like two characters in an intense boxing match.

Keeping Backgrounds Consistent

Matching backgrounds across images adds another layer of storytelling, especially when telling a visual narrative.

Method 1: Style Reference (Simple Matching)

For simpler background consistency (like making sure trees or rocks look similar in different shots of the same area), describe the background in your text prompt for the template scene. Then, when generating new scenes in the same area, add a style reference (`--sref`) from an original image of that background. This helps transfer the overall look and feel of the environment.

[H3]Method 2: Editor Placement (Perfect Matching)[/H2]

For perfect background details – like ensuring a specific wall design or a distant castle looks *exactly* the same – you need the editor. Generate the specific background element you need first (the wall, the castle). Then, use the editor to place that element into your scene template *before* you add your characters. If you need the element from a different angle, generate it from multiple angles in one editor session, then erase the ones you don't need for your current scene. It requires more steps but gives you precise control over scene details.

Visualizing Characters Across different Ages

Showing the same character growing up or aging requires a change in thinking about character references.

Simply lowering the character reference weight (`--cw`) and describing them as older or younger usually doesn't work well. The character barely changes or changes too much, losing likeness.

The trick is to use character references from *different points* in the character's life and blend them. Generate reference grids for a young woman, an old lady, a kid, and a baby version of your character concept. Even though they look very different, they are based on the same core idea.

To show your character aging gradually, start with your batch of baby references. Then, slowly add more references from the "kid" batch, while gradually removing references from the "baby" batch. As you want the character to look older, add "young woman" references and remove "kid" ones, and so on. By mixing and matching references from adjacent age groups, you create a smooth visual progression of the character aging.

Final Thoughts and Tools for Success

Achieving consistent characters in Midjourney across different poses, scenes, and even ages is possible by controlling your inputs: using multiple strong character references, employing a consistent prompt framework, using the editor to place characters into template scenes, and strategically managing your image references for specific tasks like aging. These techniques allow you to build complex visual stories.

Automating parts of this process can save significant time and effort. Generating batches of initial references, managing multiple sets of CRs, and applying prompt frameworks consistently are areas where automation can help. Consider exploring tools like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT to streamline your workflow and focus more on the creative vision and less on the repetitive steps required for perfect consistency.

Give these methods a try and see how they transform your Midjourney character work. Happy generating!