Steve: the default Minecraft character
Steve is the most recognizable character in Minecraft. The default player skin since 2009, a pop culture icon, a fighter in Smash Bros and the hero of a movie. A blocky guy in a blue shirt whom every player knows.
Who is Steve?
Steve is the default player character in Minecraft: the model you see when you have not set your own skin. He appeared in the earliest versions of the game in 2009 and has since become the unofficial mascot of Minecraft.
Steve has no official plot, personality or backstory. That is deliberate: Notch designed him as a "blank slate" that every player can identify with. Steve is whoever you want him to be: a builder, an explorer, a farmer, a redstone engineer or an Ender Dragon slayer.
The name "Steve" comes from a joke by Notch. When someone on a forum asked what the character was called, Notch answered: "Hmm, Steve? Maybe?". The question mark became part of the identity: the official name is "Steve?" with a question mark, although nobody uses it anymore.
Look and design
Steve has one of the most recognizable designs in video game history:
- Head: square (8×8×8 pixels), brown skin, dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, a darker mouth area
- Torso: a blue short-sleeved shirt (blue/cyan). Arms are 4 pixels wide
- Legs: purple/indigo trousers
- Shoes: dark gray
- Proportions: 1.8 blocks tall, 0.6 blocks wide, 0.6 blocks deep
Steve's skin has a resolution of 64×64 pixels (since version 1.8; before that 64×32). Any player can replace it with their own skin: just upload a PNG file of the right size at minecraft.net.
Steve's design has been refreshed many times in promotional materials and merchandise, but in the game itself the skin has stayed the same for years: the same blue shirt and the same square smile.
Alex: Steve's counterpart
Alex is the second default skin, added in Java Edition 1.8 (September 2014).
- Reddish/orange hair
- A green shirt
- Brown trousers
- Slightly slimmer arms (3 pixels instead of 4)
Mojang added Alex as an alternative to Steve.
When you first log in, you are randomly assigned either Steve or Alex (based on your account UUID). You can change this in the skin settings.
The new default skins
Mojang added 7 new default skins, bringing the total to 9:
- Steve: the original, blue shirt
- Alex: red hair, green shirt
- Noor: dark hair, yellow jacket
- Sunny: light hair, pink hoodie
- Ari: purple hair, purple jacket
- Zuri: dark skin, orange top
- Makena: brown hair, red shirt
- Kai: light skin, blue hoodie
- Efe: dark skin, green shirt
The new skins are part of Mojang's push for representation and diversity. Every new player gets one of the 9 skins at random, but can still switch to any other skin.
Steve in Super Smash Bros
On October 1, 2020 Nintendo announced Steve (and Alex) as a DLC character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The announcement drew reactions comparable to the reveals of Sephiroth or Sora.
Steve in Smash Bros:
- Moveset: placing blocks, mining, crafting weapons, TNT, a minecart, an elytra, a lava bucket. A unique fighting style: the only fighter who gathers materials on the stage and crafts upgrades in the middle of a fight
- Alternate skins: Alex, Zombie, Enderman (each with unique animations)
- Stage: Minecraft World with procedurally generated biomes (Plains, Birch Forest, Savanna, Taiga, Snowy Plains, Stony Shore)
- Music: 7 tracks from Minecraft (remixes and originals)
Steve quickly became one of the most debated characters in Smash: loved by casual players and disliked by some competitive players for his unique (and frustrating) fighting style.
Steve in the Minecraft movie
In "A Minecraft Movie" (released in 2025) Steve appears as a character played by Jack Black. The film combines live action with CGI animation in Minecraft's blocky style.
Jack Black as Steve was one of the loudest casting announcements of 2024-2025. The film shows Steve as an experienced resident of the Minecraft world who helps a group of people from "our" world survive in the blocky reality.
Despite fans' initial skepticism about a live-action Minecraft adaptation, the film generated huge interest, especially after the first trailers with Jack Black in the signature blue shirt.
Steve in culture
Steve has gone far beyond the game itself:
- Merchandise: figures, plush toys, LEGO sets, clothes, backpacks. Steve is the most produced Minecraft character
- Memes: Steve digging pixels, Steve with a diamond sword. One of the most memed game heroes
- YouTube: animations featuring Steve have billions of views
- Cakes and costumes: Steve is one of the most popular themes for kids' birthdays. Minecraft cake: inspiration
- Cosplay: Steve's square head is a classic at gaming conventions
Steve is one of the most recognizable characters in video game history, on par with Mario, Pac-Man or Pikachu. Not because of his personality (he has none), but because of the sheer iconic power of the design.
Trivia
- Steve's beard (the darker pixels around the mouth) is one of the most discussed details: some players think it is a smile, others that it is facial hair. Notch confirmed it is a goatee
- In older versions (before 1.8) Steve had a 64×32 pixel model, and the arms were mirror images of each other. Since 1.8 each arm has a separate texture
Frequently asked questions
What does Steve from Minecraft look like?
Steve is a blocky character with brown skin, dark blue eyes, dark brown hair, a blue shirt, purple trousers and gray shoes. He is 1.8 blocks tall, 0.6 blocks wide and 0.6 blocks deep.
Does Steve have a last name?
Not officially. Notch jokingly suggested that the full name is 'Steve?' (with a question mark). Mojang has never given the character an official last name. In Super Smash Bros Ultimate he is listed simply as 'Steve'.
Who is Alex in Minecraft?
Alex is the second default player character, added in 2014 (Java Edition 1.8). She has reddish hair, a green shirt and slightly slimmer arms than Steve. Minecraft now has 9 default skins: Steve, Alex, Noor, Sunny, Ari, Zuri, Makena, Kai and Efe.
Is Steve in Super Smash Bros?
Yes. Steve (with Alex, Zombie and Enderman as alternate skins) was added to Super Smash Bros Ultimate as a DLC character in October 2020. The announcement caused huge excitement: Steve was one of the most requested fighters among fans.
Who designed Steve?
Steve was designed by Markus 'Notch' Persson, the creator of Minecraft. The character was created in 2009 as the default player model. The design is deliberately simple and generic: Notch wanted players to be able to identify with it without a specific personality.