Solution: Server admins need to install the mod on the server side, too. Most public servers do not allow these mods for anti-cheat reasons.

Alter your character's appearance to reflect story events or environment changes. Best Starbound Character Appearance Mods

Add "battle scars" as your campaign progresses.

The Starbound modding community has created several distinct tools for character editing. Here are the top-rated options available on the Steam Workshop and the Chucklefish Forums. 1. Green's Dye Mod

: One of the most popular aesthetic mods, it completely overhauls the default character sprites (faces, bodies, and hair) into a more stylized, anime-inspired look.

StarExtensions is a powerful, third-party enhancement for Starbound that includes an in-game character editor.

: Strip your character of all cosmetic gear before opening the editor to prevent glitches with your worn items.

: Widely considered the gold standard for live editing, this mod (hosted outside of the Steam Workshop) unlocks a hidden in-game character editor via the /editor open command. It allows for real-time changes to species, name, and physical traits without the need for manual file manipulation.

In the pantheon of sandbox games, Starbound holds a unique, melancholic corner. Its premise is one of profound loss: you are the sole survivor of Earth’s destruction, a fugitive fleeing a cosmic horror known as the Ruin. The game’s opening moments are deliberately jarring—you customize a character, watch their homeworld burn, and crash-land on an alien shore with nothing but a broken flashlight and a sapling from a shattered planet. In this narrative, your character’s physical form is not just an avatar; it is a memorial. Yet, for many players, the default tools provided by Chucklefish Games to maintain that memorial feel insufficient. Enter the “Starbound Change Character Appearance Mod,” a seemingly simple utility that unlocks a profound philosophical shift: the right to transform one’s identity in a universe that has already taken everything else.

Most Starbound players use the Steam Workshop for seamless mod management. Follow these steps to safely install your chosen appearance mod:

If you want, I can:

If you're still stuck, post details of your problem (what you did, your mod list) in a relevant forum. The community is usually very helpful!