History OlderThanTheyLook / VisualNovels

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', Chihiro Fujisaki, having a small stature and a very sensitive personality, could easily pass as a middle school student. [[spoiler:Taking into account that [[WholesomeCrossdresser he]] must have been around seventeen when he first entered Hope's Peak Academy and the two years worth of memories that Monokuma took from him and his classmates, that means that he is ''19-to-20 years old'']].

** [[AntiHero Kokichi Oma]] appears on the younger side like Himiko, and uses his looks to his advantage. He plays up his appearance by speaking in a cutesy manner, calling everyone "-chan" in the Japanese version, and going out of his way to act like a kid. He often displays a child-like excitement over things like the Exisals and the morphing Trial Grounds.

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', Chihiro Fujisaki, having a small stature and a very sensitive personality, could easily pass as a middle school student. [[spoiler:Taking into account that [[WholesomeCrossdresser he]] must have been around seventeen when he first entered Hope's Peak Academy and the two years worth of memories than Junko Enoshima took from him and his classmates, that means that he is ''19-to-20 years old'']].

** Ryoma Hoshi. His dwarfism and [[NonStandardCharacterDesign extremely cartoony]] {{Gonk}} face makes him look even ''younger'' than Hiyoko. However, his status as a DeathRow inmate means he would have to be at least 18, and therefore one of the ''oldest'' students in the class. He's also most definitely ''not'' older than he ''sounds'', speaking in a deep BadassBaritone that [[VocalDissonance further contrasts his childlike appearance]].

** Likewise, Lamiroir's age is 40 years old according to her profile in the Court Record, despite her looking like a woman in her mid-twenties. Most likely a side-effect of being [[spoiler:Apollo's mom.]]

** Phoenix Wright himself in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' is 34 years old, but the game recycles his old design when he was in his twenties. Which is amusing because he ''did'' look his age in ''Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney''; shaving and an attorney suit seem to make someone look a lot younger.

*** In ''LightNovel/FateZero'', when Ilya is actually around eight years old, [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] is worried because her growth is so slow that she only weighs about twenty pounds! Even without modifications she wouldn't have matured normally.

-** Ilya looks about 10-years-old but is actually older than the 17-year-old Shirou. The Einzberns modifications to her body made her the perfect Master but also halted her physical growth.

** Shimon Aizawa/[[FanTranslation John Marsh]] in ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Gyakuten Kenji 2]]'' is a short 13-year old child actor who's often mistaken for an elementary school student, much to his dismay.

** Ilya looks about 10-years-old but is actually older than the seventeen year-old Shirou. The Einzberns modifications to her body made her the perfect Master but also halted her physical growth.

** Her cousin, Pearl Fey also qualifies after the seven year TimeSkip. Despite being 17 years old, she is often mistaken for a young child. It doesn't help that the person who mistakes her for a child actually knew her when she ''was'' a child, and also that she hardly grew during the time gap[[note]]According to the [[AllThereInTheManual official guidebooks]], she was only 125 cm (4'1") tall when she was 8, and 140 cm (4'6") tall when she was 17[[/note]].
** VisualNovel/{{Apollo Justice|AceAttorney}} is 22 years old. However, in the second case of the game, the police seem to be under the impression that he's the same age as Trucy (who's 15), shooing him away from the crime scene telling him to "go play somewhere else." Lampshaded in a playable flashback seven years before that, where you can get a picture of Apollo...who looks exactly the same at age 15 as he does at 22.

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', Hiyoko Saionji is around 17-18 years old like the rest of the cast, but can easily be mistaken for an elementary school student at first glance. It doesn't help that she acts like one from time to time too. This is all deliberate though as her innocent appearance is meant to contrast with [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon her really bratty, sadistic, and overall nasty personality.]] [[spoiler: During the final chapter of the game however, a newspaper clipping reveals that Hiyoko went through a [[SheIsAllGrownUp growth sprout]] during her time at Hope's Peak Academy and the only reason as to why she still looks like a child is because the simulation in which the game takes place in kept Hiyoko's avatar with the same appearance she had when she first started attending Hope's Peak, just like everyone else]].

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Narcissu}}'', the female lead Setsumi is 22 years old, but the 20-year old male lead often comments that she looks considerably younger than him. For Setsumi, whose life consists of a hopeless cycle of hospitalization and release, "time has stood still" ever since she was first hospitalized in middle school.
* Angie in ''VisualNovel/ShikkokuNoSharnoth'' looks and acts like a little girl, but she's about the same age as the both Mary and Charlie and is the only one with an actual fiancee.

** Saber is about twenty-five years old (i.e. not counting the centuries since [[spoiler:King Arthur's death]]), but fifteen in appearance (when she stopped physically aging).
** Ilya looks about ten years old but is actually older than the seventeen year-old Shirou. The Einzberns modifications to her body made her the perfect Master but also halted her physical growth.

* ''VisualNovel/DaCapoII'' has Sakura, and also [[CanonForeigner Aisia]] in the UpdatedRerelease, both of whom were in the first game (or introduced in the anime adaptation, in the latter's case) and have not aged a day since then despite ''fifty years'' having passed in-universe.
* ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'' has TokenMiniMoe Mayo, 2-F's ClassRepresentative. Joined by Monshiro Kuki, Hideo's younger sister, in the sequel.

* In ''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend'', Nageki Fujishiro has a zig-zagging example due to bird aging: his human-style portrait is a young-looking boy, which actually fits him as a first-year student, but his bird portrait has the iridescent throat markings and green eyelids of an adult male mourning dove. [[spoiler: Further complicating the issue, he's been a first-year student for [[DeadAllAlong five years now]], and his foster-brother grew up to be one of the teachers.]]
* The protagonist's mother looks younger than he does in ''VisualNovel/DraKoi'' apart from her slouch and chain smoking.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Ever17}}'':
** The Cure-infectees; their bodies keep aging for five more years until the cells in their bodies have been replaced with infected cells, and then their SuperHealing prevents any aging whatsoever. This is why [[spoiler:Tsugumi]] looks no older than [[ArcNumber 17]] [[spoiler:in either time period]].
** Coco manages this naturally. [[TokenMiniMoe You wouldn't think she was 14 just by looking at her]].
* Strongly implied in ''VisualNovel/SevenKingdomsThePrincessProblem'': Jasper, the [[TheJeeves personal butler]] assigned to the PlayerCharacter for the duration of the Summit, mentions having taken care of many delegates in the past - despite the fact that the Summit takes place only once every seven years, and Jasper looks far from old. Lampshaded by his character description entry on the game's official website, which lists his age as ''???''

* ''VisualNovel/TheFruitOfGrisaia'': Makina Irusu looks like, talks like and in general acts like a little girl, even though she is the same age as Sachi. This seems to be genetic, since [[spoiler:her mother, Kiyoka Irisu,]] also looks younger than [[spoiler:she]] really is.
* In ''VisualNovel/EdenTheyWereOnlyTwoOnThePlanet'', felixes normally stop aging by age 20, even though their actual ages can reach 100, as a result of genetic engineering. In the case of Sion, she stopped aging at an earlier age due to a genetic anomaly.
* [[SpacePirate Cosette Cosmos]] from ''VisualNovel/{{Sunrider}}'' may look like an eleven-year old girl, but that’s only because constant exposure to toxic runoff has stunted her growth. Her real age is never specified, though she’s definitely an adult. Calling her “little” or mistaking her for a kid serves as her BerserkButton.

** This is a plot point in Case 3 of ''Dual Destinies''. [[spoiler: Hugh O'Conner]] can pass for the same age as the rest of the Themis Legal Academy students, but is actually 25 due to being HeldBackInSchool. Apollo is mortified to find out this character is ''older than him''.

* ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'' has TokenMiniMoe Mayo, 2-F's ClassRepresentative. Joined by Monshiro Kuki, Hideo's younger sister, in the sequel.

** Himiko Yumeno deserves mention as well, especially as unlike Ryoma she has a very immature personality to go with her looks, she loves sweets, stuffed animals, frequently tells people when she's going to the bathroom and childishly insists magic is real even when admitting how she performed a trick is crucial ''to a murder investigation'', but she is 17-18 like the rest of the cast. In fact, the GentleGiant Gonta is actually younger than her!

* ''VisualNovel/{{Grisaia No Kajitsu}}'': Makina is a first year but looks about twelve at most. In the epilogue for Amane’s route we see her almost ten years in the future and she finally looks about fifteen.

* ''VisualNovel/GrisaiaNoKajitsu'': Makina Irusu looks like, talks like and in general acts like a little girl, even though she is the same age as Sachi. This seems to be genetic, since [[spoiler:her mother, Kiyoka Irisu,]] also looks younger than [[spoiler:she]] really is.

* ''VisualNovel/DaCapoII'' has Sakura, and also {{CanonForeigner Aisia}} in the UpdatedRerelease, both of whom were in the first game (or introduced in the anime adaptation, in the latter's case) and have not aged a day since then despite ''fifty years'' having passed in-universe.

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', Hiyoko Saionji is around 16-17 years old like the rest of the cast, but can easily be mistaken for an elementary school student at first glance. It doesn't help that she acts like one from time to time too. This is all deliberate though as her innocent appearance is meant to contrast with [[BitchInSheepsClothing her really bratty, sadistic, and overall nasty personality.]]

** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' has Ryoma Hoshi. His dwarfism and [[NonStandardCharacterDesign extremely cartoony]] {{Gonk}} face makes him look even ''younger'' than Hiyoko. However, his status as a DeathRow inmate means he would have to be at least 18, and therefore one of the ''oldest'' students in the class. He's also most definitely ''not'' older than he ''sounds'', speaking in a deep BadassBaritone that [[VocalDissonance further contrasts his childlike appearance]].

* ''VisualNovel/ShiningSongStarnova'': [[FormerChildStar Aki]] [[IdolSinger Kashiwagi]] looks twelve, but is actually eighteen at the start of the story. She’s evidently a late bloomer, as she goes through one hell of a growth spurt in several of the game’s MultipleEndings.

* In ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', Hiyoko Saionji is around 16-17 years old like the rest of the cast, but can easily be mistaken for an elementary school student at first glance. It doesn't help that she acts like one from time to time too. This is all deliberate though as her innocent appearance is meant to contrast with [[BitchInSheepsClothing her really bratty, sadistic, and overall nasty personality.]]
** ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpaV3'' has Ryoma Hoshi. He's 3'5" and has a cartoony, child-like face, making him resemble a plush toy. Despite all this, he's still the same age as the rest of the cast. He also has a [[VocalDissonance very deep voice, which contrasts with his cartoony appearance.]]

* ''VisualNovel/ShiningSongStarnova'': [[FormerChildStar Aki]] [[IdolSinger Hashimoto]] looks twelve, but is actually eighteen at the start of the story. She’s evidently a late bloomer, as she goes through one hell of a growth spurt in several of the game’s MultipleEndings.

* Yukari from ''VisualNovel/LiarLiar'' looks young even compared to [[ArtisticAge everyone else]]. She's short, wears GirlishPigtails, and her school uniforms are oversized but she's a third year middle schooler in the first game, a high school freshman in the second.