AI Character Swap for Video
AI character swap replaces the person in a video with your own character and keeps the motion, camera, background and lighting.
What is AI character swap?
AI character swap is a tool that replaces the person in a video with your own character while keeping the original motion, timing, camera, background and lighting. Upload a source video up to 15 seconds and one or two images of the new character, and Wan 3.0 renders a new clip with your character giving the same performance. Unlike a face swap it replaces the whole person, not just the face, and it also works with non-human IP characters, such as a robot.
Checked 2026-11-02
Who it's for
- +You have a video with the performance you want (a dance, a walk, an ad) and want your IP character in it instead of the person.
- +Your character is non-human, such as a robot, so motion transfer rejects it.
- +You want to re-cast an existing ad or short video without reshooting it.
- +You can act a scene out yourself on a phone and want your character to take over that performance, with your room, camera move and timing kept.
- +A client wants to see the same shot with two or three different characters before deciding who stars in it.
When not to use it
- −Your new character is a real person and the clip runs longer than 15 seconds. Motion transfer takes motion videos up to 30 seconds. AI Motion Transfer →
- −You need the original voice or dialogue word for word. The soundtrack is generated and may differ; keep the original audio and lay it back in your editor.
- −You only want the same clip sharper. That is an upscale, not a swap. AI Video Upscaler →
How to replace a person in a video with AI character swap
- 01
Upload the source video
Up to 15 seconds, with one clearly visible person. Motion, timing, camera, background and lighting are kept; only the person changes.
- 02
Add the new character
One or two images. A front view plus a side view holds the look better than a single image; a character turnaround sheet works well. Use the notes field for small details.
- 03
Pick speed and resolution
Standard takes about 6 minutes; Prime takes about 1 minute at a higher price per second, with the same capability. Choose 480P, 720P or 1080P.
Tips for better AI character swap results
Keep one clear person in the source
The swap tells the model to replace the main person in the clip and to add no extra people. With one clearly visible performer there is no doubt who that is; when two people are equally prominent, crop the clip or pick another one.
Give the character a clear head, body and limbs
In our tests a robot replaced a dancer with the room and camera kept, and a fox pilot and a panda skater swapped in cleanly. A square-screen robot with a cylindrical body and no clear split between head and body came out stacked in two segments, with the original dancer's hands showing. Humanoid builds are the safest.
Upload a turnaround, not a single front view
The swap copies face, hairstyle, outfit and proportions from your images, so show the character from more than one side: a front and a side view, or a whole character turnaround sheet as the first image with a note saying it is a three-view sheet. The examples on the recast video page were made exactly that way.
Expect the build to follow the original performer
The motion comes from the source, and so does much of the body that performed it. A short, round strawberry character kept its head but was stretched to the original dancer's tall, slim build. Pick a source performer whose proportions are close to your character's.
Write must-keep details in the notes
Props and accessories aren't guaranteed: in one test the strawberry the character held vanished after the first frame, while in another the skateboard from the panda's reference sheet came along. Name anything that has to stay, such as a chest light or a hat, in the notes, and check the result for it.
Trim the source: its length counts twice
The result runs as long as the source, rounded up to the next whole second, and both are billed: a 5.1-second clip gives a 6-second result and is billed as 12 seconds. Cut the source to the shot you need, test on Standard, and use Prime only when you are waiting on the result.
AI character swap vs. similar tools
| Tool | You give | You get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI character swap (this page) | Any source video up to 15 seconds + 1–2 character images | The same clip with a new person; motion, camera, background and lighting kept | Swapping who is on screen in any clip, including non-human characters such as robots |
| Recast video | Trending clips, ads or dance videos + images of one recurring character | The same Wan 3.0 swap at the same price, clip after clip | A channel or brand putting one character into many existing clips |
| AI motion transfer | A full-body photo of a real person + a motion video up to 30 seconds | The person from the photo performing the moves | Real people and clips of 15 to 30 seconds; only the result is billed |
| Reference to video | A prompt + up to 9 reference images | A brand-new shot with your character in it | When you have no footage, or want a new scene rather than the original one |
AI character swap FAQ
Is AI character swap the same as a face swap?
No. A face swap pastes a new face onto the original body, so the body, hair and silhouette of the person in the video stay. AI character swap replaces the whole person with your character, which is why it also works for characters that aren't human, such as a robot. If you only need a different face on the same body, a face swap tool is the closer fit.
Can I try AI character swap for free?
You can try it with the Free plan's monthly credits. The Generate button shows the exact cost before you confirm, a short source clip on the Standard tier is the cheapest test, and failed runs are refunded automatically.
How is replacing a person in a video billed?
Per second, counting both your source video and the new clip, because the model reads your footage and then renders a new one. For example, a 5-second source with a 5-second result is billed as 10 seconds. Prime costs more per second than Standard, and the Generate button shows the total before you submit.
How long can the source video be?
Up to 15 seconds. The source and the result together must stay within 30 seconds. For longer footage, cut it into parts of 15 seconds or less, swap each with the same character images, and join them.
Is the original audio kept?
Not exactly. The result has an audio track, but it is generated and may not match the original word for word. If the audio matters, mute the result and lay the original track back in your editor.
Can I put a robot or other non-human character into a real video?
Yes. This is the tool for it: photo-driven motion control AI only accepts human figures, but replacing the person works with non-human IP characters such as a robot. Give it clear images of the character, ideally from two angles.
AI character swap or motion transfer: which should I use?
Replace the person when you want to keep the original video's background, camera and lighting, or when your character isn't human. Use motion transfer when your character is a real person in a photo and the motion clip runs up to 30 seconds; it bills only the result's seconds.
What's the difference between Standard and Prime?
Only speed and price. Standard takes about 6 minutes; Prime takes about 1 minute and costs more per second. The quality options and inputs are the same.
Why did my character come out stretched or split in two?
Usually because the character's build is far from the original performer's. The swap keeps the source's motion, and the body proportions tend to follow it: in our tests a short, round character was stretched tall, and a robot with no clear split between head and body was stacked in two. Use a character with a clear head, torso and limbs, or a source performer of similar build.
Can the new character be a real person?
Yes, if it is you or someone who has agreed to it. Use clips you have the rights to, and say the result is AI-made when you post it. For a real person and a clip longer than 15 seconds, AI motion transfer takes motion videos up to 30 seconds; the motion control AI page compares the two approaches side by side.
How long and how large is the result?
As long as the source, rounded up to the next whole second, at 480P, 720P or 1080P, with the frame shape following your source. For 2K or 4K, run the result through the AI video upscaler.
Tools to pair with AI character swap
AI Character Turnaround Sheet Generator →
Make the character image first: a front, side and back turnaround from a one-line description, the kind of image that gave the cleanest swaps in our tests.
Consistent Character Sheet Generator →
For a human character, a sheet with three face angles and the full body from three sides gives the swap more than one view of the face.
Recast Video with AI →
The same swap, framed for putting one character into trending clips, ads and dance videos, with real examples of one dance recast as different characters.
AI Video Upscaler →
Swaps top out at 1080P; upscale the result to 2K or 4K when it has to match sharper footage.
Other creation tools
Wire script, character, shot and voice nodes into one pipeline and generate it clip by clip, with the same character in every clip.