>>10048815I have had a couple theories about her, especially given how many times I've drawn her and been asked to draw her.
1) For a lot of young boys in the 10-14 year old age demographic, she was the first time they saw an anthropomorphic character who was unapologetically designed to look "sexy." She was basically vidya crush bait, and given that 10-14 year olds were one of the main demographics buying the game, it makes sense that she'd stick with those fans into adulthood.
2) Even though Krystal's an absent damsel in distress for most of the game, the player spends about an hour or or so of gameplay with her during the game's prologue section, which unlike past damsels actually gives the player a connection and emotional investment in her, rather than presenting her as an abstract concept like Princess Peach or Princess Zelda in their earliest appearances.
3) Her character design and coloring is very distinct and eye catching even to this day, with thousands of people in the furry fandom making numerous imitations of her but few ever getting much traction, and none of them having the personal connection and shared experiences associated with Krystal.
4) Going back to point 1), for many fans, Krystal was the first time they had ever looked up fan art of an anthropomorphic character because they found her attractive. She might have been the first character who tripped some people down the R34 rabbit hole. In any case, that further contributed to her leaving a very strong impression on a lot of mushy young minds.
5) the generational effect. The people who grew up liking Krystal now either have the money or the artistic talent to produce lots of Krystal fan art and fan projects, which young people discover and then it makes them curious about Krystal and the Star Fox franchise. Those younger fans then start wanting to draw Krystal or commission art of her too. I know, because many people who draw and request Krystal art were not gaming when her game was new.
