Arcs are at the heart of creating lifelike animation. Be it a character simply turning their head or swinging a sword, arcs give motion its flow, rhythm, and believability, ensuring enhanced immersion in animation. This blog drives you through a complete analysis of what arcs are, why they matter in animation, the taxonomy of arcs, real-life examples, and the best practices to use arcs in animation.
Arcs in animation are a cornerstone principle that contributes to the quality and believability of animated movement. They create a natural, fluid, and believable movement by mimicking the way things move in the real world, making animation more engaging and aesthetically pleasing.
Be it Arthur’s body leaning into turns and swaying during idle motion in RDR 2, the smooth swings of Kratos’ Leviathan Axe in God of War, or Link’s graceful curve of his sword swinging in combat and the subtle dip-and-rise of his body while jumping across a ledge in Breath of the Wild, the use of arcs adds lifelike and captivating motion to these games animation.
Needless to say, arcs are the key technical elements that contribute to believable and appealing animation. For that to be possible, however, you need to hire 3D animators who excel at thoughtfully crafting arcs. But, before you do that, flip through this blog and know everything about arcs in animation to make the right decision.
Among many principles in different types of animations, arc refers to the curved paths that natural movements follow. You might know that most of the actions in the real world don’t follow merely perfectly straight lines. Instead, they follow curved trajectories, or arcs, as seen in objects thrown, limbs moving, or even the way a character’s head turns. Using arcs in animation allows game designers to create fluid and more realistic motion when an object or character traverses through the space in the scene.
Arcs in animation are important for many reasons. They add expressiveness and emotion and create a natural, fluid, and believable movement by mimicking the way things move in the real world. The following are a few of the most significant reasons why arcs are important in animation.
Have you ever seen someone throw a ball in a straight line? No? Neither have we. Gravity, air resistance, and the biomechanics of living creatures naturally produce curved paths of motion. Limbs swing, objects arc when thrown, and bodies rotate along the carved paths. A game animation company makes use of arcs to mimic how objects and living beings move naturally, making animation believable and grounded in real-world physics.
Have you ever watched an animation where something just feels stiff? Like a character moves from one pose to another with no real flow? If yes, that’s an example of something missing in arc animation. Arcs help movements feel smooth, natural, and downright beautiful to watch. They guide your eye, soften transitions, and bring rhythm to the motion. For example, a leaf twirling gently as it falls and a dancer spinning across the stage are excellent uses of arc, turning even a simplified action into visually appealing and pleasing moments.
Arcs convey weight and momentum, helping animators show how heavy or light an object is and how it moves through space. For instance, a heavy hammer might swing in a tighter, slower arc to reflect its mass and resistance, while a feather would follow a lighter, quicker arc with more bounce and fluidity. The size and speed of an arc directly influence how viewers perceive physical properties like weight, force, and intent, making movement feel grounded and believable.
Think of a sad character with a lower head tilt or a slow slump in posture. That’s where arcs add emotion and expressiveness to the motion. They can be used to convey a character’s personality, mood, and intention. When a character walks in, eyes down, head lowering in a gentle curve, you need no dialogue to know they’re feeling low. In the same way, a bold character moves with large, sweeping arcs, showing its courage and strength.
The flow of a character’s head or a hand gesture communicates emotions like surprise, calmness, anger, or excitement more effectively when following a well-defined arc.
Arcs in animation make actions of the character and object physics feel more consistent with the game world. For instance, in Spider-Man (PS5), how he swings throughout the city demonstrates the use of arcs excellently. It allows players to feel the momentum and freedom of the fight. This reinforces the illusion of being in a real and more believable virtual environment, making the movement more immersive and engaging.
You can find several fundamental varieties of arcs in animation, including natural arcs, mechanical arcs, figurative arcs, wave-like arcs, and many more. Here’s all about the arcs used in animation you must know:
| Types of Arc | Use Cases/Description |
| Natural Arc | Organic body movement, like walking, jumping, and head turns. Reflects real-world motion. |
| Mechanical Arcs | Found in robotic or stiff movement; more rigid but still may follow slight arcs. |
| Exaggerated Arcs | Stylized or cartoon motion with pushed curves for comedic or dramatic effect. |
| Figure-Eight Arcs | Complex overlapping motion, like juggling or swinging ropes. They add rhythm and realism. |
| Wave-Like Arcs | Seen in tails, clothes, hair, or flowing objects. Follows overlapping action principles. |
| Secondary Motion Arcs | Arcs in accessories like hair, earrings, or backpacks react to the main movement. |
| Subtle/Implied Arcs | Tiny movements such as eye darts or blinking that still follow curved paths. |
| Linear/Broken Arcs | Used deliberately in stylized, mechanical, or glitchy animation. May break the arc on purpose. |
| Circular Arcs | Perfect or near-perfect curved paths, for example, a rotational pendulum, swinging limb. They’re symmetrical and clean. |
| Elliptical Arcs | Slightly elongated arcs are often used in perspective-heavy or foreshortened movements. |
| Irregular Arcs | Non-uniform arcs with variable curvature are common in realistic or emotional character acting. |
Natural arcs in animation tend to mimic real-life motion, including organic, subtle, and fluid. You can see them in the swing of an arm, the turning of a head, and, simply, in the arc of a jump. These arcs are based on gravity, inertia, and anatomical mechanics. Natural arcs are the default arc type for grounded, more believable animation.
Often found in robotic or stiff movement, mechanical arcs are more rigid but still may follow slight arcs. They are used in robots, machines, or stylized elements and follow fixed paths, often more rigid or geometrically precise. Take a steady, uniform swing of a pendulum or robotic limb movement, for example. Mechanical arcs are more likely to feel predictable, controlled, and artificial by design.
As the name suggests, exaggerated arcs are pushed beyond realism for dramatic or comedic effect. They tend to be larger and more extreme. Game artists may use exaggerated arcs when showcasing a character wildly flinging their arms or making a dramatic leap to heighten their emotion or the impact of the movement. These arcs are more common in action and cartoon games.
Also known as infinity arcs, figure-eight arcs are complex overlapping motions, for example, juggling and swinging ropes. They involve overlapping or continuous loops in the shape of a figure 8, adding rhythm and realism to the animation. Animators often use these arcs in secondary motion, such as the swing of a tail, ponytail, or scarf.
Wave-like arcs are often seen in clothes, like tails, hair, and flowing objects, following overlapping action principles. They resemble the motion of a sine wave: smooth, flowing, and often repeating. These arcs are great for animating fluid or rhythmic movements, for example, flying flags, serpentine bodies, or underwater creatures, such as eels and fish.
As the name suggests, the secondary motion arcs are not the primary actions but secondary actions that occur as a result of primary actions. They’re not initiated by the character or object but rather follow naturally. These arcs include how hair, earrings, backpacks, clothes, or accessories trail after a movement. They tend to add realism and nuance to the main action.
At times, the arc isn’t obvious, but it’s still there in the guise of a soft head nod, a quiet breath, or simply a blink. Despite being barely visible, these arcs enhance the believability and subtle emotion of the performance. Subtle, or implied arcs, are ideal alternatives for dialogue scenes or grounded characters.
Used deliberately in mechanical, stylized, or glitchy animation, broken arcs, also known as linear arcs, are intentional disruptions of smooth motions. They may break the arc on purpose. These arcs are used to depict sudden stops, tension, mechanical jolts, or emotionally jarring moments. These types of arcs in animation feel more abrupt, stiff, and robotic, often employed for stylized animation, glitch effects, or certain enemy types in games.
These arcs are perfect, or near-perfect, circular paths like a pendulum, swinging limb that suggests precision and elegance. Animators use circular arcs in animation involving wheels, spinning objects, or celestial motion. They provide symmetry and are more likely to symbolize balance or controlled motion.
Slightly stretched or squashed circles, Elliptical arcs are very common in 3D and realistic motion. These slightly elongated arcs are often used in perspective-heavy or foreshortened movements. They tend to occur when an object moves in a circular but angled or off-centered path, such as a running jump, camera pan, or someone swinging around a curve.
Irregular arcs are non-uniform arcs with variable curvature, commonly found in realistic or emotional character acting. They deviate from symmetry and perfection. These arcs are organic, erratic, or non-uniform, used in natural phenomena, including fire, smoke, ragdoll physics, or emotional, chaotic scenes. Irregular arcs add rawness or realism based on the context.
Arcs are essential in animation to create fluid, more natural-looking movements, especially in actions like arm swings, bouncing balls, and character head turns. Some notable examples include Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Breath of the Wild, of The Legend of Zelda. Here’s how arcs in animation helped add immersion to these games:
Example: Horseback riding, character locomotion, and weapon handling
Arc Use: Elaborated
In Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar’s commitment to realism shines through its nuanced animation with arcs. In this game, the way Arthur Morgan’s (the protagonist of the game) body leans into turns, rises with gallops, or sways during idle motion is attributed to the smooth and continuous arcs. They aren’t just aesthetics but make the character feel physically present in the game world.
Example: Kratos swinging and recalling the Leviathan Axe
Arc Use: Elaborated
Kratos, in God of War, is a powerhouse, and you feel that through his arcs. When Kratos swings the Leviathan Axe, the movement remains no longer just linear but sweeps through wide, heavy arcs, emphasizing the weapon’s massive weight and his brutal strength. Arcs in animation in the very game aren’t only visual but functional, guiding players’ timing and hit range.
Example: Link’s sword swings, jumps, paragliding, and archery
Arc Use: Elaborated
In Breath of the Wild of The Legend of Zelda, Link’s every movement feels grounded in natural physics, and arcs play a key role in that. Be it the graceful curve of his sword swing in combat or the subtle dip-and-rise of his body while he’s jumping across a ledge, arcs play a significant role, making each action lifelike.
For proper animation with arcs, you need to follow best practices. Mentioned below are the best practices, including planning the arcs, using the graph editor, and many more, to follow for arcs in animation with appropriate performance:
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Arcs in animation are the principle of crafting curved paths followed by natural movements. The principle is used to create fluid and more realistic motion, as the majority of actions in the real world don’t move in perfectly straight lines.
The principle, which is known as “arc of a motion,” is an animation principle that refers to what in real physics we know as the trajectory or path of motion. From an animation point of view, it defines the flow of motion in time and space. The arc motion is aimed at giving a feeling of organic, more natural movement.
Movement in arcs is the curved paths characters and objects follow when moving, rather than straight lines. It tends to create a more natural and fluid motion, resembling real-world movements, and is a key principle in animation.
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