If left to my own devices, with no real plan in mind, my main characters tend to be either a.) grumpy dudes with stubble, b.) really kickass ladies, or c.) androgynous people dressed in flowing clothing, like maybe they're cosplaying oldschool ghosts.
As for a.) - where the perfect example is Masahiro - I know why this happens so much; I really, really like characters who aren't immediately likeable, and who have problematic personalities, and who I have to get to know before I like them. I want a bit of a mystery to solve, some kind of wall to break through. So I create a lot of characters with secrets up their sleeves and grumpiness as a coping mechanism. Also, I have a thing for problematic characters in general. In the ASOIAF-books (let us not speak of the tv-show, on which I have very loud opinions), one of my favourite characters is Jaime Lannister - not because I in any way approve of what he's done, but because the way he is attempting to change is fascinating to me.
Creating kickass ladies is always nice, obviously - inside of Grassblades, I've got aristocratic ladies, soldiers, bandits., etc. - and outside of Grassblades, I have space-adventurers, pirates, knights, gangster queens, vikings, airship commanders, etc.,.
As for the last category, I have a thing for androgynity in character-design, AND I like to draw loose, flowy clothing. In a world where practically everything is gendered, I like to sit somewhere in between, design-wise.
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However, I am making an effort to be as varied as I possibly can in my designs. It's a good challenge for myself, AND it makes the world look a bit more real. Not everyone looks the same, after all, and it's nice to include a bunch of different people.
So I've got female characters who are shy and quiet, male characters who are warm and friendly and welcoming, I've got characters with as many varied skintones, sexual orientations, body shapes and backstories as I can possibly think of. Because not only is it a good learning experience, it is fun.
