 When playing through Career mode or in other parts of the Guitar Hero games , the player has the option to select one of several pre @-@ created avatar characters , who will be shown performing on stage as the player attempts a song , but otherwise has no effect on the gameplay . A certain number of characters are available at the start of the game , but the player must spend in @-@ game money earned by successful performances to unlock other characters . Many of the characters reappear throughout the series , with the character roster changing as new characters are added or removed . <unk> characters that have appeared in nearly all the games include the <unk> Axel Steel , extreme / Viking / thrash <unk> Lars <unk> , punk rocker Johnny <unk> , alternative rocker Judy <unk> , and hard rocker Casey Lynch . The developers utilized these characters in more detail within Warriors of Rock , where each was given a unique setlist and venue based on their musical style , as well as a unique power within the game 's Quest mode . 
