Want to Join the Nano Banana Trend? Try These 5 Viral Prompts You’ll Love

Remember when everyone was obsessed with those dreamy Ghibli-style portraits? For a while, it felt like every feed was flooded with anime-inspired versions of our friends, coworkers, and even pets. That was fun—but the internet has already moved on to something wilder: Nano Banana.

This new Gemini-powered trend kicked off with shiny 3D figurine edits that looked like they belonged on a collector’s shelf. But it didn’t stop there. People are now dropping in all kinds of photos and reimagining them as retro film stills, pixelated video game avatars, TV show cameos, or even time-travel snapshots from the 90s.

And the best part? You don’t have to stick to what’s trending. Nano Banana works best when you treat the prompts as blueprints and start tweaking them to your liking. Change the outfits, swap the backgrounds, adjust the lighting—the more personal you make it, the more fun it gets.

Below are some prompts to get you started. Use them as they are, or bend them into something entirely your own.

The Retro Saree Aesthetic

Prompt:

“Convert this person into a retro vintage grainy but bright image, black party-wear saree, 90s film aesthetic. She is standing against a solid, deep wall with dramatic shadows and contrast, creating a mysterious and artistic atmosphere. The environment feels windy and romanticised. Lighting is warm, with golden sunset tones evoking golden hour glow. The background is minimalist and slightly textured. Her expression is moody, calm, yet subtly happy and introspective.”

The 3D Figurine on an Art Desk

Prompt:

“Transform this person into a stylized 3D figurine with smooth plastic textures, glossy highlights on the skin and eyes, and slightly exaggerated proportions. The figurine stands upright on a matte pedestal base under clean studio lighting. Hair and clothing details appear sculpted, with visible molded lines and subtle painted accents. Shadows are soft and even, creating the effect of a product photo shoot. Place the figurine on an artist’s desk, surrounded by scattered tools and sketches, with a desktop computer in the background showing the render of the same figurine in progress. The overall composition makes the scene feel like a creative workspace, where the collectible is both designed and displayed, realistic enough to imagine holding in your hand.”

The Celebrity Selfie

Prompt:

“Combine two uploaded photos: one of me, and one of [celebrity name]. Transform this into a natural iPhone-style selfie, with both of us leaning close together in the frame. The setting is outside the Louvre at golden hour, with warm evening light casting soft highlights on our faces. Both are dressed casually, captured in a relaxed, candid moment of laughter. The background is slightly blurred with subtle motion, creating the feel of a spontaneous snapshot. The overall composition should be imperfect and unpolished, resembling a real fan selfie rather than a staged portrait.”

The Retro 8-Bit Video Game Pose

Prompt:

“Convert this person into a retro 8-bit video game character with blocky proportions and pixelated outlines. They are standing in a battle-ready stance, holding a glowing pixel sword with bright neon highlights. The background is a classic arcade-style setting with a grid floor, starry pixelated sky, and flashing score indicators. Use a limited color palette of vibrant 16-bit tones—electric blue, neon pink, and bright yellow. Lighting is flat but bold, emphasizing the nostalgic arcade vibe. The overall image should look like a screenshot from a 1980s side-scrolling action game, complete with chunky pixels and exaggerated, playful energy.”

The Time Travel Look

Prompt:

“Reimagine this person as if photographed in the [decade name, e.g., 1990s]. Outfit, hairstyle, and accessories should be accurate to that era—for example, baggy denim jeans, oversized flannel shirts, and minimal makeup for the 90s; neon tracksuits, voluminous hair, and chunky sneakers for the 80s; or bell-bottom pants, patterned polyester shirts, and feathered hairstyles for the 70s. Place them in an environment that strongly reflects the decade, such as a grunge concert venue with posters and dim lighting for the 90s, a neon-lit arcade or roller rink for the 80s, or a disco dance floor with mirrored balls and colored spotlights for the 70s. Use lighting and image texture that match period photography—grainy film stock for the 90s, saturated neon hues with lens flares for the 80s, or warm analog tones with slight color fading for the 70s. The shot should feel authentic, like a real candid photo captured during that decade using era-specific cameras and film.”