The barbarian really doesn't read very well at 1x. It's a little better at 2x, but it's still rather muddled. One problem with how it reads is that the axe is really close in value to the pants, and sort of blends into them, forming one big shape that continues halfway up the torso. The hair is also very similar to the skin, which causes it to blend in. If you choose colors that are more different, the different parts should read better as different parts. Cleaner shading as opposed to the dithering you have right now might help too.
The roman reads much better, mostly since it has simpler forms that are distinctly colored and isn't overlapping itself with lots of stuff.
Cool sprites; I look forward to seeing an update.
