I take no shame in saying that all of my characters are hot asf. There is nothing wrong with having a model acting as the face claim for your character(s). They can be seasoned war vets, mages with unbelievably high magical prowess, an angsty teenager, a demigod, or whatever have you. Every character I make is pretty, and I take great pride in that. Since it is not real life, I prefer to go for the appearances of pretty people. If that means that I am in the wrong here, then so be it. 

Now, with all of that being said, I do think that a picture, while crucial to the overall aesthetic of the character, I do not think it is the most important thing. As people have said, it is the personality, and feeling that one gets from another's character(s). A picture is there for aesthetic and reference only; even if it does help that the image is 100% on the hot scale. :lol