History Main / NotSoSimilar

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'': It's made clear from the beginning that Kagome Higurashi is the {{Reincarnation}} of Kikyo, Inuyasha's former lover who died protecting the Shikon Jewel, so you would think that this pretty much makes them the same person. In reality, the only things they share are their hair colour, their powers and their love for the same man, which becomes especially apparent when Kikyo gets resurrected for comparison. Kagome even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this, noting that even if she is her reincarnation, the two of them are ultimately completely different people. This is even a plot point; a small but important part of Inuyasha's CharacterDevelopment is becoming able to look Kagome in the eye, which he initially has trouble doing due to her resemblance to Kikyo.

* ''Manga/Inuyasha'': It's made clear from the beginning that Kagome Higurashi is the {{Reincarnation}} of Kikyo, Inuyasha's former lover who died protecting the Shikon Jewel, so you would think that this pretty much makes them the same person. In reality, the only things they share are their hair colour, their powers and their love for the same man, which becomes especially apparent when Kikyo gets resurrected for comparison. Kagome even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this, noting that even if she is her reincarnation, the two of them are ultimately completely different people. This is even a plot point; a small but important part of Inuyasha's CharacterDevelopment is becoming able to look Kagome in the eye, which he initially has trouble doing due to her resemblance to Kikyo.

* At first glance, Kaguya and Shirogane from ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' appear to be BirdsOfAFeather as prideful, intelligent teenagers with the same views on love. It quickly becomes apparent that this couldn't be any further from the truth, as the two differ in just about every other aspect. It's even a major plot point since the reason they fell in love is that they admired attributes in the other that they lacked.

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has Harry Dresden say this to Nicodemus Archleone in ''Small Favor''. While he agrees with Nicodemus about ''some'' things (that the Red Court of Vampires has to be destroyed, for one thing), he's very hesitant to work with him because - well, Nicodemus is working with the ''very'' evil [[FallenAngel Fallen]] [[NotBrainwashed of his own free will]], and has a penchant for ColdBloodedTorture, among other things.
-->You and I are both willing to give things up to reach our goals. But we have real different ideas when it comes to deciding who does the sacrificing and who gets sacrificed.

* ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomStranded'': Jean-Luc Bevier has been compared to Vlad Masters by Maddie and Jazz, who referred to him as the French Vlad. Jean-Luc and Vlad are both upper-class men who hit on married women and put on a charming act to hide their true unpleasant natures. However, there are some apparent differences between them: Jean-Luc makes his money legally through inheritance and a family business he runs, while Vlad used his powers to become the wealthiest man on the planet through criminal means in addition to his inheritance; Jean-Luc has been married multiple times and has two children, while Vlad is single and obsessed with having a family with one specific woman who wants nothing to do with him; Jean-Luc is content with using his wealth to live the good life, spending it on women and hanging out at the country club, while Vlad has spent decades of his life obsessed with Maddie and is only interested in using his wealth to get with her and make her son either his son or miserable; Jean-Luc can handle being rejected by a woman and has standards about saying no, as he seems to have taken Maddie's "hint" that she doesn't care for his flirtations, while Vlad can't get it through his head that the woman he’s obsessed with hates him and is willing to do anything to make her his, including brainwashing. Ultimately, Jean-Luc, despite being unpleasant and apathetic, is an ordinary man who does not harm the people around him, while Vlad is a supervillain who’s willing to destroy anyone who gets in the way of what he wants.

* ''Fanfic/TheManyDatesOfDannyFenton'': Sam Manson and Vlad Masters. Both of them are jealous when their love interests, Danny and Maddie respectively, found another significant other. Both of them have a problem taking responsibility for their actions and feel entitled and possessive to the object of their desire. However, the difference is that Sam genuinely loves Danny and cares about his feelings, while Vlad's love for Maddie is more of loving the idea of ''having'' her and is an unhealthy obsession. Also, when Sam damaged her friendship with Danny because she spied on his date with Kara, she genuinely felt bad. When Vlad damaged his relationship with Maddie because he confessed his love to her, he could not understand that she was disgusted with him for thinking that she just left Jack for him, and how he truly feels for Jack. Sam, even at her worst, refuses to hurt Kara to get Danny and was disgusted when Vlad offered her a deal to get rid of Kara, while Vlad throughout the series tries to kill Jack so he can have Maddie for himself. Finally, Sam was able to accept Danny's relationship with Kara, repair her friendship with both of them and become happy for both of them. Vlad does not accept that Maddie's love for Jack and eventually destroys his friendship with both of them.

* ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomStranded'': Jean-Luc Bevier has been compared to Vlad Masters by Maddie and Jazz, who referred to him as the French Vlad. Jean-Luc and Vlad are both upper-class men who hit on married women and put on a charming act to hide their true unpleasant natures. However, there are some apparent differences between them: Jean-Luc makes his money legally through inheritance and a family business he runs, while Vlad used his powers to become the wealthiest man on the planet through criminal means in addition to his inheritance; Jean-Luc has been married multiple times and has two children, while Vlad is single and obsessed with having a family with one specific woman who wants nothing to do with him; Jean-Luc is content with using his wealth to live the good life, spending it on women and hanging out at the country club, while Vlad has spent decades of his life obsessed with a woman who hates him, and is only interested in using his wealth to get with her and make her son either his son or miserable; Jean-Luc can handle being rejected by a woman and has standards about saying no, while Vlad can't get it through his head that the woman he’s obsessed with hates him and is willing to do anything to make her his, including brainwashing. Ultimately, Jean-Luc, despite being unpleasant and apathetic, is an ordinary man who does not harm the people around him, while Vlad is a supervillain who’s willing to destroy anyone who gets in the way of what he wants.

** Nora and Elm. Like Nora, Elm favors a DropTheHammer weapon that doubles as an explosive ranged weapon and is a GenkiGirl. Unlike Nora, Elm's GenkiGirl behavior appears to be genuine and she obeys Ironwood regardless of personal feelings, compared to Nora who uses her behavior as a mask to hide her insecurities and isn't afraid to call Ironwood out on his behavior.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'' initially introduces Gustavo Fring as being "a little like" Walter White. At first, the resemblance seems obvious; they're both clever, incredibly driven men who manipulate those around them, lead a double life, and have little-to-no qualms. But Gus, as it turns out, is much more cautious than Walt, and much better at considering the long-term consequences of his actions; he managed to create a meth empire and keep it going while maintaining success as both a crimelord and the owner of a restaurant chain, with many loyal workers and few-if-any leads on him. Walt is far more daring and impulsive, and also incredibly egocentric, meaning that he may have what it takes to get things done, but he doesn't have what it takes to run an empire. Both Gus himself and his key hitman Mike Ehrmantraut spell this out to Walter on different occasions.

* Souji Mikage is set up as an EvilCounterpart to Utena Tenjou in ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'', in that both have based their lives off a past memory which they've used to define themselves and their actions. Mikage claims the two are NotSoDifferent, which enrages and terrifies Utena because Mikage is a remorseless manipulator who brainwashed all of the Black Rose Duelists (including her best friend Wakaba). [[spoiler:The events of the 34th episode confirms Utena was right when contrasting their respective memories, which shifted over time for both of them. Utena's defining memory was of seeing how much suffering Anthy Himemiya has endured and how she wanted to become a prince thinking that was the only way to save her. Mikage's memory, on the other hand, was of him burning down Nemuro Memorial Hall and killing a hundred duelists after he was rejected by Tokiko Chida. Utena's memory changed to her believing she was inspired by a prince who "saved her" from despair, whereas Mikage consciously rewrote his memory so Mamiya Chida was the one who burned the building down and eventually believed it was the truth.]]

** Ruby and Ozpin. DiscussedTrope. The heroes strongly disapprove of Ozpin not telling them the full truth about the Relic of Knowledge and Salem, leading to a falling out in Volume 6. In Volume 7, the heroes aren't sure if they can trust General Ironwood, so Ruby repeats the lies and obfuscation Ozpin used on them. When she admits to Qrow she doesn't know if she's done the right thing or if she's no better than Ozpin, he confidently tells her that Ozpin trusted no one while she's just waiting for Ironwood to earn her trust. Ruby is not convinced by this argument. [[spoiler:It's ultimately subverted into being NotSoDifferent. Several of her companions express increasing levels of concern about her making decisions they disapproved of Ozpin making, and when they finally decide Ironwood has earned their trust, it ends up making things worse in the long run. In Volume 8, Yang turns on Ruby's leadership the way she turned on Ozpin's, and when the heroes later reconcile with Ozpin, they acknowledge that they now understand the position he was in much better.]]

** Ruby and Ozpin. DiscussedTrope. The heroes strongly disapprove of Ozpin not telling them the full truth about the Relic of Knowledge and Salem, leading to a falling out in Volume 6. In Volume 7, the heroes aren't sure if they can trust General Ironwood, so Ruby repeats the lies and obfuscation Ozpin used on them. When she admits to Qrow she doesn't know if she's done the right thing or if she's no better than Ozpin, he confidently tells her that Ozpin trusted no one while she's just waiting for Ironwood to earn her trust. Ruby is not convinced by this argument. [[spoiler:Several of her companions express increasing levels of concern about her making decisions they disapproved of Ozpin making, and when they finally decide Ironwood has earned their trust, it ends up making things worse in the long run. In Volume 8, Yang turns on Ruby's leadership the way she turned on Ozpin's, and when the heroes later reconcile with Ozpin, they acknowledge that they now understand the position he was in much better.]]

** Ruby and Ozpin. DiscussedTrope. The heroes strongly disapprove of Ozpin not telling them the full truth about the Relic of Knowledge and Salem, leading to a falling out in Volume 6. In Volume 7, the heroes aren't sure if they can trust General Ironwood, so Ruby repeats the lies and obfuscation Ozpin used on them. When she admits to Qrow she doesn't know if she's done the right thing or if she's no better than Ozpin, he confidently tells her that Ozpin trusted no one while she's just waiting for Ironwood to earn her trust. Ruby is not convinced by this argument. [[spoiler:Several of her companions express increasing levels of concern about her making decisions they disapproved of Ozpin making, and when they finally decide Ironwood has earned their trust, it ends up making things worse in the long run. In Volume 8, Yang turns on Ruby's leadership the way she turned on Ozpin's.]]

* In ''Literature/GoingPostal'' semi-reformed ConMan protagonist Moist von Lipwig worries that he is no different from his vile enemy, Reacher Gilt. In an epilogue that Moist doesn't get to see, we see that [[spoiler:Gilt rejected the offer of reform from the Patrician that Moist accepted. As a result, the biggest difference between them afterwards is that Moist is still alive]].
* In ''Literature/HaloSilentium'', the Ur-Didact [[spoiler:(the villainous one that appears in ''VideoGame/Halo4'')]] and the Iso-Didact (the clone version created when the original gave his imprint to Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting) ultimately come to this conclusion about each other. The latter is the one that believes [[ArtifactOfDoom Halo and the Ark]] the only way to stop The Flood, while the former rejects this [[spoiler:and intends to create an army of Promethean warriors using HumanResources]]. The nearby [[RobotBuddy Catalog]] sums it up thusly:
-->''The two Didacts stand opposite each other, barely moving, barely breathing, as if sizing each other up. Their armor is evenly matched. Their weapons are identical, their defenses, identical.\\
But the Didacts themselves--no longer identical.''

* [[Series/StargateSG1 Teal'c]] and [[Series/StargateAtlantis Ronon Dex]] filled the same role on two different ''Franchise/StargateVerse'' shows, the alien ally who had a long, personal history with the enemy and [[TheBigGuy beat people up]]. A character who was on both shows noticed this and decided they'd work well together. When they met she immediately began to think otherwise. Teal'c is an experienced, stoic warrior much [[OlderThanHeLooks older than he looks]] who fights to atone for his past crimes as a servant of the Goa'uld. Ronon is a younger, violent and HotBlooded warrior who fights the Wraith because they destroyed his homeworld. However, when the Wraith show up to use the station they're on as a gateway to Earth, they cooperate incredibly well, [[TeethClenchedTeamwork albeit with gritted teeth]].

* In the ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' episode "[[Recap/ArrowS5E7Vigilante Vigilante]]", several characters note that Vigilante, a new vigilante killing criminals in Star City, isn't that different to [[Comicbook/GreenArrow Oliver]], who has quite the body count himself and, particularly in his early days, had no problem killing criminals. However, Vigilante dismisses the deaths of innocents caught in the crossfire of his crusade as "collateral damage", whereas Oliver makes sure he doesn't kill innocents, and [[GuiltComplex blames himself]] if he can't save innocent people from being hurt or killed, even if saving them was impossible.
* In an episode of {{Series/Wizards of Waverly Place}}, the Russo kids discover they have an aunt named Meghan from whom Jerry and Kelbo are estranged. Initially, it seems like Meghan is another Alex, Kelbo is another Max, and Jerry another Justin with Justin routinely bringing up the similarities between Alex and Meghan whenever they appear. But at the end of the episode, Justin tells Alex “I was wrong, you’re nothing like Aunt Meghan” because “you apologized and that’s one thing Aunt Meghan never learned how to do”.
* ''Series/BreakingBad'' initially introduces Gustavo Fring as being "a little like" Walter White. At first, the resemblance seems obvious; they're both clever, incredibly driven men who manipulate those around them, lead a double life, and have little-to-no qualms. But Gus, as it turns out, is much more cautious than Walt, and much better at considering the long-term consequences of his actions; he managed to create a meth empire and keep it going while maintaining success as both a crimelord and the owner of a restaurant chain, with many loyal workers and few-if-any leads on him. Walt is far more daring and impulsive, and also incredibly egocentric, meaning that he may have what it takes to get things done, but he doesn't have what it takes to run an empire. Both Gus himself and his key hitman Mike Ehrmantraut spell this out to Walter on different occasions.

* In ''VideoGame/ThreeTheHardWay'', TheProtagonist Vance, and several other characters, would frequently describe his two companions, Kanna and Anderson, as two weirdoes who may or may not be human, rarely distinguishing between the two. However, as the story progresses, Kanna becomes more open and straightforward about her true goals motives, while Anderson is revealed to be hiding more and more secrets, becoming an even more cryptic and mysterious character than he was when he started.
* In ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'', Augus is convinced that Asura is a BloodKnight like him. Asura responds to these claims with [[TalkToTheFist violence]]. It's only at the very end of their fight [[spoiler:when Asura's desire to save his daughter gives him the strength to break Augus' sword and use what's left of it to defeat Augus]] that Augus admits he was wrong.
* In ''VideoGame/IHaveNoMouthAndIMustScream'', Nimdok's scenario takes him back to a concentration camp near the World War II, where you learn some very unpleasant truths about him. However, depending on your choices, especially if you choose to [[spoiler: [[DeathEqualsRedemption let the golem kill him after turning over control of it to the prisoners]]]], AM will decide that he and Nimdok aren't as alike he as initially thought.
--> '''AM:''' A spark of humanity somewhere. Always that wretched little spark.

* ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'': [[BigBad Sho Minazuki]] thinks that he and Tohru Adachi are the same, since they're both {{Misanthrope Supreme}}s who want to destroy the world (or wanted to, in Adachi's case). During the final boss battle, Adachi declares that they're ''not'' the same; he genuinely hates the world and everything in it, while he views Sho as nothing more than [[PsychopathicManchild a brat throwing a temper tantrum]].
-->'''Adachi''': Don't think we're the same, you little brat. You think the whole world hates you just because the world didn't treat you right... you're nothing but a little kid throwing a tantrum. You know, I ''seriously'' hate this world. Don't put me in the same shoes as a half-ass brat like you... please?
* The Suspicious Beggar in ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' tries to pull a NotSoDifferentRemark on the player character should the latter attack him. Thing is, [[spoiler: he's a Darkbeast that kills to feed himself while the player, along with various other hunters, are trying to bring an end to the Nightmare.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'', Komaru is this to her older brother, Makoto. Both of them are relatively ordinary people forced into desperate situations, but while Makoto manages to lift his classmates' spirits and become a symbol of hope, Komaru nearly crosses the DespairEventHorizon in the climax and is only saved by Toko's intervention. As much as Komaru loves her brother, she also knows that she can't be like him, and doesn't want to. [[spoiler: Later, there's Monaca Towa. For all her desire to be Junko's successor, she ultimately doesn't share Junko's core motivation: her despair fetish. Unlike Junko, who purely desired to spread despair and delighted in suffering it herself, Monaca discovers that she ''hates'' feeling despair and doesn't like to lose.]]
* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' At one point, angaran squadmate Jaal compares his people's plight to the quarians, and vice-versa. Ryder can respond that the quarians lost their homeworld through their panicked attempt to kill the geth, as opposed to the angara, who lost most of their society to a mix of NegativeSpaceWedgie and an invasion, but still have planets they can call home.
* ''VideoGame/TheBlackHeart'': Upon Peketo confronting him for the titular artifact, Final points out how undeserving he is of its power by comparing [[EnfantTerrible Peketo]] to the previous contender [[StringyHairedGhostGirl Noroko]]; another ghost who seeked the power of the Black Heart, but who had a far more pitiable motive for doing what she did.
-->'''Final''': I faced another like you, living dead. But her strength was born from anger and sadness. Yours has no reason. It stems from your plain malevolence.
* In ''VideoGame/FarCry6'', Juan constantly says he and Dani are two of a kind and are purely in it for the bloodshed. Dani repeatedly shows compassion, love, and regret that Juan has long since discarded. This is shown when they disagree over how to handle [[spoiler: Castillo's son Diego with Juan wanting to kill him and Dani wanting to protect them. Juan even assumes they're protecting Diego because they want the war to continue. It even shows up in their final conversation. Juan believing there will never be free elections in Yara because he's a misanthrope while Dani assumes he means because Castillo's men will try to stop them and must be defeated.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', after Celeste [[spoiler:is revealed to have manipulated Hifumi into killing Taka before killing Hifumi herself]], Hiro angrily says that she's just like [[JerkAss Byakuya]]. Celeste disagrees, pointing out that Byakuya simply "derives his pleasure from the thrill of the hunt," and claims that she [[spoiler:committed the murder because she needs the money to live in a European-style castle with handsome butlers]], a claim that may or may not be true. By comparison, Byakuya not only [[spoiler:survives the killing game]], but gradually becomes a somewhat better person, even if he isn't necessarily a nice one.

* In AudioPlay/AVoiceFromTheDark, it's revealed that [[spoiler: Linkara]] orchestrated the entire plot, and [[NiceJobBreakingItHero got them stuck in an]] EldritchAbomination-infested mansion. The older contributors, especially the ones who took part in the site’s anniversary specials (Which, in a BroadStrokes sort of way, now seem to have also incorporated some of the behind-the-scenes RealLife abuse) compare [[spoiler:Linkara’s]] actions to that of the people in charge of Channel Awesome, with WebVideo/{{Marzgurl}} saying they're no better. Considering they lied to their friends to get them all to Scarsdale Manor, which got them into yet another bizarre and life-threatening adventure in the first place, it’s initially hard to argue. Bargain Boy, however, points out the biggest difference between them though: [[spoiler:Linkara]] was legitimately trying to do something nice for everyone -- getting old friends to meet up for the [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether first time in years]] and meet new people, albeit going about it the wrong way [[spoiler:thanks to Diamanda]] -- while the anniversary specials were because of someone else's selfish reasons. And, as pointed out, [[TakeThat he gave an actual apology.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E8TheGeneral The General]]", when the clone troopers are arguing about Krell's reckless and often outright suicidal plans, Rex tries to convince them that Anakin's plans are often successful despite seeming reckless. Fives rejects this comparison and counters that Anakin leads his men in the {{front|lineGeneral}}, so he's with them when they take those risks, while Krell chooses not to fight alongside his clone troopers.
* A few Franchise/{{Transformers}} knew that [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 the original Megatron]] isn't afraid to tell his ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' counterpart that he isn't worthy of the same respect, regardless of sharing the name.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS17E11TrumpGuy Trump Guy]]", after catching UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump attempting to molest Meg, Peter tries to call him out but Trump reminds Peter that he's no saint either due to how he treats his own family and the amount of trouble he got himself into in the past. After trying and failing to be a better person, Peter berates Trump by saying that, as president, he should set the example of being responsible and sensible. While Peter and his family are horrible people, Peter admits they are just a cartoon at the end of the day and shouldn't be relied on for moral guidance, they can be ignored.
* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'': In his debut episode ''[[Recap/WanderOverYonderS2E3TheFremergencyFronfractTheBoyWander The Boy Wander]]'', minor villain Dr. Screwball Jones tries to sway Wander to his side by saying that they both want to spread happiness across the universe. Wander points out that Screwball wants people to be happy [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul against their will]].

* In the manga version of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Rei II and Kaworu have an exchange that amounts exactly to him discussing NotSoDifferentRemark and she invoking this.
* The ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' Starscream takes offense when the Autobots try to compare his treachery to Sideways.
* [[ArchEnemy Arch-Enemies]] Trafalgar Law and Donquixote Doflamingo from ''Manga/OnePiece''. Charismatic, strong, and a penchant for cruelty and misanthropy, at the surface, they're almost a distorted mirror. However, Doflamingo's attempts to mold his prodigy into his own image failed, because Law still has his compassion, and as the Dressrosa arc continued, it proves to be the defining difference. [[spoiler:What it comes down to is that Law is driven by revenge for the sake of another, while Doflamingo is driven by revenge for the sake of himself. Hence, Law cares about other people and shows a willingness to die for the sake of his goal, while Doflamingo only cares about himself and fears death to the point of obsession]].
* In ''Anime/DanganRonpa3'', Monaca thought she could replace [[spoiler:Junko Enoshima, the BigBad of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'']]. However the anime gradually reveals she actually doesn't have much in common with her. While [[spoiler:Enoshima]] loves causing suffering, there tends to be an element of fairness to her challenges (arming high school kids with the chance to attack Ikusaba and her instead of themselves, blackmailing Sakakura instead of brainwashing him, letting Naegi live in spite of being a threat) mostly because the war is more exciting if she can lose. [[spoiler:She actually presses the button to her own execution in the [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc original game]].]] In contrast, Monaca hates losing. Once her plans fall apart, instead of feeling elation she feels despair the way a normal person does, becoming apathetic to her current actions. Whereas [[spoiler:Enoshima]] was a Killer Game Master, Monaca is little more than a sadistic thug that just likes copying the methods of her idol.
* In ''Manga/BloomIntoYou'', Yuu Koito and Seiji Maki briefly talk about themselves, and how neither of them has ever fallen in love with anyone. Yuu had turned down a former schoolmate's LoveConfession because [[NoSparks it didn't make her feel anything special]], while Maki likens observing other people's relationships to watching a movie or reading a novel. After Yuu parts ways with Maki, feeling relieved that there are other people like her, Maki thinks, "I don't think we're as alike as she thinks. That face she made before... it's not a face that someone who isn't lonely would make," since it's implied that Yuu is falling in love with Touko. In Chapter 39, Maki bluntly tells Yuu that she's different from him, saying that she knows what it's like to love, and is simply trying to fool herself because she's afraid that her love won't be reciprocated.
* ''Manga/FrierenBeyondJourneysEnd'': Sein believes to be similar to his brother, in the sense that both of them sacrificed their opportunities and goals for each other: Much like his brother sacrificed a higher position in the church to let his brother stay on his home village, Sein sacrificed his dream of becoming an adventurer to not let his brother be alone. His brother is furious at this comparison, because unlike Sein, who unnecessarily resigned himself to unfulfillment and regret in a sacrifice he was never asked to do, his brother never regretted his lot in life and did what he did out of a selfless desire to raise his brother in the best environment for him.

* This is a key part of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn''. Full Frontal looks like Char, talks like Char, sounds like Char, replaced Char's role as leader of Zeon, espouses the same ideas as Char, and some (maybe even Full Frontal himself) believe him to BE Char. However, as Mineva points out, [[spoiler: Char's dead. Char was a semi-insane idealist who hated being a political figure, who'd rather [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack drop an entire friggin' asteroid onto earth than deal with petty politics]]. Contrast with Full Frontal, a cold, passionless clone who barely sees himself as a person, instead rather a gestalt of the will of all spacenoids, whose grand plan is cold reactionary realpolitik.]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'': Elan is initially drawn to Suletta believing she is, like him, [[spoiler:a DisposableVagrant surgically rebuilt into a cybernetic doppelgänger of another person for the sole purpose of piloting a Gundam, a forbidden technology which harms their pilots through the neural feedback of linking their minds to such huge machines. When he discovers that Suletta is her own person, and that her Gundam is a perfected form of such technology that doesn't hurt her to pilot, the knowledge fills Elan with bitterness and envy. Suletta has everything he doesn't, and has never known suffering like his -- in fact, his suffering has been completely unnecessary this whole time. Knowing this, he summarily challenges Suletta to a duel so he can take her Gundam for himself.]]
** Ironically, later revelations make clear that Suletta does actually share a lot with him: [[spoiler:she's the latest and most advanced in a line of ''clones'', created for the sole purpose of piloting her Gundam (an EvolvingWeapon that needs her to guide its development), and when her purpose comes to an end, she is [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim coldly discarded]]. Sadly, Elan is long dead by the time this fact comes to light (''disposable'' vagrant, remember).]]
* In the ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' spin-off ''Slime Diaries'', Rimuru tells the orc Geld in the first episode that he shouldn't overwork himself. In the second episode, Rimuru manages to get a day off from his duties as leader of Tempest, though finds himself restless without any works, which leads him to admitting to Geld that they are both [[{{Workaholic}} workaholics]] and that he shouldn't have lectured Geld about overworking. Geld responds that while Rimuru takes joy in the work he does, he himself lets himself gets lost in work and feels like an outsider to the other monsters if he doesn't have any work. Though later in the series, Geld finds ways of connecting to his fellow citizens in ways outside of labor, just like Rimuru does.

* ''ComicBook/XFactor'': Multiple Man has the power to create body doubles of himself and they usually work together, as they always embody a part of his personality. Sometimes an isolated part of himself can end up behaving very differently from the whole, however. Many of his body doubles have caused trouble he really doesn't approve of.
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' has the law enforcement collecting the genetic material of their best judges to ensure they can always create great judges to replace them. Though they often get exact genetic copies of outstanding judges, the clones rarely end up like their predecessors. Just because they have the same talent doesn't mean they want to apply it the same way.
* This is why Blink ends up as leader of the ''Comicbook/{{Exiles}}'' because she is the first on the multiverse crossing team to realize the [[DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment "familiar faces" they encounter]] may be anything but.
* The supervillainess "Knockout" specifically targeted ComicBook/{{Superboy}} because she felt they were a lot alike. Both [[InHarmsWay got a charge from adventure]], both [[EthicalSlut really like to let their libidos take control]], and both [[DatingCatwoman are excited to flirt with someone on the opposite side of the law.]] [[spoiler:Except not really. Knockout is a [[TheSociopath complete sociopath]] that [[{{Ephebophile}} targeted the teenage Superboy]] because he was impressionable enough to mold into her ideal sexual playtoy. Having grown up on [[ComicBook/NewGods Apokolips]], she is a total CombatSadomasochist, [[LackOfEmpathy cares nothing about other life]] and [[TheVamp planned to discard Superboy when she was done with him.]]]]

* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Season 10'': Angel and Spike are [[NotSoDifferentRemark noted to be similar,]] with the best difference Spike can come up with on short notice being that [[LameComeback he's English and Angel's Irish]]. However, Willow notes that Spike is far more open to change than Angel is, doing things like [[AscendedDemon willingly going out and earning his soul]].

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX Vivienne Graham]] thinks she and [[spoiler:Ghidorah (specifically Ichi/Eldest Brother)]] are not as similar as the latter is claiming they are, during an exchange in Chapter 14:
-->'''[[spoiler:Ichi]]''': '''OUR PAST IS YOUR FUTURE.''' [...] '''AND IN A THOUSAND YEARS, WHO WILL KNOW YOU AS YOU WERE? BUT WE, YOU AND I. WE ARE REFLECTIONS OF EACH OTHER. WE ARE ETERNAL.'''\\
'''Vivienne''': ''No, no, no, no, no... I am like you, but I am not like you, in all the ways that matter. You will NEVER have me. I will NOT become like YOU!''
* A positive example in ''FanFic/{{Shatterheart}}'' that serves as a turning point from acquaintances to friends when Kurogane tells Syaoran while he [[spoiler: and his clone]] act similarly, Syaoran is more mature and acts more cautiously. Kurogane also notes to himself that Syaoran is more of a bookworm and has a slower reaction time than his clone.
* ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'': When Valmont starts commenting he can see why Shendu lusts after Valerie, it prompts the enraged woman to slap him and chastise him for daring to compare himself to Shendu, who she feels [[NobleDemon at least has some semblance of honor]], as evil as he is.
-->''She didn't know what had possessed her to say those words in her current company […] but she couldn't stand the thought of Valmont comparing himself to Shendu. In her eyes – she didn't know whether it had always been so, or if this was something new – Valmont was a scumbag criminal who would stoop to any means and do anything and everything just for a little money. But Shendu, despite being a lying, murderous and evil demon, had at times shown some form of honour, and he was more sophisticated and regal than Valmont. Valmont hid what he was behind an air of aristocracy and superiority that made her blood boil, but Shendu let you know up-front what you were dealing with. That little shred of honesty, no matter how vile in its using, still made Shendu more worthy to Valerie than Valmont could ever hope to be.''
* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' has Sabrina and the Bloodline King. Both are [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinists]] and responsible for the deaths of innocent people, but their ideal views on life are radically different. Sabrina's ideal world is a meritocracy where the people who are above average in something can live and the average masses are non-existent or at least not a 'threat' to the talented, with this category being regardless of exact species. The Bloodline King, on the other hand, follows a MasterRace mentality where the winner is simply being a Bloodliner, with him as the biggest winner of all and misery for all who aren't like him or stand in his way.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7826115/1/Megamorphs-The-Wizarding-World Megamorphs: The Wizarding World]]'', when the Literature/{{Animorphs}} offer some Hogwarts students the power to morph, they take the time to confirm that wizards can’t do something similar; since the animagus transformation only lets a person turn into a specific animal, and external transfigurations can be risky, all parties decide that morphing will be a useful asset.
* In one of the ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'' sketches, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} and [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} The Comedian]] appear together. After a lot of arguing, Wolverine becomes impressed by the {{Determinator}} streak that Comedian has, and begins to say that [[YouRemindMeOfX Comedian reminds him of himself]]. He then promptly remembers all the bad things about Comedian that makes them different, and it turns into this instead.
-->'''Wolverine:''' Maybe you ain't so bad after all, Blake. In fact, you kinda remind me of myself at your age. Except, y'know, I'm a mutant. And I've got ethics. And I'm not a psychopath... (or a rapist...) You know what, maybe you remind me of [[EvilCounterpart someone else...]]
* In ''Fanfic/{{CRME}}'', Watts notes that Cinder and Mercury [[NotSoDifferentRemark are quite similar]]. They both have had similar abusive upbringings and it warped them into arrogant, sadistic sociopaths who resent the world because of it. They differ in how they deal with it. While Mercury decides to move away from the past, Cinder maintains a vicelike grip on it. Mercury is laid-back and goes with the flow while acknowledging the world sucks and [[IveComeTooFar he can't change the path he is on]]. Cinder becomes obsessed with getting back at the world and attaining power [[NeverBeHurtAgain to rise above the world that allowed her to be in pain]]. After realizing this, Watts even says that Mercury has learned something that she fails to grasp.
* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'': As Will and Jade slowly evolve into cooly calculating {{Combat Pragmatist}}s, Yan Lin very uncomfortably starts comparing them to how [[FallenHero Nerissa turned out]]. However, she eventually realizes that despite her worries, the two of them are still holding onto their compassion, something that Nerissa threw away.

* In ''Fanfic/TheCuttingEdge'', when [[spoiler:Oliver uses his Bratva contacts to call off their forces in the mob war, Helena Bertinelli initially compares it to police commissioner Nudocerdo's deal with the mob, but Batman affirms that there's a difference between Oliver making a deal to save lives and minimize casualties and Nudocerdo's deal to just keep those casualities limited to areas he doesn't care about]].

* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNightmaresOfFuturesPast'', Dumbledore expresses concern that Harry is very like Tom Riddle, considering that both of them were unusually talented muggle-raised students who quickly formed a 'gang' of loyal followers and are skilled at defending themselves. However, McGonagall counters that there are two key differences between Harry and Riddle; firstly, Harry never attacks first but has only acted in self-defence, and where Voldemort never shows any concern for the Death Eaters Harry makes it clear more than once that he is as loyal to his friends as they are to him.

* In ''Fanfic/TheLandOfWhatMightHaveBeen'', during the final battle, [[spoiler:as the dying Empress (Elphaba’s counterpart) proclaims that Elphaba would have done the same as her, Elphaba concedes that she crossed various lines such as killing her enemies, but is satisfied that she never resorted to brainwashing or indiscriminate destruction on the same scale as her counterpart]].

* In ''Fanfic/ThePartsWePlay'', when Prim volunteers as Tribute to protect the pregnant Katniss, Madge assures Katniss that her sympathy for Peeta and Rue during the Games might be awkward as Katniss recognises that they have to die for Prim to come home, but it also represents what makes Katniss better than the Capitol as she recognises that the other Tributes are people and not pieces in a game for her amusement.
* In ''Fanfic/PokemonShadowOfTime'', while Ash worries if he's a pervert when he finds himself washing Misty and Anabel's clothes, when he catches Dario watching them he is assured by [[spoiler:Natu]] that it's not the same as he's actively trying not to be a pervert.
* In ''Fanfic/TheSecretKeeper'' sequel ''The Wisdom Seeker'', after Jacob sees Bella transform into her lioness form (Bella has become an animagus while studying at Hogwarts), he briefly considers her similar to the Quilettes, but Rosalie ends that train of thought by listing some of the magical feats Bella can do that Jacob can’t, such as apparition or transfiguration.
* ''Fanfic/TheManyDatesOfDannyFenton'': Sam Manson and Vlad Masters. Both of them are jealous when their love interests, Danny and Maddie respectively, found another significant other. Both of them have a problem taking responsibility for their actions and feel entitled and possessive to the object of their desire. However, the difference is that Sam genuinely loves Danny and cares about his feelings, while Vlad's love for Maddie is more of loving the idea of ''having'' her and is an unhealthy obsession. Also, when Sam damaged her friendship with Danny because she spied on his date with Kara, she genuinely felt bad. When Vlad damaged his relationship with Maddie because he confessed his love to her, he could not understand that she was disgusted with him for thinking that she just left Jack for him, and how he truly feels for Jack. Sam, even at her worst, refuses to hurt Kara to get Danny and was disgusted when Vlad offered her a deal to get rid of Kara, while Vlad throughout the series tries to kill Jack so he can have Maddie for himself. Finally, Sam was able to accept Danny's relationship with Kara, repair her friendship with both of them and become happy for both of them. Vlad does not accept that Maddie's love for Jack and eventually destroys his friendship with both of them.
* ''Fanfic/TheFlowerPrincessAndTheAlchemist'': Edward and Ichigo. They are both very [[HairTriggerTemper short tempered]], [[HotBlooded brash]], and [[{{Pride}} prideful]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks with Hearts of Gold]], who are more than often prone to [[ChronicHeroSyndrome bouts of heroism]], both have comparable [[MissingMom tragic pasts]], and [[BigBrotherInstinct younger siblings they are protective of]]. They even have characteristics that other characters pick on them for (Ed's [[HeightAngst short height]] and Ichigo's [[ImplausibleHairColor orange hair]]). But that's where the similarities end. Ed is a [[BadassBookworm skilled, alchemic genius]]; while Ichigo, not exactly [[BookDumb Book Dumb]] but not as smart as Ed, is [[UnskilledYetStrong Unskilled yet Strong]]. Not to mention, their fighting styles are different. Ed's a [[CombatPragmatist Combat Pragmatist]] with a [[ThouShallNotKill Thou Shall Not Kill]] policy. Ichigo, on the other hand, has a principle of [[HonorBeforeReason Honor Before Reason]] when it comes to fights, and, although he doesn't kill, he has no quarrels doing so.

* ''Fanfic/CodePrime'': When Lelouch expresses his fear to Optimus that he might become like Megatron some day after realizing [[NotSoDifferentRemark how alike he and Megatron are]], such as how they both decided to bring about change through violence and force, Optimus assures Lelouch that although he shares parallels with Megatron he is also very different from him. While Megatron never cared about the destruction and death he caused, even when it destroyed his own planet, as long as he gained more power for himself, Lelouch was always motivated for the safety of his sister Nunnally, he has learned from his mistakes to better himself, and he has slowly opened himself up to his friends and allies to help him grow into a better person.
* The ''Series/{{Bones}}'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14066966/1/Not-the-Marrying-Kind Not the Marrying Kind]]" reveals that Hannah Burley was in an open marriage when she was in a relationship with Booth. When Brennan and Hannah confront each other after Brennan has learnt about Hannah's marriage, Hannah tries to point out that Brennan hurt Booth by rejecting him just like Hannah did, but Brennan counters that the difference between their actions is that ''she'' always tried not to hurt Booth and would have never done anything to cause him distress, whereas Hannah should have known that her actions would cause Booth pain from the beginning.
* ''Fanfic/GinnyWeasleyAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Just like how Harry is often compared to his father James (only for Harry to actually be more like his mother Lily), several people note that Ginny is quite similar to Lily, but it soon becomes apparent that she is more similar to James. Professor Slughorn says that Ginny looks a lot like Lily before admitting that their magical talents are pretty much complete opposites (Lily was a genius at Potions while Ginny's skills are more in Charms and in particular jinxes), and Snape [[WrongNameOutburst accidentally calls her Lily]] at a time when she's breaking the rules just like James used to do.

* ''Fanfic/KabbalahThePassiveConqueror'': Ritsuka Fujimaru initially compares Miku Izayoi to Elizabeth Bathory since they are both idols obsessed with singing. She realizes the big difference is that Elizabeth sings because she genuinely wants to entertain people and make them happy, while Miku sings to get attention and does not care about the audience's feelings.
* ''Fanfic/AllMixedUp'': Although Mariana Mag and Odd Todd have a couple similarities, the differences outweigh them, something that Mariana herself points out when Otto tells her that she's similar to Odd Todd.
--> '''Mariana Mag:''' No, ''not'' like Odd Todd did. He's pathetic, I tell you. A hot-tempered, selfish, impatient, smart-aleck brat. Thinks the villains might actually trust and accept him, but to real villains, once an agent means always an agent. He was certainly smart enough, he'd have done better staying with you.

* ''Fanfic/CodeGeassPaladinsOfVoltron'': [[BewareTheMindReader Mao]] accuses Lelouch of being no different from Zarkon and Charles. However, we later see that several factors separate Lelouch from the pair.
** Zarkon: Unlike his predecessor as the Black Paladin, Lelouch has his fellow Paladins and Nunnally acting as a MoralityChain. Additionally, Lelouch views the Black Knights as TrueCompanions, where Zarkon would have only relied on them for as long as they could fight for him, then abandoned them. [[spoiler:Princess Allura later says that the only common traits the two share are the noble qualities Zarkon had before he betrayed his comrades.]]
** Charles: Unlike his father, Lelouch has the emotional maturity to accept when a plan will not work, and can swallow his pride and do something he dislikes for the sake of others. Even try to ally with his detested father against the Galra. [[spoiler:Sadly, this doesn't work out, as Charles allies with Zarkon, allowing Galra to conquer Earth just so Charles doesn't have to abandon the Ragnarok Connection.]]

* ''Film/AllThroughTheNight'' criminal Gloves Donahue describes just how wrong Nazi Franz Ebbing is when the latter thinks they have enough in common to work together.
* In ''Film/{{Inception}}'', one of Dom's nightmares takes the form of [[spoiler: his deceased wife]] Mal in order to guilt-trip over his past mistakes. It works at first (and has for many years) but Dom eventually overcomes it by realizing and pointing just how much its imitation failed to compare to the real thing.

* ''Fanfic:CodeGeassPaladinsOfVoltron'': [[BewareTheMindReader Mao]] accuses Lelouch of being no different from Zarkon and Charles. However, we later see that several factors separate Lelouch from the pair.
** Zarkon: Unlike his predecessor as the Black Paladin, Lelouch has his fellow Paladins and Nunnally acting as a MoralityChain. Additionally, Lelouch views the Black Knights as TrueCompanions, where Zarkon would have only relied on them for as long as they could fight for him, then abandoned them.

* X's copy in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' claims to be a perfect copy. Zero retorts saing the copy's strength and wisdom are both lacking in response. Whether or not the player takes his word for it, they can compare the two X's personalities for themselves and in that area, they definitely are not alike.

Common cases include CloningBlues, ShadowArchetype, and LegacyCharacter.

-->"...The same? Don't be ridiculous. I'm nothing like you. You kill for sport, and hide your [[DirtyCoward fear]] behind [[BoisterousWeakling a wall of bravado]]. [[PreAsskickingOneLiner Now let me show you true fear]]!"

* ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'': [[BigBad Sho Minazuki]] thinks that he and Tohru Adachi are the same, since they're both {{Misanthrope Supreme}}s who want to destroy the world (or wanted to, in Adachi's case). During the final boss, Adachi declares that they're ''not'' the same; he genuinely hates the world and everything in it, while he views Sho as nothing more than [[PsychopathicManchild a brat throwing a temper tantrum]].

** In the manga, ''Brotherhood'' and the [[Film/FullmetalAlchemist2017 live-action film]], Shou Tucker tries to pull the NotSoDifferentRemark card on Ed in regards to how he used his own family to transmute [[MixAndMatchCritters chimeras]], stating they both performed human transmutation and "messed around with someone's life." In reality, this is what they are; Ed and Al performed human transmutation in a misguided attempt to bring their beloved mother BackFromTheDead, whereas Tucker did it [[EvilIsPetty purely because he couldn't bear to lose a steady paycheck]]. Furthermore, while Tucker sacrificed his wife and daughter, the brothers were the ones who paid the price for their own mistake, [[spoiler:and at the end of the series, Ed chooses not to restore his leg, keeping his automail leg as a reminder of what happened]].

* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Despite their similarities, there are a few key differences between Dib and Zim. Zim is an outcast because of the destruction he causes to the Irken Empire, but he is too insane to see that, thinking that he is beloved by his peers. Dib is an outcast because of his belief in the paranormal and is viewed as crazy for the trouble he causes, but the truth is that Dib is sane, while his peers are too dumb to see he's trying to save them; also, Dib knows he's an outcast. Also, despite Zim's loyalty to the Irken Empire, he is truly selfish with a big ego and does not care about the destruction he causes to win. In contrast, despite how selfish Dib can be at times and his big ego, he's actually genuinely good, seeing as he is willing to put his ego aside in order to save people he hates.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Trump Guy'", after catching UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump attempting to molest Meg, Peter tries to call him out but Trump reminds Peter that he's no saint either due to how he treats his own family and the amount of trouble he got himself into in the past. After trying and failing to be a better person, Peter berates Trump by saying that, as president, he should set the example of being responsible and sensible. While Peter and his family are horrible people, Peter admits they are just a cartoon at the end of the day and shouldn't be relied on for moral guidance, they can be ignored.
* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'': In his debut episode, minor villain Dr. Screwball Jones tries to sway Wander to his side by saying that they both want to spread happiness across the universe. Wander points out that Screwball wants people to be happy [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul against their will]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': In the series finale, Luz has a HeroicBSOD when she ponders whether she's not that different from the BigBad Belos, since they're both willing to hurt others and go to extremes to save others and do what they think is right. [[spoiler:[[BigGood The Titan]] himself assures Luz that's ridiculous, and comes from the patently false assumption that Belos ever actually had good intentions, and wasn't totally driven by [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist completely selfish delusions of wanting to be a hero]]]].