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4[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/VinylGirl https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vinyl_girl_sss.png]]]]
5
6{{Suspiciously Similar Substitute}}s in Video Games.
7----
8* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': The game was originally developed to be an Website/SCPFoundation work. It was revamped into an original property in order to avoid IP problems, while characters, such as The Reptile retained its design and is referred as The Varanus, just as Sigurros was renamed into Sigrid who also has RealityWarping powers. More specific characters in [[NGOSuperpower The Consortium]] are substitutes of the foundation as well; C is based on Dr. Clef, G is based on Dr. Gears, B is based on Dr. Bright, and K is based on Dr. Kondraki.
9* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'':
10** In ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2'', Ghost takes up Gaz's position from the first game, right down to sharing a voice actor. People originally even suspected they were one and the same character. This was later disproven in canon.
11** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3'' has Sgt. Wallcroft, [[AscendedExtra who was a minor NPC]] in ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare MW1]]'' but is now yet another Gaz clone.
12* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
13** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'' Lucia is this for Trish being a sexy demoness created by the BigBad used to lure Dante before pulling a HeelFaceTurn to good. Even the climax has Lucia bound to a wall in a [[CrucifiedHeroShot crucifixion pose]] by Arius much like Trish was by Mundus in the finale of ''[=DMC1=]''. This all the more strange considering that Trish is in the game, albeit as a secret character.
14** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'':
15*** Santus is this for Arkham: a fanatical old mad man antagonist who is seemingly killed earlier on before revealing his true demon nature and tries using the power of Sparda [[PowerIncontinence before it blows up in his face]]. Like Arkham, Santus has a lot of EvilCannotComprehendGood about his character.
16*** You can make a case of Credo being this for Vergil (who is absent from the story of 4). He’s a regal AloofOlderBrother with a more refined style of swordplay compared to the protagonist, has a strong sense of honour, cares for his family and provides the most memorable and cool boss fight in the game.
17* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'': The first two games include the Manweersmalls, a species of short, technologically-adept anthropomorphic moles with French accents. They don't appear in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroDawnOfTheDragon'', where they're replaced by the Moles, also short, technologically-adept anthropomorphic moles with French accents, but who are nonetheless never referred to or identified with the Manweersmalls.
18* ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher 2'':
19** Colt can be resumed as a twelve-year-old Holly with a tomboy hairstyle.
20** The Zuum, who is similar to the Dino from the first game. If you were to use the Slate command to import your Dino, it will be converted into a Zuum.
21* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'':
22** Roger Jr. (actually the unnamed mother) replaces Roger. Hwoarang replaces Baek (who then returns in ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' alongside his student). Jin Kazama replaces his father Kazuya (who then returns, [[DivergentCharacterEvolution Jin getting a different fighting style]]). Combot replacing Mokujin for ''VideoGame/Tekken4''. Devil Jin replacing Devil Kazuya and Angel (debatable; Devil Kazuya also functions as [[StanceSystem an alternate stance]] for Kazuya in ''Tag 2''). Asuka replacing Jun Kazama. Christie replacing Eddy (who fully returned in ''Tekken 5''; in ''4'' he was an alternate costume for Christie). Julia Chang replacing her foster mother Michelle Chang. Forrest Law replacing his father Marshall Law (who then re-replaces his son in the next game, ''Tekken 4''). Each Jack-bot is the newest model (though apparently with the same mind transferred over). King dies before ''Tekken 3'', and Armor King is killed before ''Tekken 4''. Both Kings are replaced by their younger followers, and even the names remain unchanged. Kunimitsu retires after ''Tekken 2'' and is replaced by her daughter, Kunimitsu II, in ''VideoGame/Tekken7''. Even Kuma that appears in ''Tekken'' and ''T2'' dies of old age and is replaced by its pretty much identical child in ''Tekken 3''. In general, many ''Tekken'' character replacements are so similar that if you are not familiar with storyline details, you won't even know someone is not the same as the original. This is justified on the basis that ''Tekken 3'' [[TimeSkip takes place 19 years after the previous game]] and that some of the characters were attacked by Ogre.
23** Both ''[[DreamMatchGame Tag Tournament]]'' titles thrive on this trope by [[TheBusCameBack reuniting]] the majority of the collective roster across all preceding games, thus allowing the originals and their newer counterparts to fight side-by-side. Even stranger is the fact that certain older veterans have their ages frozen at/reversed to that of their last canonical appearance yet still interact with their successors as if they were their actual ages in the current storyline (see: Jun and Jin, Michelle and Julia).
24** Azazel is reminiscent of True Ogre, [[SNKBoss but much tougher]].
25* The final boss of the original ''Videogame/BloodyRoar'' was Uriko, a BrainwashedAndCrazy girl who could transform into a monstrous chimera. After being rescued and undergoing a RedemptionDemotion, her transformation was changed to a cute, anime-style {{Catgirl}} for the sequel. ''Bloody Roar 3'' subsequently introduced a new chimera called Uranus as the {{Superboss}}, with her moves, transformation, and even certain elements of her design (such as her green hair) being copied from Uriko's original incarnation.
26* In ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' we have [[spoiler: Boris Wizen]], who shares the Tengou Star with his father [[spoiler: Ridley Wizen]] and will take his place if he dies in the Dunan Unification War. The player can indirectly decide who (s)he wants to keep: When [[spoiler: Nanami asks you to run away in Tinto]] you can decide whether or not you want to do it. If you do, [[spoiler: Ridley]] will be killed as a result and you will also see a few additional cutscenes, including the introduction of the new [[spoiler: Kobold General]]. The only differences here are the looks and personalities.
27* Over time, ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' developed a series of recurring character archetypes, although no two characters truly feel the same.
28** In the beginning, the protagonist was Phoenix Wright, snarky, put-upon lawyer constantly at the mercy of strange witnesses. Apollo started out as Phoenix but more impulsive and hot-blooded, though he eventually [[DivergentCharacterEvolution diverges]] into his own character. The fifth game gives us Athena Cykes, a rookie attorney whose courtroom style fits early Phoenix Wright to a T, while her personality is much closer to the GenkiGirl assistant role.
29** Phoenix had a young, [[GenkiGirl cheerful]], [[PluckyGirl plucky]] female assistant with a mysterious and highly relevant familial history in the form of Maya. This was enforced with the updated rerelease of the first game[[note]]At the end of the GBA version of the first game, Maya leaves to undergo spiritual medium training; she returns in the next game. When a DS remake of the first game was released, they added an extra case to it -- but they couldn't bring Maya back, as one of the cases in the second game revolved around her reunion with Phoenix[[/note]], which introduced Ema Skye, who deliberately shares a lot of personality, design, and story beats with Maya. Later, Trucy and Kay filled this role for Apollo and Edgeworth respectively.
30** Franziska was this to Edgeworth when first introduced -- like him, she's a prickly, win-at-all-costs prosecutor. (Actually justified in her case, since they were raised and trained by the same man.) The succeeding prosecutors, though following ContrastingSequelAntagonist in design, all tend to be obstructive, condescending, and have with a personal tie to the main characters (Klavier is the exception).
31** The series-opening prosecutor Winston Payne has been replaced by his brother Gaspen Payne and his English counterpart Prosecutor Flynch in ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney''. All three are spineless and pathetic warm-up bosses.
32** The Judge has been replaced by his Canadian brother and ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' introduced his English counterpart and the Labyrinthian Judge. Taken another step further with the Khura'in Judge in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'' who is an offshoot of the original Judge, but is less likely to get intimidated and is more fair to the defense when they have proven their theories.
33** In the second ''VisualNovel/{{Ace Attorney Investigations|MilesEdgeworth}}'' game, you meet a reporter called Nicole Swift in the first case who seems to be this for Lotta Hart. [[spoiler:However, Lotta herself later shows up, and it turns out the two reporters know each other]].
34** The culprits of the first two games' first cases were petty criminals (a burglar and a con artist, respectively) who impulsively killed their victims to cover up their own crimes, and ineptly tried to pin the murders on the victims' love interests. The main difference between the two is that the first game's first culprit acted polite until being pushed far enough, whereas the second game's first culprit is openly a {{Jerkass}}.
35* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
36** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' introduced us to Gamma, a well-armed red and white humanoid "E-Series" Greek-letter-named robot created by Eggman, who over the course of the game decided to turn against Eggman. At the end of the game, Gamma died. A few years later, ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' brought back a whole bunch of characters, adding no new ones... except Omega, a well-armed red and white humanoid E-Series Greek-letter-named robot created by Eggman who had decided to turn against Eggman. Hmm... On the other hand, they are radically different in terms of personality: while Gamma was a conflicted and ultimately tragic character, Omega is a borderline mechanical psychopath that wants to obliterate his former master (and everything he built) and then ultimately take over. And [[RuleOfCool he talks like a]] [[Series/DoctorWho Dalek]].
37** ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'' has a different Gamma substitute, "Chaos Gamma" -- a mass-produced model based on Gamma without enough intelligence to rebel against its master.
38** ''VideoGame/KnucklesChaotix'' began development as a game starring Sonic and Tails, both of whom were removed from the game early in development. While Tails' space in the character roster was never filled, Sonic's sprites were directly replaced with similarly posed ones for Mighty the Armadillo, an otherwise rarely-seen character who appeared along with Sonic in ''VideoGame/SegaSonicTheHedgehog''.
39** In the ''VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries'', Merlina from ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight'' fills a similar role to Shahra from ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', both being young women with magical powers that brought Sonic into their respective worlds to defeat an evil force, and even serve as a guide of sorts. [[spoiler:Then it becomes subverted with TheReveal that Merlina is the ''real'' BigBad, albeit of [[AntiVillain understandable motives]].]]
40* The [[UpdatedRerelease Maniax Chronicle Edition]] of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' chucks out [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] in exchange for the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series's own [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy Raidou]] [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon Kuzunoha]]. The HD remaster brings both back, with the former as DLC.
41* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'':
42** The first print versions of the NES entry starred Creator/MikeTyson as its final opponent. Eventually Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s license to use Tyson's likeness in a game expired (and since he was no longer the undefeated world heavyweight champion, renewing the license was less desirable... and would become even less so when Tyson was convicted of rape a year later), so the 1990 reissue substituted Tyson with the fictional Mr. Dream, a white boxer who's exactly the same (he even has the same end-of-round quotes). The Wii installment instead decided to repurpose pre-existing black boxer Mr. Sandman as a Tyson pastiche.
43** The Wii installment has Disco Kid, originally an updated version of Kid Quick from the first arcade game. As the staff updated his design, he changed so radically that they decided it would be easier to make a different character out of him. His files on the disc are still labeled "kid_quick."
44** Piston Honda from the NES version was essentially a substitute for Piston Hurricane from the first arcade game. The SNES game brought back Piston Hurricane (along with other previously arcade-exclusive opponents), only to bring back Piston Honda ([[SpellMyNameWithAnS albeit spelled]] Piston Hond'''o''') in the Wii installment.
45* Kratos and Zelos in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', with the latter replacing the former. They are almost identical in regards to combat: Kratos has slightly better stats, but Zelos has slightly different attack animations that make him a bit better at using combos, and their only real differences are titles and a single move they can learn.[[note]]Kratos can learn Judgment in the original NTSC version, but in PAL and HD re-releases, Zelos can learn also Judgment plus the Divine Judgment Overdrive.[[/note]] However, this is {{averted|Trope}} with their personalities: Kratos is a [[TheStoic Stoic]] [[HiredGuns Mercenary]] who [[spoiler:turns out to be an EnigmaticMinion for the BigBad]] and Zelos is a comical [[spoiler: on the outside]] ClassicalAntiHero and TheCasanova, who seems to need babysitting a lot.
46* When Pey'j gets in trouble in ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'', his place in the party is taken by Double H, the soldier. Again, they have completely different characters, but effectively the same function, and only show up together for a brief time in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
47* In the original ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'', the engineer Harry Benson dies. When it was reinvented as an RPG in ''VideoGame/SDSnatcher'', Harry provides all the weapons and ammunition to Gillian. To make sure the player could still buy weapons and bullets after Harry's death, a new character, Geoff, was added as Harry's apprentice. After Harry dies, Geoff takes over the weapons store.
48* ''VideoGame/Pikmin2'': When your main {{Sidekick}} Louie goes missing after you complete the game's main mission, he gets replaced with the President of the Hocotate Shipping Company, who remains with you even after you rescue Louie.
49* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2ThouShaltNotDie'' replaced Ayame Fujieda, the SexyMentor from the first game, with her younger sister Kaede (played by the same voice actress), since Ayame had [[spoiler:[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascended To A Higher Plane Of Existence]]]] at the end of the first game.
50* The jump from Platform/NintendoGameCube to Platform/{{Wii}} caused a few problems with the ''VideoGame/NarutoUltimateNinja'' games, so some characters were left out of ''Clash of Ninja Revolution''. Zabuza's replacement was the shark-swordsman Kisame Hoshigaki. This was probably for the better. In Japan, meanwhile, Sasuke was replaced by his brother Itachi.
51* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
52** In the ''Soulcalibur'' games, Maxi replaces Li Long (from the prequel, ''Soul Edge'') as the game's nunchaku user, after Li's [[spoiler:defeat at the hands of Cervantes]]. Li has only returned as a bonus character in ''Soulcalibur III''.
53** Cassandra replaces Sophitia in ''Soulcalibur II'' (though Sophitia can be unlocked in the home versions), and Yun-seong replaces Hwang in spirit and general appearance, although doesn't have exactly the same moves. It's also notable that in this game the unlockable character Assassin DOES have the same moves as Hwang, and his fellow unlockable Berserker has those of Rock, however neither of these characters are canon to the story and so were probably included due to fanservice (and their use in Story mode). Kilik replaces Seong Mi-na officially although both characters are still available, and [[DivergentCharacterEvolution his moves have become more unique]] by ''III''.
54** In the Korean versions, Mitsurugi was replaced by Arthur, a Caucasian samurai with the same move set. He was then available in ''Soulcalibur III'' as a bonus character.
55** Olcadan in ''Soulcalibur III'', as a replacement for Charade who was a replacement for Edge Master. Bonus points: each one is a DittoFighter, so they ''already'' act like other characters.
56** It's worth mentioning that when ''Soulcalibur'' was in development, Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment wished to completely overhaul the roster and only include a couple of characters from ''Soul Edge/Blade''. Eventually, however, all the characters barring Li Long and Han Myong (Seong Mi-na's father) returned for the home version (Soul Edge was renamed Inferno). Li Long returned later anyway. As a result, some of the characters in ''Soulcalibur'' start off closer to clone characters than they are originally (Kilik, Astaroth, etc.) but end up becoming different later on.
57** ''Soulcalibur V'' takes place about 17 years after ''IV'', and has some of the main cast replaced by new characters, though each is given a sufficient explanation. Natsu replaces Taki, though she is Taki's apprentice. Yan Leixia is Xianghua's daughter. Even though she has sufficient reason to be a fighter in the game, there's no explanation given as to why Xianghua herself isn't playable. Xiba has Kilik's moveset, and the backstory reveals that he is [[spoiler:the estranged son of Kilik and Xianghua, and half-brother of Leixia]]. Patroklos Alexander and Pyrrha Alexandra are the children of Sophitia, who sacrificed her life to save Pyrrha's when she was a child. Both characters have similar fighting styles to both Sophitia and Cassandra, and Pyrrha later becomes a direct copy of Sophitia's moveset later in the storyline. Cassandra herself isn't in the game because [[spoiler:she was sucked into Astral Chaos after she was knocked unconscious by her sister in ''IV'']]. Edge Master comes back from the original ''Soulcalibur'', and Olcadan and Charade are nowhere to be found. He still uses every character's moveset. Kilik himself is still around, but he's an SNKBoss-turned-SecretCharacter who mimics all the male character's movesets, much like Edge Master.
58* ''Vice Project Doom'': Your character's informant that they talk to at the end of each stage will leave partially through the game. A stand-in will fill in for her. You find out where your original informant went as the game progresses.
59* Each major entry in the ''VideoGame/ApeEscape'' series replaces the previous KidHero with a new one. In ''Ape Escape 2'', Spike gets replaced by his cousin Jimmy (though he can be unlocked as a secret character). Jimmy gets replaced by Kei and [[DistaffCounterpart Yumi]] in ''Ape Escape 3''. Meanwhile, their aunt Aki replaces both the Professor ''and'' Natalie in their roles. Dr. Tomoki takes over Jake's role as [[BigBad Specter's]] dragon. However, all of them have distinct personalities.
60* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'':
61** Due to him being an obvious [[CaptainErsatz ripoff]] of Tetsuo Shima from the ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' manga (or because SNK just [[CreatorsPest don't plain like him]]), K9999 from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2001'' was kicked out in the UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2002'' (''Unlimited Match'') and replaced by "Nameless," whose fighting style is fundamentally identical to K9999's as well as his backstory, being cloned from Kyo and K'. While K9999 is a complete jerk, Nameless' story makes him [[TheWoobie rather sympathetic]] (thanks to his MoralityPet Isolde).
62** ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXV'' introduces a new fighter named Krohnen, but anyone who's vaguely familiar with K9999 or Nameless instantly recognized how identical his moves were with theirs. [[spoiler:His story drops very obvious hints, and his ending outright confirms, [[CanonCharacterAllAlong he's actually K9999]].]]
63** Once they got PromotedToPlayable, Vice and Mature's original role as Rugal's secretaries was taken over by Aya and Hermoine in ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters98''.
64* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
65** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'', one of the opponents is Mike, a disgraced African-American boxer. ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' introduces Balrog, also a disgraced African-American boxer. What makes matters really confusing is that Balrog's name in the Japanese version is "M. Bison", which was meant to be short for "Mike Bison", so the series has two separate characters named Mike who are both disgraced African American boxers. It was thought for many years that the two characters were actually the same person, but ''Street Fighter II'' co-creator Akira Nishitani has made it clear that he never intended to the "Boxer" character to be Mike from the first game and has apologized for the confusion. Most guidebooks and even the Capcom Fighting Network website has separate character pages for each.
66** The arcade mode in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'' has six different versions themed around each game in the franchise. In the ''Street Fighter I'' themed arcade mode, Balrog is playable despite not being in the first game, since he's so similar to Mike. The ending even lampshades this, with Balrog having a dream where Mike is mistakenly given credit for his victory. Newcomer Zeku also appears in this mode as a substitute for Geki, the ninja opponent who has been OutOfFocus since the first game.
67** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'', Guile, the Air Force lieutenant seeking revenge for his dead comrade, is replaced with Charlie, another member of the Air Force. Though in-universe, it's the other way around; ''Alpha'' is a prequel to ''Street Fighter II'', so it would thus make Guile a replacement for Charlie (and, in fact, Charlie is the "dead comrade" Guile is seeking to avenge in ''SFII'').
68** Remy from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' is a much less confusing example, using Guile/Charlie's moves but coming after them both in and out of the universe.
69** Also from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' we have Urien, brother of FinalBoss Gill. Visually, the only difference between the two are their colors and heads, and while their moves have enough difference in them to make them unique characters. it's very obvious that Urien was created to be a toned-down, playable, tournament legal Gill. Interestingly, the fact that he's an interesting character and an effective fighter in his own right has made him ''more'' popular than Gill, who has ''never'' been playable outside of console releases and has never been tournament legal.
70** In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', one of characters introduced in Season 3's is [[OneLetterName G]]. He's one of the brand new characters, but is suspiciously similar to Q from ''Street Fighter III''. Not only his name, but some of his attacks look nearly identical to Q's and his Story costume gives him a trenchcoat, hat, and mask with very close colors. Both of their backstories are a complete mystery, so it's not confirmed how the two are related, but a popular theory is that G was Q before the Illuminati turn him BrainwashedAndCrazy.
71* In ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes Marvel vs. Capcom]]'', the developers couldn't use Comicbook/IronMan due to licensing issues, despite being previously featured in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'', so they simply [[PaletteSwap recolored his sprite]] from that game to make Comicbook/WarMachine. When Capcom was able to use Iron Man again for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'', they gave War Machine the moveset of his "Hyper War Machine" counterpart from the previous game in order to [[DivergentCharacterEvolution distinguish him]] from Iron Man, who used War Machine's regular moveset from the previous game (which in turn, was based on Iron Man's move set from ''Marvel Super Heroes'').
72* The heroes of ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe III'', Kain Grinder and Sarah Barn, look and fight similarly to Ax Battler and Tyris Flare, respectively (to the point that the English manual for the Virtual Console version refers to them as such). Sarah even gets Tyris' repertoire of fire magic. Gilius Thunderhead is the only character from the previous installments to return in that game, though not as a playable character.
73* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
74** Between ''Resident Evil 1.5'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Elza Walker, John, and Linda were redesigned into/replaced by Claire Redfield, Robert Kendo, and Ada Wong, respectively.
75** The "Hooked Man" prototype of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' had paranormally animated suits of armor, while the final version has Plagas-controlled armor suits, and Ashley replaces Sherry as the DamselInDistress (ironically when a older Sherry reappears later in ''Resident Evil 6'' she’s a dead ringer for Ashley).
76** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' Steve Burnside is unmistakably a substitute for Leon Kennedy right down to the uncanny [=DiCaprio=]-PrettyBoy haircut and face as well as the cool ladies’s man personality (it appears Leon was going to be in CV originally before getting taken out and replaced with Steve). Probably the only big difference between them besides their backstories is that Steve has an overt romantic teasing with Claire something the Ada-focused Leon didn’t, though even that becomes moot when Leon has a ShipTease with Claire in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake later]] [[Anime/ResidentEvilInfiniteDarkness titles]] anyway. It’s also likely that Capcom didn’t want to kill Leon off, so created Steve instead.
77** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'':
78*** Carlos Oliveira can be seen as a substitute for Chris Redfield, being the green vest and grey pants wearing hunky commando and close partner of Jill Valentine. Carlos’s squad the U.B.C.S is also extremely similar to S.T.A.R.S filling in their RedShirtArmy role from the first game. The [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake remake]] if anything heightens the similarities to Chris, darkening Carlos’s hair, giving him a similar outfit to what Chris wears in later games and even giving Carlos a MegatonPunch melee attack — much like what Chris has from ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 RE5]]'' onwards.
79*** Nikolai Zinoviev is this for Albert Wesker being the MoleInCharge and TeamKiller who at first appears affable before revealing his true colours to the heroes. Not to mention in one of the endings he can get killed by Nemesis very similar to how Wesker is struck down by the Tyrant.
80** ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor Resident Evil Dead Aim]]'' protagonists Bruce [=McGivern=] (American serviceman) and Fong Ling (Chinese agent) are clear substitutes for Leon and Ada, due to the game originally going to be an early version of ''[=RE4=]'' with said characters as the leads that was scrapped turned into a different game altogether. Fong Ling’s strong allusions to Ada are ironic though as she’s a [[SpiesAreDespicable spy hunter who despises backstabbers]].
81** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations'' Parker Luciani is a stand-in for Barry Burton being TheBigGuy with a manly beard and packing serious firepower. WordOfGod confirmed he was based directly on Barry. Also in the same game there’s Jessica Sherawat whose role is highly akin to Ada, being the FemmeFataleSpy who is highly flirtatious with TheHero (albeit Chris doesn’t [[ChasteHero respond]] to her in the way Leon that does with Ada).
82** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'':
83*** Piers Nivans is in many ways this for Jill (who was PutOnABus after 5) being Chris’s deeply trusted OldFriend that he’s known and worked with closely for years and go above and beyond to look after each other. Even losing all their squad mates and growing closer over it, echoes Chris and Jill being survivors of S.T.A.R.S together. Piers even gets infected and gets superpowers like Jill does [[spoiler:albeit fatally in Piers’ case.]]
84*** Helena Harper is an apparent substitute for Claire being the strong and caring female partner of Leon whose storyline is concerning the search for a missing sibling (Deborah) much like how Claire was searching for Chris in 2. That coupled with a physical resemblance and the knowledge that Claire was supposed to be in 6 before being taken out to be in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations2'' only helps this.
85*** Derek C. Simmons was this for Wesker (who was KilledOffForReal in 5) being the superpowered LargeHam SmugSnake MadScientist who’s been orchestrating events behind the scenes and has a ArchEnemy rivalry with Leon much like Wesker with Chris. Even Simmons’ role as Ada’s boss is very similar to Wesker in 4.
86*** Ustanak the ImplacableMan of the game is by the most glaring example of this being a clear substitute for Nemesis right down to the ScaryTeeth, FacialHorror, black clothing and metallic parts to his body. Like Nemesis, Ustanak has NighInvulnerability and the only way to kill him for sure is to AttackItsWeakPoint.
87** ''Anime/ResidentEvilInfiniteDarkness'': Shen Mei is almost suspiciously similar to Ada (so much so people initially thought she was Ada) being a Chinese-American FemmeFatale whom flirts with Leon but also treated sympathetically within the story. [[spoiler: She lacks Ada’s main character PlotArmor however, getting killed off in the final episode.]]
88* From one ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' game to the next, half the cast will be this for the previous game. There's a [[Characters/FireEmblemHeroicArchetypes set of]] [[Characters/FireEmblemAntagonistArchetypes archetypes]] that are well known in the fandom such as the two (occasionally three) cavaliers and the [[CrutchCharacter Jagen]]. More specific examples:
89** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'': The game is divided into two halves, with a 17-years TimeSkip in-between, because the cast of the second half are actually grown-up children born by the playable female characters during the first half. However, since this game features unit PermaDeath ''and'' RelationshipValues that determine if a character has kids (and by whom), it is possible for some or all potential mothers to die childless. So, to avoid disadvantaging the player too much, each child character has a replacement unit with slightly weaker stats but [[StaticRoleExchangeableCharacter exactly the same role story-wise]] in the second half.
90** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' -- full circle, actually. Nils is the not so SpoonyBard in the introductory campaign, then he's replaced by Ninian, his sister. But then [[spoiler:Ninian kicks the bucket, so Nils replaces her in the final battle]].
91** Danved from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' claims to be this to Devdan from its predecessor ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', but [[PaperThinDisguise he isn't fooling anyone]]. Game mechanics treat them as the same person.
92** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' has Selena, Laslow, Odin, Asugi, Caeldori, and Rhajat, all based on Severa, Inigo, Owain, Gaius, Cordelia, and Tharja from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''. [[spoiler:The first trio ''are'' the same characters they were allegedly based on, and the second trio are hinted to be reincarnations.]]
93** One of the series' most recurring classes is the Pegasus Knight, and it's been established that in-lore, Pegasi only allow women to ride them. How did ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' accomplish the removal of gender restrictions for all classes while still keeping this iconic element? By introducing a new class called "Sky Knight" ("Tenma Knight" in Japanese), that is functionally identical to Pegasus Knight but doesn't ride an actual Pegasus.
94* In the PSP Game ''VideoGame/JeanneDArc'', [[spoiler:Liane is burned at the stake in Jeanne's place, and replaced by Cuisses]], who is, thankfully, virtually the same. (Because [[spoiler:Liane]] was probably one of your healers)
95* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''
96** Peach (who originally debuted in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'') is a substitute for Pauline, the damsel in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', and she's one of the few examples to overshadow her predecessor. When they brought back Pauline in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong94'', they had to dye her hair color to brown to distinguish her. Some Japanese fans mistakenly believe the ''[=DK94=]'' version of Pauline to be a different character from the Pauline in the original 1981 arcade game, due to Pauline originally being named Lady in Japan.
97** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'':
98*** Princess Daisy took up the "[[DamselInDistress kidnapped princess]]" role Peach normally has in other Mario games. She looks so similar to Peach in this game that, for over a decade, many people thought that she ''was'' Peach, and that "Daisy" was just her nickname. By the [=GameCube=] era she was made into an [[DivergentCharacterEvolution individual character]].
99*** Some of the enemies are very similar to those of the other games: The Bombshell Koopas are exploding clones of Koopa Troopas, the Goombo enemy is based on the Goomba, and the Bullet Biff enemy is basically a miniature Bullet Bill.
100** The Volcano Lotuses of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' are the terrestrial substitutes of Lava Lotuses, aquatic plant enemies in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. The classic Goombas are also absent, replaced by Galoombas. The catch is that while it was made clear that they're a different species in Japan, the English translation called them Goombas despite their differences in appearance and gameplay mechanics from other Goombas in the series, until ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' corrected the misconception.
101** The Amps (round-shaped electric enemies that move in circles or around solid objects and platforms) have majorly replaced the Sparks from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJunior'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', as well as the Li'l Sparkies and Hotheads from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' (though these would return 33 years later in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'').
102** Pewee Piranha and Digga Leg from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' are suspiciously similar substitutes to Dino Piranha and Megaleg from the original ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. The former is even found in the same general point in the game as the latter, and defeated in nearly the same way. Dino Piranha and Peewee Piranha are also similar to Petey Piranha in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' being Piranha Plants acting as the first main boss of the game. Also, the Topmen from Galaxy are the same thing as the Bullies from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', both being enemies defeated by being pushed off the edge of the platform. They even both have nearly the same boss battles in the ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' series!
103** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has [[StockNessMonster Plessie]] who looks and acts like a giant Yoshi and has the same function as Dorrie from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''.
104** The Broodals from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' are a lot like the Koopalings from the past games, with similar designs and attack patterns (albeit replacing the shell ducking part with them ducking into their hats). They're also a lot like Boom Boom and Pom Pom, who play similar mini-boss roles.
105** The partners in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' have many of the same abilities as the ones in the original game. Goombella and Koops have the same attacks and field abilities as Goombario and Kooper, except upgraded. Admiral Bobbery has the same field ability as Bombette (who is also a Bob-Omb) and Vivian and the baby Yoshi's field abilities are functionally identical to Bow and Parakarry's respectively. Ms. Mowz has similar hunting and defense piercing abilities as Watt but is less powerful while Flurrie is the only one with a unique field move but all of her attacks are the same as Lakilester's. Personality-wise they are all different, though Vivian and Lakilester both betray the BigBad to join Mario.
106** Foreman Spike from ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' was Mario's original rival, an irritable tough guy with crazy facial hair and a grudge. He was essentially a prototype version of Wario and Waluigi; ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS'' even lampshades this by having Waluigi's default kart, the Gold Mantis, be Spike's steam shovel.
107* In ''VideoGame/YoshisIslandDS'', about half the bosses and a good few of the levels are nearly the same things as their equivalents from the first game. The Big Burt Bros are the most obvious; they're just two smaller versions of Burt the Bashful, killed the exact same way and found in a level with roughly the same layout. Others include Bungee Piranha (which is very much like Naval Piranha, complete with a castle designed like a sewer system) and Bowser himself, who acts as a near identical replacement to both Hookbill the Koopa and the giant version of his baby self.
108* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'':
109** Diddy Kong replaces Donkey Kong Jr. as Donkey Kong's chimp KidSidekick. Diddy was originally meant to be a redesign of Jr., but Nintendo thought he looked too different.
110** In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', the playable characters Tiny and Chunky Kong are almost identical in form and function to Dixie and Kiddy Kong from ''VideoGame/{{Donkey Kong Country 2|DiddysKongQuest}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble 3]]'' respectively. The instruction booklet states they're the younger sister and older brother of the two. Tiny eventually grew out of this when she received an age-up.
111* In ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'', [[spoiler: after Emma's HeroicSacrifice, her daughter Emmy immediately comes to replace her as one of the Four Generals of Athlum.]]
112* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
113** From ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' onward, ''Pokémon'' games feature Pokémon that are somewhat similar (or substitutes) of already existing Mons. For example, instead of Caterpie, Metapod, Butterfree, Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill as Bug-type Mons that evolve from worm-like creatures with a cocoon stage in the middle, we get Wurmple (essentially Weedle, with same stats and attacks) which can evolve into Silcoon, then Beautifly (similar to Butterfree) or Cascoon, then Dustox (a Poison-type like Beedrill, but a moth).
114** Also, Seviper replaces Ekans and Arbok in Hoenn games, due to the latter two not being native to Hoenn.
115** Most of the male protagonists are this to the original hero, Red. Ethan, Brendan, and Lucas take after his original design while Hilbert, Nate, and Calem take after his modern one. The latter two are also copies of Hilbert, most obviously with Nate. Rosa bears a strong resemblance to Hilda. Both protagonists of ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' look like Calem and Serena from ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY''.
116** And more obviously, each game features different monsters filling certain gameplay 'slots'; the Fire/Water/Grass starter trio, rodenty Normal-type and bird Flying-type ComMons, and so on.
117** And every new generation introduces a new cute electric species with colored cheeks in an apparent attempt to replicate Pikachu (even in games where Pikachu can be caught!).
118** Also, there's Team Magma/Aqua stealing Team Rocket's spot as the antagonistic gang... then Galactic in Gen IV, Plasma in V, Flare in VI, and Skull in VII. The fact they always carry the "Team" prefix (or the "Dan" suffix in Japanese) doesn't help to hide this trope's invocation.
119** ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' introduces ''Samson'' Oak, the cousin of Professor Samuel Oak. He looks almost identical to the good Prof, except with longer hair and a much darker tan.
120* While ''Final Fight 2'', the straight-to-Platform/{{SNES}} sequel to ''VideoGame/FinalFight'', kept Haggar from the original game, it also replaced Guy and Cody with Guy's sister-in-law Maki and South American swordsman Carlos respectively. While their techniques have many aesthetic differences from their predecessors (i.e.: Carlos uses his sword for his special attack instead of a spinning jump kick), they have the same effect and they even have the same abilities (Maki can do an off-the-wall jump kick, while Carlos can stab enemies with a knife without throwing it).
121* Lampshaded in the intro of ''VideoGame/{{MegaRace}} 2''. Lance tells his assistant, "You're fired," then turns to the camera and says, "Just kidding, folks. You'll be seeing Charlene, or somebody surprisingly similar, throughout the show. Believe me, you won't tell the difference. ''I'' won't, and I should know."
122* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'':
123** In ''Dead or Alive 2'', Bayman from the original game was replaced by another character named Leon, who had the same moveset. When Bayman was brought back in later versions, he and Leon were given different movesets.
124** ''Dead Or Alive 4'' had a ''[[Franchise/{{Halo}} Spartan]]'', Nicole-458 as a guest character. While Nicole doesn't appear in later games, ''Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate'' has Rachel from ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' who has more than a few of Nicole's moves.
125* ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'' for the Platform/SegaGenesis substituted the traditional ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' heroes of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean with four new characters. Among the cast includes Sheena Etranzi (a female commando), Brad Fang (a cyborg werewolf), Browny (a tiny robot), and Ray Poward (a standard male commando). Guess which of these characters is most like Bill Rizer (hint: it's not the woman, the werewolf, nor the robot)...
126* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', perky {{ninja}} girl Kunoichi got replaced by Nene, the wife of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. They meet up briefly in a gaiden battle in ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi 2'', and Kunoichi {{lampshade|Hanging}}s said replacement: "Well, if it isn't my SpiritualSuccessor!" (And those are her exact words).
127* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
128** Galuf from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' is replaced mid-game by his granddaughter Krile, who inherits all his experience, items, and job mastery. Averted in all other ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games.
129** Trials in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' usually consist of a battle against a Primal, a PhysicalGod made of Aether and summoned by a specific beast tribe. As [[AlternateUniverse the First]], the setting of the ''Shadowbringers'' expansion, is too Aether-starved to allow Primal summoning, the expansion's trials use non-Primal entities with similar levels of power and connection to a specific race: [[spoiler:Titania, the [[LightIsNotGood Light-corrupted]] king of TheFairFolk; Innocence, the most powerful of the [[AngelicAbomination Sin Eaters]]; and Hades, the true form of one of the leaders of the Ascians.]]
130* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
131** Namine in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'' is remarkably similar to Kairi, even down to the ThemeNaming ("nami" and "kai" both mean sea-related things). And, disturbingly, seems to be replacing her over the course of the game even in Sora's memories, despite [[RememberTheNewGuy having never been mentioned before]]. This all turns out to be part of the Organization's evil plot, and Namine's similarity to Kairi is because she's Kairi's Nobody.
132** According to WordOfGod, Roxas was made one of these on purpose in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 days]]'', due to worries that people might be uncomfortable playing through the whole game with a character who plays too differently from Sora. So his stats, abilities, and magical capabilities were Sora-fied. Roxas is also Sora's Nobody, which players of ''Kingdom Hearts II'' will already know about.
133* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', everytime Link gets an ExpositionFairy who actually ''is'' a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin fairy]], she will be this to the original ExpositionFairy herself, Navi. Although Tatl is considerably less helpful ("It's a bombchu! you don't know how to defeat them?")
134* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'':
135** Nu-13 was killed off at the end of ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger'' by falling into a dead time-stream. ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'' introduced Lambda-11, who re-uses Nu's sprites and rebalanced versions of Nu's moves. Justified because both characters are mass-produced robot clones.
136** ''Continuum Shift'' later reveals that [[spoiler: Lambda-11 actually has Nu's soul.]] Then [[spoiler: Lambda also dies in the end of ''Continuum Shift''.]], and in ''VideoGame/BlazBlueChronophantasma'', [[spoiler:Nu-13 returns exactly the way she was in Calamity Trigger. Unfortunately for those who liked Lambda-11's character development, thanks to Continuum Shift's True End, is null and void. Because you can hardly carry that kind of stuff onwards when you're a cyborg and your brain gets reset to factory settings thanks to being destroyed, and then self-regenerated]]. ''[[SubvertedTrope Then]]'' Lambda came back in ''Extend'', inheriting Nu's Luna Form half moves and effectively pushing Lambda out of this trope and into being a MovesetClone coexisitng alongside Nu.
137* In ''[[VideoGame/RivalSchools Project Justice]]'', LargeAndInCharge school principal Raizo doesn't make a playable appearance, the storyline explanation being that he was hospitalized thanks to an assassination attempt on his life. When that assassin (Kurow) becomes playable, his movelist is Raizo's own, with a few completely new moves thrown in to differentiate the two.
138* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' replaces [[spoiler: Lavitz with Albert after the former's death]] and also replaces Shana with Miranda later on. Functionally, they're almost identical, having the same additions and spells with a few minor traits.
139* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGate 2'', [[spoiler: Imoen, a red-haired human thief/mage is captured early in the game. Luckily, Nalia, a red-haired human thief/mage is one of the first [=NPCs=] encountered afterwards.]] In terms of party utility, [[spoiler: Yoshimo also counts as Imoen's substitute. He is also a thief-type class]], becomes available shortly before the need for replacement appears and right after he becomes unavailable, the original character returns.
140* In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series:
141** The late-game MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', [[spoiler:Alistair and Teyrn Loghain]], are both StoneWall-type Grey Warden warriors, making them almost identical gameplay-wise (though their personalities are markedly different).
142** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' features a snarky, bitchy, forest-dwelling, human-hating mage as a party member. No, Morrigan doesn't make a comeback; it's only Velanna.
143** {{Discussed|Trope}} and {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. In party banter, Varric quickly pegs Blackwall as the party's goody-two-shoes and an older version of [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII Sebastian Vael]]. As party banter continues and Blackwall's personal quest plays out, it is clear that Blackwall and Sebastian's backstories and motivations are completely different. Varric first starts to suspect this when Blackwall points out innuendo that Sebastian would have been completely oblivious to.
144* ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' has Ness, who is Ninten from [[VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings the first game]] with a backpack; Paula, who is Ana with a different hairstyle; and Jeff, who is Lloyd with a school uniform. Somewhat done in ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' with Lucas taking over Ninten and Ness's roles, except he looks completely different, but completely averted with Kumatora, who is completely unlike Paula and Ana, except for somewhat similar PSI.
145* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'':
146** After the supposed death of the four-armed Shokan sub-boss Goro in the first game, ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'' introduced Kintaro, another four-armed Shokan sub-boss. It is likely for this reason that Kintaro is rarely used in adaptations of the franchise, as the comics, TV shows and movies tend to simply use the more popular Goro instead.
147** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'', Reiko replaced Noob Saibot early in development, as Noob's character model was considered too dark by playtesters, although Noob would show up in the console versions as a hidden fighter. Likewise Jarek was originally planned to be Kano, but was redesigned into a new character with barely any change in his move set, when the developers felt that there were not enough new fighters in the roster.
148** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance'' introduced Li Mei, a female Outworld martial artist with a very similar aesthetic to Mileena. Like Mileena, Li Mei wore purple and fought with a pair of sai. Tellingly, Li Mei discarded the sai in favor of a sword when when Mileena returned in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'', though she retained the purple color scheme and Mileena's outfit was pink instead.
149** ''Deception'' introduced Kira, a Black Dragon member whose gameplay was borrowed almost entirely from Kano and Sonya. Like Kano, she used knives, a RollingAttack and the Xing Yi fighting style, while her Kiss of Death move and Kenpo fighting style were taken from Sonya.
150* Robo from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' => Grobyc from ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' -- they don't look nor sound anything alike, but fill the same character archetype (read "Grobyc" backward), complete with lack of magical ability -- Robo is completely magic-inert (though lasers and tech-generated electricity count as [[CastingAShadow Shadow]] attacks), while Grobyc can cast magic but sucks at it and has one of the weakest Element grids.
151* ''Franchise/MassEffect''
152** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' can have this depending on the player's actions in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. If Wrex survived the first game, he will appear on Tuchanka leading his clan. If he was killed, it will be his brother Wreav, offering the same quests and exposition (although his personality is notably different). Likewise, if you saved the colony of Zhu's Hope but let Shiala die, an unnamed human colonist will appear in her place on Illium to offer the same quest.
153** Because [[MechanicalLifeforms the Geth]] don't play nearly as big a role in ''Mass Effect 2'' -- and they undergo CharacterDevelopment to make them seem much less villainous -- the various enemy factions' [[MechaMooks "mech" units]] end up filling their old roles as disposable robotic adversaries. The weak LOKI mechs are analogous to the basic Geth troopers, the quick quadrupedal FENRIR mechs are analogous to Geth Stalkers, and the giant lumbering YMIR mechs are analogous to Geth Primes.
154** Similarly, the plot of the first game wrapped up the story appearances of [[BugWar the rachni]], so a random, generic species called the Klixen suddenly showed up in the sequel, being this to Rachni Soldiers (albeit mostly mechanically; you'd never think they were the same species if you got a good look at them side by side). In fact, during Grunt's RiteOfPassage the Klixen are used during the segment that represents the Rachni Wars as convenient stand-ins.
155** To a degree, Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor act as substitutes to Ashley Williams and Kaidan Alenko, who get relegated to a brief cameo in the second game [[spoiler: depending on which one survived the first game]]. Just like Ashley and Kaidan, they serve as Shepard's default squad-mates and possible human love interests (depending on Shepard's gender), one is a sassy human woman with a noticeable resentment of aliens, and the other is a loyal human man with a talent for biotics and a long history in the military. Note that they grow past their SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute status as they undergo CharacterDevelopment, and [[spoiler: either Kaidan or Ashley]] ultimately [[TheBusCameBack returns]] for a larger role in the third game.
156** In [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 the third game]], there are quite a few of these, since any or all of your squad can die in ''2'' if you're not careful. Mordin is replaced by another salarian named Padok Wiks (who appears regardless, but quickly vanishes if Mordin is still alive), Grunt is replaced by a generic krogan soldier, Miranda is replaced by her sister Oriana, Tali is replaced by Admiral Xen on the Dreadnought and Admiral Raan on Rannoch, and [[spoiler:Legion]] is replaced by...[[spoiler:a backup copy of itself (who doesn't have memory of Shepard)]]. Garrus, Jacob, Jack, Zaeed, Kasumi, Samara, and Thane simply have their parts skipped if they died. Joker will even [[LampshadeHanging insist on referring to]] Padok as "Not-Mordin". The lampshading is even more blatant with [[spoiler:the one for Legion. Characters keep calling it "Legion", only for it to inevitably reply "We are not Legion".]] In most of those cases, the outcomes of various situations will be different with the substitutes than with the originals, often to the player's detriment. [[spoiler:It is notably impossible to avert the GenocideDilemma between the quarians and geth unless both Tali and Legion are alive.]]
157** The most extreme example is the original Citadel Council. If left to die in ''Mass Effect 1'', they are replaced in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' by a "new" Council that uses ''slightly'' different models but mostly the same dialogue. Although, notably, the replacement salarian councilor is female, and the one time Udina calls them by their personal names -- the only instance they're named in all three games -- the names are different for the old and new Council. Notably, the replacement turian councillor, Quentius, is far less opposed towards the idea of [[WeAreStrugglingTogether the races uniting their forces rather than focusing on defending themselves]] compared to his predecessor, [[MemeticMutation "Ah yes, Reapers"]] Sparatus.
158** ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' introduces a whole new set of characters, but many of the trilogy's archetypes still show up in a similar fashion. Director Tann assumes Donnel Udina's role as the primary ObstructiveBureaucrat, Nakmor Drack takes over from Urdnot Wrex as the resident shotgun-wielding [[BloodKnight krogan veteran warrior]], Liam Costa is the game's generic black guy that Jacob Taylor was for ME 2 and 3, and so on. The kett share way many similarities with the Reapers both in gameplay and motivations.
159* ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'' gives us the Black Baron, former grand champion of the [[VideoGame/MadWorld Varrigan City DeathWatch]]. Oh wait, no, that's actually the Black''er'' Baron, a cyborg pimp who acts and fights just like the blackface battler.
160* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'':
161** ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheLastSpecter'' is a {{prequel}}, and therefore set before Layton meets Inspector Chelmey or Don Paolo. So there's a different Scotland Yard inspector and deranged supervillain.
162** Ernest Greeves from ''VideoGame/LaytonsMysteryJourneyKatrielleAndTheMillionairesConspiracy'' takes many cues from Luke Triton (being the protagonist's assistant and biggest admirer). Ironically, in the game's last chapter, [[spoiler:he acts closer to Clive, Luke's "future" impersonator in ''Unwound Future'']].
163* Rena Hayami, the protagonist of ''R: Racing Evolution'', a simulation spinoff of the ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' series, bears a resemblance to Reiko Nagase from the main series.
164* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
165** When the Zul'Aman instance was retooled from a 10-man Level 70 raid to a 5-man Level 85 Heroic dungeon, the final boss, Zul'Jin, being canonically dead as of Cataclysm, was replaced by Daakara the Invincible. While Zul'jin started as a troll, then turned into a bear, eagle, lynx and dragonhawk in turn each time players took off 20% health, Daakara started as a troll, then switched to either a bear then an eagle, or a lynx then a dragonhawk, with mostly similar mechanics to Zul'jin's versions of the forms.
166** In the Blackrock Depths instance, if players completed the quest to rescue Princess Moira from Dagran Thaurissan, she would be replaced by a Priestess of Thaurissan on subsequent encounters, who would also heal Dagran.
167** In the updated version of Scarlet Monastery for Mists of Pandaria, Renault Mograine, [[spoiler:having been killed by the spirit of his father in the Ashbringer event]] is replaced by Scarlet Commander Durand as Whitemane's partner in the DualBoss battle.
168* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'': When Gat dies in the second mission, Shaundi, previously the FunPersonified OneOfTheBoys character from the second game, becomes the boss's borderline psychotic ally while Pierce, formerly the AmbiguouslyGay ButtMonkey, takes on Gat's role as the Boss's right-hand man. While Pierce got to keep his personality, Shaundi had little to nothing of her former self left. Does it count as SSS if the replacement was an already existing character?
169* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' reveals Shaundi from ''Saints Row 2'' and Shaundi from ''Saints Row the Third'' as being a character in the game, so Shaundi from Saints Row the Third is actually a SSS for Gat personality-wise, and a SSS for Shaundi from ''Saints Row 2'' name wise.
170* Grobnar Gnomehands in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'' shares several qualities with Deekin Scalesinger from the expansion packs to the [[VideoGame/NeverwinterNights first game]], being an [[TheScrappy annoying]], diminutive SpoonyBard.
171* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'':
172** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars4'', gamers are introduced to three new units -- the Gespenst, which resembles [=GM=]s, the Huckebein, which resembles a {{Franchise/Gundam}} and the Grungust, which is one part Anime/MazingerZ, one part Anime/{{Daitarn 3}}. They act as this trope once they make the jump to ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration''.
173** Creator/{{Sunrise}}, the studio that owns ''Gundam'', complained about the Huckebein series[[note]]Never mind that it was created by Hajime Katoki, one of the better-known ''Gundam'' mecha designers[[/note]]. When ''Second Original Generations'' came around, an enemy character deliberately destroys the entire Huckebein line (which were all conveniently gathered in one place and vulnerable), and they're replaced by the Exbein, which is literally nothing but the old Huckebein Mk-III with a less Gundam-like face. After this incident, TheFederation simply decides to stop making Huckebeins.
174** And then it comes full circle with the Exbein, in ''Original Generation 3'', becoming the next step in the Huckebein development. ''After'' the Mk-III, not ''in spite of''. This made anime continuity all but impossible for most writers out there.
175* In ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'', the [[VolumetricMouth Choir Boys]] from Glee Club were {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s, so for ''Rhythm Heaven Fever'', the mascot Marshal was based on their design, with Cam and Miss Ribbon added to make the use of this trope less obvious.
176* [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers If you saw RUF listed in a game's car lineup, it was likely there would be no Porsches in the game]]. This was due to Creator/ElectronicArts holding exclusive rights to the Porsche brand in videogames.
177** This began with 2000's ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedPorscheUnleashed''. [=RUF=] are considered a manufacturer due to them building their cars from the ground-up with their own parts and materials, instead of merely rebadging a ready-made car. Their models are mostly based on and resemble Porsche vehicles. It is the resemblance that makes them a perfect candidate for a stand-in. The original cars RUF had manufactured were [=R50=] concept and [=CTR3=], [[IAmNotShazam which aren't based on any existing Porsche platforms]].
178** The ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'' series featured Porsche in ''Motorsport 3'', but when ''Motorsport 4'' came around, Porsche was totally absent due to [[ExecutiveMeddling meddling]] from Electronic Arts, with only a trio of [=RUF 911s=] replacing the 20+ Porsches missing. An expansion pack was later released which re-added Porsche, though Porsches were not featured in any other DLC. When ''Forza Horizon'' came out, Porsche was, yet again, absent.
179** One exception was ''[[VideoGame/MidnightClub Midnight Club 3]]'', which featured Gemballa rather than RUF as its roundabout way of getting Porsche and even Ferrari into the game.
180** The contract for the exclusive rights ended in 2016, probably one of the reasons being Dieselgate scandal that hard-hit Porsche[[note]]now part of Volkswagen Group since 2012[[/note]] that year. Porsche cars are now featured in more non-[=EA=] racing games, such as ''Project [=CARS=] 2'', ''VideoGame/GranTurismo Sport'', ''The Crew'', ''Asphalt 9: Legends'', as well as ''Forza'''s most recent titles, ''Horizon 3'' and ''Motorsport 7''. This also means that [=RUF=]s will see sharply reduced video game presence from now on.
181** ''Videogame/AssettoCorsa'' features ''both'' RUF and Porsche because the game was still receiving content additions by the time the exclusive rights contract ended as detailed above. The RUF is a base game content while the Porsche is a DLC.
182* ''VideoGame/DriverSanFrancisco'' in addition to the usual Ruf business features the stupidly rare Aston Martin Cygnet, presumably to have a Japanese compact like the Toyota iQ it's based on (Toyota does not allow licensing its vehicles outside of games with closed tracks).
183* ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon FEAR 2: Project Origin]]'' has this in the form of Redd Jankowski, brother of Spencer from the first game, who also has the same voice actor. Both are killed early on in the story.
184* ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter: Dark Mirror'''s Red Jack is this to Anton Girdeux from the first game. Both are their respective games' first proper boss, are armed with oversized flamethrowers, and ImmuneToBullets outside of their [[ExplodingBarrels fuel tank backpacks]].
185* ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' introduced Pyramid Head, perhaps the most iconic monster in the entire [[Franchise/SilentHill Silent Hill franchise]]. As a result, similar creatures have appeared in several other games:
186** ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins'' has The Butcher, who even carries an oversized cleaver in place of Pyramid Head's iconic [[{{BFS}} Great Knife]].
187** Meanwhile, something very much like Pyramid Head appears in ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'', though it's unclear if this is actually Pyramid Head or something that looks like Pyramid Head, but has a different name.
188** ''VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour'' has a hulking fiend called the Bogeyman.
189* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadTelltale'': Jane in Season 2 is this to Molly in Season 1. Both are tough female survivors with an inclination towards stealth and [[CombatPragmatist dirty fighting]], both have a [[IWorkAlone loner]] attitude brought on by [[spoiler:losing younger sisters in tragic circumstances]], both have extremely pragmatic and somewhat ruthless attitudes towards survival that raise more than a few eyebrows, and both [[spoiler:only stay with the party for a while before leaving due to personal reasons, though Jane [[ChangedMyMindKid returns at the beginning of the final episode of the season]] and plays a major role in the ending]].
190* In ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis2'', Christie fills the role of the red-dressed DamselInDistress Rachel from the first game, down to having the same voice actress, Lynn Harris.
191* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
192** Yosuke Hanamura from ''VideoGame/Persona4'' is this to Junpei Iori from ''VideoGame/Persona3''. They're both of the Magician Arcana, and both the first to join the protagonist's party. They also both transferred to the school the year prior, thus bond with the NewTransferStudent protagonist because they know what it's like being the new guy. And finally, they both are a LoveableSexManiac, despite having a canon love interest [[spoiler: who dies as part of the storyline]].
193** Yusuke Kitagawa from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' is this to Jun Kurosu from ''VideoGame/Persona2''. Not only is Yusuke's character design basically a copy of Jun's, but they both have troubled upbringings that involve being abandoned by their mothers, as well as great interest in beauty.
194** Sojiro Sakura from ''Persona 5'' is this to Ryotaro Dojima from ''Persona 4''. Both of them take in the protagonist due to being connected to their parents (respectively as a friend of the protagonist's parents and as the mother's younger brother), have a daughter who factors into the plot, and both represent [[TarotMotifs the Hierophant Arcana]].
195** Goro Akechi from ''Persona 5'' is a dead ringer for ''Persona 4''[='=]s Naoto Shirogane. Like the latter, he's a KidDetective initially at odds with the party, and the last character to join the party; he specializes in {{light|EmUp}}, [[CastingAShadow dark]], and [[InfinityPlusOneElement almighty]] spells. He also happens to be the inheritor of Naoto's RedBaron title, the Detective Prince. And [[spoiler:after TheReveal, he becomes one for ''Persona 4''[='=]s Tohru Adachi, being a DetectiveMole and a DarkMessiah who is half of a pair of DuelingMessiahs with the protagonist; his victory spells the removal of free will, and he is redeemed after you beat the ever-loving shit out of him. Even their last names sound similar]].
196** ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth'' character, Rei, has a lot of similarities to Maki Sonomura from ''VideoGame/Persona1''. Both are sickly girls [[spoiler:who are drawn into a false paradise that they created as a way to deal with their nihilism]].
197** In ''VideoGame/PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth'', Hikari has similarities to Futaba Sakura from ''Persona 5''. Both are teenage girls with severely traumatic pasts who start the game as shut-ins with no social skills, and you have to help them work through their problems so you can draw them out of their shells. Futaba even bonds with Hikari due to their similarities.
198** In ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', once you reach Kyoto and learn about Zenkichi Hasegawa's personal life, he becomes one for ''Persona 4'''s Ryotaro Dojima. Both men are police detectives [[spoiler:whose wives were killed in hit and runs, and both men have extremely strained relationships with their young daughters as a result of their inability to catch the culprits. Both young daughters also deeply idolize their respective player characters.]] Zenkichi is also associated with the Priest arcana, which is the Japanese term for the Thoth deck equivalent of Dojima's Hierophant arcana.
199* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'', [[spoiler: Zaveid]] takes over [[spoiler: Dezel]]'s role in battle when the latter dies. [[spoiler: Zaveid even slips on Dezel's hat]].
200* ''VideoGame/RadiaSenkiReimeihen'':
201** Party member Midea has identical stats and techs to Saria, a prior party member who leaves [[spoiler:after being revealed as TheMole]]. In fact, she joins with ''exactly'' as much experience as Saria had and with all of the techs Saria had learned.
202** An odd example happens also with Leorina. She replaces Haman for a while, and despite having a projectile attack, she uses Haman's AI and [[ArtificialStupidity thus always attempts to attack enemies in melee]]. A [[GoodBadBugs peculiar and amusing glitch]] can result in her sprite turning into Haman's whenever the party [[PlayingPossum plays dead]].
203* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': The second game begins with the characters the previous game had been pursuing. While Felix and Sheba have different personalities from their predecessors, their classes are functionally identical- Isaac and Felix are both Squires, while Ivan and Sheba are both Seers. However, their weapon choices are a little different, as Jenna has Ivan's staves and light swords while Sheba takes Mia's staves and maces and Piers goes for the heavy weapons Isaac, Garet, and Felix all use. And in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', the tradition continues with Matthew and Tyrell, who take their respective fathers' classes (Isaac and Garet) and are both physically dead ringers for them. Karis and Rief also play identically to their parents, but have appearances that differ somewhat (Rief) to radically (Karis).
204* ''VideoGame/BestFiends'' dropped the GuestFighter Labbit in the game's Easter 2017 update. He was replaced by Rascal the Easter Bunny, who has all the same abilities as Labbit and was automatically given to anyone who'd already unlocked Labbit. Any progress made on Labbit also carried over to Rascal, so if your Labbit had gotten up to Level 7, you automatically got a Level 7 Rascal. Developer Seriously could have debuted any new character any way they wished, but they went for a character who not only bears a slight resemblance on his own but also came to possess all the same powers as Labbit, suggesting Labbit was cut due to an expired licensing agreement or other issues. It also came without warning or, at least initially, explanation.
205* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' takes place in the Academy for Gifted Juveniles, a school for talented youth that's highly similar to Hope's Peak Academy, the setting of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', as well as a major part of the eponymous Hope's Peak Saga (''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'' and ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''). [[spoiler:It turns out that the Academy for Gifted Juveniles ''is'' Hope's Peak, or at least, the students were meant to think that it was- it's complicated.]]
206* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic: Knights of the Fallen Empire'', bringing Khem Val back would be problematic for non-Sith Inquisitor Outlanders due to the fact that his story has two vastly different endings, so players can instead recruit a different Dashade, Ak'ghal Usar. Equipment that previously was exclusive to Khem was changed to require a Dashade, so it can be used by Ak'ghal as well, and the two share most of the same gift reactions.
207* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'':
208** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'':
209*** Some of the monsters that debuted in the game are similar in appearance and behavior to monsters from the previous two generations. Gigginox to Khezu (both being pale-skinned monsters that lurk within caves and cold areas, though the former relies on poison attacks while the latter relies on electric ones), Qurupeco to Yian Kut-Ku (both being Bird Wyverns that attack with fireballs), Great Jaggi to Velocidrome (both being standard theropod Bird Wyverns that rely on the assistance of their smaller bethren), Great Baggi to Giadrome (both being theropod Bird Wyverns that live in cold regions). Great Jaggi and Velocidrome appeared together in ''4'' and ''4 Ultimate'', averting the trope with them.
210*** The UpdatedRerelease ''Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate'' introduces Dire Miralis, the third generation alternative to Fatalis from the previous two.
211** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterPortable3rd'' removed the underwater gameplay from ''Tri'', the most water-dependant monsters were replaced by similar, land-dwelling monsters: Gobul by Nibelsnarf (large Leviathans with wide maws), Lagiacrus by Zinogre (electric monsters that also serve as flagship monsters for their respective games of origin), Ceadeus by Amatsu (sacred Elder Dragons with white fur that rely on water attacks). It also saw the debut of Great Wroggi (a distant relative of the poison-filled Iodrome), and Baleful Gigginox (a subspecies of Gigginox that ''does'' use electricity, just like Khezu). Gobul, Nibelsnarf, Lagiacrus and Zinogre all appear together in ''3 Ultimate'', averting the trope with them.
212** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter4'': The game replaces Jhen Mohran from the third generation to Dah'ren Mohran, whose only true difference is that it has one tusk instead of two. It also introduced a ''class'' substitute of the Leviathans in the form of Snake Wyverns (the re-classified Remobra from previous games, the debuting Najarala and later its Tidal subspecies in ''4 Ultimate''). ''Generations'' features both Leviathans and Snake Wyverns, averting the trope with them.
213** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' features Bazelgeuse, a highly territorial Flying Wyvern with short temper. It has a lot in common with, and in practice is the successor of, Seregios from ''4 Ultimate''. Both Bazelgeuse and Seregios would meet four years later in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterRise Sunbreak'', averting the trope in their case.
214** ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterRise'': The Apex monsters share many traits, such as attacks and appearance, with the Deviants from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterGenerations''. Apex Arzuros stands in for Redhelm Arzuros, Apex Diablos stands in for Bloodbath Diablos, and so on. Both types of monsters are also fought in special hunting quests: Special Permit quests for Deviants and Rampage quests for Apexes (though a post-release update for ''Rise'' added standard quests for the Apexes as well, unlocked after completing their Rampage quests at least once each). The expansion ''Sunbreak'' has an example on its own with Magma Almudron which, despite being the subspecies of Almudron, is more comparable in behavior and mobility to the lava-dwelling Agnaktor from past games.
215* For balancing purposes, ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' did away with every single Special Weapon from [[VideoGame/Splatoon1 the previous game]] and replaced them with new ones. Of course, several of these new weapons bear a striking resemblance to older ones:
216** The Bomb Launcher, like the Bomb Rush before it, allows the user to [[GrenadeSpam throw an unlimited number of bombs for a short period of time]]. The only major change made to it is that it now lets you throw a different type of bomb than your Sub Weapon. The Bomb Launcher even plays a jingle of [[https://youtu.be/fVq0s1ABjNE Bomb Rush Blush]] while active!
217** The Ink Armor acts much like a {{Nerf}} to the first game's Bubbler. While the Bubbler provided a [[DeflectorShields temporary bubble shield]] to you and any teammates immediately nearby that blocked any and all damage until it runs out, Ink Armor applies a [[BodyArmorAsHitPoints temporary ink shield]] to all your teammates that blocks damage to players, but breaks after taking 30 or more damage.
218** Tenta Missiles function similarly to the first game's powerful Inkstrike. Rather than calling down a single destructive missile over your enemies, it fires off [[MacrossMissileMassacre multiple smaller homing missiles]]. Likewise, the first game's Octostriker enemy received its own SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute in the ''Octo Expansion'''s Missile Octocopter.
219* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'':
220** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIIITheDrownedCity'': Since the game replaces all classes from the first two games, some of the new ones inherit taks and skill trees that are very reminiscent of those from past classes: Hoplites (standing in for Protectors), Arbalists (standing in for Gunners), Farmers (standing in for Survivalists), etc.
221** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIVLegendsOfTheTitan'': Boiling Lizard is nearly identical to Salamander from ''Heroes of Lagaard'' and its ''Untold'' remake. Both are fire-type bosses that, prior to fight, have to be properly approached (which requires careful planning). They also have aids during the battle (Salamander summons its babies, Boiling Lizard expels red-hot scales), and can also attack violently with their tails. Interestingly, both of them appear in ''Nexus'', and in the same dungeon at that ([[NostalgiaLevel Golden Lair, originally from Boiling Lizard's home game]]).
222** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyVBeyondTheMyth'': Dryad is the successor of Alraune from the first two games and their respective ''Untold'' remakes. Both are plant women with exceptional power that serve as {{Optional Boss}}es.
223* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' has Cydon Prax, Dooku's new bounty hunter who replaced Jango Fett.
224* Downplayed in ''VideoGame/ClamMan 2: Open Mic''. The first game had a CheerfulChild turtle named Natalya. While Natalya still appears in ''Open Mic'', she has gotten older and is now a less-innocent (though still well-meaning) teenager. Fortunately, the game introduces a new CheerfulChild character, a stingray named Niharika, in her place.
225* The [[AttackAnimal Fangs for Hire]] in ''VideoGame/FarCry5'' are an [[HeroicDog Australian cattle dog]] named Boomer, a [[BearsAreBadNews grizzly bear]] named Cheeseburger, and a [[PantheraAwesome mountain lion]] called Peaches. In ''VideoGame/FarCryNewDawn'', which takes place 17 years later, Boomer and Cheeseburger are replaced by an Akita Inu called Timber and a [[FullBoarAction wild boar]] named Horatio, most likely because Boomer and Cheeseburger are both long dead. Only Peaches doesn't get a Suspiciously Similar Substitute.
226* The Sixth Lostbelt in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' introduces the Calamities, destructive entities born from the evils of the Fairies that inhabit the British Lostbelt. Given their nature as [[BeastOfTheApocalypse beasts of the apocalypse]] and how they originate from the evils of the world's inhabitants, they seem to be the fairy version of the [[spoiler:Evils of Humanity]] that have shown up throughout the game's main story. [[spoiler:The major difference between the two is that, while the Counter Force summons Grand Servants to oppose the beasts so that the world can keep on existing, the Calamities are ''spawned by the world'' to try and abort the existence of the Lostbelt because the crimes of the fairies are just ''that'' heinous and unforgivable]].
227* ''VideoGame/CrushCrush'' initially had the main character of ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' as one of the ensemble of potential love interests. Following accusations of sexual misconduct and witness tampering towards a 16-year old girl against that game's developer [=YandereDev=] in September 2023 however, Sad Panda Studios, in a December 2023 update, replaced her with the original character Ayeka, with a similar appearance and the same voicelines.
228* ''VideoGame/MetroExodus'' has some particular examples including:
229** Krest. He is ''very'' similar to [[VideoGame/MetroLastLight Pavel Morozov]], being that both act as nice companions to Artyom, are bald-headed characters and they are both portrayed by the same actor (both in English ''and'' in Japanese by Mark Ivanir and Hiroki Goto, respectively). [[spoiler:The only big difference is that Krest is the GoodCounterpart to Pavel, who does not betray Artyom out of belief for a political faction, and Krest is a mechanic on the run from Silantius' cult rather than a full-on soldier from a communist faction unlike Pavel.]]
230** The Master of the Forest. It [[StealthPun bears]] a very similar resemblance to the Bear that was seen in ''Last Light'' as they are solitary mutants that both reside above the surface. [[spoiler:However, the ''Last Light'' Bear is a NonMaliciousMonster who only protects her two cubs and attacks Artyom for that very reason, while the Master of the Forest is [[TheDreaded a vicious predator]] who attacks anything on sight, be it Artyom, the Pirates or the Pioneers.]]
231** The Blind Ones. It is very similar to the Librarian as both of them are giant hulking creatures with a simian biology roaming around public institutions, as well as them [[ItCanThink having human-like intelligence]]. However, unlike the Librarians who are non-hostile creatures but can be hostile to Artyom when provoked, the Blind Ones are creatures who have PsychicPowers and are blind like their name, albeit they use their sense of smell to catch Artyom, and will prey at Artyom when his scent is close to them.

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