History Expy / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/ForkParkersCrunchOut'': The games [[PlayerCharacter Fork]]'s company plays have titles like "[[VideoGame/StreetFighter Alley Fighter]]" and "[[Video

* In ''VideoGame/SilentScope'', [[TheDragon Monica]] [[{{Dominatrix}} the Armored Secretary]] is basically an armor-plated version of Characters/{{Catwoman|SelinaKyle}}.

*** From ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': Index Gundyr is one to Old King Doran (an ancient champion who fights the player to test their worth as a warrior), The Fire Keeper is one to the Maiden in Black (a blind, [[DoesNotLikeShoes shoeless]] woman found in the game's HubLevel, who acts as the player's source to level up), Greirat of the Undead Settlement is a combination of the Dregling Merchant (a merchant encountered in the game's first true area), Graverobber Blidge (a scavenger who acts as TheRival to Patches), and Stockpile Thomas (having a very similar questline), Yuria of Londor is one to Mephistopheles (a [[CoolMask masked]] woman who tasks the player with assassinating another character), the Evangelist are ones to the Fat Officials (having the same outfit and fighting style), Anri of Astora's straight sword is one to the Blueblood Sword (a sword that scales in luck and was previously owned by royalty), Karla is one to Yuria the Witch (a woman with a similar appearance, mannerisms, and voice, and being someone who the player can save from an enemy), Slave Knight Gael is one to the Dreglings (slaves who were forced to fight in battles with only the most basic equipment), and Sir Vilhelm is one to Yurt the Silent Chief (a BlackKnight with a [[EvilSoundsDeep very deep voice]]).

*** The Painter is one to [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} Rapunzel]], an artistic, [[DoesNotLikeShoes barefoot]] young woman with extremely long blonde hair, who is kept in captivity by a witch.

* The main character of ''[[VideoGame/OneThousandAndOneSpikes 1001 Spikes]]'', Aban, is pretty much Franchise/IndianaJones with anger and daddy issues. One of his alternate colour sprites also bears an uncanny resemblance to [[VideoGame/LaMulana Lemeza Kosugi]].

* ''[[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy]]'''s planet Blenjeel is based on the planet Arrakis from ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''

* ''XCOM Legends'', a follow-up mobile game to ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'', has a character named Angel who's pretty blatantly based on Mercy from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}''. Besides having a similar color scheme, both characters have the artificial "angelic wings and halo" contraption to keep them floating or flying (though Angel's alien technology version gives hers a more mystical "feel" as the components aren't attached and float through empty air). Both are also the most powerful healers of their respective game though Angel can't resurrect and instead carries far more firepower. The biggest differences are in the storyline (Mercy is a Swiss doctor while Angel is an Italian ADVENT scion who rebelled against her evil family to steal unique alien-based technology and join XCOM) and their hair color - Mercy's a blonde while Angel is a brunette.

* ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' has Volga the Dragon Knight: a violent, [[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogant]] BloodKnight who wields a mean BladeOnAStick? Sounds an awful lot like [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Lu Bu]]...

** All the SWTOR Classes are inspired by iconic ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters to one degree or another:
*** The Jedi Knight is based on Skywalker I and II as well as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi.
*** The Jedi Consular is based on Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi in his later years.
*** It's ''really'' transparent with the Smuggler. One of your first companions is a Wookie who owes you a life-debt, the love-interest for Light-Side Male Smugglers, Risha, is [[spoiler:secretly a princess]] with BelligerentSexualTension with the Smuggler, you're being hounded by a crime-lord whose cargo you lost early on, and even your ship looks like a boxier and less advanced Millenium Falcon. Of course, for some people that's the appeal...
*** The Republic Trooper is based on the Clone Troopers from the prequel trilogy. The most prominent NPC who represents the class, Jace Malcom, even bears some similarity to Jango Fett/Temuera Morrison.
*** The Sith Warrior is reminiscent of Darth Vader, especially in the case of his most prominent ingame NPC, Darth Malgus. The player character also borrows elements from the latter, like him (potentially) having a blue Twi'lek wife. Said Twi'lek, Vette, is an expy herself: same species, personality, and ''voice actress'' as [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Mission Vao]]. The main difference is that Vette's "of age" and a romanceable option.
*** Unlike with other classes, the Sith Inquisitor's templates are two rather different characters: the Force Sorcerer Darth Sidious and the Force Ninja Darth Maul.
*** The Bounty Hunter is based on Boba Fett.
*** The Imperial Agent is kinda inspired by prominent Imperial Militaries like Moff Tarkin; though here the similarities become very fleeting (due to these guys' status as NonActionGuy, which is the opposite of the Agent).

* Each of the playable classes of ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' is a clear analog to a character or at least an archetype from the films:
** The Jedi Knight is one to Luke and Anakin Skywalker, especially the latter if played Dark-sided. The Sith Warrior is basically Darth Vader. In fact, several Sith [=NPCs=] are essentially Darth Vader [[Expy expies]], most prominently Darth Malgus.
** The Jedi Consular is one to Obi-Wan Kenobi, serving the role of the diplomatic warrior-sage. The Sith Inquisitor is one to Palpatine, serving the role of the powerhungry schemer.
** The Republic Trooper is one to the various Clone Troopers of the Clone Wars, with the female Trooper also being one of [[Franchise/MassEffect Commander Shepard]] due to their [[Creator/JenniferHale voice actress]]. The Imperial Agent is a combination of Grand Moff Tarkin and various spy tropes.
** The Smuggler is basically Han Solo while the Bounty Hunter is Boba Fett.

* Some characters from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' are expies of characters from one of the author's previous work, ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Kirei Kotomine and Souren Araya (both voiced by Creator/JojiNakata), Shirou Emiya and Tomoe Enjou, Rin Tohsaka and Azaka Kokutou (made even more obvious in a flashback that shows Azaka had the same hairstyle as Rin), Souichirou Kuzuki and Satsuki Kurogiri. The franchise's queen of this trope is Saber and this is made fun of in-universe: in the gag manga Koha-Ace, it was announced that a new character was going to be introduced only for it to be another Expy which had the characters themselves say "''Another'' Saber!?". In TYPE-MOON's April Fools special of 2013, Saber herself (under the PaperThinDisguise of "Mysterious Heroine X") joins Satsuki, Sion and Riesbyfe in their quest to overthrow the Gold Heroines because she wants to "get rid of the clones".

%%** [[Characters/MasouKishin Lubbikka Heinken]] and/or [[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Gauron]] -> [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Archibald Grims]]

* ''Revenant Hill'': The main character, Twigs is an expy of Mae Borowski from ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'' except [[SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism less anthropomorphic.]]

* ''Revenant Hill'': The main character, Twigs is an expy of Mae Borowski from ''VideoGame/ANightInTheWoods'' except [[SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism less anthropomorphic.]]

* ''VideoGame/BungoToAlchemist''[='=]s {{whip|ItGood}} class is the expy of ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'''s ''naginata'' – they're fairly sturdy, they [[HerdHittingAttack hit all enemies]] in one attack and they have a distressingly low growth rate which requires high leveling for their attacks to become more than ScratchDamage.

** In ''[=ReBirth=],'' the Contra commander looks like Che Guevara, and Brownie the RobotGirl looks suspiciously like Drossel Von Flugel from ''Anime/{{Fireball}}''.
*** Brownie/Tsugu-Min also very resembles Browny from ''Contra: Hard Corps'', both in looks and gameplay.

** Bahamut = [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Sol Badguy]] or Bill Rizer (which would also make him an expy of Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, as noted above).
*** Alternatively, a gun-toting [[VideoGame/StarGladiator Hayato Kanzaki]].

** Harley = [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear Potemkin + Johnny]].
*** He also seems to have been designed as a fully human version of Brad Fang from ''Contra: Hard Corps''.

* [[BigBad Willy's]] [[TheDragon bodyguard]] Raymond in ''[[VideoGame/DoubleDragon Double Dragon Advance]]'' is based on the nameless final boss from the second NES game. While the Mysterious Warrior's fighting style from ''Double Dragon II'' was called "Gen-Satsu-Ken" (Phantom Murder Fist), Raymond's style is known as "Gen-Setsu-Ken" (Phantom Interception Fist).

* ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', a SpinOff of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', does this for nearly the entire cast:

** Like the ''64'' to ''Advance'' example, the mecha in ''Endless Frontier'' also pull this off: [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Alt Eisen Riese]] -> Alt Eisen Nacht; [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact3 Ialdabaoth]] -> Ark-On; Soulgain -> Arkgain; [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Fairlion]] -> Fee-Kleid; [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha Thrudgelmir]] -> [[spoiler:Svaiser]]; [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Weiss Ritter]] -> Weiss Ritter Abend

* ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven GO'' plays this with the manager trio, Sorano Aoi, Seto Midori, and Yamana Akane are expies to the prequel's Aki Kino, Raimon Natsumi, and Otonoshi Haruna.

* Creator/ChrisAvellone stated he created Kreia from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' because he "thought it would be cool to be in an adventuring party with [[VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment Ravel Puzzlewell]]!".

* Ellis from ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' is based around designs for the Scout from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''.

* Ninten and Ness, both from the ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother}} Mother/Earthbound]]'' franchise. In fact, most of your party in ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' serve as expies of the party from ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings''.
** Ninten, Ana, and Lloyd -> Ness, Paula, and Jeff

* The Butcher in ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins'' and the Bogeyman in ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' are expies of Pyramid Head in ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''.
** It goes beyond just being an Expy in Homecoming; the Bogeyman is more or less just Pyramid Head renamed.
* Drachma from ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' was created as an expy of Captain Ahab from the classic ''Literature/MobyDick''.
** TheHero Vyse also has a lot of Anime/CaptainHarlock in him.

* The protagonists of ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'', ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'', and ''VideoGame/{{Armikrog}}'' all resemble each other. They also resemble character Creator/DougTenNapel has created in other media.
** ''VideoGame/{{Armikrog}}''[='=]s BigBad [[spoiler:Vognaut]] is an obvious reference to ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood''[='=]s BigBad Klogg, right down to [[spoiler:being the protagonist's older brother]]. He is even shown wielding a similar weapon.

%%** [[Characters/MasouKishin Masaki Andoh and the Cybuster]] -> [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ Asakim Dowin and the Shurouga]]
%%** [[Manga/AhMyGoddess Belldandy (and the series in general)]] -> [[Characters/MasouKishin Tytti Noorbuck and the Gaddeath]]

%%*** Alt Eisen -> [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Flickerei Geist]]
%%** [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsAdvance Lamia Loveless]] -> [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs Signum]]

** Aside from the Hermodr battleship and Zyflud, none of the Balmarian mecha in ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'' reappear in future [=SRWs=]. However, the Zadoc and Cees in ''Shin'' are most likely the base designs of the Zechariah and Megillot from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAlpha''.

** Each of the original mecha in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars64'' are essentially slightly redesigned and recolored for the ones in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAdvance'': Earthgain -> Soulgain; Super Earthgain -> Zweizergain, Virose -> Vysaga; Simurgh Splendid -> Angelg; Soldifar and Ashcleef -> Ash Savior; Svanhild -> Laz Angriff; Rathgrith Custom -> Laz Angriff Raven[[note]]Laz Angriff Raven, however, only appears in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration''[[/note]].
** [[Anime/{{Gravion}} God Gravion/Sol Gravion]] -> [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Compatible Kaiser/G Compatible Kaiser]]; in this case, ''Anime/{{Gravion}}'' creator, designer and director Masami Obari was asked by developer Banpresto to give the Kaiser a new look.

** Anime/GaoGaiGar -> [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ Gunleon]], a lion-themed mecha that [[ImprobableWeaponUser uses construction tools as weapons]] with a really [[{{BFS}} BIG]] one as its most powerful and associated with/powered by a green-colored energy source.

** {{Franchise/Gundam}} -> Huckebein series; this example is rather infamous, as the entire mech family [[DroppedABridgeOnHim got bridge'd]] in ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration 2nd Original Generations]]'' after Creator/{{Sunrise}} complained about the similarities. This resulted in the creation of the [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Exbein]], which is about 99% identical to the old Huckebeins, lacking only the most blatant Gundam design elements.

* Milla from ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' bears similarities to [[VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia Dhaos]], having a mastery of four basic magic elements, and also having a mission to destroy the technology that's disrupting her world's mana. Appropriately, she gets his outfit as a costume.

* Two of the investigators in ''VideoGame/WhiteNoiseOnline'' bear a noticeable resemblance to [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Velma Dinkley and Shaggy Rogers]].

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' is chock full of 'em.
** The spymaster of Stormwind occasionally introduces himself as [[Characters/JamesBondTheCharacter "Shaw. Mathias Shaw."]]

* Anne Lafitte of ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts: From The New World'', is basically Anastasia from ''Covenant'' .
** To say nothing of Lady and Killer, who are basically evil Alice and Yuri.

** Fuji-hime -> [[HalfIdenticalTwins Yukari-hime]] [[TalkingToHimself & Misono]]

** Several parallels can be drawn between Nox and [[VideoGame/BravelyDefault Airy]]; both being [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired]] girls who seem to be on good terms with the heroes, only to be [[TheReveal revealed]] to be EvilAllAlong enforcers of a greater evil's will before their respectives games are over, are vile {{Hate Sink}}s upon showing their true colors, are fought near the end of their respective games, and [[OneWingedAngel transform into monstrous forms]] to fight the heroes.

** Several parallels can be drawn between Nox and [[VideoGame/BravelyDefault Airy]]; both being [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired]] girls who seem to be on good terms with the heroes, only to be [[TheReveal revealed]] to be EvilAllAlong enforcers of a greater evil's will before their respectives games are over, are vile {{Hate Sink}}s upon showing their true colors, and [[OneWingedAngel transform into monstrous forms]] to fight the heroes.

*** Most infamously, SeriesMascot Pikachu has had a new cheerful, circle-cheeked, FragileSpeedster electric rodent just like it in every generation, in order: Pichu, Plusle and Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne, Togedemaru, and now Morpeko.

* Sally from the ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' DLC ''Mothership Zeta'' resembles Sherry from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', who in turn was based on Newt from ''Film/{{Aliens}}''.
** Not to mention the vast scores of raiders that make up the bulk of the enemies you face in the game look like they were plopped into the game straight from ''Film/MadMax''.

* From ''VideoGame/{{Roommates}}'', Isabella greatly resembles a [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII certain Rivaini pirate]] and, for all intents and purposes, could be seen as a modern-day [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl college equivalent]]. Rakesh may put people in mind of [[Series/TheBigBangTheory another quirky Indian fellow]] [[NamesTheSame with a one-letter difference in his name]].[[note]]It doesn't help that the two letters are side-by-side on a standard QWERTY keyboard, making it ''extremely'' easy to mistype one for the other.[[/note]]

** Napoleon Bonaparte is an even more obvious Nobunaga Oda expy than Ray Blackwell was; not only is he also a historically famous dark-haired military leader who earned both undying admirers and undying enemies for his WellIntentionedExtremist methods, but the game even gives him an eagle as a CoolPet to parallel Nobunaga having a hawk as his pet.

* Many have commented that the new cast in ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' are basically the entire cast of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''. Rosso the Crimson's a sexy sadist with a ludicrous accent like Sniper Wolf, Azul the Cerulean is a huge GeniusBruiser with a minigun and weirdly defined, animal-related magic powers like Vulcan Raven, Nero the Sable's an insane, Freudian mind-reader in bondage gear like Psycho Mantis, Shelke the Transparent is the cybernetically-enhanced ninja sibling of a sexy female scientist who has an intensely personal history with the main character like Gray Fox, and Weiss the Immaculate is a ranting, shirtless helicopter pilot and Vincent's inverse and rival like Liquid Snake. Shalua is a helpful, brooding HotScientist with damage and a dark secret whose sibling was turned into a scientifically-enhanced ninja, like Naomi Hunter. It almost qualifies as a WholePlotReference.

** Vincent van Gogh is portrayed so similarly to Mitsunari Ishida as a [[NiceGuy pure-hearted]] and [[AmbiguousDisorder ambiguously neurodivergent]] genius who initially [[ObliviousToLove does not understand the concept of love]] that the main character even frequently likens him to an angel just like [=IkeSen=]'s MC does with Mitsunari. Ironically, the character artist also made him look like a dead ringer for Ieyasu Tokugawa, Mitsunari's SitcomArchnemesis in [=IkeSen=].

*** From ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'': The Crestfallen Warrior is one to the character of the same name (both being soldiers who lost the will to go on, can be found in their game's main HubLevel, and share the same voice actor), The Undead Merchant is one to the Dregling Merchant (a human turned monster who managed to retain their sanity, and acts as an early game merchant), the Bell Gargoyles are ones to the Maneaters (flying monsters with similar appearances and fighting styles, who are initially fought one to one until [[DualBoss a second one spawns after the first reaches half-health]]), Lautrec of Carim is one to Yurt the Silent Chief (an AxCrazy warrior in heavy armor wielding a [[SinisterScimitar scimitar]] as his WeaponOfChoice), Snuggly the Crow is one to Sparkly the Crow (an unseen NPC who can exchange specific items with the player), Kirk, Knight of Thorns is one to Garl Vinland ([[spoiler:an AntiVillain knight whose goal is centered around protecting a DelicateAndSickly girl]]), Quelana of Izalith is one to Yuria the Witch (both being pyromancy trainers and {{Broken Bird}}s who wear similar attire and share a voice actress), Maneater Mildred is one to both Executioner Miralda (a DarkActionGirl who [[TheFaceless always wears a sack over her face]]) and the unnamed black phantom fought in the Valley of Defilement (a phantom enemy fought in a poisonous swamp area), the Fair Lady and Crossbreed Priscilla are ones to Maiden Astraea (the former a demon who managed to retain her free will, has the ability to heal the sick by [[EmpathicHealer taking their ailments onto herself]], and also has a loved one guarding her that the player needs to beat in order to get to her, while the latter being a NonMaliciousMonster who [[YouBastard calls the player out for their cruel actions]], and also shares a voice actress), Siegmeyer of Catarina is one to both Biorr of the Twin Fangs (a BoisterousBruiser in heavy armor who [[spoiler:performs a HeroicSacrifice to help the player on their journey]]) and Ostrava of Boletaria (a DistressedDude who the player can help throughout their journey, only to eventually [[spoiler:cross the DespairEventHorizon and need to be put down]]), Big Hat Logan and Griggs of Vinheim are ones to Sage Freke and his apprentice, respectively (the former a [[TheArchmage skilled mage]] with an unhealthy fascination with magic, who is first found locked in a cage in need of rescuing, and the latter having a similar appearance and being the apprentice to a powerful mage who they've been separated from), Blacksmith Vamos is one to Blacksmith Ed (a [[GrumpyOldMan grumpy]] [[TheBlacksmith blacksmith]] encountered in the later half of the game, who can make some of the most powerful upgrades in the game), and the Bed of Chaos is one to the Old One and True King Allant (a BotanicalAbomination that hides a pathetic slug that was once a great ruler inside it).

* [[VideoGame/GalaxyAngel The Galaxy Angel II trilogy's]] Emblem Frames of the Rune Angel Wing are essentially expies of those of the Moon Angel Wing before them; Cross Caliber and First Aider, the Emblem Frames of Rico and Nano respectively, are the only ones to be expies of the Emblem Frames their pilots themselves are similar to (specifically Lucky Star and Harvester, the Emblem Frames of Rico's elder sister Milfie and Nano's adopted mom Vanilla respectively). The others are more of a mix-and-match (Lily's Eagle Gazer functions more akin to Chitose's Sharpshooter than Forte's Happy Trigger, in a straight swap with Natsume Izayoi and her Papillon Chaser, with a similar straight swap between Kahlua/Tequila's Spell Caster and Anise's Relic Raider in regards to Mint's Trick Master and Ranpha's Kung-Fu Fighter).
** Anise and Ranpha are the closest match between the roles of their respective Emblem Frames outside of the Hyper Weapon, as both are speedy GlassCannon-types of primarily red coloration.