History Main / CaptainErsatz

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures The Many]] which spawn from experiments on King Ghidorah's DNA are directly modeled on the Flood from ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'': a [[TheVirus virus]] which transforms all humans and animals it infects into putrid, zombified monsters, then it slowly and forcibly subsumes their minds into a HiveMind driven to propagate the infection.

* When director F. W. Murnau sought to make a movie out of Bram Stoker's book ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', but was unable to secure the rights, he made the movie anyway as ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'', changing the names of the characters. (Dracula, for example, became Count Orlok.) In this case, though, the attempt was unsuccessful: Stoker's widow sued for copyright infringement and won, bankrupting the production company... and getting an order that all copies of the film be destroyed. The movie survived through piracy.
* A few in ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', but the most obvious is Layla, being similar to Franchise/{{Batman}}'s villainess [[Characters/BatmanPoisonIvy Poison Ivy]]. She's a redhead, she controls plants, she always wears green, she's very environment friendly, etc. — except she's a good gal. Many have pegged the movie to X-Men given that the plot of the movie centers on a SuperheroSchool.

* The ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' trilogy is sometimes accused of this by ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' fans, who cite similarities between Tia Dalma and the Voodoo Lady as evidence of their claim. Though given how both draw inspiration from ''Literature/OnStrangerTides'' (and indeed, from the [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks original]] [[Ride/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Pirates of the Caribbean ride]]), this might be a case where [[OlderThanTheyThink both are the Ersatzes]].
* In the 1976 MysteryFiction spoof, ''Film/MurderByDeath'', various famous detectives are represented by these characters:
** Sidney Wang (Creator/PeterSellers): Film/CharlieChan.
** Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Dame Creator/MaggieSmith): [[Film/TheThinMan Nick and Nora Charles]].
** Sam Diamond (Peter Falk): [[Film/TheMalteseFalcon1941 Sam Spade]].
** Miss Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester): Literature/MissMarple.
** Milo Perrier (James Coco): Literature/HerculePoirot.
* The 1980 TV Movie ''Murder Can Hurt You'' itself seems to have been inspired by ''Film/MurderByDeath'', but with these versions of '70s TV CopShow characters like Series/{{Columbo}}, Series/StarskyAndHutch, Series/{{Kojak}}, etc.

* The Film/HammerHorror film ''Film/XTheUnknown'' was originally intended to be a sequel to ''[[Franchise/{{Quatermass}} The Quatermass Xperiment]]''. However, they couldn't get the rights to the character of Bernard Quatermass at the time, so they made up a new character called Adam Royston. He is a ScienceHero with the same general mannerisms as Quatermass, the only major difference being that his specialty is nuclear physics, not rocketry.
* ''Film/TheBuddyHollyStory'' had a fictionalized version of the Crickets (two members instead of three, names changed) because the real-life Crickets had already signed onto a different Buddy Holly project.
* In the conspiracy-laden 1980s stinker ''Down on Us'' (a.k.a. ''Beyond the Doors''), about how the CIA killed Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, [[Music/TheDoors Morrison's band]] is never mentioned by name and its members have no resemblance to Manzarek, Kreiger, or Densmore (and all of the songs in the film are original songs which sound nothing like the songs made famous by said artists).
* Possibly Rufus from ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', [[Series/DoctorWho a quirky, sophisticated fellow in a time-travelling phone box]]...
%%* So many Creator/SparkPlugEntertainment characters.

* Creator/BBVProductions seemed to specialise in ''Series/DoctorWho'' Ersatzes (see also under Radio):
** ''The Stranger'' was a direct-to-video series starring Colin Baker (who played the Sixth Doctor on the show) and Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown) as "The Stranger" and "Miss Brown", respectively.
** While BBV eventually did get licensing rights to various ''Doctor Who'' monsters, the Big Two remained exceptions. They never attempted fake-Daleks, but the Cyberons are, well, Cybermen.
** BBV eventually self-parodied this, with a video called "Do You Have A Licence To Save This Planet?" in which a swarm of ''Doctor Who'' monsters (and the Cyberons) are fought by Sylvester [=McCoy=] as ... the Chiropodist.
* In the original books, the characters in ''Film/TheSnapper'' and ''The Van'' were the same family as in ''Film/TheCommitments''. Due to Fox owning the rights to the Rabitte name, they were different characters. Especially glaring is the fact that Colm Meaney plays the father in all three films, but is ostensibly playing different characters.
* General Hager from ''Film/FantasticFourRiseOfTheSilverSurfer'' was originally supposed to be ComicBook/NickFury, but was changed to an original character when the director found out Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox didn't have his film rights. Not only does Hager have Fury's personality and (ComicBook/{{Ultimate|Marvel}}) ethnicity, but some of his lines are taken word-for-word from Fury's dialogue in Creator/WarrenEllis' ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy''.
* Chapel was replaced by a similar character named Jessica Priest in ''Film/Spawn1997''. This is due to Chapel being owned by Creator/RobLiefeld, since he originated in ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}''.

* About seven years after the producers of ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' snuck Franchise/{{Godzilla}} into the show by giving him a neck frill and calling him "Jirass" (see "Live Action TV" below), the producers of the ''Godzilla'' series returned the favor by sneaking Ultraman into ''Film/GodzillaVsMegalon'', altering his coloration slightly and calling him "Jet Jaguar". Appropriately enough, Ultraman's creator, Creator/EijiTsuburaya, originally did special effects work on Creator/IshiroHonda's original ''Film/{{Gojira}}'', and was instrumental in bringing Goji-san to life on the big screen.
* ''Film/DoctorMordrid'': Doctor Mordrid (played by Creator/JeffreyCombs) is ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange''; the villain Kabal is more or less Baron Mordo. This is because Creator/FullMoonFeatures had optioned the right to adapt the comic into film, but the rights expired during pre-production. Rather than cancel the project, they just changed the characters' names.
* ''Film/{{Help}}'': Kaili = [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali Kali]].
* Donald Poultry, TheSmartGuy kid from ''Film/SummerCampNightmare'', is the movie's analog to Winston Weyn, the protagonist of William Butler's ''Literature/TheButterflyRevolution''. Given the SettingUpdate from UsefulNotes/TheSixties to UsefulNotes/TheEighties, Donald is a GadgeteerGenius rather than a book nerd, carrying around a tape recorder to dictate an audio diary and a suitcase full of tools which he uses for things such as hacking into the box on top of the rec room building that controls the number of channels the rec room's TV set gets.
* In ''Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood'', the FinalGirl is a teenage girl with [[MindOverMatter telekinetic powers]] and a fraught relationship with her parents that has left her traumatized. Change her name from Tina Shepard to Carrie White, and the awful parent from her father into her mother, and you have what many fans of the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' films describe as an [[SpiritualCrossover unofficial crossover]] with Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/{{Carrie}}''. (Tina is even the name of one of the girls in [[AlphaBitch Chris]]' GirlPosse who torments Carrie.)
* Azeem in ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'' is a Captain Ersatz of Nasir in ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'', allegedly because the creators didn't initially realise he was under copyright and not part of the original myth. Since then "the Saracen Merry Man" has become a regular character, but always has a different name.
* While ''Film/OmerTheTouristInStarTrek'' was able to largely keep the character names from ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' due to them being common surnames, the creators were apparently concerned enough that they turned Spock into "Mr. Spak".

*** Some of the other heroes listed [[AllThereInTheManual on the DVD]] also fall into this. Meta Man is very obviously ComicBook/{{Superman}}, with his ComboPlatterPowers, wholesome personality, and outfit, Everseer's leadership position (and formerly having been Gazerbeam's superior) and telepathy resemble [[ComicBook/XMen Professor X]], and Splashdown's powerset is a clear callout to ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}.

* The characters in ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' represent various comic book heroes and villains, most notably from Franchise/{{Superman}}. [[TheCape Metro Man]] is Superman, [[MadScientist Megamind]] is a mixture of ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} and ComicBook/LexLuthor, [[LoveInterests Roxanne]] is ComicBook/LoisLane, and Hal is an incarnation of ComicBook/JimmyOlsen [[spoiler:with some Superboy-Prime thrown in]].

* Rudolph's love interest in ''WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer1998'' is "Zoey". WordOfGod is she was meant to be Clarice [[WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer1964 but they couldn't use the name]].

* A few in ''Film/SkyHigh2005'', but the most obvious is Layla, being similar to Franchise/{{Batman}}'s villainess ComicBook/PoisonIvy. She's a redhead, she controls plants, she always wears green, she's very environment friendly, etc. — except she's a good gal. Many have pegged the movie to X-Men given that the plot of the movie centers on a SuperheroSchool.

* ''Series/BirdsOfPrey2002'' had Darkstrike, a thinly-veiled ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} wannabe. Subverted when he turns out to be a CorruptedCharacterCopy.

* In ''Series/{{Community}}'', Britta introduces Abed to long running British series ''JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime'', [[DoctorWhomage which is]] a Captain Ersatz of ''Series/DoctorWho'' with a constable instead of a companion, red telephone booth instead of a blue police call box and Blorgons instead of Daleks. WordOfGod says that in-universe, ''Doctor Who'' is a ripoff of ''Inspector Spacetime''.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' had Captain Ersatzes for a shockingly-large number of DC characters. Gloria was Poison Ivy, Vordigan the Dark Archer was [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Merlyn]], Pete Ross ended up becoming a Captain Ersatz of ComicBook/PlasticMan (or ComicBook/JimmyOlsen as Elastic Lad)...the list goes on and on. One episode even had Lois cosplaying [[ShowWithinAShow as an in-universe]] Captain Ersatz of Franchise/WonderWoman!

* And ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' went as far as to cast the actor who had played Nicholas Locarno in TNG's "The First Duty" before changing the character's name to Tom Paris and altering his backstory to be more sympathetic. Though WordOfGod has [[FlipFlopOfGod flip-flopped]] on whether this was done because Locarno was unrepentant and therefore unsympathetic, or because they didn't want to have to pay royalties to the writer of "The First Duty". There has been fanfiction written that attempts to reconcile this by making them the same person.

* The Film/{{Inception}} card game [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover guest starring]] [[Franchise/{{Batman}} "Joker"]], [[Film/TheLastAirbender "Avatar"]], "Film/LordOfWar", "Film/BlackSwan", "Anime/{{Paprika}}", [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed "Martyr"]], and [[ComicBook/JeanGrey "Space Queen"]].
* The Swedish superhero game ''Supergänget'' (published in English as ''Supercrew'') features some among their quick examples – The Weasel (ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, but female), The Tomani (ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk with a ShoutOut to children's author Christine Nöstlinger) and Tapir Man ([[Franchise/SpiderMan Rhino]], and being a caricature of a friend of the author), among others.

* Also occurs with some of ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''[='=]s alternate class archetypes. While most of ''Pathfinder''[='=]s character options are inspired by preexisting fictional archetypes to some degree (such as the {{Swashbuckler}}, {{Phantom Thief}}, or [[MagicalGirl Magical Child]]), in some cases this gets pretty specific. The Shield Champion fights just like ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, the Sleepless Detective PrestigeClass and most variations of the Investigator are blatant {{Sherlock Homage}}s, the Master Chymist PrestigeClass was based on ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'', and the Brute archetype for the Vigilante class is obviously ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' without the gamma radiation.

* Toys/{{Playmobil}} has almost crossed the line a few times in its "Fi?ures" theme, which features some rather close-or almost identical-resemblances, such as [[http://www.oafe.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/131204j.jpg "not-Aeon Flux"]], [[http://www.oafe.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/111015b.jpg "not- Sue Sylvester]] from ''Series/{{Glee}}''", [[http://www.oafe.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/120930b.jpg "not-Lara Croft]] from ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaider''", [[http://www.oafe.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/131204k.jpg "not-Lady Gaga"]], and [[https://www.klickypedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/maedchen112.jpg "not-Maleficent]] from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty''". Captain Ersatzes of [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Queen Elsa]] and ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} appear in Series 9.

* Doctor Octogonapus, not [[Franchise/SpiderMan Doctor]] [[ComicBook/DoctorOctopus Octopus]], from ''WebAnimation/TheLazerCollection''.

** Wonderella is Franchise/WonderWoman with Franchise/{{Superman}}'s origin.

** Hitlerella is ComicBook/RedSkull and [[Franchise/WonderWoman Baroness von Gunther]].
** Queen Beetle is ComicBook/TheWasp.

** Lord Kilroy is ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}.
** Ginormus is ComicBook/{{Galactus}}.
** Spirral is [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Starro]].

** Jokerella is ComicBook/TheJoker, [[LighterAndSofter sort of]]. (More like Harley Quinn in a world without her beloved Mr. J.)
** The Orchid is [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Poison Ivy]].

** Strawman is [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Scarecrow]]. ([[HarmlessVillain Replace fear with]] [[TheWarOnStraw irrationality]].)
** [[http://nonadventures.com/2015/06/07/heir-line-fracture/ Harmageddon]] is [[ComicBook/XMen Apocalypse]].

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' authors like doing this as spoofs. At [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] the team The Vindicators is definitely the classic [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]], with Kismet for the ComicBook/ScarletWitch, Donner as a dopey [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], Captain Canada! as ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, Donner as Thor, Dynamaxx as ComicBook/IronMan, Lemure as ComicBook/TheVision, and Sizemax as [[ComicBook/AntMan Giant-Man]]. And Elite League are all ersatzes of the animated WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague seven. The Good Ol' Boyz are a parody too, but not of a superhero team.

*** Nobanion, the lion god is rather unabashedly one to [[Literature/ChroniclesOfNarnia Aslan]], at least when first concieved; very early material mentioning him outright states that one of his [[IHaveManyNames many names]] is in fact Aslan. The same texts stated that he's an interloper deity who arrived in Faerun via a forest full of magical portals (a reference to the Wood Between Worlds from the ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'') and that he's a major deity on his home world. Later material seems to have backed off on this angle, though his backstory as an interloper deity has remained unchanged.

* The BigBad of ''Literature/TheNewNarnia'' The Nanny bares a few resemblances to Mathair from ''Literature/TheNewHanselAndGretel''; both are {{Reality Warper}}s who prey on the protagonists -- as they have done with others for years -- with the intention of turning them into babies, the protagonists needing to outsmart them or else be infantilized forever.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' and ''TabletopGame/ThirteenthAge'' could not get the rights to [[{{Cthulhumanoid}} mind flayers]] from ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' due to the terms of the Open Gaming License. ''Pathfinder'' used [[SandWorm neothelids]][[note]]In D&D, Neothelids are what a Mind Flayer tadpoles become if they live long enough without a host[[/note]] and [[BrainMonster intellect devourers]] (which were open content), and later the third-party phrenic slayers (not originally from D&D, unlike the previous two) from Dreamscarred Press, to fill the role, while ''13th Age'' went with "soul flensers" instead.

** The barbarian class basically exists so you can play a ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' stand-in, while the ranger class was created for people who wanted to be [[Franchise/TolkensLegendarium Aragorn or Legolas]]. And then there's all the people playing [[Literature/TheLegendOfDrizzt Drizzt]] [[OverusedCopycatCharacter clones]].

** ''Sense of Right Alliance'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'', ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', ''Franchise/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', and ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''.

** ''[=SuperMan=] Big Alliance'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', and ''ComicBook/TheThing''.

* [[Fanfic/MassFoundations Mass Foundations: Redemption in the Stars]] has turian Hando Due and [[ExtraEyes batarian]] Greedro as stand-ins for [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo and Greedo]]. They are encountered due to the Courier's [[WeirdnessMagnet Wild Wasteland trait]].

* In Fanfic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed, in an InUniverse example, the Griffon nation has their own prince in response to Shining Armor, Shining Amour.

* The ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' fanfic ''Fanfic/EgyptOnAnurKhufos'' features multiple examples of this:
** Four characters leading a [[LaResistance resistance group]] are directly modeled off of Rapses' guardians from ''WesternAnimation/MummiesAlive'', called Ja'Kaal, Raht, Marnor, and Neferti, who in this story are alien mummies that have the added perk of [[RubberMan elasticity]] and CombatTentacles, and even use a landspeeder based on the original ''Hot-Ra''. Similarly, the [[NephariousPharaoh evil pharaoh]] has a sorcerer in his employ named Skaraab. Ben also [[LampshadeHanging notices their similarities]] during the story from the actual cartoon, having watched it at one point.
** The resistance also includes a water-breathing alien soldier named [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Undyyne]], who uses a suit of PoweredArmor to stay hydrated while on the desert planet...and she [[WouldntHurtAChild doesn't like fighting children]].
* ''Fanfic/ThePokemonSquad'': [[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney's]] parents were this to [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer and Marge]]. Barney Frank also used to be like this for Bart. Hell, he even used to be strangled!

The {{trope}} name comes from the [[TropeNamers German word]] [[BilingualBonus for "replacement"]][[note]] [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ersatz_good As described here]] and [[https://youtu.be/EdTwu4CwlWs here,]] Ersatz goods were primarily used during times of war when soldiers or civilians couldn’t acquire the real deal, often making up replacements to try and fulfill the need with varying degrees of success.[[/note]].

* [[Fanfic/MassFoundations Mass Foundations: Redemption in the Stars]] has turian Hando Due and [[ExtraEyes batarian]] Greedro as stand-ins for [[Franchise/StarWars Han Solo and Greedo]]. They are encountered due to the [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Courier's]] [[WeirdnessMagnet Wild Wasteland trait]].

** Frozone is basically ComicBook/{{Iceman}} from the ''ComicBook/XMen'' comics as played by Creator/SamuelLJackson. They even have the same way of getting from place to place: creating ramps of ice to skate everywhere.
** In a more extreme example, Gazerbeam and The Underminer basically ''are'' ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} and the MoleMen in all but name. The DVD special features on the minor heroes in the movie even parodies Cyclops' infamously bland personality by having Gazerbeam be an incredibly dull person.
*** Some of the other heroes listed [[AllThereInTheManual on the DVD]] also fall into this. Meta Man is very obviously Franchise/{{Superman}}, with his ComboPlatterPowers, wholesome personality, and outfit, Everseer's leadership position (and formerly having been Gazerbeam's superior) and telepathy resemble ComicBook/ProfessorX, and Splashdown's powerset is a clear callout to ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}.
** It even extends to the comic, which has featured among the expanded rogues gallery a Gorilla Grodd expy and aliens resembling the tentacles.

* The action film ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'':
** The family is very nearly the ComicBook/FantasticFour: Mr. Incredible is ComicBook/TheThing, Elastigirl is ComicBook/MisterFantastic, and Violet is the ComicBook/InvisibleWoman. Only Dash lacks a direct parallel, though he's certainly HotBlooded enough to be a match for the ComicBook/HumanTorch. The ending shows Jack-Jack has highly variable superpowers (among these, setting himself on fire like the Human Torch), and Franklin Richards, the child of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman had very ill-defined but vast superpowers. Even their costumes and name (Fantastic/Incredible) are similar. Their villain, Syndrome, is a somewhat more rotund Doctor Doom, a villain whose primary superpowers are simply being so good at super-technology that his super-suit is more powerful than the family combined. Syndrome also has Doctor Doom's 'petty grudge blown WAY out of proportion' motivation for his enmity as well.

'''Rick:''' Looks like some sort of a legally safe knockoff of an [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet '80s horror character]] with miniature swords for fingers instead of knives!

'''Rick:''' Looks like some sort of a legally safe knock off of an [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet '80s horror character]] with miniature swords for fingers instead of knives!

* The Wrestling/AcesAndEights stable in [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] is a wrestling version of ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'', right down to their attires, logos, and music being inspired by said series.

[[folder/Audio Drama]]

* ''[[https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/7883868364_9da3ed57ae_b.jpg Superman Spy Crew]]'' is an ersatz of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''.

** ''Gao Ranger Dino Thunder'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', and ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''.

** ''Justice Heros League'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', and ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''.

** ''Sense of Right Alliance'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/{{Cars}}'', ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', and ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''.

** ''Super Hero'' features ersatzes of ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', and ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''.

** ''Super Special Heroes'' features ersatzes of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''Franchise/SpiderMan'', ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'', ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', and ''Franchise/ToyStory''.

* The action film ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'':

* ''Robot Taekwon V'': Robot Taekwon V is inspired by ''Anime/MazingerZ''.

* ''Super Kid'': Inspired by ''Franchise/DragonBall''.

** GenreShift BritCom episode "The Kingmaker" featured references to an unseen character who was described by the other characters as having "[[CharmPoint big ears]]" (clearly supposed to be the Ninth Doctor).

** Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Maggie Smith): [[Film/TheThinMan Nick and Nora Charles]].

* ''[[Fanfic/GodsAngelsAndKings Hail to the King]]'' has Series/ZoneFighter. He was already a Captain Ersatz of Series/{{Ultraman}}, but in this story it is made more obvious. Here, he is an energy being that bonds with [[spoiler:[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Shinji Ikari]]]] in order to save his life, just like what Ultraman did with Hayata.

* ''Space Black Knight'': Characters inspired by ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' characters Amuro Ray, Char Aznable, Dozle Zabi and Sayla Mass.

The {{trope}} name comes from the [[TropeNamers German word]] [[BilingualBonus for "replacement"]].