History Main / CastOfExpies

* Creator/AlEwing's ''El Sombra'' series in the ''Pax Britannica'' SharedWorld star a working-class Franchise/{{Zorro}}, and the second novel has him meet Hugo Donner/Doc Thunder (Franchise/DocSavage with elements of [[Literature/{{Gladiator}} Hugo Danner]]) and Blood Spider (Literature/TheSpider with elements of every other CoatHatMask killer vigilante, and a dash of Comicbook/SpiderMan). The third one extends this even further, including a RagtagBunchOfMisfits in which ''every single character'' is an expy from a completely different source, while the team itself is based on the Comicbook/HowlingCommandos.

* ''VideoGame/{{Broforce}}''[='s=] playable cast consists entirely of {{Lawyer Friendly|Cameo}} versions of famous action heroes from the '80s and '90s, such as Film/{{Rambo}} or [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork Snake Plissken]] to name a couple.

* Another sector of the [=DC=] multiverse gives us the Retaliators, who are an expy of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''. The roster includes [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk Behemoth]], [[Comicbook/IronMan Machinehead]], [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Wundajin]], [[ComicBook/SpiderWoman Ladybug]], [[{{ComicBook/Hawkeye}} Deadeye]], [[ComicBook/BlackWidow Red Dragon]], [[ComicBook/TheFalcon Kite]], and [[Comicbook/CarolDanvers Major Max]], lead by [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica American Crusader]] and opposed by the villainous [[ComicBook/DoctorDoom Lord Havok]]. This universe is also home to the Battlin' [[Comicbook/SpiderMan Bug]] "the hero you hate to love", and the G-Men or Zen Men, [[Comicbook/XMen a group of genetic freaks protecting a world that hates and fears them]] led by [[Comicbook/{{Cyclops}} Uni-Orb]], and also including [[Comicbook/{{Storm}} Windrider]], [[Comicbook/{{Nightcrawler}} Night-Troller]], and others.

* ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'' was originally an official DarkerAndEdgier ''ComicBook/LegionOfDoom'' reboot. It's pretty apparent who everyone is: Fuckwit is Bizarro, Shithead is Clayface, the Fox is Catwoman, etc.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' is a DeconstructiveParody of old "boys' adventure" stories like ''Franchise/DocSavage'' and ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'', and most of its cast are riffs on classic characters of the genre. Doc Venture and Brock Samson are an adult Jonny and Race Bannon (although the real Jonny and Race also exist in this setting), and the titular brothers are ersatz [[Literature/TheHardyBoys Hardy boys]]. Then there's [[Series/TheGreenHornet the Blue Morpho]], [[Franchise/JamesBond Colonel Gentleman]], [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Doctor Orpheus]] and many more.

* Being a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Videogame/BanjoKazooie'' made by many of the original developers, most of the characters of ''Videogame/YookaLaylee'' are functionally very similar to the characters of that game. The protagonists in particular are blatant copies of Banjo and Kazooie, sharing near-identical personalities and moves.

* ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'', both as a homage to to superhero comics and a SpiritualSuccessor to ''City of Heroes''. The choosable character classes are even parallels to numerous heroes: [[Comicbook/ImmortalIronFist the Fist]], [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange the Grimoire]], [[ComicBook/{{Psylocke}} the Disciple]], and [[Franchise/StarWars the Unleashed]] are just a few.

* As ''Anime/ReCreators'' is a series all about taking characters and seeing how they fare outside their home worlds, of course the ones that get pulled out share some similarity with something in our world. Mamika acts like a [[Franchise/PrettyCure Cure]], fights like a [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha TSAB agent]] and experiences [[Franchise/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Puella Magi]] growing pains, Celestia takes on a role similar to [[LightNovel/SwordArtOnline Asuna]], Alicetelia is a female [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Guts]] with a dash of [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber's]] ideals, Rui displays some [[Franchise/{{Gundam}} Newtype]] behavior, etc. [[spoiler: Even the Military Princess gets in on this, being an expy of an ''in-universe'' mascot character while her story is a send up to how offshoot franchises and original characters like Anime/BlackRockShooter got their start.]]

* There's barely a character that exists in ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' that ''doesn't'' reference a pre-existing character through design, personality, or both, such as Spearman referencing [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Lancer Cú Chulainn]], Heavy Warrior referencing [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Guts]], Witch referencing [[VideoGame/DragonsCrown Sorceress]], and many more. Half the reason for this is because the novel author used all of those characters wholesale as the placeholder designs and overall inspiration for the characters, so when time came for official publication, the author just tweaked the designs a bit while keeping it obvious to well-versed fans what the original references are.

* There's barely a character that exists in ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' that ''doesn't'' reference a pre-existing character through design, personality, or both, such as Spearman referencing [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Lancer Cú Chulainn]], Heavy Warrior referencing [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Guts]], Witch referencing [[VideoGame/DragonsCrown Sorceress]], and many more. Half the reason for this is because the novel author used all of those characters wholesale as the placeholder designs and overall inspiration for the characters, so when time came for official publication, the author just [[WritingAroundTrademarks wrote around trademarks]] by slightly altering the original designs while keeping it obvious to well-versed fans what the original references are.

** Demitra could pass for [[Characters/TheKingOfFightersTheOrochiSaga96 Leona Heidern's]] twin sister, minus the difference in hair color. Both have been [[EmotionlessGirl emotionally repressed]] since childhood and eventually became mercenaries.

* An AffectionateParody of superhero comics, ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' features many expies. Aside from [[Franchise/XMen the school itself]], Layla is a good [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Poison Ivy]], and Speed and Lash are evil [[Franchise/PowerRangers Bulk and Skull]].

* When Creator/AlanMoore wrote ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'', he turned it into a blatant tribute to Silver Age ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', in which, apart from a few Creator/RobLiefeld characters who survived the retcon (namely Diehard of ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' fame), and a couple of guest-starring [[ComicBook/TheSavageDragon Erik Larsen]] characters, pretty much ''everybody'' is a barely-disguised version of a Silver Age DC hero or villain: Supreme is Superman, Supremium is Kryptonite, Suprema is Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}, Professor Night is Franchise/{{Batman}}, Twilight is Comicbook/{{Robin}}, Darius Dax is Comicbook/LexLuthor, Diana Dane is Comicbook/LoisLane, Billy Friday is (a JerkAss parody of) Jimmy Olson, Judy Jordan is Lana Lang, Emerpus is SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}}, Shadow Supreme is the Reverse Flash, Optilux is ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}, Glory is Franchise/WonderWoman, Doc Rocket is Franchise/TheFlash, Black Hand is the Golden Age Franchise/GreenLantern, Roy Roman is Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, the Fisherman is Comicbook/GreenArrow... And even the Larsen characters, Superpatriot and Mighty Man, are used as an Ersatz ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and an Ersatz [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] respectively.

* The ''Franchise/BerniceSummerfield'' novel ''Ship of Fools'' by Dave Stone has Benny trapped on a ClosedCircle space-liner with a bunch of {{Clueless Detective}}s based on Literature/HerculePoirot, Literature/MissMarple, Franchise/SherlockHolmes and Film/CharlieChan.

* The main cast of characters in ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' are based on fictional characters in other media as well as real life celebrities.

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' features expies of the cast of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' where they are training to become like their idols, the original Looney Tunes cast.

* Continued with Moore's aborted run on ''Comicbook/{{Glory}}''. Glory continues to be Wonder Woman, the Danger Damsels are the Holiday Girls, Gloria West is Diana Prince, Howard Henry is Comcbook/SteveTrevor, Demeter is Queen Hippolyta, Madame Manacle is Paula von Gunther, Lord Silverfall is Ares, and Lilith is Circe.

* When Creator/AlanMoore wrote ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'', he turned it into a blatant tribute to Silver Age ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', in which, apart from a few Creator/RobLiefeld characters who survived the retcon (namely Diehard of ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' fame), and a couple of guest-starring [[ComicBook/TheSavageDragon Erik Larsen]] characters, pretty much ''everybody'' is a barely-disguised version of a Silver Age DC hero or villain: Supreme is Superman, Supremium is Kryptonite, Suprema is Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}, Professor Night is Franchise/{{Batman}}, Twilight is Comicbook/{{Robin}}, Darius Dax is Comicbook/LexLuthor, Diana Dane is Comicbook/LoisLane, Billy Friday is (a JerkAss parody of) Jimmy Olson, Judy Jordan is Lana Lang, Emerpus is SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}}, Shadow Supreme is the Reverse Flash, Optilux is ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}, Glory is Franchise/WonderWoman, Doc Rocket is Franchise/TheFlash, Black Hand is the Golden Age Franchise/GreenLantern, Roy Roman is Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}, the Fisherman is Comicbook/GreenArrow... And even the Larsen characters, Superpatriot and Mighty Man, are used as an Ersatz ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and an Ersatz [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] respectively.)

* Continued with Moore's aborted run on ''Comicbook/{{Glory}}''. Glory continues to be Wonder Woman, the Danger Damsels are the Holiday Girls, Gloria West is Diana Prince, Howard Henry is Steven Trevor, Demeter is Queen Hippolyta, Madame Manacle is Paula von Gunther, Lord Silverfall is Ares, and Lilith is Circe.

* The main characters of ''Film/BarelyLethal'' map neatly to characters from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', to the point where one can't help but wonder if [[SpiritualAdaptation the was intended'as]] a ''Kim Possible'' movie but couldn't get the rights. Agent 83 (aka Megan) is the film's version of Kim, Roger is pretty plainly Ron, Liz is Bonnie (and is even played by a Creator/DisneyChannel star, Creator/DoveCameron), Cash is Josh, Hardman is a [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]] Dr. Director (herself a gender-flipped ComicBook/NickFury, amusingly enough given that Hardman is played by Creator/SamuelLJackson), Victoria Knox is a gender-flipped Dr. Drakken, and [[spoiler:Agent 84 (aka Heather) is Shego]]. All that's missing is a naked mole rat.

* ''Me & Roboco'' has a cast primarily made of ''Anime/{{Doraemon}}'' expies. Yes, this includes Roboco herself (who fulfills the general role but nothing else of Doraemon), who even has her own Dorami expy.