Most of the time, anime characters are original individuals born from the minds of their creators. The people behind their origins spend years coming up with their personalities, interests, and appearances.
However, there are a few times when anime creators allowed the outside world to inspire them to create a character. Whether it be in their fighting style, appearance, or personality, many anime characters have been based on real individuals. Below, we will list a few of the most iconic.
Spoiler Warning: Beware of minor plot spoilers for the anime below!
10 Jackie Chan And Bruce Lee – Goku (Dragon Ball)
Goku is not only one of the most iconic anime characters of all time, but he is also a prime example of a character based on a real person. While it is well known that Goku’s origin and monkey-like features are based on the book Journey To The West, his fighting style had other origins.
Aira Toriyama took inspiration from two of the best martial artists at the time, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Most of Goku’s moves come from movies where these two masters stared. Toriyama even admitted that he could not see anyone else but Jackie Chan playing the part of Goku in a film.
9 Brock Lesnar – Armored Titan (Attack On Titan)
The Armored Titan was one of the Nine Powers inherited by the Eldians for generations to keep their people safe. This gigantic humanoid creature was nigh-invulnerable to any damage and a strong and imposing fighter.
The Titan’s formidable appearance comes from the MMA martial artist Brock Lesnar, whom the creator of the show, Hajime Isayama, used as an inspiration for the creature. Not only does the Titan take on Lesnar’s looks, but also his fighting style, which consists of overpowering and devastating attacks.
8 Pam Grier – Coffee (Cowboy Bebop)
Coffee’s screen time on the beloved anime Cowboy Bebop may have been short, but it left a mark on many fans of the show. One of the most intrepid and adventurous bounty hunters, Coffee made her appearance while chasing the drug dealer Domino Walker.
When she was seen on screen, many fans believed that her looks were very similar to the character Coffy, played by Pan Grier. This inspiration was later confirmed, although it was not a shock to any Cowboy Bebop fan, as their names were almost identical.
7 Clint Eastwood – Jotaro Kujo (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
The protagonist of the third iteration of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Jotaro Kujo, was very different from the previous heroes. He was introduced as a cold, calculating, and reserved delinquent who rarely ever showed any emotion. His aloof "bad boy" persona comes from the celebrated and beloved actor Clint Eastwood.
The creator of the show, Hirohiko Ayaki, wanted to create a character that would inspire the same respect and fear that Eastwood did during his films. He even got Clint to pose like Jotaro, giving him a unique painting of the character as a token of his appreciation when Eastwood complied with his request.
6 Edward Thatch – Blackbeard (One Piece)
Marshall D. Teach, also known as the infamous Yonko Blackbeard, is one of the vilest and most ruthless villains in the world of One Piece. Once a member of Whitebeard’s crew, Teach betrayed the man who took him as an orphan to steal his Devil Fruit power and begin his pirate crew.
This underhanded behavior comes from his real-life counterpart, the original Blackbeard. Edward Thatch was once an infamous pirate known for his aggressive fighting style and intimidating disguise. Still, unlike Teach, the real Blackbeard’s attitude was simply an act, as he was known for being a polite individual once his enemies had been defeated.
5 Bruce Lee – Rock Lee (Naruto)
Those who hope to be powerful ninjas in Naruto's Shinobi World tend to rely on their Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to get them ahead. Rock Lee, one of Naruto’s fellow rookies, was born without the ability to use either of those powers, meaning he had to rely purely on physical strength to become a ninja. Nonetheless, Lee managed to achieve his dream through intense training and dedication.
Lee’s unbreakable spirit and iconic hairstyle come directly from the man who inspired Kishimoto to create the black-haired teen, Bruce Lee. Both men are masters of martial arts, accomplishing feats that seem almost impossible for the normal human. They also love training to surpass their limits and inspire those around them.
4 Yuzuru Hanyu And Tatsuki Machida – Yuri Katsuki (Yuri On Ice)
Inspired by his favorite ice skater, Victor Nikiforov, the young and hopeful Yuri began a journey to become a world-renowned athlete. His natural talent as an ice skater helped him boost his career quickly, becoming a worldwide sensation in just a few years. However, Yuri never allowed his fame to go to his head and remained the shy and humble young man he always was.
His incredible ice skating skills, prominent career, and likable personality come from the two ice skaters who inspired his creation. Yuzuru Hanyu, one of the world’s best skaters, was the inspiration for Yuri’s personality and skating style. Tatsuki Machida, on the other hand, inspired his career, as one of the creators of the show, Mitsuri Kubo, was a big fan of his.
3 Jiro Horikoshi – Jiro Horikoshi (The Wind Rises)
Despite not being allowed to fly any planes due to his shortsighted vision, Jiro Horikoshi still wanted to be involved with the creation of airships. He spent most of his life developing many airplanes that would forever change the world, like Model Zero, which was heavily used during the Second World War.
The Jiro from The Wind Rises film is directly inspired by the real engineer with the same name. Most of the details about his career as an aeronautic engineer are accurate, but his personal life was severely altered. Not only did his wife never die of tuberculosis, but he also had five children, who were never referenced in the movie.
2 Count Dante – Mr. Satan (Dragon Ball)
Surprisingly for most of the fans, the hero of Earth inside the Dragon Ball universe is not a member of the warrior. The one who claims to have defeated Cell and has kept the planet safe from that moment on is the manipulative and cowardly Mr. Satan. Hercule may not be the hero he claims to be, but he is indeed a strong fighter who has been training his entire life.
The savior of humanity is inspired by another controversial figure in the world of martial arts, Count Dante. Similarly to Mr. Satan, Dante used to claim that he was the strongest and deadliest man on the planet. His claims gained him a large following, with his publicity even appearing in superhero comic books.
1 Al Capone – Capone Bege (One Piece)
Few pirates are as distinguished and multifaceted as the captain of the Fire Tank Pirates, Capone Bege. This elegant and polite criminal is not only the captain of his own crew but also a major mob boss in the East Blue, as well as a member of the Big Mom Pirates’ crew.
As expected from his name, this crime lord was based on none other than the infamous Al Capone, one of the USA’s most known criminals. They both are outlaws who control a large portion of the criminal world in their respective regions. Both men also enjoy fine cooking, expensive art, polite manners, and inflicting fear on their enemies.