Anime does not exist in a vacuum. Most anime creators take at least the basics of their material from the society before adding other elements to it. This leaves anime lovers constantly try to figure out creative origin of a certain character. There’s often a feeling of familiarity about an anime character, and the hunch is not always wrong.
Sometimes, it finally dawns that the character bears a striking resemblance to a certain MMA fighter, or a legendary actor, or even has the mannerism of a certain historical figure they read or heard about. Hence, a lot of popular actors, athletes, and even historical figures have been used as inspirations for anime characters.
10 Rock Lee (Naruto)
Bruce Lee is a household name and the childhood hero of many. A lot of anime fans can easily spot the similarities between the character Rock Lee in Naruto, and the legendary actor and martial artist.
From his attire, hairstyle, and body language down to his fascination with taijutsu and mastery of martial art, Rock Lee is a doppelganger of Bruce Lee. Another dead giveaway is the fact that the creators were not very inventive with the character's name.
9 Victor Nikiforov (Yuri on Ice)
Victor Nikiforou from Yuri on Ice is a complex character derived from the amalgamation of the Soviet skater, Evgeni Plushenko, and the critically acclaimed actor, John Cameron Mitchell. No wonder the character is such a resounding success with most of the fans.
The series' writer revealed that Victor's character was designed to possess the mannerisms and achievements of the former, and the physical attributes such as the trademark silver locks and the boyish good looks of the latter.
8 Jewelry Bonny (One Piece)
The fiery pirate Jewelry was modeled after Anne Bonney, an infamous real-life pirate who led a colorful life in the Caribbean. The creators barely made any effort to mask the connection, as evidenced by the similarity in their names.
The real-life pirate's hard-headedness, temperamental nature, love for adventure, and extraordinary independence are all traits that can be found in the animated character, Jewelry Bonney. Further, One Piece is an anime series famous for using real-life people as inspiration for its characters.
7 Armored Titan (Attack On Titan)
There was never any doubt that the characters in Attack On Titan were inspired by mixed martial arts fighters. With their cycle of eating, resting, and breaking walls, they are ferocious tools of destruction.
One of the titan character design that was well-loved by most of the fans is the beastly Armored Titan, who is an animated version of the famous WWE and UFC fighter, Brock Lesnar. Although Lesnar didn't have metal plates to mitigate or absorb the damage he suffered in fights, the little tuft of hair and the body build were dead giveaways.
6 Gordon Agrippa (Black Clover)
From the heavy Halloween make-up, black nail polish, and lipstick down to his peculiar aversion to sunlight and his mannerism, there is no doubt that the one of the peculiar magic knights, Gordon Agrippa from the anime, Black Clover was inspired by the iconic metal singer, Marilyn Manson.
It wouldn't have been surprising if Gordon Agrippa had suddenly burst out to sing "Tainted Love" in one of Asta's fights in the Black Clover Arcs.
5 Coffee (Cowboy Bebop)
An animated bounty hunter character called Coffee was introduced in the "Mushroom Sambo" episode in Cowboy Bebop. Her character was inspired by Pam Grier's character in the titular movie "Coffy."
In the process of chasing down her bounty, a mushroom farmer that deals in rare drugs, she came across Edward. Initially, she didn't know he was also a bounty hunter but later came to realize and they worked together. In the end, she lost the bounty altogether when her car crashed after another bounty hunter named Shaft fell off the train onto her car.
4 Yoshikage Kira (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
The similarities between David Bowie and Yoshikage Kira from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable are most obvious when Kira has his blond slick hairstyle. His murderous look is also reminiscent of Bowie's signature look.
One would agree that Kira's tendency to engage in an unprovoked killing spree and his obsession with living like a plant are in no way related to Bowie. While Bowie inspired Kira's physical attributes and maybe one of the most iconic outfits in the Anime, every other component is the creator's imagination at work.
3 Chiyoko Fujiwara (Millennium Actress)
Chiyoko Fujiwara is a complex character based on a combination of the careers of two critically acclaimed actresses in the 20th century. The writer of Millennium Actress, Satoshi Kon, admitted to taking inspiration from the lives of two actresses: Setsuko Hara and Hideko Takamine.
Chiyoko's storyline was particularly inspired by Hideko, who lived like a hermit after quitting her successful career. She lived a solitary life for the next 50 years and passed away at the age of 95. The plot was designed to be in the form of an interview of an old actress who had become shy of media attention.
2 Rurouni Kenshin
The writer of Rurouni Kenshin had read about the life of a samurai called Kawakami Gensai, an assassin in the 19th century who remained loyal to his deceased comrades and carried out all of his assignments dutifully. This story inspired the writer to develop the titular character Rurouni Kenshin in the anime, movie, and manga series.
The plot isn't based on actual events in Kawakami's life, but Kawakami and Rurouni share some common traits in their backgrounds. They were both assassins who remained loyal to their comrades, and they both got ignominiously discarded by their government after they outlived their usefulness.
1 Jiro Horikoshi (The Wind Rises)
The popular character in Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises is a fictional version of a head engineer of the Japanese fighter planes during World War II. A closer look at the appearance of Jiro Horikoshi in the anime gives away the look of the engineer asides their name being the same.
With their similar stature and circular eyeglasses, old timers are easily reminded of the World War II hero. The similarities between the real-life Horikoshi and his caricature are only surface-deep, every other element of the plot are products of the creator's imagination.