The video game industry has transformed from a sinking ship into one of the most profitable entertainment industries around in what feels like the blink of an eye. Records are being shattered in this industry and the sheer number of quality games is almost always on the rise. With the wide variety of tastes and genres covered by this medium, it's easy to see why so many people go gaga over the latest video games every single time without fail.
Characters in video games have undergone a stellar transformation, with a surprising number of these figures being based on or inspired by individuals in real life. While celebrities are an obvious inspiration, there are other figures that have more personal inspirations. Here's a list of video game characters falling under this category that most people aren't aware of.
10 Ayla (Chrono Trigger)
Chrono Trigger's cast is incredibly memorable and makes for one of the most diverse and engaging main characters in a JRPG. It doesn't matter that Crono doesn't speak throughout the game, since his friends more than makeup for his lack of vocabulary.
Ayla is one such character that comes from the prehistoric period and instantly endears herself to fans with her personality. Her inspiration was a Taiwanese-Japanese singer by the name of Ouyang Fei Fei.
9 Cate Archer (No One Lives Forever)
No One Lives Forever is a series that most fans don't talk about often enough, which is a shame. The spy-thriller title features a charismatic protagonist in the form of Cate Archer who goes to different areas all over the world to stop nefarious plots and global conspiracies.
The look of Cate Archer was based on model and actress Mitzi Martin. It gave her a distinct look that made these titles even more unique.
8 Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village)
The sheer impact that Lady Dimitrescu had on the fandom when her character was showcased for the first time took everyone by surprise, including Capcom themselves. They never realized that Dimitrescu would become so popular, even though she wasn't even a major character in the game!
Her real-life inspiration comes from two sources. The first is Elizabeth Bathory, a noblewoman and serial killer from the 16th century. The second is actress Anjelica Huston — namely, her portrayal of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family.
7 Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect)
Mass Effect is one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time. Even the major stumbling block that was Mass Effect: Andromeda didn't take away from the legacy of this series, which has been further bolstered with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
One character from the series that was introduced in Mass Effect 2 and has become a fan-favorite is Miranda Lawson. Her character is modeled after Yvonne Strahovski, which definitely accentuates her femme fatale vibes.
6 Elizabeth (BioShock Infinite)
The BioShock series had a strong start with its excursion in Rapture, followed by a sequel that was quite serviceable as well. However, Ken Levine pulled out all the stops with the third and final title in the series, BioShock Infinite.
The game is considered by many to be the best BioShock game ever made, with Elizabeth being a standout character due to her amazing personality and helpful AI. Her face was modeled after a Russian cosplayer by the name of Anna Moleva, who bagged this role after stunning Irrational Games with her nigh-perfect cosplay of pre-release Elizabeth.
5 Isaac Clarke (Dead Space)
Dead Space is one of the greatest survival horror games ever made. Its quality was further bolstered by the presence of the series protagonist, Isaac Clarke.
The character's face and voice were provided by actor Gunner Wright. While Isaac didn't really need voice acting in the first game, subsequent titles decided to flesh his character out even more and gave him a voice to help facilitate this change as well.
4 Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)
The Resident Evil franchise is full to the brim with some of the most popular video game characters of all time. Jill Valentine is one such character that has become legendary within the gaming community for her strong characterization and iconic stature.
The character's model was based on cosplayer Julia Voth for almost two decades. However, in the Resident Evil 3 remake, the inspiration of the character's look and design was taken from Russian model Sasha Zotova instead.
3 Liara T'Soni (Mass Effect)
From the very first game, Liara T'Soni establishes herself as a character who was going to play a major role in the Mass Effect trilogy. Watching this Asari scientist change her worldview and become more mature over the course of the series is a fascinating piece of character development.
Liara's face was based on that of Jillian Murray, and this shows in her design. She's easily one of the most likable characters in the series and has constantly shown why she deserves the moniker of being the best romance in the entire series.
2 Liu Kang (Mortal Kombat)
Most people wouldn't be surprised to find out that Bruce Lee serves as an inspiration for the character of Liu Kang. However, this character has another inspiration in the form of Minamoto Yoshitsune, a legendary figure in Japanese history.
Both these inspirations combine to form one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. While pretty much all the characters of Mortal Kombat seem sinister in some way or the other, Liu Kang is one of the few exceptions who is genuinely a good guy.
1 Captain Price (Call Of Duty)
The Call of Duty franchise might be derided by a massive segment of gamers, but most people remember just how popular this series was in its heyday. The campaigns and characters featured during the golden age of Call of Duty were widely beloved by many.
One such character who has become one of the most popular Call of Duty characters of all time is Captain Price. This character is being portrayed by Barry Sloane in the Modern Warfare reboot.