Listen, I’m not saying that anime is unoriginal. Of course not! But I can’t help but notice that there are certain characters out there that can easily be swapped from one anime to the other. And no one would bat an eyelash. But that’s just how it goes when it comes to mediums like anime. There are only so many ways you can draw a character before you start being unconsciously influenced and overlap happens.

It’s amazing how similar quirks could represent different nuances. Like in one anime, a character’s bigger eyes could be a trait that makes them adorable. And in another anime, those same eyes could be unsettling. Because different characters from different manga can look similar while demonstrating completely different things.

Sure, good anime characters are unique in everything, including the art design. But that isn’t always true. Sometimes lines do crossover and yet, the character is very much their own instead of being a shadow of a pre-existing one. That’s the beauty of anime, the versatility that can either follow tropes to a T or flip them over their head.

And sometimes, it’s just hilarious. Because you never know when two mangakas just happened to create similar characters or if they were influenced. Or maybe they did just copy-paste a protagonist from a similar story because, hey, Isekai exists! But those are just assumptions. So here are my top 10 picks for anime characters that definitely had an unfaithful parent, because they look too alike for their own good!

Though, they still share way too many similarities. From their shaggy black hair to their menacing grins, both Gray Fullbuster and Rin Okumura can be easily confused for the other. But what cements them as two peas in a pod is how both of them are extremely compassionate towards the people they care about. They might be laid back, but quickly get serious when push comes to shove.

From the tanned skin to the red hair and even the stubble, both Shanks and Gildart could literally just be Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V in either manga. And no one would be the wiser. It’s also how interesting how similar they are in their characters, both being father figures to the main cast and having this gritty aesthetic to them.

Truth be told, usually, these characters that look alike are pretty different from each other, but that’s not the case with Rukia Kuchiki and Mikasa Ackerman. With their short black hair, serious brows, and even more serious might, the two come across as being more alike than most characters. They are both extremely motivated and prove to be a guiding light to the main protagonists of their series.

And hey, they also share the very unfair trait of not ending up with the main character. Which, boy did that put a damper on my OTP (One True Pairing) mood.

And it isn’t just the sandy blonde hair and blue eyes combo that does it. They both share personality traits too! Loid feels like a calmer, more collected version of the shrewd Shirogane, with both having an amazing talent to overanalyze situations.

And yet, both anime characters are clueless when it comes to the feelings of those right in front of them. I swear to God if Spy X Family takes just as long as Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War to have the main couple finally getting together, I will scream.

While Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen doesn’t share the same calm and subdued nature that made Petra so memorable in the beginning, she is just as exceptional. Petra was the only woman in the Survey Corps division that was hand-picked by Levi Ackerman and Nobara is a novice Sorcerer that took down special grade curses with the prowess of a veteran.

With their ginger bobs and orange-tinted eyes, I’m just hoping they don’t share the same fate.  

Okay, but at least here they have the decency to be very different in their behavior. Where Kaguya is the poster child of the kind of elegance that Eden Academy would be proud of, Yor is much clumsier and ditzier, with a very simple outlook on life. Though she is also a world-class assassin, so the whole clumsy thing might be up in the air.

But with their gorgeous black manes and sharp red eyes, they are undoubtedly beautiful. Now if only the two men in their lives could get their act together and just c-o-n-f-e-s-s so the two women can stop their pining? That would be great.

They definitely don’t have the same personality. But like Yuuri Katsuki, Shinichi shares the same short, cropped hair that is dark as night, amber eyes, and even a similar face shape. Hell, they both even wear glasses!

At least poor Yuuri doesn’t have to go through the same trauma of having a literal parasite stuck to his arm as Shinichi does!

And like, at this point Saber has so many reiterations of herself across the Fate series that you have to always double-check whether the anime you’re watching isn’t somehow related to it. From their beautiful blonde hairstyles and calm blue eyes, to even their dressing style, Violet and Saber share many physical attributes.

In truth, both share a similar story as well, being children of war that are still trying to understand how human emotions work. So, you can see the confusion here.

Though a glaring one comes from the snowy-haired, super-powerful mentor figure to a dumbass trio. I mean, you know they look alike when you can’t tell if that phrase was meant for Kakashi Hatake or Gojo Satoru. It’s not just the good looks or concealing their powerful sight thing either. Both play similar roles in their respective franchises as well.

With their playful demeanor that turns calculated with the blink of an eye(get it?), it’s no wonder that Gojo is just as beloved as Kakashi was back in the day.

Like, I don’t get it. He wasn’t a good protagonist the first time around, why are we still trying to make him a thing? Especially when there are so many good anime characters to copy-paste from.

---

So, those were our picks. Have you picked up on some secret twins across the Animeverse? What’s your take on these look-alike anime characters? Let us know down below!