10 Video Game Characters Who First Appeared Sooner Than You Think

2. Meryl Silverburgh - Policenauts

Meryl Silverburgh is one of the most important supporting characters in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, best remembered for her appearance in 1998's Metal Gear Solid and her return in 2008's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

But the steely heroine was actually first created for Hideo Kojima's previous 1994 adventure game Policenauts, where she appears in a supporting capacity, bearing her iconic red hair, black tank top, and distinctive arm tattoo.

Kojima reportedly liked the character enough that he decided to include her in the Metal Gear franchise, though presumably in order to avoid any messy continuity issues, no explicit references are made to the events of Policenauts.

For all intents and purposes, though, they're functionally the same character.