10 Video Game Characters You Didn't Know Were Based On Real People

Though it's well known that Mortal Kombat's Johnny Cage was created as a spoof of Jean-Claude Van Damme - albeit only after he refused to appear in the game himself - did you know he's not the only iconic Mortal Kombat character with some major influence from a real-life martial artist?

Sonya Blade, the series' most notable female character, wasn't just cooked up out of thin air, but inspired by martial artist Cynthia Rothrock, who had a prolific career in action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Much like the Van Damme deal, Rothrock claims that she was approached by Midway to appear in the game but, when she turned their offer down, they reimagined Sonya as a quasi-parody instead. She said in a 2018 interview with We Got This Covered:

"They contacted me when I was in my prime in terms of my career, and I was too expensive for them. So they used my face and the moves I was most recognised for and just changed her name. When I do conventions I do have a few people recognizing me for her, but I really had nothing to do with it. The company didn't do things legally. It was a raw deal and I could have sued, but I'm not that type of person."