Professional wrestlers are typically larger-than-life performers and in turn, they are used for inspiration in something like a movie or a video game. There are quite a handful of video games that include wrestlers or a character that is based around a wrestler. Most of the time these games include fighting or beat 'em up games because of the line of work that these people do, but there have been countless titles that feature a wrestling-inspired figure.
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Ranging from luchadors in open-world crime games to face-painted muscle men in games like Streets of Rage or Double Dragon. Wrestlers can make the perfect inspiration for an over-the-top video game character. So here are some of the countless characters that make video game appearances that were inspired by actual wrestlers.
10 Virtua Fighter - El Blaze: Rey Mysterio
El Blaze is a young masked luchador introduced in Virtua Fighter 5 and would become the rival of fellow professional wrestler Wolf Hawkfield. El Blaze made his name known by wrestling in the light heavyweight division with his lightning-fast speed and high-flying moveset.
El Blaze on looks and wrestling style is very similar to luchador legend, Rey Mysterio. Both are smaller than the average wrestler but make up for their height with agility and their impressive and unique moveset.
9 Soulcalibur - Rock: Triple H
Rock would be one of the first playable characters in the Soulcalibur series with his appearance in Soul Edge. Rock is a mountain of a man wielding large weapons and different types of animal fur/hide wrapped around his head as a type of armor.
Starting with his appearance in Soulcalibur 3, Rock would start looking more closely at that of the Cerebral Assassin, Triple H. Sporting his signature blonde facial hair and huge muscular physique. Plus his gear in the third game looks exactly like something Triple H would wear for a WrestleMania entrance.
8 Fatal Fury - Big Bear: Vader
Fatal Fury would introduce an Australian masked wrestler character named Raiden. He would be known for manhandling people around and his insane strength. Starting with Fatal Fury 2, Raiden would take off the mask and go by the name Big Bear showing off his face and unique blonde hair shaved in the middle and two small Mohawks on the side.
He is a spitting image of professional wrestling legend, Big Van Vader. Raiden's mask is just like Vader's mask design while working in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, their matching hair, similar build, and attire.
7 Borderlands - Mr. Torque Flexington: Hulk Hogan
Borderlands is known for its over-the-top characters and there is almost nobody who embodies that statement more than Mr. Torque Flexington. Flexington is the founder and CEO of the Torgue Corporation, a company that produces a type of gun players will use in the franchise.
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There is easily nobody bigger in professional wrestling and more recognizable than the Hulkster himself, Hulk Hogan. The two share similar body types and facial hair, Torque also speaks in the same that Hulk Hogan cuts a promo plus a few more slurs.
6 Final Fight - Andore: Andre The Giant
Final Fight is the home of the Andore family, all members are massive and freakishly muscular people sporting brown curly hair. The different members all make appearances in the Final Fight series, told apart by their clothing color in the original Final Fight.
One of the few video game characters with a name that is almost the person they are inspired by. The entire family sports a look similar to Andre The Giant during his prime with his massive afro and colorful trunks.
5 Dead Or Alive - Bass Armstrong: Hollywood Hogan
Bass Armstrong starts as an undefeated pro wrestler and the Undisputed World Champion before he has a daughter a fellow fighter in the DOA series, Tina Armstrong. Over the series, Bass tries to convince his daughter to continue being a pro wrestler and is very overprotective of her.
While the story of the character doesn't screen nWo Hulk Hogan, his attire and design absolutely do. Bass is sporting mostly black gear and the iconic blonde hair and dark beard. Armstrong is heavily inspired by the Hulkster's time in the black-and-white faction.
4 Saints Row - Killbane: El Santo
Killbane serves as one of the main antagonists for Saints Row The Third and the leader of the luchador side of The Syndicate crime organization. Killbane is a luchador who lives a lavish lifestyle and is cheered as a very famous name in the community of Steelport.
Killbane's luchador character and the way fans view him in the city Saints Row takes place in is very similar to that of the Mexican wrestling legend, El Santo. Before his passing El Santo was viewed as almost royalty in Mexico and is one of the most famous and well-known wrestlers ever.
3 Streets Of Rage - Abadede: The Ultimate Warrior
Abadede appears as an opponent in Streets of Rage and utilizes a clothesline as his main form of attack against the player. Occasionally he also picks up the player and tosses them to the other side of the screen. He sports a long mullet and face paint and fights in typically red tights and wrestling boots.
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The creators have never confirmed if Abadede is a tribute to The Ultimate Warrior but their matching hair, face paint, and the fact Abadede uses The Ultimate Warrior's body splash maneuver make it seems rather intentional.
2 Tekken - King: Tiger Mask
During the Tekken series, there have been two wrestlers under the name King and one under the name Armor King. His origin story comes from being a luchador in Mexico and fighting to earn money to support orphans around the world, their design is reminiscent of the Japanese legend, Tiger Mask.
All variations of King sport the signature jaguar mask that is designed after Tiger Mask's...mask. King would also be closely connected to the world of Japanese wrestling with the cross-promotion between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Tekken, and Kazuchika Okada wearing an outfit in tribute to the masked fighter.
1 Street Fighter - Zangief: Zangiev
After debuting in Street Fighter 2, the Russian "Red Cyclone" has become one of the most recognizable characters in the series and fighting games as a whole. When most fans think of video game wrestlers, Zangief is the first who comes to mind.
What's funny however is that while so many people know of the virtual wrestler, not many know of his real-life inspiration. Victor Zangiev was a wrestler in the early 90s and worked in promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling. Zangief's name is a direct copy of the real-life Russian and his hairy body and overall look are just a more exaggerated take on the former freestyle wrestler.
