While watching anime or reading comics, you're likely to have had a strange feeling of déjà vu at times, as if you've seen what's in front of you before. It could have been unintentional on the artist's and writer's part, but it does happen. If comparisons can be drawn between existing characters across different mediums, it invites speculation.
In this case, the focus is on anime and DC characters that seem so similar that it's hard not to wonder just where their inspiration came from. Looking at their physical features, character arcs, and backstories, here are some instances where one could legitimately not be blamed for thinking, 'Did they just copy that?'
10 COPIED FROM DC: Kenshiro
Some may say, “Oh, Goku is a copy of Superman, it's so obvious”, maybe, but there's a better comparison. It's Kenshiro in Fist of the North Star (Who's in Jump Force now BTW). It's pretty hard to argue that post-Doomsday beat down Superman decked out in black with a mullet bears NO resemblance to Kenshiro at all. Both sport black haired mullets, both are jacked to the nth degree, and both are completely overpowered characters in their respective universes having near comical levels of strength. If you put a pair of glasses on Kenshiro, he would pass for Clark Kent, you dress Superman in 1980s post-apocalyptic style biker leathers and denim he'd be indistinguishable from Kenshiro. Kenshiro may have been partly inspired by Bruce Lee, but he looks like a hyper-violent superman.
9 COPIED FROM ANIME: Macross Mechs
For some reason, the Green Lantern Corp's Earth recruits seem to really, really like mechs. From time to time they will use their ring to manifest mech suits during fights. It makes sense, being in a mech would be a good form of defense and offense, armor and lasers, whats not to like? BUT, now and then the people drawing these comics seem to randomly insert mechs from animes, might be them being lazy, or their idea of an homage, but it most definitely is copying. Like this mech right here, which looks a lot like a mech from Macross.
8 COPIED FROM DC: Golden Bat
Golden Bat (from Black Star and Golden Bat) looks like a pallet swap on Batman, the movie doesn't even try to hide it, they look exactly the same. The only real difference between the two is Batman can't fly or shoot finger lasers. This dumpster fire of a movie was made in 1979 and its a marvel no sued them copyright infringement.
There really is nothing in the back story which makes Batman anything like Golden Bat, he is definitely no detective, he lets kids do his sleuthing for him. Its only when Golden Bat shows up to fight that the movie becomes indistinguishable from an early animated Bat Man features. Golden Bat is definitely a copy of Batman in terms of its likeness, and a hilarious one at that.
7 COPIED FROM ANIME: RWBY The Comic
Some may argue that RWBY by Roosterteeth is not a bona fide anime. Such arguments tend to be made by puritans, citing that RWBY isn't an anime due to it not being crafted to fit a niche in a seasonal anime line up straight from Japan with a cute lovable animal mascot. However, one may also point out that it does air on Crunchyroll, which specifically airs anime.
So for the purposes of this article, it will be considered anime. In this context, it is literally an example of DC copying an anime. They took the Characters from RWBY and put them in a comic format published by Vertigo whose parent company is DC. Tada! That's copying!
6 COPIED FROM DC: Piccolo
This one is pretty straight forward. Both Piccolo (DBZ) and Martian Manhunter are green, muscled, fly, like capes, are aliens whose species were genocided by other angrier aliens (white Martians and Freeza), and have telepathy. Definitely a lot of common ground between the two. They may not directly look like a one for one, but the number of similarities in their backstories and powers really do paint a picture here.
5 COPIED FROM ANIME: The Kill
Meier is a vampire from Vampire Hunter D, The Kill from DC is not expressly stated to be a vampire, but he may as well be. He has a fixation on blood, is immortal, and can create undead servants, so he's definitely well on his way to being a vampire. Both Kill and Meier have long white hair, super white complexions, are immortal, 14th-century fashionistas, sport red eyes with talon-like fingernails, and have a penchant for raising undead fiends of the night. Meier's may not have that weird face acne that Kill does, but when Meier is melting from being caught by the sun's rays it certainly looks like someone is a copy of someone else.
4 COPIED FROM DC: King Bradley
These two iconic facial hair sporting symbols of masculinity are a little too similar in terms of back story. Just looking at their faces you can already see some similarities, they both have their glower on point. Both enlisted in the army at early ages and both were put through secretive and shady experiments to enhance their abilities. Both sport eye patches due to their ocular deficiencies (lack of eye). Though Bradley (FMA) does get a super eye which gives him incredible perception, Death Stroke's powers from the experiments performed on him functionally do what Bradley's eye does. They both dual wield swords like few others can and are the highest level enforcers in their respective organizations. Bradley serving Father, and Death Stroke serving anyone who pays enough.
3 COPIED FROM ANIME: Bizzaro Superman As A Stand
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a classic for many reasons. One of which is the stands, magical otherworldly forces manifested through an individual's life energy. The characters in the manga and anime adopt very striking and dynamic poses off and on in conjunction their stands, kind of like the one Black Mask adopts in the comic.
In Redhood and the outlaws volume 2 Black Mask controls Bizzaro Superman to do his bidding, and he makes Bizarro strike a pose with him that is something right out of Jojo. It may not be a 'copy', but this a wonderful and goofy nod that people deserve to know about.
2 COPIED FROM DC: Lynch Man, Johnny Boya
The movie Redline focuses on the events surrounding a high stakes intergalactic racing league. Essentially its space NASCAR but the rules encourage the use of ballistic missiles. The characters Lynch Man and Johnny Boya in Redline are of particular interest, as they are basically Batman and Robin. In Redline, this duo breaks into an orbital weapons platform disarming it to help their allies. However they are not to helping local law enforcement, they're doing it to ensure they can race super-fast cars and violate galactic space law. They may not look 100% like Batman and Robin, but you can definitely tell they were inspired by them.
1 COPIED FROM ANIME: Lucifer
Ryo Asuka in Devilman is Satan, like actual 'Satan'. Devilman is a pretty old anime and Ryo Asuka has always been portrayed with short stylized blonde hair, always dressing well, and being far more intelligent than the average teenager. This could describe many characters a part of DC or in anime for that matter, BUT it's eerie just how similar DC's Lucifer is. Lucifer is, well dressed, short blond styled hair, very white, and wickedly smart. What really makes Lucifer a copy of Ryo Asuka though, is that Lucifer and Satan are different names for the same individual. Both characters are literally the 'Devil', from the Bible, in different settings. DC could have chosen any other character design, but they chose what was functionally the exact look-alike of Ryo Asuka.