Video Game Characters Inspired By Literature

Key Takeaways

• Many popular video game characters, like
  Professor Layton
  , draw inspiration from literature, such as Sherlock Holmes.
• Games like
  The Binding of Isaac
  and
  Bloodborne
  explore deep themes from their source material, like faith and cosmic horror.
• Characters in games like
  The Sims 2
  and
  The Lion King
  are modern twists on classic literary figures, preserving original plot themes.

The rise of video game to movie adaptations has been widely discussed and criticized within the gaming community. Since the success of films such as Sonic The Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, people have been divided over whether adapting stories and characters from video games to the big screen is a good idea.

However, adaptation has been a part of video game culture for decades. From the 1983 classic The Hobbit on the ZX Spectrum to the 2024 AAA release Black Myth: Wukong, literature has provided extensive inspiration for many playable titles. Not only that, many popular video game characters also have their roots in books, as this list highlights.

1 Professor Layton – The Professor Layton Series

An English Detective With Roots In London’s Baker Street

Nintendo’s Professor Layton series follows the adventures of Hershel Layton, an English detective, and his sidekick Luke as they solve mysteries and puzzles in various locations. The games are narrative-driven, featuring hundreds of puzzles that players must solve on their way to the gripping conclusions of the stories.

The creators of Layton’s character have mentioned that they drew significant inspiration from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes book series. Not only do they both hold the title of detective, but they also share a London setting and embody gentlemanly personas.

2 Isaac – The Binding Of Isaac

Based On A Biblical Tale

The Binding of Isaac is a highly rated indie game heavily inspired by the Biblical story of the same name. In the game, players control Isaac – a young boy who must escape his abusive mother’s sacrificial intentions after supposedly hearing a divine voice command her to sacrifice her son.

Drawing from its source material, the game carries themes of faith, sacrifice, and survival. It weaves dark, symbolic imagery with roguelike mechanics to create a unique narrative that blends religion, mythology, and psychological horror. The Binding of Isaac serves as an exploration of the unsettling power of religious devotion and fear.

3 The Great Ones – Bloodborne

A Lovecraftian Creation

Throughout Bloodborne, players encounter the Great Ones – ancient, god-like beings whose existence influences the world in horrifying ways. These beings draw large inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, particularly his story of Cthulhu in the 1928 magazine “Weird Tales.”

With their other-worldly structure, the Great Ones embody cosmic horror and the insignificance of humanity in the face of incomprehensible forces – motifs shared by their Lovecraftian inspiration. Moreover, the Great Ones echo themes of forbidden knowledge, madness, and existential dread.

4 Geralt Of Rivia – The Witcher Series

Perhaps The Most Well-Known Adaptation

Geralt of Rivia is The Witcher series’ anti-hero, navigating a morally ambiguous world and challenging the notions of good and evil while maintaining his protagonist status. Drawing completely from Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, Geralt’s character reflects plenty of themes of dark fantasy literature, including the brooding nature of the misunderstood.

Sapowski’s influences come from rich traditions of European folklore and include the works of authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and Michael Moorcock. Geralt mirrors the common complexity and moral grayness found in characters from all three authors.

5 Romeo Monty – The Sims 2

A Spin On A Shakespeare Classic

Romeo Monty, a character in The Sims 2, mirrors Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. In the game, Romeo represents a modern (and satirical) adaptation of the male love interest from the original play. Much like Shakespeare’s Romeo, however, he is impulsive, passionate, and caught in a forbidden love affair with the daughter of a rival family.

The Sims 2 cleverly reimagines the Shakespearean drama in a contemporary setting and manages to retain the original plot themes of love and family rivalry while still allowing players to shape Romeo’s fate.

6 Juliette Cap – The Sims 2

Part Of A Not-So-Tragic Tale

Leading on from the previous entry, Juliette Capp from The Sims 2 is the stand-in for Juliet in the game’s recreation of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. As with Romeo Monty, her character retains traits from the original story such as the forbidden romance and heart-strong tendencies.

She is portrayed in the game as a privileged young woman from a wealthy family, living in a suburban Veronaville, rather than her original historical setting. The Sims 2 allows players to give the character more agency than the original portrayal, controlling her fate and hopefully saving her from her tragic demise.

7 Simba – The Lion King For SNES

Disney, But It’s From The 16th Century

Just like Romeo Monty and Juliette Capp, Simba from The Lion King game draws inspiration from a classic Shakespearean tragedy – this time it’s Hamlet. Simba is supposed to emulate the character of Hamlet, trying to avenge his father’s death while maintaining royal status over his kingdom.

Both characters wrestle with feelings of guilt, self-doubt, and the burden of destiny. However, the lightheartedness of The Lion King game allows for the somewhat dark plot to take place in a brighter and more vibrant animated world.

8 Ophelia – Elsinore

Providing A Fresh Perspective

• Platform(s): Windows, macOS, Mac operating systems, Linux
• Released: July 22, 2019
• Developer(s): Golden Glitch Studios
• Genre(s): Adventure

Another adaptation of Hamlet comes in the form of Elsinore, a 2019 indie game that allows players to play as Ophelia: Hamlet’s love interest throughout the original play. In Hamlet, Ophelia has no control over her deadly fate and is displayed as somewhat of a plot device in Hamlet’s story.

In Elsinore, she regains her agency through the player, allowing for her survival to take priority over the original plot of the play. She can influence events, manipulate relationships, and make decisions that alter the course of the narrative.

9 The Creature – Castlevania

A Classic Gothic Horror Figure

The Creature in Castlevania, a character inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, takes on a darker, more monstrous role than Shelley’s original tragic figure. While Mary Shelley’s Monster is a misunderstood being, seeking acceptance and battling with his creator’s neglect, the Castlevania adaptation is portrayed as a more aggressive force.

Despite this, both versions share themes of abandonment, identity, and the consequences of creation. The Creature is, of course, adapted to fit the game’s action-centred gameplay and its gothic monster theming.

10 Dracula – Castlevania

Bram Stoker’s Iconic Creation

Castlevania‘s supernatural antagonist, Dracula, is a reimagined version of the iconic character from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Where the original is a dark aristocratic figure driven by a thirst for immortality, Castlevania transforms him into a more active and aggressive villain.

Like The Creature, Dracula is meticulously regenerated to fit the game’s action-centered gameplay but does retain the themes of mythological power and a connection to the undead. Castlevania emphasizes Dracula’s cruelty, strength, and mastery over dark magic, making him a threatening presence in the game’s gothic world.