History Main / Expy

The [[CanonicalListOfSubtleTropeDistinctions key difference]] between this and CaptainErsatz is that an expy is not clearly supposed to be the character, but is rather ''very'' similar, while CaptainErsatz is obviously the same character but with the SerialNumbersFiledOff. Please keep this distinction in mind before adding an example here. Also note that a fictional counterpart to a real-life person would ''not'' be an expy. When a character strongly resembles a real person, rather than a fictional character, that's NoCelebritiesWereHarmed. A quick glance around TVTropes will reveal just how often these mistakes are made on this very wiki.

-> "You know Lucius Sweet?! He's one of the biggest names in boxing! He's exactly as rich and as famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]" \\
Homer Simpson WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons

Keep in mind that [[TropesAreNotBad not all expies are lazy half-assed rip-offs]]. Some characters such as YogiBear and [[TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] are obvious clones of [[TheHoneymooners Art Carney]] and [[TheHoneymooners Ralph Kramden]] respectively but they are some of the most acclaimed cartoon characters of all time because they are generally likable.

Keep in mind that [[TropesAreNotBad not all expies are lazy half-assed rip-offs]]. Some characters such as YogiBear and [[TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]] are obvious clones of ArtCarney and [[TheHoneymooners Ralph Kramden]] respectively but they are some of the most acclaimed cartoon characters of all time because they are generally likable.

-> Homer Simpson WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons

-->-- Homer Simpson WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons

-> "YYou know Lucius Sweet?! He's one of the biggest names in boxing! He's exactly as rich and as famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]" \\

-> "You know Lucius Sweet? He's exactly as rich and famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]" \\

-> "You know Lucius Sweet? He's exactly as rich and famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]"

-> "You know Lucius Sweet? He's exactly as rich and famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]" \\
-->-- - Homer Simpson WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons

-> "You know Lucius Sweet? He's exactly as rich and famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]"
-->-- - Homer Simpson" 'WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'

->""You know Lucius Sweet? He's exactly as rich and famous as Don King, [[LampshadeHanging and he looks just like him too!]]""
-->-- " - Homer Simpson" '"WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'"

-->-- '"WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'"

[[quoteright:272:[[Creator/SethMacFarlane http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seth2n_5924.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:272:[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-316-family-guy/ Strictly]] [[StrictlyFormula MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. Oh, and all three non-human best friends are voiced by Creator/SethMacFarlane.[[/labelnote]]]]

For specific expies, see FountainOfExpies.

[[caption-width-right:272:[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-316-family-guy/ Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. Oh, and all three non-human best friends are voiced by Creator/SethMacFarlane.[[/labelnote]]]]

Compare to BleachedUnderpants, AlternateCompanyEquivalent, NamesTheSame, RomanAClef, CounterpartComparison, SimilarSquad, SameStoryDifferentNames, SuspiciouslySimilarSong, DistaffCounterpart, SuspiciouslySimilarStories, EvilCounterpart. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[ExperiencePoints XP]].

Compare to BleachedUnderpants, AlternateCompanyEquivalent, NamesTheSame, RomanAClef, CounterpartComparison, SimilarSquad, SameStoryDifferentNames, SuspiciouslySimilarSong, DistaffCounterpart, EvilCounterpart. [[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] [[ExperiencePoints XP]].

[[caption-width-right:272:[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-316-family-guy/ Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. Oh, and all three non-human best friends are voiced by [=MacFarlane=].[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:272:[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-316-family-guy/ Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. Oh, and all three non-human best friends are voiced by Seth.[[/labelnote]]]]

* Expy/{{Cross-Medium examples}}

[[quoteright:272:[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-316-family-guy/ http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seth2n_5924.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:272:[[Creator/SethMacFarlane Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''. Oh, and all three non-human best friends are voiced by Seth.[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:272:[[Creator/SethMacFarlane Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''.[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:272:[[SethMacFarlane Strictly MacFormula]].[[labelnote:shows]]Left to right: ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''[[WesternAnimation/AmericanDad American Dad!]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''.[[/labelnote]]]]