Send in the Clones

Kasumi is the face of the Dead or Alive franchise and has always been portrayed as one of the most honorable fighters in the series. She’s also one of the deadliest, which is why she has been subjected to so many cloning experiments. After she won the first Dead of Alive tournament, Kasumi was captured by DOATEC and used as a template for an army of clones. The first of these clones, Kasumi α, was a near-perfect copy of the original with a more aggressive personality. The clone’s genes were continuously modified by DOATEC, and by the time Kasumi α became Alpha-152, she was an inhuman monster with a heart full of hate. Phase 4 was the final Kasumi clone prototype and actually appeared to have a mind of her own. Unlike earlier clones, Phase 4 wanted to avoid conflict and her compassion was reminiscent of a young Kasumi.

Samas Aran has been replicated on more than one occasion. Dark Samus from the Metroid Prime games was merely mimicking her body, but SA-X was a proper clone created from Samus’ own DNA. After Samus was infected by the “X parasite” on the Metroid’s home planet of SR388, she provided sections of her suit to researchers in the Galactic Federation. The virus merged with Samus’ DNA and created a near-perfect clone of the bounty hunter known as SA-X. SA-X had all of Samus’ abilities, but it was a cold-blooded killing machine that relentlessly stalked her and threatened her life. Its ability to produce asexually or transform into gigantic beasts made SA-X an even more dangerous opponent. SA-X was one of the most formidable foes Samus ever encountered and a potential threat to the entire universe.

Luke fon Fabre was kidnapped as a child and suffered amnesia as a result of the trauma. He was forced into a sheltered existence following the incident, but his world was turned upside down by a organization who believed him to be the key to an ancient prophecy. It was eventually revealed that Luke was merely a replica that was created when the real Luke had been kidnapped. Everyone assumed that he lost his memories as a result of the trauma he endured, but he never actually had memories in the first place. Under the assumed name of Asch, the original Luke was raised to serve a religious zealot who aimed to create a world inhabited by replicated beings. Asch resented Luke for usurping his life, and Luke developed an inferiority complex after learning the truth about his past. The pair eventually put their differences aside.

An inordinate number of Mass Effect characters have daddy issues, but Miranda Lawson’s situation is anything but typical. A powerful businessman named Henry Lawson wanted to create a dynasty, but he was concerned that his DNA would be randomized or diluted if he reproduced in the traditional way. His solution was taking his own DNA, doubling his X chromosome, and creating a female clone of himself that he could raise as a daughter. Miranda’s genes were altered for superior intelligence and physicality, but she was unhappy with her father’s attempts to control her and ran away from home. She was designed to be perfect and had an inflated ego as a result, but she eventually warmed up to her colleagues and stopped acting like a colossal bitch. If nothing else, she deserves credit for putting the “ass” in Mass Effect.

The resident butterface of the Mortal Kombat franchise was intended to replace the Emperor Shao Kahn’s adopted daughter, Kitana. Due to concerns over Kitana’s loyalty, Shao Kahn ordered the sorcerer Shang Tsung to create a replacement daughter that would be worthy of inheriting the throne. Mileena is a hybrid clone that combines Kitana’s genetic material with monstrous Tarkatan DNA. This combination made her both a beauty and a beast, and she had a viciousness that Kitana lacked. Mileena was basically a blank slate and conformed to her father’s will, and she took over as the ruler of the Outworld after Shao Kahn was killed in battle. She was too unstable to hold such a position, however, so she pretty much dropped the ball immediately. They’d probably have been better off if they just stuck with Kitana.

Agent 47 is a genetically-enhanced clone who was born in a Romanian asylum and raised alongside dozens of other clones. The experiment was funded by a group of crime bosses who donated their own DNA to the project, and the clones were originally intended to be used as a source of donor organs. Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer ran the asylum for the investors, but he secretly aimed to use the project to create an army of soldiers who would be superior in strength and unburdened by conscience. When Ort-Meyer’s associates became suspicious of his motives, the doctor sent Agent 47 to systematically eliminate them. With a lifetime of training and genetically augmented physical abilities, Agent 47 proved to be an efficient hitman. Unbound from emotion, Agent 47 was able to kill anyone he was assigned to assassinate without hesitation or regret.

Kid is an unrefined thief who uses crass language and has an insatiable thirst for adventure. She was orphaned as an infant and her origins were unclear, but she was eventually revealed to be the clone of a princess named Schala who hailed from the ancient Kingdom of Zeal. The demure princess is the antithesis to Kid in many regards, so this made the cloning revelation all the more shocking. After being absorbed by an apocalyptic alien parasite called Lavos, Schala was consumed by hatred. Before the hostility of her mind took over, she used her formidable magic abilities to create a clone of herself and send it back in time. Kid was destined to rewrite history and played an important role in protecting the world, but she rejected her status of being Schala’s clone and declared that she was her own person.

M. Bison’s mounting concerns over the strain he was putting on his body led him to ask his scientists to create a body that his essence could be transferred into. Cammy was genetically engineered using M. Bison’s DNA as a template and fought as part of his elite squad of Dolls. (The Dolls were teenage girls who were brainwashed to serve as assassins in Bison’s army.) Cammy eventually became self-aware and left Bison’s criminal organization, and she even managed to assemble the remaining Dolls and turn them against their master. If this list was based on appearance alone, Cammy would be a shoe in for the “Most Improved Clone” award. It’s safe to say that no one wants to see M. Bison in a thong leotard, but Cammy just wouldn’t be Cammy without all the gratuitous shots of her backside.

Dark Pit was created from the Mirror of Truth for the purpose of aiding the underworld army. The Mirror was shattered during the copying process, however, so Dark Pit was flawed and incomplete. As a physical manifestation of Pit’s repressed feelings, Dark Pit is decidedly more serious and aggressive than his jovial counterpart. He’s defined by a fierce independent streak, and insists that Pit is stealing his act. He argues that he’s a representation of Pit’s true personality and rejects the idea that he’s a mere clone. Pit and Palutena love getting under his skin and repeatedly call him “Pittoo,” but Dark Pit doesn’t share their sense of humor. Dark Pit is loyal only to himself and detests working for others, but he shares a common bond with Pit and eventually helps him defeat the underworld forces.

The Metal Gear saga centers around a former CIA operative known as Big Boss who was used as a genetic template for many experimental clones. Liquid Snake was given all of the dominant soldier genes while Solid Snake received the recessive ones. Despite being the inferior clone, Solid Snake bested his twin and proved that genes weren’t the only thing that determined one’s fate. Nearly a decade before killing Liquid Snake, Solid Snake unknowingly killed another one of Big Boss’ clone in the first Metal Gear game. Solid Snake was so impressive that he was used as a template for subsequent clones. Like other clones in the series, Solid Snake’s life is artificially shortened by an accelerated aging process. When it was all said and done, however, Solid Snake earned the respect and admiration of Big Boss himself.