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Ever wondered what cartoon characters in real life would look like? Yes, they’re fictional sketches, which means we’ll never know their human looks in our world. But what if cartoon characters were real? 

The subject of cartoon characters IRL is fascinating, so Bored Panda’s pro member Hidreley delved into experimenting with AI-generated cartoon characters. That’s what digital art is about—blurring the lines between fantasy and reality on screen!

Surprisingly, some cartoon characters as humans look even better than the originals. See if your favorite cartoon characters are on this list, and scroll further to witness 23 pictures of real-life cartoon characters!

Note: The original article was written by Hidrėlėy and later edited and updated by the Bored Panda team. 

More info: Instagram

Hidreley did all the work on AI-generated cartoon characters by himself: “I’ve done some similar posts by other authors here on Bored Panda. I wanted to try something out myself, and so I dove into the world of AI. This time, I challenged myself to try to do one on the theme of cartoon characters. For this project, I used Photoshop and three mobile applications, FaceApp, Gradient, and Remini.

The Simpsons were the most challenging when making realistic cartoon characters. “In terms of how they all turned out, I’m more and more pleased with the results with each post I make. I really liked how Moe Szyzlak, Ned Flanders, and Milhouse Van Houten turned out because initially, I thought that the Simpsons drawing style would be very hard to emulate on ‘real life’ terms. Still, they are actually very easy to recognize,” Hidreley explains. 

#4

Moana

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Moana character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“I am Moana of Moto’nui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te’fiti.”

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“This post inadvertently brought back some good memories from my childhood. Like every kid in my generation, I loved watching cartoons. I really loved the Simpsons and Hanna Barbera classics, and I can safely say that they’ve made a huge impact on my life,” adds Hidreley. 

“I’ve been exploring the world of artificial intelligence recently, and I can tell you, it’s a world without limits! With the rise of AI-assisted art generation, there are virtually (no pun intended) no boundaries for digital art; you just have to be creative and know how to guide the blind hand of the machine,” explains Hidreley. 

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Ned Flanders

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Ned Flanders character from the cartoon

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At some point, we’ve all wondered if cartoon characters were real. Were they inspired by celebrities or real-life events? Hidreley explains that he’s also intrigued by this concept: 

“I don't want to tease anything too early, but currently, I’m working hard on a project where I’m trying to show what some prematurely deceased celebrities would have looked like if they were still alive. I hope it will turn out great, and I’ll be able to share this with you soon!”

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#10

Milhouse

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Milhouse character from the cartoon

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Kristina Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks like a guy I went to elementary School with (except the haircolor). His Name was Sten.

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#11

Rapunzel

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Rapunzel character from the cartoon

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#13

Anna

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Anna character from the cartoon

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Ellis Tamura
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother look kinda like a more realistic Anna! Even has a streak of white hair!

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Horse With No Name
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1 year ago

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Alice Sabo-Webb
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1 year ago

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Emily Wood
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m a wedding photographer and a bride once was even more Anna than this!

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Sharon Billups
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe so on the eyes but she still hit it on the looks. Wonderful job!

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PVR
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

None of these really look like the cartoon characters to me. :(

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isabell gibson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

she looks like a girl i babysit who, ironically, is OBSESSED with anna lol

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QueenSweetPotato
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where do the white streak be And her hair over her forehead (I'm not trying to be nitpicky)

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Rachel L
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2 years ago

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Rogue Angel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not bad, Anna's eyes are more teal than blue, good resemblance though.

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George Bone
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One thing that I seen right away. The eyes, the eyes are a different color. Blue and green.

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GoddessOdd
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think almost everything works except Anna's nose is straighter and not upturned.

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Bill Hall
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2 years ago

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Lady Tremaine

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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wrong hair. Her butt hair has always been very important to me

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Kristoff

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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He kinda looks like some kind of 2000’s Disney Channel character from a show that takes place in a summer camp

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#20

Isabela Madrigal

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Isabela Madrigal character from the cartoon

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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY MADRIGAL! THE HOME OF THE FAMILY MADEIGAL! WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE ARE fAnTaStIcAl AnD mAgIcAl!

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