Creating Cammy

One of the things I've always wondered about Cammy is "Where did the inspiration come from?" I'm fascinated by what influences people, so I wonder what inspired the people that created the characters I love? Some are obvious, but Cammy's very unique, so it's been hard to piece anything together. There's almost nothing that hasn't been done before, so I believe that everything created nowadays is mostly a mix of inspirations. Sometimes it's 1 or 2 influences, and sometimes it's a mix of a dozen different things. Anyhow, here's what I think I know about Cammy's influence...

Battle Angel Cammy
The one thing I'm almost totally sure of, is the #1 influence on Cammy was Gally from Gunnm (aka Alita from Battle Angel Alita). Almost 10 years ago I wrote huge report on that subject at Cammy & Alita. Out of all the things I've worked on for this website, I think that's probably my favorite. Anyhow, the basic conclusion is that Cammy's storyline and personality is just like Alita's, but there are a ton of other little things that are so incredibly similar that it's almost impossible to believe it's coincidence.
Probability = 98%

In case you didn't read through the Cammy & Alita article (you should!), here are the cliff notes, but check out the original article for pictures and more details!

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Timeline is dead-on... Gunnm was a huge hit comic in Japan when SF2 was being created.
More than 1 of Cammy's moves has mimicked Gally's (aka Alita's) moves in the manga.
They both have amnesia but retained the ability to fight!
Cammy is a biologically enhanced fighter, Gally is a mechanically enhanced fighter (she's a cyborg)
Personality is dead-on. Here's a quote on Gally from the manga, and it's just like Cammy... "A cat-like sense of independence! Stubborn! Confident! Incredibly proud! Has a take-me-as-you-see-me attitude, but still kind of shy... No propensity to change her ways, acts before thinking, and out-right rebellious at times! She's been through a lot of tough times... I wonder what drives her to fight? A hellish fury...? Defiance against her own destiny...?"
Gally was named after Doctor Ido's cat... Cammy was named after Sakura's cat (in the Nakahira manga)
Cammy looks a little like the original Gally... turtleneck bodysuit, mark(s) on her cheek, etc.
Both Cammy and Gally were found and 'raised' by a father figure. Doc Ido for Gally, Col Wolfman for Cammy.
Both have ditzy partners. Lou for Gally, and Hanna for Cammy (in the Nakahira manga)
Before losing her memory, Cammy was a terrorist... just like Gally before she lost her memory.
Cammy has 12 'clones' called the Shadowloo Dolls. There were 12 clones made of Gally whom she has to fight, including a duo named Elf and Zwolf (11 and 12 in German) like Cammy's Juni & Juli (June and July in German).
There's a rollerblade version of Cammy (from the game Cannon Spike) and there's a rollerblade version of Gally.

Colonel Wolf/Trout-man
The leader of Delta Red is Colonel Wolfman. He's the guy who found Cammy and arranged to have her begin training for the special forces. He's not only Cammy's leader, but he's also like a father to Cammy. I'm guessing that the inspiration for Colonel Wolfman came from Colonel Troutman from the Rambo movies. The names sure are similar, and so are their roles... friend/leader/father figure to a troubled and unruly super-soldier.
Probability = 66%

Cammy the camouflaged
How about Cammy's name? Well, I think that one's pretty easy too... "Cammy" is slang for camouflage, and of course one of Cammy's most recognizable features is the camouflage leg paint. Plus, Cammy is a common British name (short for Camilla).
Probability = 98%

Your name: Cammy
And on top of all that, if you check out the personality profile of people named Cammy, it's dead on...
"Your name Cammy has given you tenacity of purpose and has made you extremely independent. Whatever you undertake, you approach from your own point of view, and others either have to conform to your ideas or go their own way and leave you to work things out for yourself. You are so narrowly focused in your pursuits that you frequently overlook the little personal considerations and attentions that create a bond of understanding and sense of companionship. Thus it is difficult for you to merge your efforts harmoniously with others. In the home, you can inadvertently be offhand and abrupt when you would really like to show your affection. In circumstances that require a little finesse, you find that you are inclined to be too direct and straight to the point and suffer frustration in your personal relationships as a result. Tension could affect the eyes, ears, teeth, or sinuses. Frequent head colds or severe headaches are potential problems."
Probability = 25%

Camlock
This might be a stretch, but I'm guessing that Delta Red Cammy's outfit was inspired by X-Men's Psylocke. She's got the same kind of bodysuit with gloves and a pattern on her legs. In the early 90's, Psylocke was a new character (re-created by Jim Lee), and she was very popular, so it's quite possible that whoever created Cammy knew about her. Plus, in X-Men vs Street Fighter, it's Psylocke who rescues Cammy, so that might indicate that there's some kind of special tie-in between the two characters. Oh, and although Psylocke is in an Asian woman's body, she's English just like Cammy.
Probability = 66%

Rurouni Cammy
One of Cammy's most important features is the scar on her left cheek. What gave Cammy's creator the idea to give a beautiful young girl a scar like that? My best guess is that it was inspired by Rurouni Kenshin, who is also known for having a big scar on his left cheek. And like Cammy, Kenshin is a former heartless assassin who's trying to find a new path in life. The Ruroni Kenshin manga had just started a little before Cammy was created, so it's quite possible that somebody at Capcom was reading and being inspired by it..
Probability = 50%

Cammy!

Anyhow, after 16 years of wondering, that's what I've come up with. Sure Cammy was created from a number of different influences, but the end result was one of the most unique characters ever created. Cammy is definitely something very special and unique. And over the years, Cammy too has influenced dozens of characters herself... hmm... maybe that's something I can start working on LOL

Cammy's Castle Cammy's famous castle drawbridge stage from Street Fighter 2 is taken from a small but very famous castle in Germany. My dad grew up near the castle, and I've visited it many times, so I can clearly see the influence. It's called Schloss Lichtenstein, and it's the coolest castle in the world! Probability = 80%

SF Alpha in Santorini Speaking of Cammy's stages, her Street Fighter Alpha 3 stage is very clearly Santorini in Greece, but why... I have NO idea. I don't even have a wild guess. Maybe there is no reason outside of that it's a cool place to have a fight?