Holmes's Inspiration: Immense
/Holmes is an exceptional fictional character not only for the amount of time he has been popular, but because of how much he has influenced in the world. He has inspired advancements in crime scene investigation and space exploration, to inspiring other fictional characters.
Batman
Yes, one of the greatest superheroes in creation was inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Not especially surprising, considering “DC” stands for “Detective Comics.” Bruce Wayne is efficient in scientific knowledge, hand-to-hand combat, and deductive reasoning, which he uses in place of superhuman abilities to fight crime in Gotham City. Wayne even has his own “Watson” in the form of Alfred Pennyworth, a former army medic who even wrote about Batman’s cases, much like Watson did with Holmes. In the beginning, Pennyworth even resembled a mix of Watson and Holmes: Short, round, and complete with a deerstalker and pipe.
Image from Wikipedia.org
Scene from the Star Trek movie. Spock quoting Sherlock Holmes.
Star Trek (Spock and Data)
Star Trek's Data was fond of Holmes and his deductive abilities, using his methods to help perform his own duties. Several references to Holmes were made in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, including Holmes’s arch nemesis, Moriarty.
Although he might not necessarily have been inspired by the character, Spock has been shown quoting Holmes in the past, claiming it was something an “ancestor” of his once said, stating, “An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains–however improbable–must be the truth.” (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.) He also makes a similar statement in the first Star Trek film.
House
Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) from the television show House has also been heavily influenced by Holmes (the clues are in the name! House, Holmes? Wilson, Watson?) House is narcissistic and unsympathetic towards his patients, is portrayed as having a Vicodin habit, has musical abilities, and psychological and deductive methods to solve medical cases. These skills parallel Holmes's abilities, cocaine addiction and general attitude toward his clients. Not to mention, House resides at 221B Baker Street, the same as Holmes.
Other similar characters to the original Holmes characters include Jack Moriarty (Professor James Moriarty) and Irene Adler as a made-up love interest for House.
Characters from Sherlock Holmes have made appearances in Batman, Wishbone, Futurama, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Real Ghostbusters. With the rising popularity of Holmes in today’s culture, I would not be surprised if we continue to see his influence in other television shows and movies to come.
Kora Burnham
Kora is a self-proclaimed paper and book hoarder. She enjoys horseback riding and doing farm work. She was saved by a llama once. She likes to read, write, drink tea, listen to music, play video games, and watch television. Occasionally, she takes naps.
