20 Hilariously Rough Knock-Offs That Are So Bad We're Kind Of Impressed

Ashley Hunte
A knockoff toy that's a combination of Transformers and Thomas the Tank Engine.
reddit | Finixeee

There are bad designs, there are weird designs, and then there are knockoff brands. They might all be a little similar, but knockoffs are definitely in a league of their own.

They can be so confusingly awful (and sometimes surprisingly awesome), that you can't help but want to snap a shot of them whenever you find them in a store. And as luck would have it, that's what happened with these pics!

It's a me, Captain America!

A Super Mario backpack with Captain America written on it.
reddit | JobFew7350

Sure, they both wear a lot of red and blue, but Mario and Captain America couldn't be any more different.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to buy this, though.

"Would anyone like Simpsons, Among Us, or a Huggy Wuggy fidget?"

Various strange fidget toys featuring Homer Simpson, the Among Us character, and Huggy Wuggy, hung up in a gas station kiosk.
reddit | TribalFuse

I would like none of those, thank you very much. The way they're hanging up near all that other stuff, like cigarettes and lighters, is kind of funny, though.

"Pet Baby GO, featuring Uhcakip."

A box for a knockoff Pokemon toy called PetBaby (with an accent on the first B).
reddit | Beautiful_Fishing569

My favorite thing about this is hands down the accent on the B there. Like, they tried so hard to make this look as much like real Pokémon as they could without facing a lawsuit.

"Just went to the mall: It’s that one popular kids show with the dogs!"

A small dog in construction gear on a keychain with a band that reads "Pawpatrdl."
reddit | Bubberiffic

Oh, no no. Not Paw Patrol. This is obviously from the superior series, Paw Patrdl. Either way, the target audience probably wouldn't notice the typo.

Have you ever wanted to smell like a YouTube?

A shelf with a box of YouTube perfume. A red bottle with the YouTube logo sits next to it.
reddit | Puzzleheaded_Cut2120

No, not a YouTuber. A YouTube. Like the website. No? Yeah, I don't blame you.

I'm really curious, though. What the heck kind of smell do you think is in there?

A knockoff of a fictional fast food chain?

A sign in front of a store that reads, "Krostty Fast Food," accompanied by a picture of Krusty the Clown with his mouth open.
reddit | AlmostGreatUsername

This feels really meta. According to OP, this is somewhere in Cuzco, which means I'd have to travel all the way to Peru to find Krostty. I'm, like, a little tempted to go...

"Bob Burguer."

A sign in a burger place called Bob Burguer, whose mascot is a green Kirby with a hat.
reddit | Beautiful_Fishing569

Okay, never mind. I need to go out into the world and find this place. That knockoff Kirby mascot is killing me right now. Not nearly as much as the way burger (burguer) is spelled, though.

All the Sonics in one place.

A package for "Slionic" (Sonic the Hedgehog) toys, featuring one white, one gold, one blue, and one red knockoff Sonic.
reddit | howelleili

Why does it look like somebody made a knockoff Funko Pop, changed the colors, and then put those in a "Slionic" package? I can't tell if I love these, or despise them with my every being.

For when your friends make fun of you for not having AirPods.

A box for knockoff AirPods, called inPods.
reddit | Ready_Organization_3

On the plus side, when you inevitably lose one (or both) of these guys, it won't hurt your wallet as much to replace them.

"Papay."

A store front for a fast food place called Papay (knockoff Popeye).
reddit | Affectionate_Panda40

I'm kind of confused here. Is this just a knockoff of Popeye the Sailor, or a knockoff of Popeye's the fried chicken place? Is it both, somehow? And do the owners know that this is just one letter off of "papaya?"

Are you a Mountain Lightning, or a Doctor Thunder person?

Boxes of Mountain Lightning and Dr Thunder knockoff pop cans.
reddit | Ricardo12368

I'm actually kind of impressed with how consistent these knockoff brands are with each other. They tell a story. Sure, it's one of cheap soda that rips off an actual soda brand, but it's a story nonetheless.

Minecraft? Pocky? What's not to love?

A "Cosmonaut" box. It's just chocolate Pocky with a Minecraft character on it.
reddit | cha_cha-realsmooth

According to OP, these things actually taste horrible. In other words, it's a literal crappy off brand. I guess that's what happens when you try to rely solely on a popular thing to sell a product.

"This keychain I own."

A green Mario keychain. As in, Mario, but his hat is green.
reddit | Creativenname

It's Green Mario! No, not Luigi. Literal green Mario. Mario, but green. Either as a printing error or because the person who made it has never seen Mario before in their life. Or maybe they just don't want to deal with a lawsuit.

"We have Connect 4 at home.” Connect 4 at home:

A box for Inline, a knockoff Connect 4.
reddit | YuBRulezok

This... this is just Connect 4. I bet it costs just as much to buy this game as it does to buy Connect 4. I'm so confused, and slightly annoyed.

No, the other Head and Shoulders.

A "Hearh & Shoulders" shampoo bottle.
reddit | Fernxtwo

What kind of shampoo do you use when you have a lot of dandruff? If you answered Head & Shoulders, you're doing it wrong. Obviously you need to go for Hearh & Shoulders. You know, the real stuff.

Because Oreos needed a knockoff...

A knockoff Oreo called Mico.
reddit | seanizcoolnoob

This is the exact kind of weird thing you'd find in the grocery section of any dollar store. Regular Oreos may be good, but they're pretty unhealthy. So I'd hate to see what the knockoff version is like.

"Ah, I've always wanted some Peanut Balls..."

Knockoff Cheerios (Cereos) and Reese's Puffs (Peanut Balls).
reddit | Miss-Night_Shade

I'm sure that, just like Micos, these cereals will taste kind of similar to the originals, but also pretty different. And will probably be filled with all sorts of stuff you can't even pronounce.

More than meets the eye.

A box for  Transformers/Voltron toy made out of Thomas the Tank Engine characters.
reddit | Finixeee

I can't tell if this is supposed to be a Transformers or a Voltron knockoff, but all I know is that Thomas and friends probably shouldn't be there. Still, I'm... kind of into it.

"Two Guys Burgers."

A mall restaurant called Two Guys Burgers.
reddit | sauceismygame

Is this what happens when you have Five Guys, but three of them decide to leave? Or maybe you're just doing your darndest to capitalize on an actual popular burger chain. It could be anything, really.

"Remember Alf? He's back! In..."

A Mexican (in Mexico) restaurant that uses Alf as its mascot.
reddit | Fiestaysiesta

I think I see what's going on here. Basically, if you're in a random country, you can just find strange restaurants with recognizable characters as the mascot, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.