A spiritual successor is a product which is similar to (or directly inspired by) another previous work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue the product line or media franchise of its predecessor, and is thus only a successor "in spirit" Spiritual successors often have similar themes and styles to their source material, but are generally a distinct intellectual property.
In fiction, the term generally refers to a work by a creator which shares similarities to one of their earlier works, but is set in a different continuity, and features distinct characters and settings. Such works may arise when licensing issues prevent a creator from releasing a direct sequel using the same copyrighted characters and names as the original.
The term is also used more broadly to describe a pastiche work, which intentionally evokes similarities to pay homage to other influential works, but is also distinct enough to avoid copyright infringement.
In fiction, the term generally refers to a work by a creator which shares similarities to one of their earlier works, but is set in a different continuity, and features distinct characters and settings. Such works may arise when licensing issues prevent a creator from releasing a direct sequel using the same copyrighted characters and names as the original.
The term is also used more broadly to describe a pastiche work, which intentionally evokes similarities to pay homage to other influential works, but is also distinct enough to avoid copyright infringement.
by sussy_bakar March 17, 2022