Robin Hood

Confucius

While many scholars agree that philosopher and great thinker Confucius was in fact a real person, some have questioned whether or not he was real. Lionel M. Jensen, an associate professor of history and the director of Chinese studies at the University of Colorado in Denver contends that Jesuit missionaries brought the idea that Confucius was the founder of the school of thought during the 16th century.

Confucius

William Tell

William Tell is a folk story hero from Switzerland. According to legend, Tell was an expert marksman with a crossbow and was the man who killed Albrecht Gessler, a tyrant ruling in Altdorf. Many have debated whether he was a real person or not, but modern historians do not believe there is evidence that he was real.

William Tell

Sun Tzu

While the influential book The Art of War has been attributed to Sun Tzu, a legendary Chinese general, military strategist, philosopher, and writer, it is not 100% clear whether he existed or not. His historicity is still uncertain, and many have said that the book may actually be a compilation of many military leaders’ lessons.

Sun Tzu

Homer

There is a great debate amongst scholars as to whether he existed or not. Those who believe he was real say he was alive during the 8th or 9th century BCE and was rom Ionia. He would have been a poet of the oral tradition, and so it is believed that the works attributed to him were definitely transcribed by others.

Homer

Kunta Kinte

Kunta Kinte is a character from the 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family that was later adapted into a 1977 TV miniseries that was extremely popular. In the show, the character was played by LeVar Burton. While he was probably based on a real person, Kunta Kinte himself was not a real person.

Kunta Kinte

Helen of Troy

As stated in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Helen of Troy was “the face that launched a thousand ships.” Allegedly the most beautiful woman in the world, it doesn’t seem likely that she actually existed, but it merely a character in Homer’s epic poem The Illiad.

Helen Of Troy

Jesus

So this is a tricky one: most modern historians believe that Jesus actually historically existed, however many agree that it is uncertain that his portrayals in the Bible are actually accurate or historically reliable. Regardless, he is undeniably a centrally important figure in Christianity.

Jesus

King Solomon

Similar to Jesus, scholars generally agree that Solomon most likely himself existed, however scholars across the spectrum of biblical archeology agree that it is very difficult to construct a historically accurate portrayal of the king.

King Solomon

King Midas

Most of us have heard of King Midas who was cursed with the ability to turn anything he touched into gold, giving us the expression the Midas touch. While he most likely existed as a real king, it is highly unlikely that the story he is known for is historically accurate. It is, however, a great part of Greek mythology.

King Midas

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in impoverished areas of London in 1888. He has never been identified, so it’s really hard to know whether all the murders attributed to him were actually committed by the same, one person. The murders remain unsolved to this day, leading many Jack the Ripper legends becoming a combination of pseudo-history, folklore, and historical research.

Jack The Ripper

Odysseus

Odysseus, also known by his Latin name Ulysses, is a legendary Greek king and warrior who is the central figure and hero of Homer’s The Odyssey. He also is a key figure in The Illiad. Some scholars argue that he may have actually existed, but there is no agreed upon concrete evidence to prove this.

Odysseus

Pythagoras

We all learned about the Pythagorean Theorem, but who was the man behind the mathematical theorem? While scholars agree that he likely existed, his life is completely shrouded in mystery and almost nothing is known for certain about him. While many works and teachings are attributed to him, it is unclear whether he truly authored all of these works himself.

Pythagoras

Moses

Moses is one of the most important figures in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Baha’i faith, and many other Abrahamic religions. While scholars agree that he was likely was a real person who existed in the 13th century BCE, the Biblical character is widely seen as legendary by scholars.

Moses

Carolyn Keene

The beloved Nancy Drew mystery series was attributed to Carolyn Keene, but did you know that this was actually a pseudonym? The stories were produced by Stratemeyer Syndicate, who hired writers like Mildred Wirt to write the manuscripts for the popular books. Sadly, they were paid just $125 per book and were forced to give up rights to the works as well as maintain confidentiality.

Carolyn Keene

Donald Kaufman

In the film Adaptation, Nicholas Cage portrayed Donald Kaufman, the brother of the film version of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman. Anyone who watches the film becomes convinced that he is real, but it turns out that Donald Kaufman doesn’t really exist and is a character that was created by Charlie for the movie.

Donald Kaufman