del Toro says that Gypsy Danger’s movement was based on John Wayne, as the design team was trying to evoke the feel of a Western gunslinger. The Jaeger’s outer appearance was also inspired by various American buildings, including New York City landmarks like the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. And the work paid off; Danger’s movements do feel like a cowboy’s, as it strides with a lumbering gait into a raging tsunami or races into battle against a Kaiju. Personally, I find it rather fitting that the American robot moves like Wayne, especially since his filmography is a large part of the reason why cowboys are mythologized as heroic figures.

That same approach was taken with the other Jaegers; they’re either modeled on vehicles, real-life people, or a combination of elements. The Russian Jaeger, Cherno Alph,a was built to resemble a combination of nuclear containment silo and T-34 tank, while the sleek Striker Eureka charges into battle with a gait similar to football player Lester Hayes.