Neither do I, but those are some good-ass Genesis graphics right there. Hits the spot.
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Top 50 Duos: Counting the Seconds
- Thread starter Johnny Unusual
- Start date
Same
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: The Simpsons
Duo-Type: Especially…. But ESPECIALLY
Bart Simpsons is the eldest child of Homer and Marge Simpson, residing in Springfield. Bart is known for his mischevious behaviour across town, most often targeting his teachers at school, as well as his oafish father. Bart tends to show an extreme defiance towards authority, with the exception of his mother (though often he will take her for granted and occasionally disrespect her) and his role model, Krusty the Clown. Though he is proud of being a trouble maker, it is not unusual for him to feel real guilt when someone suffers a deeper than small level of hurt from the results of his actions, such as when he fakes a romance with his teacher via correspondence or when Marge learns he’s stolen a video game. Despite Bart struggling in his studies, Bart proves himself to be both extremely creative and calculating in his pranks, often demonstrating levels of mathematics and imagination not reflected in other aspects of his life. But even in these endeavours, he’s still second to…
Lisa Simpson is the middle child of Homer and Marge Simpson. From an early age, Lisa demonstrated a high level of intellect which she has nurtured herself, even if her parents often fail to do so. Lisa Simpson loves reading, STEM studies and music (which includes playing the saxophone). Despite her skills, Lisa often struggles emotionally, feeling out of step with the other children at school much of the time and finding it difficult to make long-term friends. She much prefers the academic aspects at school where she can get attention and often is driven to distraction when she feels she isn’t getting academic attention. Lisa often acts as an activist but despite her successes, she often isn’t taken seriously by grown ups, though her parents will work hard to support her (her mother is often consistently supportive while her father often falters but will occasionally bring in a strong level of support when he sees she needs it).
…
…….
…………..
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, they haven’t changed a bit, have they. Bart and Lisa Simpson are so different, it is very common to be at odds, bickering and taunting each other. It also stems from the fact that each have aspects the other lacks; Bart tends to be popular and confident and his trouble-making results in a lot of attention while Lisa is smarter, more gifted and is seen as “the favourite” of the children. Still, they are tied together through a strong bond of familial love and while they have habits of pushing their bickering pretty far, even to the point of cruelty (especially after the Golden Age era of the show), they are also shown as willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of the other and having respect for each other’s gifts. Still, despite shared love over Itchy and Scratchy, the two’s interests often don’t overlap and when they do it often causes tension.
Still, when the two face a shared crisis, they are often the heroes of the community, teaming up to solve mysteries, foil villains and stop threats. They’ve stopped Mr. Burns from making a coat of greyhound puppies, uncovered that Krusty the Clown faked his death and saved his career by staging his comeback show and repeatedly defeated Bart’s arch-nemesis, the former children’s show co-host turned supervillain Sideshow Bob. It’s happened so often it is often the subject of poking fun by the show due to was, even early on, supposed to be a more grounded cartoon often ends with children saving the day. The two also work as a comedy duo, often with Lisa being the straight man and Bart as the funny man, though the nature of the show allows both of them to swap roles for particular jokes.
Interestingly, I think the Simpsons has really gotten away from the Bart/Lisa crime solving duo and I think it’s a shame because while it did push the show into directions away from it’s relatively grounded routes, watching these characters are a comedy team working towards a common goal was always fun. I feel like when the show got a little meaner in the jerkass Homer era, it started making them a little too mean to each other at times and you really need to find the right balance (and at least take that meanness with the appropriate weight, like in the excellent Summer of 4 foot 2). You want these characters to have a sense that they are just kids who fight sometimes but it isn’t just that they care for each other, they also get each other to an extent. The parts where they can’t cause tension but there’s also that shorthand that gives you the impression that, yeah, they’ve have their whole lives together and despite the arguments, that counts for a lot.
Iconic Moment:
Lisa on Ice is an episode where they fight rather than work together but it is still a perfect union of the two characters as Lisa’s surprising goalie skills end up making her face off against Bart in hockey, causing tensions at home.
God, that’s a perfect kid moment. But the end is a touching get together as the two realize how much they care for each other.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Look in your conversations (how you DMed me). They don't delete.
Unfortunately, Battle Mania (or Trouble Shooter as it was known here) was pretty niche when it came out in 1991, and Vic Tokai published it in pretty low numbers with a pretty drastic "sci-fi book cover" redesign that lost a lot of the charm:
The Japanese cover, for comparison:
The sequel only came out in Japan, so their legacy was cut in half for western audiences, and Vic Tokai has done very little to keep their gaming legacy relevant since backing out of the industry in the early 2000s. Tragic, as these two games are very good and goofy romps that are deserving of more attention.
My video on the first game is here if you're interested:
Anyway, I'll let the Simpsons talk commence since that's a much greater known and beloved commodity around here, haha.
I didn't consider Bart & Lisa but I don't think they would've placed on my list anyway. I can't really attach my love of Simpsons to just 2 characters, you know?
I also didn't think of Lester and Eliza Bart and Lisa. I think for me it's because even though they join up and meddle in things together quite often they both also form other duos* just as often.
*Or fly solo.
*Or fly solo.
I think Bart & Lisa have always been the emotional heart of the show. It's when that dynamic fails that you know things have gotten dire. The pair have endless permutations to suit the comedic moment, but my favourite will always be put-upon Lisa explaining something to artificially stupid Bart.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
31a
Captain James T. Kirk & Spock
61 Points, 2 Lists, Highest Vote #3 @Yangus Khan
Captain James T. Kirk & Spock
61 Points, 2 Lists, Highest Vote #3 @Yangus Khan
Source: Star Trek
Duo-Type: BOTH JEWISH!
James T. Kirk is a Starfleet officer born in Riverside, Iowa. He was the only student to defeat the “unwinnable” simulation of the Kobayashi Maru by reprogramming it. Though the simulation was designed to show students how to face loss, Kirk was commended for original thinking in approaching it, and would represent his swagger, boldness, and imagination that would define his career. Kirk would be made Captain of the starship USS Enterprise, succeeding the esteemed Captain Pike, where he would work with…
Spock is a Vulcan Starfleet officer who was born to a Vulcan father and a human mother. Spock felt difficulty controlling his emotions at times growing up, something important to Vulcan culture, but eventually was able to develop the discipline to do so. He joined Starfleet and served under Captain Pike as a science officer, eventually becoming the Enterprise’s Science Officer. Eventually, he would serve under Captain Kirk as first officer, science officer and lieutenant commander. Spock is known for his cool, analytical nature and his great curiosity, being open-minded towards approaches that some of his other crew members find unsettling or immoral/amoral. He often is chided by medical officer “Bones” McCoy for looking at life purely from a logical viewpoint, often trying to find chinks in his armor, but rarely does McCoy get the “win” on him he desires.
As Captain, Kirk is responsible a large crew, though his most trusted advisor is Spock, due to his logical, analytical mind. Though Kirk doesn’t always take his advice, he generally listens to his input. He also trusts him to act as leader in his stead, often allowing him to take control when he is in a situation where he cannot command. Over time, despite Spock generally rejecting emotional decisions, the two developed a strong bond of trust, friendship and empathy. The two have saved each other from various threats and Kirk even took Spock to his homeworld, where ancient rights and manipulation famously forced the two into a deadly duel.
After their five year mission, the two went their separate ways for a time but eventually reunited for a series of missions including facing a massive cloud that threatened the Earth and the return of former adversary Khan, whom they seemed to previously left on good terms with but now blamed Kirk for the death of his wife. The former threat forced Spock to sacrifice his life to save the crew, showing the depth of his believe that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. Eventually, strange circumstances resurrected Spock and the crew found themselves on the run from their own Starfleet, though were able to get back in their good graces by saving the Earth. Eventually, the two went their separate ways, with Kirk disappearing for many, many decades and was thought dead (in fact trapped in another dimension) and Spock becoming a Federation Ambassador.
There’s something powerful where a character DOESN’T show an emotion, in many ways. The sense of holding back but you know it is under the surface. Though Bones might give Spock crap for doing so, it is easy to see the deep level of trust these two have for each other despite their different approaches, which is very much at the heart of the Star Trek franchise. Spock might not talk about love but the two clearly have that. Obviously, many fanfic writers would prefer that be romantic but I find the friendship between them as powerful and while some of the movies have their faults, the chemistry between them, particularly with the original actors, works so well because even when so much has changed for the characters (the death of a son, new ranks, space resurrection), we always feel at home when these characters are touching base.
Iconic Moment:
One of the most famous and most parodied moments is the battle from Amok Time
Great episode but to me the better moment is a rare moment of pure joy from Spock. I love his goofy smile when he sees his friend alive. Rare win for McCoy, too.
Same
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Please note that the next entry will be late and will be posted tonight
God dammit.
Anyway, I did have Kirk/Spock on my list. No shade intended to the good doctor, but Kirk/Spock/McCoy is a whole different fanfic category. (More seriously, while Bones is inarguably an integral part of the main TOS dynamic, Kirk and Spock still have one of the tightest and most dynamic bonds in... well, anything, so I couldn't bear to leave them off my list. Heck, it even extends to their original actors... to be honest I'm way less interested in seeing Shat at conventions now that Leonard's not around anymore to keep him from going off the rails.
Frankly, idgaf about Bones tbh. Kirk/Spock are the only interesting dynamic in the show and movies; McCoy is just kinda there to make jokes.
A lot more of these are "protagonist and their buddy" pairs than I expected. Not a problem, just an observation.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Asterix
Duo-Type: A Gaul and a small (also a Gaul)
Asterix is a diminutive but clever and tough Gaul in a region that has yet to be conquered by the Roman empire. Unlike the rest of his village, Asterix rarely has brawls for the sheer fun of it, but rather only for sensible reasons, though he tends to have as much fun as any of them when the need to fight arrives. Asterix is a competent fighter but can gain superhuman strength when given a potion by the druid Getafix. Being the most level-headed of them, Asterix is most often the one tasked with missions to defeat the latest Roman plots to conquer them, adventures that sometimes takes him across the globe. Often by his side is.
Though the Gauls are known to be tough, Obelix is a whole other story. Dropped into a strength potion as a baby, Obelix has permanent superhuman physique and incredible strength. He can also be very clumsy at times but he makes up for it with his big warm heart, a classic gentle giant. Well, gentle in demeanour but he truly doesn’t know his own strength, often breaking down doors when knocking on them. That said, he can be prone to anger when someone refers to him as being fat. His job is working in the quarry making menhirs and he has his own little dog he loves, Dogmatix.
Usually, the duo end up having to save the village from a new scheme by the Romans. Sometimes, the duo stay close to home with the help of their friends but quite often the two travel the world together (sometimes with another ally or two). Obelix is usually the member of the duo more likely to be befuddled by the new culture, often proclaiming “These Romans are crazy,” a sentiment also transposed onto other cultures and even to his own Gaul culture at one point. The duo use their super strength and fighting skills but usually Asterix solves more problems with his wits. At the end of most adventures, the village holds a big banquet of boar (Obelix’s favourite food).
While I’ve read all of Tintin, I need to confess that the rich history of Belgian comics is a real blind spot in my sequential art history knowledge. I just happen to know that Asterix is a big deal. In fact, Asterix is the biggest deal. I feel (and correct me if I’m wrong), The Smurfs and Tintin are the better-known series for English speakers, Asterix is actually the second-best selling comic in the WORLD as of 2023 (Number one is One Piece. No duos from that were even listed.) But because of that, I’ll need some help to know what makes the chemistry of these characters so timeless.
Iconic Moment:
Asterix the Legionary turns the series on it’s head as, in order to rescue a person forcibly conscripted to the Roman Empire’s army, Asterix and Obelix decide to join their enemy… and completely break the spirits of their instructors during basic training.
Asterix & Obelix are kind of like a gentler more wholesome take on the standard 'straight man and fool' comedy duo in dynamic terms, like Obelix might be more foolish but he isn't looked down on by Asterix or whatnot. They're endearing as pals while still being amusing as an odd couple.
In adventure terms it's also demonstrative of the fairly relaxed atmosphere of most of the series that while Asterix might need his potion (not always on his person, often limited to a set number of swigs per book) to become magically capable of solving any situation, Obelix is just a walking Deus Ex Machina by default.
If someone wanted to just dip their toe in and get a fairly robust idea of the appeal of the series, I always suggest checking out the old cartoon movie The 12 Tasks of Asterix. While not based on any of the books (though a book adaptation was made later), it's pretty representative in content and holds up very well today, funny and engaging throughout with that same mix of modern jokes with ancient history ones that's present from the start of the series.
In adventure terms it's also demonstrative of the fairly relaxed atmosphere of most of the series that while Asterix might need his potion (not always on his person, often limited to a set number of swigs per book) to become magically capable of solving any situation, Obelix is just a walking Deus Ex Machina by default.
If someone wanted to just dip their toe in and get a fairly robust idea of the appeal of the series, I always suggest checking out the old cartoon movie The 12 Tasks of Asterix. While not based on any of the books (though a book adaptation was made later), it's pretty representative in content and holds up very well today, funny and engaging throughout with that same mix of modern jokes with ancient history ones that's present from the start of the series.
Asterix & Obelix was kind of a fixture of my childhood, but in a very specific context: I grew up in New Brunswick, Canada's only bilingual province, and anytime there was kid-centric French media, there was A&O, whether that was cartoons, movies, or books. It was just the thing you always expected to see, from school libraries to doctor's offices. That always lead to me mentally shelving it as "educational", and therefore lame, sitting next to Spider Man's dental adventure comics and the like.
I then proceeded to forget about it for 3-4 decades, until I started dating an Acadian, and for her A&O are anything but lame, as she's loved them since she was girl. In fact, she's mad I didn't vote for them for this list!
I then proceeded to forget about it for 3-4 decades, until I started dating an Acadian, and for her A&O are anything but lame, as she's loved them since she was girl. In fact, she's mad I didn't vote for them for this list!
I don't think I knew this was a comic book... I barely knew what it was in general. Definitely didn't know they were like just some human dudes. I always figured they were animal people like maybe Winnie the Pooh or Looney Tunes.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Asterix and Obelix were a HUGE part of my childhood and high school years. Still have a ton of them on my bookshelf. Read them a ton since I lived in Europe and they were all over Europe (my mom would get the French ones and read those too), and once I got older I could get a lot of the Latin jokes too. So many terrible puns, it's great.
Edit: Also worth noting it's a product of 60s Europe and the ethnic stereotypes are pretty wild. I remember my parents using it as a way to teach me what stereotypes were and started navigating what humor is okay and what isn't. It was also interesting to my young mind to see different languages and speech patterns represented by the different alphabets or scripts. Made me think about language in a way I might not have otherwise.
Edit: Also worth noting it's a product of 60s Europe and the ethnic stereotypes are pretty wild. I remember my parents using it as a way to teach me what stereotypes were and started navigating what humor is okay and what isn't. It was also interesting to my young mind to see different languages and speech patterns represented by the different alphabets or scripts. Made me think about language in a way I might not have otherwise.
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Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Duo-Type: The Bots
Tom Servo is a robot living aboard the space station The Satellite of Love, forced to watch bad movies as part of a mad experiment by evil scientists to drive the human they live with insane. To keep himself and his friends sane, the residents mock the terrible movies they watch with “riffs”. Tom is often very knowledgeable about many things but also often lacks common sense. Of the group, he’s the one most likely to make a theatrical, literary or high-falutin’ reference and sometimes can be very condescending towards his friends. He often tries to elevate himself with his intelligent interests (and does seem to have the strongest grasp on quantum physics), though his biggest hobby is his underwear collection. It is also implied for a time after he and his friends became non-corporeal beings, he’s lived an adventurous life meeting morally questionable and sketchy aliens. Initially created as “Beeper” a robot who just beeps, he was remodelled when… let’s face it, that’s not great for a comedy about talking back at the screen. Tom also seemingly has a near infinite amount of copies of himself and even he doesn’t know which is the original.
Crow T. Robot is another robot living aboard the Satellite of Love. Crow initially talked with a staccato robot voice but developed to something more childish until developing a sharper tongue. Crow tends to be fairly irreverent, even by the irreverent nature of the crew of the SoL, often being a little zanier, more erratic and easily distractable. This tendency seemed to compound after being left alone for 500 years (he and his friends turned into non-corporeal beings for a time to explore the universe but he almost immediately returned and lived alone on the SoL in isolation). Crow tends to have a creative streak and has shown an interest in making movies, particularly his passion project, the monster movie Earth Vs. Soup. Though a habit among most members of the SoL, Crow is usually the one to act silly in a dangerous situation and tends to be the one to deliver the most sharped tongue and wackiest riffs.
Created by human test subject and tinkerer Joel Robinson to help him keep his sanity in the face of experiments designed to drive him mad, Tom and Crow were built using the parts that would in theory actually allow him to control the film itself (along with GPC, formerly known by a name that is more commonly recognized as a slur). Eventually, the two were freed, then recaptured, then escaped to live with human test subject Mike, then recaptured again somehow. Most recently, Tom, Crow and the human hosts have escaped to the past from their tormentors, perhaps never to be seen again (unless season 14 happens).
The two have a relationship like brothers, which often meant they would be likely to bicker but also that sometimes they get into their share of mischief together. Despite their adult-level intelligence, the two often behave like children, especially when they were living with their “father” Joel. As different test subjects came into their lives, like Mike, Jonah and Emily, the duo’s relationship with their human would change (Mike’s felt more like an uncle the two would take advantage of while Jonah and Emily felt closer to friends). With each other, it mostly remained the same; in sympatico when deciding to torment their human friend for laughs, but also often tormenting each other. All the same, they often like to have real fun in the theatre when they are telling jokes and can be brought together in fear, anger and frustration when the movie is just that bad.
Tom and Crow are one of those comedy teams where even with different actors, each characters has a specific “voice” and yet each one can really be whatever you need them to be in the moment. This is a feature rather than a bug; both can be straight men, funny men, agents of chaos, victims of chaos. But more than that, the best is them in the theatre, riffing away. Though they form a trio of whatever human they are partnered with, they are often duoing with each other and driving each other and anyone who crosses their path up the wall.
Iconic Moment:
Picking the best episode is a tough prospect. Manos is a popular choice and it’s a good episode but I’ve never found it the best, I just think the movie is the worst. Mr. B. Natural is a wonderful short but I feel like a lot of the humour is about the androgynous nature of the title character in a way that doesn’t hold up entirely well. So I’m going with I Accuse My Parents, an episode that has the sharpness associated with the Mike era but the sense of warmth I associate the Joel era. The episode is wild, a cheesy teen morality plain where it’s clear the problem isn’t bad parenting so much as main character Jimmy is… really dumb and also a liar who tries to act like he’s better than everyone else.
But it also starts with one of the darkest shorts, The Truck Farmer.
Also, I’m going to give shout out to another great short; Progress Island USA.
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Man, the Bots are such a great duo, like you said, playing off of each other and everyone else so well. I do like that, no matter who voices them (I will always be partial to the "classic" pair of Beaulieu and Murphy) they maintain the essence of their characters (you forgot to mention that Servo is also the consummate drama queen). It's also always fun watching when a new actor steps into the role of one of them and watching their puppetry skills slowly evolve over the course of their tenure.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
29
Ken Masters & Ryu
61 Points, 3 Lists, Highest Vote #6 Caithness
Ken Masters & Ryu
61 Points, 3 Lists, Highest Vote #6 Caithness
Source: Street Fighter
Duo-Type: Fist Bros
Ken Masters was born to a wealthy family and grew up in Japan. Around age 12, he became a delinquent and with his parents at a loss, they sent him to train in the martial arts under the master Gouken in order to teach him discipline. Originally, Ken had little faith in Gouken but eventually realized the fruits of his training and managed to become a martial arts master. Eventually, Ken left for America and deciding to follow through with what he learn, entered and in most cases handily won many martial arts tournaments. Ken is a brash, somewhat arrogant fighter but also believes in hard work and honour as his master did. He has trained alongside…
Ryu was an orphan raised by the martial artist Gouken. Training with passion, he achieved the title of master at age 23, at which point his own master told him to strengthen himself by travelling the world. In his travels, he heard tell of Sagat, the master of Myui Thai and in a close battle, managed to defeat him. Eventually, he enters the World Warrior tournament to face more opponents, including a rematch with Sagat. Ryu is often a serious-minded and respectful devoted to wandering the Earth to train even stronger. He is often mistaken for aloof due to spending most of his time alone away from modern society to train, though he can be friendly to others, particularly friendly rivals.
Ryu and Ken were trained at the same time by the same master, Gouken. Both have studied Ansatsuken, the assassin’s fist, though despite the name and history of the art, neither are killers at heart. The two developed a close friendship training together but also a rivalry; they care for each other but each wants to be the best, putting them at odds. In all likelihood, this rivalry also pushed the other to improve as well. The two went their separate ways when their masters declared their training was over but inevitably meet up again for large, world-spanning fighting tournaments.
Ken Masters is self-conscious about the fact that he grew up wealthy and that Ryu has won more battles but despite this, Ryu doesn’t look down on him and in fact trusts him more than anyone. In the lore of Street Fighter Alpha, Ken is the one who gave Ryu is iconic red bandana and encouraged him to stay focused rather than give into the dark impulses that their particular martial art inspires. Initially, the two have a nearly identical fighting style, though in later games, some elements change to reflect their personalities (Ryu remains more a steadfast all-around fighter while Ken’s brash, in-your-face style emphasizes speed).
Initially, Ken was just an identical player 2 for Ryu (the lead) in the first Street Fighter game, one that posited “what if boss battles all the time”. Though not a complete palette swap, he practically is except with long hair. Eventually, the character’s mythology would be teased out in the enormously popular Street Fighter II where he was about as iconic as Ryu. Though the nature of that game meant that there were no more “lead” characters, Ryu was still the face of the franchise and the most iconic character but like Ryu, Ken would appear in every main game and the crossover games, like Marvel Vs. Capcom, Project X Zone and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Iconic Moment:
I feel like 2 was when the duo went from Ken being another option to really being the co-lead, even if Ryu will be the more popular character.
I believe I had to cut these 2 from my list. As a duo dynamic, I feel like Capcom never really gave them much to work with. There is a nice touch in Third Strike, where before the match starts, it will have them fist bump each other before stepping back into their respective sides of the screen.