I like fish & chips, and I like the droids, but not enough to vote for either pair.
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Top 50 Duos: Counting the Seconds
- Thread starter Johnny Unusual
- Start date
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Key & Peele
Duo-Type: Mad TV survivors
At a young age, Keegan-Michael Key was adopted by social workers Michael Key and Patricia Walsh. After graduating from Pennsylvania State University in 1996, Keegan-Michael followed his dream of acting an in 2004 joined the cast of Mad TV during it’s 9th season. He portrayed popular characters like Coach Hines, Dr. Funkenstein and Jovan Muskatelle as well as a number of celebrity impersonations. Since then, Key has been a sought after comedic and character actor, appearing in films such as Dolemite is My Name, the live action Lion King film and The Super Mario Bros. Movie as well as appearing in TV series such as the musical comedy Schmiggadoon, the show business sitcom Reboot (no, not that one) and animated series like SuperMansion and Green Eggs and Ham. He will soon be playing Bumblebee in the next Transformers film and the holiday comedy Dear Santa about a child whose letter to Santa is answered by the devil due to a typo. He’s also known for working with…
Jordan Peele was raised at a young age by his mother in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. For a time he went to Sarah Lawrence College to study puppetry but ended up dropping out to form a comedy duo with Rebecca Drysdale. From a young age Peele was a cinephile and at age 12 wanted to be a film director. He spent time as a stand up before joining the cast of Mad TV in season 9. He was known for his celebrity impersonations and won an Emmy for the Sad Fitty Cent song that he wrote and performed for the show. Peele found success in television and made a name for himself. Eventually he transitioned to his dream job, becoming a director producing the critically lauded horror films Get Out, Us and Nope, as well as being a successful producer. But he initially made his name for himself as half of…
Keegan-Micheal Key and Jordan Peele first met auditioning for Mad TV… and auditioning against each other. Key was the more favoured of the two but surprisingly BOTH were hired, in part because they exhibited strong chemistry that the producers responded to. Since then, the two were often paired with each other in sketches until Peele left in the series penultimate season. The duo appeared with each other in other spaces, including a memorable appearance in the music video White & Nerdy by ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic. In 2012, the duo gained their own TV series Key & Peele. The comedy often dealt with stereotyping, racial identity, race relations, social awkwardness as well as a broader (and sometimes shockingly specific) takes on American pop culture (Peele’s love of horror also features in more than one sketch). Popular characters on the show included lonely nerd Wendell Sanders, short-tempered substitute teacher Mr. Garvey and Barack Obama and his “anger translator” Luther (a bit so popular, Key did a sketch as the ACTUAL Barack Obama’s anger translator for a Whitehouse Correspondent’s dinner.)
Eventually, the show ended with season five and Peele began acting far less to focus on directing (he also claims he was motivated to move away from acting after courted to play “the Poop Emoji” in the Emoji Movie. However, the two starred in their own movie Keanu where they play two soft-hearted guys who enter into the world of crime to retrieve their adorable kitten. While not based on a sketch of their show specifically, did follow many of the similar themes such as racial and cultural identity, masculinity and just general silliness. And though Peele acts less often, he still often acts with his old partner Peele in such projects as the stop motion film Wendell & Wild and playing carnival game prizes in Toy Story 4.
The thing is I’ve only watch a few scatter sketches from the Key and Peele show and between that and Keanu, it is clear that a lot of their comedy comes from feeling like they want to deal with ideas about identity, as they are both from multiracial household. At the same time, it never feels like it gets in the way of the comedy with a message but often enhances it by skewing perspective on it. It is also clear that a few sketches really felt like Peele just had some ideas to do weird parodies about horror (“Continental Breakfast”, “Gremlins 2 writer’s room”). But overall, I think this was a comedic duo that felt like it was exploring identity from an interesting angle, steering into the awkwardness but also allowing for real fun and playfulness.
Iconic Moment:
Jordan Peele is one of my favourite directors because he gets how the mechanics of comedy and horror/suspense are not only similar but can feed off of each other. Things that are funny can also be creepy and vice versa because often that’s a feeling you can have in a bizarre social space. In this sketch, the comedy is pitch black as a character needs to keep dancing and smiling during the most devastating moment of his life but even from there we get even more bizarre twists.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Sam & Max
Duo-Type: Unlikely Animal Fiends
An Irish Wolfhound shamus, Sam is a crime fighting dog who believes in stopping crime. Despite that, Sam’s attitude is rather laid back, even in life threatening situations. Sam has a sense of justice but a lot of it involves taking a lot of joy in senseless violence, usually towards guilty (or annoying) parties. Sam is very knowledgeable in a variety of different fields, which sometimes results in long-winded explanations that try the patience of the listener. Sam’s prized possessions are his .44 revolver and his poorly maintained DeSoto Adventurer, which he uses to get to crime scenes. Sam is rarely anything else but calm and nonchalant, even in the more dire of situations. Usually with him is…
Max is a short “rabbity thing” who generally likes to be called a lagomorph. Max is insanely enthusiastic about crime fighting but even more enthusiastic about violence and chaos in general. With an unhinged, toothy smile, Max likes to solve problems with as much destruction as possible and even has little regard for his own safety. Though Max does have a sharp wit and good observational skills, he also has a very short attention span, in keeping with his manic nature. Max is generally lives his life of pure unrestrained id, following his desires, though they do managed to at least be focused in the field of crime fighting.
Sam and Max describe themselves as “freelance police”, which is to say they are not recognized by any real body and just like to get out there and fight crime like insane vigilantes. Both are verbose and love to banter with strange digressions and tangents to the situation at hand, often mocking the absurdity situation with even more absurd dialogue. Despite their shared love of solving problems with violence, often the two need to use their actual wits to solve a problem, where they are usually surprisingly adept. The duo really like each other’s company and though they have different attitudes, they both seem to usually be in step with each other’s methods and share a love of action, violence and nonsense.
Sometimes Max gets fed up with Sam’s ramblings but he can also be possessive of Sam and is fiercely protective of their friendship. Often the duo find themselves having to deal with ludicrous situations that require even more ludicrous solutions. Steve Purcell (now a Pixar veteran) is the creator of the duo but also… kind of not. Initially his younger brother Dave created a vaguely similar dog and rabbit cop duo in comic form but Steve would take and finish the comics to mock his brother, turning it into parody. As a birthday gift, Dave signed the rights for the characters to Steve to develop the characters his own way and eventually the creator of Fish Police encouraged him to make it a full length comic. After a few issues, Steve began writing Sam & Max adventures for The Adventurer, the Lucasfilm LTD newsletter for adventure gaming and soon the characters spawned a popular computer game, which in turn spawned a cartoon series.
Steve Purcell’s ridiculous dialogue escalate the pair simply from chaotic cartoon characters into something else. In all it’s forms, the voice seems to remain the same for the creation, making the sparsity of Sam and Max projects kind of tragic. I would love to have these characters return more often and it means we need to treasure what little we have. The fact that it began as a parody from an older brother really spells out the sort of freewheeling madcap attitude that makes the duo work; the chemistry isn’t them in conflict, mostly, it’s them enabling each other’s madness.
Iconic Moment:
Sam & Max Hit the Road is still one of the most beloved Graphic Adventure games around.
I had Key & Peele at #2 on my list. I think they exemplify what really makes a duo - they are great on their own but are amazing together.
I had the droids on my list of candidates but I excluded them for some reason. Maybe because they aren't front and center as much of the other Star Wars characters. And because R2 often serves as Luke's sidekick and 3PO serves as a sort of foil to Han and/or Chewie.
I also like fish and chips but didn't even consider it for my list. They are an iconic duo but I will have fish with other sides (depending on the restaurant and the ever-shifting whims of my appetite).
I had the droids on my list of candidates but I excluded them for some reason. Maybe because they aren't front and center as much of the other Star Wars characters. And because R2 often serves as Luke's sidekick and 3PO serves as a sort of foil to Han and/or Chewie.
I also like fish and chips but didn't even consider it for my list. They are an iconic duo but I will have fish with other sides (depending on the restaurant and the ever-shifting whims of my appetite).
I think that's only the case if it's tempura maki.Mmmmmm...... sushi and doritos... my favorite
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Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Final Fantasy Series
Duo-Type: Legally distinct. We swear
Biggs is a soldier. Always a soldier.
Wedge is also a soldier…
Biggs and Wedge are a recurring gag/theme in the Final Fantasy game series. Though there is little continuity between the games, the series often has recurring monsters, themes and character names and Biggs and Wedge, names taken from two minor Star Wars characters, are among them, usually some pair of soldiers or fighters and usually, though not always, being non-descript soldiers aiding the protagonist, though not necessarily heroic.
In Final Fantasy IV, they first appeared to question the main characters when he follows orders to attack a town that isn’t defending itself. In Final Fantasy VI, they appear in the initial opening scene where they and the main character hunt down an esper, only for the duo to be obliterated by its power. In Final Fantasy VII, the duo, now actually having distinct sprites, are members of the freedom fighting group Avalanche (their characters are expanded on in the recent remake trilogy). In Final Fantasy VIII, they are recurring comic relief antagonists and have small roles in Final Fantasy X, XII (well, sorry, that’s Gibbs and Deweg) and XV. Also worth noting is their appearance in Final Fantasy XIV, there rather than generic soldiers, they appear with very unique designs and personalities.
There’s something comforting about these two being in the game. A sense that even though there isn’t continuity, there also sort of is. Not all Biggs and Wedges are the same and some are more comical while others play a darker role. But it’s great to has a moment in these games to have a touchstone across the franchise.
Iconic Moment:
This opening will stay with me forever
Their appearance in FF4 was inserted into subsequent remakes for sure. VI was the first installment where they appeared, chronologically, and Biggs was Vicks for some reason. Maybe the translator had a cold and was out of Vapo Rub.
Whatever, I once again didn't think of these two in their Star War or Finals Fantasies incarnations, but I very well should have.
Whatever, I once again didn't think of these two in their Star War or Finals Fantasies incarnations, but I very well should have.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Biggs and Wedge from FF8 are my favorite. They're just a couple of bros doing their job, and by the end of it they're so sick of the empire's nonsense that they don't bother fighting you and just wanna quit instead. That's what I call character development.
Crap, I didn't think of these guys... they're great and all, but I don't think they would replace anything on my list. FF8's version is likely the first thing I'd think of when I imagine this pair.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Castlevania Series
Duo-Type: Nosferatwo
Son of vampire slayer John Morris, Johnathan was raised to become a vampire slayer himself. He wielded the Vampire Killer, the legendary whip used by the Belmont family for generations to slay Dracula and his army of evil. The Morris clan was an offshoot of the Belmont clan but they were not considered “true Belmonts”, meaning that using the whip also sapped the life John and he did not teach his son how to. But eventually John was able to use it to combat the evil vampire Brauner, eventually understanding his father’s decision and respecting him. Jonathan grew up with his friend…
Charlotte Aulin was raised by the church to become an all-powerful witch, something the church doesn’t usually do, I think. Incredibly skilled, her powers include controlling elements and even transformation of her own body. She is also very intelligent, seeming to be a walking encyclopedia of facts relating to the occult and arcane. But to an extent, it can also be her weakness, as she has been thrown through a loop when discovering that actual facts don’t match what she’s learned in her literature. Charlotte is strong willed and sharp tongued, which can be annoying in an argument but she is also someone who can be trusted to help fight the forces of evil.
Charlotte and Jonathan were raised together, both learning their own craft and skills to fight vampires and demons. Eventually, they are called upon to invade Dracula’s castle in 1944, not to stop Dracula but instead to combat the mad vampire artist who has used paintings to create barriers around the castle (also being protected by his twin daughters). Between this and Jonathan unable to use the Vampire Killer properly, the duo have an uphill battle.
I’ll have to be honest, I have only played the early Castlevania games before it went Metroid, so someone else will have to explain. Heck, someone just voted “Jonathan and Charlotte” and this is what the SEO gave me.
Iconic Moment:
Probably when they beat up the vampires.
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You can just set that to loop...
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Dirty Pair
Duo-Type: Dirty Pair
Kei is a “trouble consultant” for the corporation World Welfare Works Association (or 3WA), a corporation who will help take care of threatening situations on planetary scales. Often that means fighting terrorists, insane machines and threats that most people would find insurmountable. She’s an expert at both hand-to-hand combat and firearms. Kei is very outgoing and friendly but also has a short temper. Kei works hard and often will push forward in the face of adversity, regardless of the consequences. Her approach is shoot first, ask questions maybe. She also tends to go on a lot of dates but rarely has had a long-term partner. At least not romantically. In terms of work…
Kei is a “trouble consultant” for the corporation World Welfare Works Association (or 3WA). In her free time, she enjoys feminine fashion and make up but skilled in armed and unarmed combat, often favouring non-gun weapons like energy whips (though she is skilled with guns). Her signature weapon is the Bloody Card, a card that when thrown can target multiple opponents at once. While Kei considers herself to be quite feminine, she can be extremely violent when provoked. Which is not rare in her line of work.
Kei and Yuri are the Lovely Angels, a pair of trouble consultants for the 3WA who take on deadly missions to save people. However, though the Lovely Angels is the official name, everyone else calls them the Dirty Pair due to the fact that in every mission they leave destruction and a lot of injuries in their wake. In fact, one incident resulted in the destruction of a planet where, despite no fatalities, there were 3521 injured parties. It’s a name they don’t like as they do try to solve problems smoothly but invariably their knack for destruction proves to be the more effective solution in the face of extreme danger.
Kei is usually the hotter headed of the duo but both are often willing to use their anger as fuel to take down their enemies. In most but not all continuities, the duo has ESP powers (usually presented as precognition), which is why they were hired in the first place. The series was inspired when creator Haruka Takachiho and two staffers he worked with, Yuri Tanaka and Keiko Otoguro, decided to take visiting sci-fi author A. Bertram Chandler to a wrestling match. There tag team The Beauty Pair caught his attention, where their tough style lead him to calling them the Dirty Pair. Starting as a series of light novels, they soon found popularity in anime series and even a radio series.
Dirty Pair is a classic story; two people who are good at their job but not so good they don’t smash everything in their path. As you may have guessed, their attitude of not taking things too seriously even when working is a big inspiration (if not an outright steal) for Mania and Maria earlier in the list. Dirty Pair was a really big deal at the time and is still very much beloved by fans of old school anime, inspiring many spin offs and even an American version
Iconic Moment:
I think Portrait of Ruin is the best of the DS games, primarily because of Jonathan and Charlotte's personalities and gameplay. It was definitely rushed and doesn't meet its full potential, but I love both of them as characters and voted them pretty highly.
I still need to watch classic Dirty Pair.
I still need to watch classic Dirty Pair.
Hey, @Daikaiju - is Kei another one of the "OG Kickass Anime Redheads"?
Kei
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Source: Final Fantasy IV
Duo-Type: Black & White
Parom is a child magician, capable of casting a wide array of black magic spells. He is sent to help the former soldier Cecil to redeem the evil he’s done and become a holy Paladin to stop the evil that is plaguing the world. A consummate show off, Parom has an inflated ego that often leads him to getting out of hand. Because of this, he often has to be put in his place by…
Porom is a master of white magic and is capable of learning every white magic spell. She was asked by her master the Elder to watch over Cecil the soldier in his mission to become a Paladin. Porom is respectful, polite and modest, treating others with kindness. That said, when her brother is acting up she often takes it on herself to put him in his place.
When former soldier and war criminal Cecil realizes he’s been fighting for an evil cause, he tries to turn a new leaf to stop the evil Goblez, the real villain behind the world’s ills. After losing all his friends from an attack by the Leviathan, Cecil realizes he needs help. To this end, he is sent to Mount Ordeals and to help him, he’s given young mages and twin siblings Palom and Porom to assist him. In fact, they were also sent to spy on him to see if Cecil was genuine in his desire to turn a new leaf. When Cecil learns, he’s very understanding and soon, they become close allies in their war on evil.
Palom and Porom are twins but they are very different; Palom is snotty and arrogant while Porom is humble and polite. Usually when Palom acts the fool, Porom breaks her kind façade to punish her brother, usually with a knock on the head. Similarly, they have chosen opposite magic disciplines but both of them are very skilled at casting spells (certainly compared to their combat skills, which is lack compared to their allies). In the game, the duo are only 5 years old but despite this, they are powerful magic users. Though one must ask; why use them as spies? I know five year olds, they say whatever they think. Don’t use them for espionage or monster fighting.
Final Fantasy II (as we called it in the day. We also called anime “Japanimation”, so take it with a grain of salt) was a big deal for me. I would go to my best friends house and watch his older brother make it through the game. It was Earth shattering to me, not only to control these characters but to have a narrative where you lose them. When Cecil ended up all alone, the appearance of Palom and Porom really lightened up the mood but soon I began caring for this twosome as much as any of the other characters in the game. And then I was in for a real shock.
Iconic Moment:
For someone whose favorite franchise is FF I sure didn't think of many choices from it! Although I was trying to have a good variety so I probably would have stuck with the one pair I did pick anyways (still hoping they show up).
Also no way are they 5. 10 is more likely. I generally ignore the "official" ages of RPG characters as a rule, since they are almost always much younger than the character actually looks and behaves.
Also no way are they 5. 10 is more likely. I generally ignore the "official" ages of RPG characters as a rule, since they are almost always much younger than the character actually looks and behaves.