By Jordan Ramée on Feb 14, 2019 10:42 pm
Everyone's Jumpin' In
Bandai Namco has announced every playable fighter that will be included in Jump Force at launch. There's 42 in total, with all but two coming from one of 16 different Shonen Jump manga. Click through the following gallery to check out every single one. The two fighters that don't come from any manga, Galena and Kane, are original characters made specifically for the game. The other 40 playable fighters come from major manga series. At launch, Jump Force is pulling fighters from Black Clover, Bleach, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, City Hunter, Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Dai, Fist of the North Star, Hunter x Hunter, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia, Naruto, One Piece, Rurouni Kenshin, Saint Seiya, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Yu Yu Hakusho. Although they're not playable, characters from other Shonen Jump manga, such as Death Note, are in Jump Force as well. According to the Jump Force's Character Pass, more playable fighters are scheduled to come to the game in post-launch DLC. Which other Shonen Jump manga do you hope gets featured in Jump Force, and who do you want to see make it into the battle? We'd love to see To Love-Ru's main heroine Lala Satalin Deviluke, Nisekoi: False Love's trigger-happy Seishiro Tsugumi, and Assassination Classroom's Koro-sensei make the cut. In our Jump Force review, I gave the game a 7/10, writing, "Jump Force is a worthy celebration of the legacy of Shonen Jump manga, but it honors its source material a little too well with how filler-heavy the middle of its story arc is. However, even if the game rarely provides a clear motivation for stopping evil other than good must always oppose it, the act of stomping out villains in Jump Force's frantic bouts of tag-team arena combat is an enjoyable test of strategy. And with over 40 characters to master, there's ample opportunity to develop new strategies and reach greater feats of combat prowess in online multiplayer."
Asta (Black Clover)
Black Clover borrows numerous elements from other popular shonen manga, but the growth of its protagonist, Asta, over the course of the story has allowed the series to find its own place amongst the greats. An orphan born without the ability to use magic in a world defined by magical talent, Asta dreams of becoming the next Wizard King. Through sheer physical ability alone, he's able to keep up with most aspiring wizards and witches, and with his special five-leaf clover grimoire, he's able to use Anti-Magic and nullify the abilities of others.
Blackbeard (One Piece)
Possessing one of the more powerful abilities in One Piece, creation and control of black holes, Blackbeard is a force to be reckoned with on the high seas. He acquired his abilities by killing his crew mates, and, after being promoted to a position of power in the World Government, he abuses his authority to create a pirate crew composed of prisoners.
Boa Hancock (One Piece)
Hancock, also known as Snake Princess and Pirate Empress, is leader of an all-female tribe. She becomes one of Luffy's allies after falling in love with him, and only agrees to assist the World Government that was once responsible for her enslavement after Luffy asks for her help.
Boruto Uzumaki (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations)
The son of Naruto first appeared in the finale to his father's manga series before getting his own spin-off in Shonen Jump. Although he looks a lot like his dad, Boruto's dreams for his future could not be more different, as he desires to follow in the footsteps of Naruto's best friend and rival Sasuke. Although Boruto has a similar fighting style to his father, he can also utilize the same Gentle Fist technique used by his mom, Hinata Hyuga.
Cell (Dragon Ball)
One of the more famous antagonists in Dragon Ball, Cell is an artificial life form from the future that travels back in time to the present day in order to grow stronger and become the perfect being. Cell is composed of the genetic information of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and King Cold, and thus can utilize the abilities and skills of all five warriors.
Dai (Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai)
As the name of the manga implies, Dai is the protagonist of the Dragon Quest manga that's based off of the video game series of the same name. A young orphan, Dai grows up amongst monsters on an island, where he dreams of becoming a hero. His aspirations become a reality when Avan, the world's previous hero, arrives on the island to instruct Dai in how to use his super strength and magical abilities to help others.
Dio Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Dio is the major villain of the popular manga/anime series, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. A ruthless, calculated 19th century vampire with a God complex, Dio will stop at nothing to get what he wants, including killing a dog, sacrificing the lives of his allies, and forcing an unassuming politician to run over a crowd of innocent civilians with a car. In addition, he can literally stop time--at least for a moment--with his Stand, The World. Even in death, Dio's influence runs deep within the 30+ year old JoJo universe he exists within, ruining the lives of countless individuals with his selfish ambitions. -- Matt Espineli
Dragon Shiryu (Saint Seiya)
One of the main heroes from the Saint Seiya manga, Shiryu wears armor that grants him enhanced strength, speed, and durability. His armor is stronger than most others, coming equipped with a shield that can block almost any attack and a gauntlet that can pierce pretty much any surface.
Frieza (Dragon Ball)
Although not seen until the second half of the manga, Frieza is regarded by many as the main antagonist of Dragon Ball, as his decision to destroy the Saiyan's homeworld is the entire catalyst to Goku's story. Like the Saiyans he sets out to destroy, Frieza is able to change his form and achieve different abilities as a result. Although Frieza is eventually killed, he's temporarily resurrected to help Goku, Vegeta, and the other heroes in Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power, and is completely brought back to life afterwards in repayment for his help.
Gaara (Naruto)
Gaara is best described as a foil for Naruto, as the villain is, just like the titular hero, possessed by a demon, ostracized by others, and a talented fighter. However, unlike Naruto, these experiences influenced Gaara to grow up cynical, narcissistic, and blood-thirsty. Upon meeting Naruto, though, Gaara changes his ways, and also aspires to become the leader of his village to make it better for all.
Galena (Jump Force)
Galena is a fighter who is original to Jump Force's story. Her background is unknown to the player at the game's outset, but is slowly revealed over time. She possesses cryokinesis powers, which allows her to freeze her enemies in place before skewering them with a barrage of icicles.
Gon Freecss (Hunter x Hunter)
The protagonist of Hunter x Hunter fits the template of other Shonen Jump heroes: brash, physically strong, and quick to anger when his friends are in trouble, while also being high-spirited and sometimes friendly to a fault. Gon becomes a Hunter in order to find his father, who is also one of the traveling specialists who take on odd jobs around the world.
Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)
The protagonist of Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin is a former assassin who travels the Japanese countryside in order to find atonement for his past actions. He ultimately ends up in Tokyo, where he settles down and tries to make a new life for himself, all while his past returns to both help and haunt him.
Hisoka Morow (Hunter x Hunter)
Hisoka is both an adversary and ally to Gon, letting him live through the Hunter Exam only so that Gon and his friends could become worthy opponents for him to fight and kill one day. One of the most narcissistic and arrogant characters in Hunter x Hunter, Hisoka takes great delight--to the point of sexual arousal--in toying with his prey, especially if said opponent is strong enough to extend the duration of the fight.
Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
The protagonist of one of the most popular Shonen Jump manga out there, Ichigo is one of many sword-wielding fighters in Jump Force. A bit of an anti-hero, Ichigo is a Soul Reaper, a person who fights evil spirits, called Hollows, and helps good ones, called Wholes. However, most of Ichigo's adventures focus on the inner workings and politics within the Shinigami Order, as well as tensions between his group and rival factions.
Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)
Born without a superhuman Quirk in a world where possessing one is the norm and becoming a superhero is a career path, Izuku defies all odds when he's given a powerful ability, called One For All, as a gift from his role model, All Might. One For All fills its wielder with enormous amounts of energy, allowing their muscles to move faster and hit harder. Currently unable to use One For All beyond 17 percent without breaking his body, Midoriya utilizes small portions of the Quirk to deliver fast punches and devastating kicks that, like All Might, he names after US states and cities.
Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
One of the last characters announced for Jump Force, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3 protagonist Jotaro Kujo fits the "delinquent with a heart of gold" archetype. While the series has several heroes, Jotaro remains a fan-favorite due to his cool yet calculated demeanor and over-the-top appearance (his schoolboy hat literally fuses into his hair). Like many other characters in the series, Jotaro is blessed with a Stand that possesses superhuman strength and speed. However, his tactical mind, unyielding confidence, and ability to stop time puts him in a league all his own. -- Matt Espineli
Kaguya Otsutsuki (Naruto)
A member of the Otsutsuki clan and primary antagonist of Naruto, Kaguya was once revered as a goddess. However, her lost faith in humanity led to her committing ever more cruel and horrifying acts, until her subjects began referring to her as a demon.
Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
Kakashi is the teacher to the series' main protagonists Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. He fits the shonen mold of the seemingly apathetic sensei who secretly cares deeply for their students. A skilled ninja, Kakashi invented the Chidori technique and its Lightning Blade variation, two moves that utilize electricity to devastating effect.
Kane (Jump Force)
Kane is a fighter who is original to Jump Force's story. The primary antagonist of Jump Force, Kane is responsible for the event that caused every Jump world to crash into the human one, an act he hopes will lead to total destruction so that he may remake his world in his own image.
Kenshiro (Hokuto no Ken)
The main hero of one of Shonen Jump's more violent series from the '80s, Hokuto no Ken, Kenshiro defeats his enemies by applying pressure to certain points on an enemy's body, which causes them to die in a delayed, yet explosively bloody way. Because of this, Kenshiro will take the time to tell an opponent, "You are already dead," just prior to their death. While all this makes Kenshiro sound like a cold-blooded killer, he's actually a kind and compassionate hero who will do anything it takes to defend the innocent from the evils of the post-apocalyptic world he inhabits. -- Matt Espineli
Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)
One of Gon's friends, Killua is as mischievous as he is bloodthirsty. His body count in Hunter x Hunter is higher than most characters, and he passed his Hunter Exam by simply killing all of the other applicants and winning the trials by default. Killua does care about his friends though, as they're the only individuals he's ever put before himself.
Kurapika (Hunter x Hunter)
Another one of the heroes in Hunter x Hunter and ally to Gon, Kurapika is the last surviving member of his race. He becomes a Hunter in order to acquire the necessary resources to take revenge on the ones responsible for the death of his people. Unlike the rest of Gon's group, Kurapika is fairly level headed, and solves many of his problems through intellect as opposed to force.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
After accidentally eating the supernatural Gum-Gum Fruit, One Piece protagonist Luffy becomes living rubber, which allows him to stretch, reshape, and expand his body in a variety of ways. Recruiting a crew that he names the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy sails in search of the legendary One Piece, a treasure that will earn him the title of the King of Pirates.
Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
The image of Naruto has become almost synonymous with manga and anime. An aspiring ninja, Naruto is rather carefree and childish, although he's fairly dense too. Naruto's appearance in Jump Force is closer to his teenage years--titled Part II in the manga--when the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox within his body had begun to give him claws and fangs.
Pegasus Seiya (Saint Seiya)
Protagonist of Saint Seiya, Seiya is a 13-year-old boy and one of the 88 mythical warriors, called Saints, who serve the goddess Athena. Like other Saints, Seiya's unique armor--his is named after the Pegasus constellation--gifts him with superhuman strength and speed. However, Pegasus also provides Seiya with enhanced durability and flight.
Piccolo (Dragon Ball)
Piccolo was initially an enemy of Goku, before becoming the Dragon Ball protagonist's friend and a better father to his son, Gohan, than Goku ever was. Although not as powerful as Goku or Vegeta, Piccolo has held his own against some of the series' Saiyans, as he possesses superhuman strength and regeneration, as well as the power to fly, extend his limbs, fire energy blasts, and read minds.
Renji Abarai (Bleach)
Initially an antagonist to Ichigo, Renji quickly became a friend and ally to the Bleach protagonist. A powerful Soul Reaper in his own right, Renji is also the childhood friend and eventual love interest to Rukia, who's also a playable fighter in Jump Force.
Roronoa Zoro (One Piece)
One of the first to join Luffy on the quest for the One Piece, Zoro is a talented swordsman who wields a blade in either hand and holds a third in his mouth. Zoro has a poor sense of direction, is insecure, and--unlike most of the other Straw Hat Pirates--is not averse to killing. He does, however, live by an honor code.
Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach)
The main heroine of Bleach, Rukia is the supernatural Soul Reaper who gifts her powers to series protagonist Ichigo after she suffers severe injuries. The act leaves her too weak to return to her world, so she remains with Ichigo to teach him how to be a Soul Reaper in her stead. Despite no longer being able to fight at full strength, Rukia is far from helpless, and her natural talent of restraining opponents makes her a capable ally for Ichigo and a strong contender in Jump Force.
Ryo Saeba (City Hunter)
Protagonist of City Hunter, a shonen manga from the late 1980s and early '90s, Ryo is a underground private detective that splits his time between solving crimes and aggressively pursuing women. Unlike many of the fighters in this gallery that regularly utilize their fists or swords in combat, Ryo wields a gun--specifically a Colt Python .357 Magnum.
Sabo (One Piece)
Sabo is the sworn brother to Luffy, after the two exchange cups of sake--along with Ace--in a yakuza-like ritual. He's stricken by amnesia after surviving a devastating naval attack, but reading about Ace's death causes his memories to return.
Sanji (One Piece)
One of Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji is an excellent cook. In order to protect his precious hands that he needs to make food, he only ever fights with his feet and legs. Although a formidable combatant, Sanji refuses to cause a woman harm, which can be easily exploited by anyone who utilizes a female fighter in Jump Force.
Son Goku / Kakarot (Dragon Ball)
This wouldn't be a Shonen Jump-focused game without everyone's favorite idiot Saiyan. Like Naruto, Goku is one of the most recognizable characters in both manga and anime, first starring in the Dragon Ball manga back in 1984, before becoming more mainstream in the Dragon Ball Z anime in 1989. His most recent adventures occurred in the hugely popular Dragon Ball Super series, which continued in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie. Super saw Goku surpass his limits and go to even greater levels of power beyond Super Saiyan 3, known as Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan. He's able to achieve the latter in Jump Force.
Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)
Sasuke is the best friend and rival of Naruto, as well as the role model and mentor to Boruto. A mostly silent character, Sasuke is a powerful ninja, utilizing sword-based and lightning focused techniques to great effect. Despite his rather cold demeanor, he does care about his friends and when he teams up with Naruto--like in their battle against Momoshiki in Boruto: Next Generations--their natural affinity makes them second to none.
Shishio Makoto (Rurouni Kenshin)
One of protagonist Kenshin's enemies, Shishio is a ruthless antagonist, his bloodthirsty nature only tempered by a dark sense of humor and steadfast intelligence. The bandages he wears are to hide scars all over his body, a result of his enemies trying to burn him alive in order to keep him from spilling their secrets.
Sosuke Aizen (Bleach)
Sosuke is the main antagonist for the first half of Bleach, a traitor to the Soul Society that Renji and Rukia are a part of. Although he seems humble and caring on the outside, Sosuke is actually quite cunning and merciless in his quest to achieve his goals. Like the other Bleach fighters in Jump Force, Sosuke carries a sword into battle.
Trunks (Dragon Ball)
Son of Vegeta and Bulma and best friend to Goku's grandson, Goten, Trunks is one of the most popular characters in Dragon Ball. There are two versions of Trunks, the first nicknamed Future Trunks and the second Present Trunks. Future Trunks is from the future, a 17-year-old who travels back in time in order to prevent a catastrophe, while Present Trunks is an infant--and later a young child--in the series. Future Trunks is the playable fighter in Jump Force, although Present Trunks hasn't been ruled out as potential DLC.
Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Much like other shonen rival characters, Vegeta initially was an enemy to protagonist Goku before becoming an ally. Like Goku, Vegeta is a Saiyan, and able to achieve greater feats of strength by improving his power level through sheer force of will. Although arrogant to a fault, Vegeta has become popular amongst fans, especially when he revealed his softer side and fell in love with Bulma, the closest Dragon Ball has come to a main heroine.
Younger Toguro (Yu Yu Hakusho)
The younger of the two Toguro brothers is one of the antagonists in Yu Yu Hakusho. A human turned demon, Younger Toguro possesses immense physical strength and desires to face off against someone who will push him to using 100 percent of his power.
Yugi Muto / Yami Yugi (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
The protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh is a master at playing games, and aspires to unlock the Millennium Puzzle in hopes it will grant him his wish to have friends. Instead, unlocking the Puzzle releases the spirit Yami Yugi, who possesses Yugi and aids its new host whenever he's in trouble. These moments typically occur whenever Yugi is at a disadvantage during a card game duel, allowing Yami to turn the tide back to his host's favor.
Yusuke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho)
A delinquent turned hero, Yusuke is considered a bad person until his decision to sacrifice his life for a child earns him the respect of heaven and hell. Instead of being sent to either, he's allowed to be resurrected and resume his life, albeit now as a detective that investigates the supernatural. Possessing a powerful level of spirit energy, Yusuke is able to fire aura blasts from his finger with great precision.
By Mat Elfring on Feb 14, 2019 09:38 pm
Happy Valentine's Day, my friends. It's truly a day where we all celebrate with our loved ones or complain on social media about how it's a stupid, consumer-driven holiday. Either way, I bring good tidings upon you all--as long as you're a person who enjoys professional wrestling. Last year, I quickly slapped together some WWE Valentine's Day cards in Photoshop, and it was a lot of fun--for me. This year, I thought it was time to expand on this newly created GameSpot tradition by including other promotions like Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling. So I loaded up Photoshop and looked up "How to do cool gradient fills" on YouTube in order to create this year's batch of highly anticipated wrestling Valentine's Day cards. So, we present to you, 16 more dumb Valentine's Day cards. Sometimes, they're funny; most times, they're dumb, but they're all for you to print out on your work computer (color ink is expensive) to give to the person you love. If you need more wrestling in your life, WWE's Elimination Chamber is just days away, and we have the match card and predictions for you to check out. Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, February 17 for live coverage of the event and a review of it all after the dust settles.
Becky Lynch (WWE)
Alundra Blayze (WWE Hall of Fame)
The Boys (ROH)
Brock Lesnar (WWE)
Chelsea Green (WWE)
Please just imagine the apostrophe in "What's" is there. I assure you, it is, but Photoshop layered it over the "t."
Nikki Cross (WWE)
Goldberg (WWE Hall of Fame)
Flip Gordon (ROH)
Well, this is a deep cut from Being The Elite, isn't it?
Hangman Page (AEW)
Brother (Brother)
No one
I don't care if the meme is dead. I will continue to do this until the day I die.
MJF (AEW)
PCO (ROH)
Sorry, wine drinkers. I had just finished watching a DVR'd episode of Total Bellas when I made this.
Scorpio Sky (AEW)
The Usos (WWE)
Velveteen Dream (WWE)
By Michael Rougeau on Feb 14, 2019 03:07 am
It's a temporal week in entertainment.
Here at GameSpot, we love good sci-fi, especially of the time travel variety. That's what makes this week so exciting: Not only does Happy Death Day 2U, the sequel to the Groundhog Day-like slasher movie, hit theaters this Wednesday, February 13--Netflix's Umbrella Academy, about a quirky team of superheroes that includes a time traveling 15-year-old, releases on Friday, February 15. That's a lot of temporal displacement. Happy Death Day 2U and Umbrella Academy succeed on the backs of a long history of time travel fiction on the big and small screens. To celebrate, we're going to look back at both--click here for the best time travel movies, and read on for the greatest time travel TV shows of all, uh, time. Note: These are presented in no particular order, because ranking them would just take too much time. ;)
1. Umbrella Academy (2019)
Netflix's Umbrella Academy isn't technically out yet as of the time of this writing, but we've seen the first season, and suffice to say it does the time travel genre proud. Based on comics by artist Gabriel Bá and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, the dark, quirky show follows a team of powered individuals who reunite for the first time in years after their adoptive father/team leader passes away. We won't spoil what that has to do with time travel, but it will be clear from the first episode for those who watch. Umbrella Academy's release date is February 15 on Netflix, so check it out then.
2. Doctor Who (1963-present)
Doctor Who has a long and complicated history, but whether you love or hate the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, it's undeniable that she's made waves. Regardless, there are decades of Doctor Who history that prove the quintessentially British production is the most lasting time travel show ever. Doctor Who follows the Doctor, an alien who traverses space and time with the help of a police call box that's bigger on the inside and a rotating cast of human companions. The Doctor changes actors every few seasons for wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey reasons, but the fundamentals always stay the same.
3. Future Man (2017-present)
From Executive Producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg--the team behind AMC's Preacher and more--this funny Hulu original follows Josh Futturman (get it?), a janitor who gets called to travel through time and save the world thanks to his skill at the video game Biotic Wars. Except it turns out, contrary to what The Last Starfighter would have us believe, being good at video games isn't really helpful in most real life situations. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I'm not sure what you're doing reading this website.
4. Travelers (2017-2018)
Travelers is a Netflix original in which a team of time traveling special agents jump into the past to inhabit the bodies of the recently deceased and work together to stop large scale disasters. It's a pretty out there concept--the organization the agents work for can send them into any host as long as they know the time and cause of death, but that leaves plenty of room for error, such as agents suddenly finding themselves in a body with a heroin addiction. The show wrapped up after three seasons, and it's worth watching to the end.
5. Russian Doll (2019)
Russian Doll is basically an artsy, gonzo take on Groundhog Day co-created by Amy Poehler, actress and star Natasha Lyonne, and writer/director Leslye Headland. Lyonne kills it as a black hole of dark comedy who gets stuck in a time loop in which she dies in increasingly outrageous ways, only to appear back at her own bohemian birthday party. The Netflix original expands on this concept in smart, interesting ways, and ultimately draws its eight short episodes to an emotional, satisfying conclusion.
6. 12 Monkeys (2015-2018)
Not to be confused with the 1995 movie of the same name, this TV adaptation launched on Syfy in 2015 and concluded with its fourth and final season in 2018. The show's plot is similar to the movie's: A future agent is sent back in time to stop "The Army of the 12 Monkeys" from releasing a deadly virus that will decimate humanity. It may lack Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, but the show wound up carving its own path and being worthy of the movie's legacy.
7. Outlander (2014-present)
Based on Diana Gabaldon's historical time travel/romance novels of the same name, and developed for Starz by Ron Moore (of Battlestar Galactica fame), Outlander is surprisingly cool for something that at first glance seems to exist mostly so fans can fawn over Highland heartthrob Jamie Fraser, played in the show by Sam Heughan. The series sends protagonist Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) back in time to various points, most notably to 18th century Scotland, and also stars Game of Thrones' Tobias Menzies.
8. Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
Quantum Leap aired on NBC for five seasons in the late '80s and early '90s, way before time travel and sci-fi in general were really cool like they are today. Scott Bakula starred as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who becomes stuck in the past, where he temporarily inhabits the bodies of other people. Over the course of the series, he must alter history to make it back to the present.
9. Lost (2004-2010)
Most viewers agree that Lost eventually, err, lost the thread of what made it great at the start, but no one can deny its cultural influence during the early aughts when it aired. What began as a disaster drama following the survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island eventually sent those survivors hurtling through time on various poorly conceived hijinks and adventures. But fans remember the good times, not the bad, and the importance of Lost's legacy in pop culture and how we collectively watch TV can't be overstated.
10. The Flash (2014-present)
Part of the CW's slate of DC superhero shows, The Flash follows Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), a crime scene investigator who gains the power to move at supernatural speeds thanks to a botched science experiment. Part of that ability involves jiggling so fast that he moves through time. This always has dire consequences for Barry and his entourage, but he can't seem to stop himself from doing it anyway, and over the show's many seasons so far, time travel has become one of its main driving forces.
11. Legends of Tomorrow (2016-present)
Another of the CW's DC shows, Legends initially followed castaways from The Flash and Arrow, plus a cadre of new characters, on their adventures through time. It's unabashedly goofy, involving things like "Time Masters" and a "Thanagarian invasion," but that's partially what people love about it. The time travel ramped up in Season 3, when former Time Master Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) formed the Time Bureau to help the Legends fix the anachronisms their hijinks have created throughout history.
12. Dark (2017-present)
Dark is Netflix's first German language original, and if you can read--which, hopefully you can, if you're reading this right now--it's worth watching with subtitles on. The time travel thriller takes place in a fictional German town called Winden, where children are disappearing. We quickly learn that at least one of those children has been sent to the past, and things continue to get crazier from there. Dark is probably the most nail-biting drama on this list, and now's the perfect time to catch up, as Season 2 is expected out some time soon.
13. 11.22.63 (2016)
Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, the Hulu miniseries 11.22.63 starred James Franco as Jake Epping, a divorced English teacher who travels back in time to try and prevent the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But he can only go back to 1960, and over the three years before his mission culminates, he makes a pretty good life for himself, which throws a wrench in the plan. The miniseries spans eight episodes, so it's perfect for a time travel binge.
14. Steins;Gate (2011)
Steins;Gate is a time travel anime that follows self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe and his friends as they discover the ability to send text messages to the past. They use this newfound power exactly how you'd expect: to change the present by saving lives, uncovering conspiracies, and doing general temporal hijinks. If you're into anime and time travel, Steins;Gate is a must-see. Just don't ask us why there's a semicolon in the title.
By Michael Rougeau on Feb 14, 2019 03:07 am
It's a temporal week in entertainment.
Here at GameSpot, we love good sci-fi, especially of the time travel variety. That's what makes this week so exciting: Not only does Happy Death Day 2U, the sequel to the Groundhog Day-like slasher movie, hit theaters this Wednesday, February 13--Netflix's Umbrella Academy, about a quirky team of superheroes that includes a time traveling 15-year-old, releases on Friday, February 15. That's a lot of temporal displacement. Happy Death Day 2U and Umbrella Academy succeed on the backs of a long history of time travel fiction on the big and small screens. To celebrate, we're going to look back at both--click here for the best time travel shows, and read on for the greatest time travel movies of all, uh, time. Note: These are presented in no particular order, because ranking them would just take too much time. ;)
1. Happy Death Day (2017)
Groundhog Day has had surprisingly few imitators in the grand scheme of things, possibly because it's not an easy thing to pull off. Happy Death Day is probably the most successful one, at least on an artistic level. The movie marries the core concept with a slasher flick, waking protagonist Tree (the fantastic Jessica Rothe) up over and over on the same morning in a stranger's dorm room bed, and tasking her with solving her own murder as it plays out again and again that night. The sequel--out today, February 13--reveals exactly how and why this occurs, but even taken simply on its own, Happy Death Day is a fun ride.
2. Timecrimes (2007)
Timecrimes--or, in its original Spanish, Los CronocrÃmenes--is one of those movies that just perfectly captures the complexities of practical time travel in seemingly effortless fashion. Director Nacho Vigalondo creates a believable time loop in which one man unknowingly plays the roles of victim, aggressor, orchestrator, and pawn. The timeline keeps folding back on itself, but it's never hard to follow thanks to the movie's clever directing and clear vision.
3. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, and Mark Duplass star in this unique time travel movie in which very little time travel actually takes place. Instead, Safety Not Guaranteed is a quirky comedy about a man who believes he's invented a time machine and seeks a partner to test it out with him. Sure, it involves training montages and a healthy dose of cute romance, but Safety Not Guaranteed has a darker edge too, and the writing is utterly convincing.
4. Terminator 2 (1991)
You could argue that the original Terminator didn't need a sequel. It was a tight, self-contained action movie. But if it had remained as only that, we never would have gotten the masterpiece of action cinema that is Terminator 2, including arguably Arnold Schwarzenegger's best ever performance as a time-traveling murder-bot with a heart of gold. Everything about this movie holds up today, so give it a watch if you haven't lately. Then, read more about one of the movie's most iconic scenes.
5. Groundhog Day (1993)
You can't blame early critics for not immediately recognizing Groundhog Day's total genius. After all, as Robert Ebert famously put it in his revisiting of the movie in 2005, "it unfolds so inevitably, is so entertaining, so apparently effortless, that you have to stand back and slap yourself before you see how good it really is." Bill Murray's Phil Connors relives the same day countless times--maybe hundreds, maybe thousands--until he learns to be less of a dick, and also to flawlessly play invigorating jazz piano. It's a perfect movie.
6. Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future has proven so influential that it's still one of the most-referenced movies today, more than 30 years after its original release. So much about this movie and its sequels, from the Delorean time machine to the totally radical hoverboards in number 2, has become part of pop culture legend. Even with that scene where Marty makes out with his mom, Back to the Future is an undeniable classic.
7. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
There are plenty of serious, scientific-ish time travel movies. And then there's Hot Tub Time Machine, in which John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke accidentally travel back to the 1980s after an accident involving a hot tub and an illegal Russian energy drink known as Chernobly. Masterpiece cinema Hot Tub Time Machine is not, but it's definitely a fun romp that captures the lighter side of the genre.
8. Looper (2012)
Before he was either ruining or saving (depending who you ask) Star Wars with the divisive Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson crafted an extremely neat little time travel action movie called Looper. In the near future, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a time traveling hitman who comes into contact with Bruce Willis, who's supposed to be an older, more grizzled version of himself. Even though the two don't really look alike, the whole thing works really well, especially with its exceptionally satisfying conclusion.
9. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
One of the classics of time travel comedy, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure saw Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (an extremely young-seeming Keanu Reeves) cavorting through time in search of historical figures to help them with a school project. This wonderfully dumb concept gave rise to hijinks, comedy, and a cultural influence still felt today.
10. Primer (2004)
Primer is a love it or hate it kind of movie. Fans adore everything about it, from the dense writing and absurdly over-complicated timelines, to the understated, homespun performances of Shane Carruth and David Sullivan as two mediocre scientists who accidentally invent time travel in their garage and let it twist them into ruining their lives. It all came from the mind of Carruth, who wrote, produced, directed, edited, and scored the movie, in addition to starring in it--all on a shockingly low budget of only $7,000. But love it or hate it, Primer is a must-see for sci-fi fans (and a must-see-multiple-times if you hope to actually understand what's going on).
11. Donnie Darko (2001)
Another love it or hate it indie movie, Donnie Darko bombed at the box office but has achieved cult status since its 2001 release. It follows a young Jake Gyllenhaal in what might have been a typical coming-of-age high school dark comedy, were it not for the ethereal murder bunny Frank, the falling jet engine from nowhere, and the time vortex that appears above Donnie's house. Donnie Darko is depressing and charming in equal measure, so if that's your kind of thing, have at it.
12. Time Bandits (1981)
Monty Python's Terry Gilliam directed, produced, and co-wrote (with fellow Python Michael Palin) this zany kid's movie about an 11-year-old named Kevin who goes on adventures through time with a gang of thieving dwarves. It's definitely on the sillier side, but with Gilliam at the helm and a cast that included Palin, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, and many more talents of the time, Time Bandits is a guaranteed classic.
13. 12 Monkeys (1995)
Not to be confused with the Syfy show of the same name--which is pretty good in its own right--12 Monkeys is yet another Terry Gilliam classic on this list. This one stars Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis in a thriller that spans 1996 and 2035 and involves a viral outbreak that kills 99% of all humanity. Like any good thriller, it's packed with action, plots, and twists galore.
14. Army of Darkness (1992)
The adventures of Bruce Campbell's bullish antihero Ash Williams, who for decades has battled demons and the undead throughout the Evil Dead series, have probably gone on way longer than anyone could have predicted based only on the 1981 original. Army of Darkness sent Ash back in time to the middle ages, where he--surprise!--once again battles evil. With the series' distinct comedy ratcheted up higher than ever, Army of Darkness is no cinematic masterpiece, but it's earned a cult following for a reason.
15. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow has the odd distinction of having been renamed as "Live. Die. Repeat" on its home release, which is a weird move if you want people who saw your movie to actually go out and buy it. But that's really just a footnote, since--whatever you call it--this movie is maybe the most solid, slick time travel action movie of all time. It has elements of Groundhog Day as Tom Cruise's Major William Cage relives the same day over and over while training to fight an invading alien race. It manages to be a solid popcorn flick and a competent time travel tale all at once, with possibly the most raw box office appeal of anything on this list.
16. The Endless (2017)
The Endless is yet another indie time travel movie, this one again concerning time loops a la Groundhog Day. The duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead produced, directed, edited, and starred in the movie, while Benson wrote it and Moorhead helmed the cinematography. They play brothers who return to a cult after years away, discovering phenomena they can't explain. It exists in a shared universe with their previous film, 2012's resolution, marking Benson and Moorhead as a team to watch.
17. Your Name (2016)
This anime film concerns a city boy, Taki Tachibana, and a countryside girl, Mitsuha Miyamizu, both high school students, who find themselves inexplicably switching bodies and possibly falling in love in the process. It's rightfully been described as part part body swap and part time travel--with other sci-fi genres thrown in at various points--although it's not until the climax that all the pieces really come together. Nevertheless, Your Name is an emotional and original journey that everyone should see.
18. Midnight in Paris
Midnight in Paris is by no means a typical time travel movie. As successful screenwriter (but struggling novelist) Gil Pender, Owen Wilson travels back in time every night to 1920s Paris, a period of cultural and creative renaissance. Pender gets cozy with historical figures like Cole Porter, William Faulkner, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso, and more, while coming to terms with his own nostalgic delusions and the realities of his failing relationship. It's a charming, beautiful film that will make you want to read classic 20th century literature while sipping espresso at a cafe in Paris, which is not a terrible goal to have.
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Although it's not revealed until the movie's climax, time travel is essential to the third Harry Potter book adaptation, which also happens to be (arguably) the best of the films. This is where the series started to take on its own identity separate from the page, thanks largely to director Alfonso Cuarón's stylistic vision. And Hermione's use of time travel as a study aid is one of the most creative twists ever seen in the genre.
20. Project Almanac (2015)
The "found footage" thing has surely been done to death, but Project Almanac is one of the better examples. Told through the lenses of a bunch of teenagers' phones, Almanac follows high school senior David Raskin (Jonny Weston) as he and his friends build a time machine based on plans left behind by his deceased father. Predictably, they use the time machine just like real teenagers would--irresponsibly and with dire consequences, most notably to attend Lollapalooza in the timespan of a bathroom break during class.
21. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Days of Future Past is somewhat messy, but that's bound to happen when you mash up the separate casts of two disparate incarnations of the same franchise, with time travel serving mostly as a hacked together excuse to have Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and more all in one over the top X-Men movie together. Honestly, I'm not complaining.
22. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Trek IV has one of the weirdest plots of any movie on this list: Kirk and Spock must travel to the past and bring now-extinct humpback whales back to the future with them, so the whales can somehow communicate with an alien probe and prevent it from destroying Earth. Honestly, if you haven't seen it, that synopsis just won't make a lot of sense--but that's Star Trek for you.
23. Predestination (2014)
On first glance, Predestination seems to be a cookie-cutter time travel action movie in which temporal Agent John Doe (Ethan Hawke) embarks on a mission to prevent a bomb from killing thousands. But it's smarter than it sounds, and benefits from an excellent performance by Australian actress Sarah Snook.
24. Frequency (2000)
Frequency goes in depth on something all serious time travel movies have to address: the ripples that small changes in the past can cause in the present and future. John (Jim Caviezel) inexplicably reconnects with his decades-dead father through a mysterious ham radio, warning him of his impending death and thus changing the past--which, understandably, has consequences. It's a solid sci-fi movie that doesn't get the love it deserves today.
By Phil Hornshaw on Feb 14, 2019 01:49 am
Apex Legends is probably the most accessible battle royale game out now, thanks to a fairly in-depth tutorial and a bunch of quality-of-life improvements to the formula. There's still a lot the game doesn't tell you--something we've run down in a guide before. And then there are the questions that arise from the combinations of weapons and abilities in the game, which lead to all sorts of speculation. As we continue to dig into Apex Legends, we've been testing some of these questions of logic at the ends of what's possible in the game. Wondering just how much you can send through a Wraith portal? We know the answer. Can't seem to tell if your grenades are damaging your teammates in the heat of battle? We tested it. Unsure if you should drop those Caustic gas traps for fear of killing your squad? We found out exactly how dangerous that can be. Here are all the questions we've managed to test in Apex Legends so far, along with their answers--which should help you make better tactical decisions and become a better player. Feel free to drop your own pressing Apex Legends questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer them.
Is There Friendly Fire?
In a squad-based game, things can get frantic, and you'll often be trying to help out a teammate as they're engaging in a pitched, close-range battle with an enemy. This can result in you spraying ammo all over the place, sometimes hitting the opponent, sometimes hitting your pal. So should you worry about where you put your shots? Does Apex Legends include friendly fire? The answer is: no. There's no friendly fire in Apex Legends--you can't accidentally kill your teammates while trying to save them. However, teammates do block your shots if you fire at them, so while you don't have to be worried you could kill your friends, you absolutely do want to think about your positioning and be careful about when and where you fire your gun. Dumping ammo into a friendly is like shooting at a wall, wasting both time and ammo when you can afford to spare neither.
Do Your Grenades Damage Teammates?
Chucking a bunch of grenades into a battle scenario seems like a good idea at the time, until you start to consider that you might be catching teammates as collateral damage. After all, grenades can have intended and unintended side effects--like blowing doors open and stunning the people on the other side. So do you need to worry about grenades doing friendly fire damage or affecting teammates? The answer is: no. Grenades don't damage teammates. You can whip frags, arc stars, and incendiary grenades to your heart's content without worrying about accidentally downing your teammates. Blowing yourself up, though? That's another story. Grenades you throw will damage you if you're too close to the blast radius, so you'll still want to be careful where you put them.
Can Falling Hurt You?
Apex Legends is a pretty vertical game, encouraging players to climb up buildings, use ziplines to reach high places, and drop onto flying supply ships. But sometimes getting up high makes getting back down a little scary. So can taking a fall damage you in Apex Legends? The answer is: nope. There's no fall damage, which means you can leap off tall structures as much as you want in Apex Legends with no worries. You will be slightly stunned from a long fall, which means you'll be vulnerable for a moment before you can move or fire your weapons, but that's the worst of it. It's worth noting that falling can kill you if you step off the edge of the map in certain places. Regions like Swamp and Airbase have gaps and long falls that will send you out of the play area, which is an instant death. The good news is your stuff will be located back up in the playable area, so your teammates can reach it and retrieve your banner--and usually you can get back and reclaim your own stuff. Take it easy on edges and bridges in those areas, though, or you risk knocking yourself right out of a match.
Can Supply Drops Hurt You?
Playing as Lifeline gets you lots of opportunities to use her ultimate ability, which calls down an orbital supply drop with some handy items like health packs, shields, and scopes. When you call a supply drop, however, you have to designate its landing spot, which marks that location for you and your teammates. But stand in the marked location before the drop lands, and you'll see a big red exclamation point on your screen, suggesting that you should vacate that spot before the drop arrives. So can a supply drop actually do you harm? The answer is: no--at least, not your own supply drops. If you or a teammate calls in a drop and you stand in its landing position, you'll eventually just get gently pushed out of that location when the drop arrives with no harm done. However, supply drops can be deadly to other teams, as demonstrated by this video from Redditor barmaLe0. It shows an opponent getting killed by a Lifeline drop in the middle of a fight. So enemy supply drops can hurt you--and that leads us to believe that random supply drops occurring in the world can probably hurt you, too. But we've yet to test that theory.
Do Energy Weapons Suffer From Bullet Drop?
Over long distances, bullets are affected by gravity. That's true in Apex Legends, too, and is especially important to note when using a sniper rifle. Fire a Longbow DRM at a long distance and you'll even see the arc as the tracer round starts to fall. Sniper scopes include rangefinders and reticles to help you deal with bullet drop--we detailed how all that works in our list of things Apex Legends doesn't tell you. So we know bullets are affected by physics, but what about Apex Legends' energy weapons? The answer is: nope, no bullet drop for guns that shoot energy. That's sort of obvious-sounding, but we checked it anyway. While guns that shoot physical rounds, like the Kraber and the Longbow, will see bullets drop and therefore travel on a curved trajectory over distances of more than about 150 meters, energy travels in a straight line with no regard to physics. It means your Triple Take is likely to be more accurate than your Longbow at extreme distances, although the trade-off is in damage dealt and the Triple Take's three-shot spread, which grows wider the further it travels. Either way, you don't have to raise your aim with energy guns to make those headshots, so keep that in mind when lining up long-distance kills.
Do Different Melee Attacks Do Different Amounts of Damage?
Anybody who's pulled an early hot drop in Apex Legends has gotten familiar with the melee button, as many early fights turn into frantic slap-fests while everyone panics in an attempt to find an actual gun. You may also have noticed in your flailing that there are three different melee attacks you can do. If you're standing on the ground, you'll throw a punch; jump into the air and you'll do a flying kick; and run and slide, and you'll pull a Ryu-style dragon punch. So are any of these attacks better than the others and more likely to take down opponents? The answer is: no. All the melee attacks in Apex Legends are equal to one another, dealing 30 damage per strike. That's pretty high--almost as much as a Longbow headshot--but obviously very hard to land since you need to be at arm's length to an opponent. Jumping and sliding to do different moves can be great for keeping you from getting killed in an emergency, but you don't want to do only one kind of attack for more damage. All melees hurt the same amount, so mix up your attacks and your tactics and maybe you'll survive your slapfight.
Can You Shoot Through Lifeline's Revive Shield?
One of the handiest things about having Lifeline as a medic is that she gets her own cover when she needs to revive someone. Start a revive as Lifeline and you'll activate a shield in front of you that covers about a quarter of the 360-degree space around you. That's enough to help you get someone off the ground and back into the fight, hopefully. The question is, how does that shield work--more specifically, can a teammate standing behind Lifeline's shield shoot through it to hit enemies, while avoiding incoming damage? The answer is: no. Lifeline's shield blocks fire in both directions, which includes friendly fire, so you can't use her reviving a teammate as cover to get some shots off while invulnerable.
Can Caustic's Gas Damage Teammates?
Caustic's toxic gas can change the entire dynamic of a fight. Dropping gas traps or throwing gas grenades with his ultimate creates deadly clouds that choke and blind enemies, while also slowing them down. Caustic is unaffected by his own gas, but is the same true for his teammates? The answer is: kind of. Caustic's gas will kill enemies but not teammates--that's the good news. The bad news is that the gas can still greatly obscure teammates' vision, making it tough to fight through it. Obviously the effect is much worse for enemies, but for teammates Caustic's gas is a lot like Bangalore's smoke grenades, creating a thick haze that can hide enemies or make it tough to navigate. On the plus side, enemies afflicted by the gas get highlighted in green for both Caustic and his allies. That only goes for gas dropped by your team's Caustic, but it can still help when identifying opponents' locations.
Can You Crawl Through Wraith's Portals?
Wraith's ultimate of dropping portals can be extremely useful if used correctly. You can drop portals to help you get around enemies or to escape bad situations, or even to trick enemies into coming at you one at a time through your own spectral conduit. But just what are the limits of Wraith's spooky passageways? If you're downed on the battlefield, can you still use a portal? The answer is: yes. In fact, this is one of the best utilities of a Wraith portal--using them to get out of trouble. If you're downed in a fight, you can crawl through a portal to escape the battle and get out of danger, at least temporarily, and that can be handy in getting you into a position where a teammate can resurrect you. Just note that enemies can also use your portals, so just because you escaped through one doesn't mean you can't be tracked.
Can You Shoot Into One Portal And Out The Other?
So what exactly are the limitations of the portals? Can they transport objects, like grenades or bullets? Can you use them to get fire on an enemy you otherwise couldn't it? The answer is: nope. Portals will take humans only. Shooting at a portal will not send the bullets out the second portal--those bullets will just continue forward as if there was no portal there at all. The same is true of grenades: Throwing a grenade at a portal will just find it exploding on the ground beside it. Portals are not solid, so they don't block objects passing through them, but they also don't transport them from one portal to the other.
Can You Send Mirage's Decoys Through Portals?
Using character abilities in tandem is with your squadmates is what makes Apex Legends' approach to battle royale refreshing in the first place. Since you can send people through Wraith's portals, the inevitable next question after bullets and grenades is whether Mirage's holographic decoys will travel through. The answer is: no, unfortunately. Though they look like people, decoys act just like bullets and grenades in this respect, moving straight through the portal as if it wasn't there and continuing on in a straight line. No sending fake people through portals to cause disarray and panic among your enemies.
Can You Damage Teammates With Airstrikes?
Two of the most offensively useful ultimate abilities in the game are Bangalore's artillery strike and Gibraltar's mortar strike. Both can do serious damage to enemies and sometimes turn the tide of a battle by providing covering fire when you're in the thick of things. At the same time, there's always the concern about catching teammates in the crossfire. So do you need to worry about killing your teammates with airstrikes? The answer is: no, although that's not the whole story. When it comes to Gibraltar, you can airstrike while friendlies are fighting with no worries--like grenades, the strikes won't hurt your squad but they will hurt you, so be sure to stay out of the area that's being bombarded or use Gibraltar's shield for cover. As for Bangalore, her artillery strike is less about damage and more about stunning enemies for easy cleanup. The stuns can affect teammates the same way Caustic's gas or Bangalore's smoke grenades can, even if the ultimate won't actually damage your squad (and of course, your own airstrikes can hurt you). So Bangalore's ultimate is best used on an enemy position when you're attacking, rather than in the middle of a fight you're already waging. We're testing more Apex Legends questions all the time and we'll continually update this list as we discover more intricate details of the game. Meantime, if there's anything you want to know about Apex Legends, let us know in the comments and we'll do our best to send our squad out to find answers.
By Meg Downey on Feb 14, 2019 01:26 am
Somewhere between punching bad guys and saving the universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe actually found the time to be pretty heartwarming, if in slightly unconventional ways. The movies themselves might not be focused on the romantic goings on of their main characters, but they do include their fair share of super sweet moments. From playful will-they-won't-they couples to soul crushing missed connections, the last 10 years have been pretty good for superheroic love lives. And, of course, since it's Valentine's Day, it's only appropriate that we go through and rank those love lives for our own personal amusement, right? Look, we have to pass the time until Captain Marvel and Endgame somehow. We can't all get lost in crazy theory rabbit holes to distract ourselves. So, with that in mind, we've collected up 15 of the MCU's sweetest (or sometimes saddest) romantic moments for you to help celebrate the holiday.
16. Jane And Thor's Mutual Breakup
Thor and Jane had a pretty good run, all things considered, with two-and-a-quarter movies focusing on their budding relationship amongst the chaos of Asgard's constant drama. But like all pretty good things, it had to come to an end at some point. It may not be the most traditionally romantic moment of the bunch, but Thor offhandedly mentioning he and Jane broke up--you know, as a mutual thing--in Thor: Ragnarok was actually pretty perfect, and perfectly goofy for the God of Thunder's new, space-based adventuring.
15. Clint's Secret Family
Of all the surprises Age of Ultron had in store for our heroes--Vision's debut, James Spader basically reprising his role as Robert California on The Office to voice Ultron, Pietro's untimely death--perhaps the most shocking (and shockingly sweet) was the left field introduction of Clint Barton's secret farm and family. It was a reveal that absolutely no one saw coming, but fans readily welcomed, especially since it provided some much-needed depth to Hawkeye's vaguely defined history. They may have only really been featured once and since only come up in off-handed conversation, but you have to admit there's a certain romance to an Avenger working so hard to maintain a normal life on the side. That's a tightrope walk that, so far, only Clint's been able to successfully pull off and for that, we've got to give him credit.
14. Valkyrie's Tragic War Story
OK, so Thor: Ragnarok may not be the most traditionally romantic entry into the MCU's pantheon, but that didn't stop it from having one of the most visually stunning one-off moments in the franchise. Brace yourselves, because we're going to subtext city for this one. When Valkyrie is reliving her horrifying ordeal against Hela and remembers watching her sister-in-arms, a fellow Valkyrie, falling in spectacularly lit slow motion, it was hard not to feel it land right on the heartstrings. It might take a little viewer extrapolation to read proper romance into the two Valkyries' relationship, but luckily we're pretty experienced in picking those things out, even when they're blink-and-you-miss-it. We may have not learned much about the other Valkyrie from the flashback, but we really didn't need to--the art of that shot spoke volumes.
13. Natasha and Clint's Mysterious Past
So it may not have panned out in the way anyone expected, but those first few introductory moments between Black Widow and Hawkeye in The Avengers were story beats that launched a major fan-favorite ship. Their shadowy history as SHIELD operatives and spies gave us just enough to set our minds racing--and just enough to fall a little bit in love with the idea of a torrid, ill-fated romance blossoming (and inevitably crumbling) between the two of them.
12. Rocket and Groot's Bromance
The brotherly love between a cybernetically modified raccoon-like creature and a giant sentient tree should never be overlooked. Rocket and Groot are arguably the MCU's most perfect bromance, spotlighting everything from hilarious back-and-forth bickering to moments of real, genuine tenderness. If you didn't choke up at the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, there's probably something wrong with you.
11. Vision and Wanda's Scotland Vacation
What's more endearing that the love between a super advanced infinity stone-powered robot and a magically endowed ex-science experiment? Not much, if you live in the MCU. Vision and Wanda's flirtation through Age of Ultron and Civil War was pretty heartwarming, but their secret Scottish vacation (while they were living as fugitives, no less) was sweet in the best way--even if it did end in some pretty spectacular violence.
10. Scott and Hope's Chemistry
Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne may not have taken the most traditional path in their relationship--Scott attempting to rob Hope's dad was hardly a meet-cute--but they got there eventually. Ant-Man & The Wasp built the two heroes up as both individuals and team mates before finally paying off the simmering tension between them in spectacularly sweet fashion. Who doesn't love microscopic movie dates?
9. Tony and Bruce's Reunion Hug
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner first caught the attention of fans back in The Avengers when the affectionately named, fan favorite "science bros" 'ship was first launched--and its popularity has only grown from there. Of course, that is until Bruce unceremoniously fled the Earth after Age of Ultron--but hey, that's what wound up making their eventual reunion in Infinity War so satisfying. Not only did Tony's whole sarcastic act drop the second Bruce stepped out of Doctor Strange's portal, but the two got a nice, warm hug to punctuate the moment and melt our anxiety ridden hearts.
8. Star-Lord and Gamora's Final Moments
There's plenty of tragedy to be found in the MCU--it's kind of part and parcel with the whole superhero thing, really--but no one pulls it off with the style and flair (and heartbreak) of Star-Lord and Gamora in Infinity War. After two movies of playfully contentious will-they-won't-they, we finally got a beautiful, achingly sincere "I love you," right as Peter was forcing himself to pull the trigger on the blaster he had aimed at Gamora's heart. Of course, things didn't quite go down the way any of them had planned, thanks to Thanos and the Reality Stone, but the impact of the moment still holds up.
7. Thor and Loki's Sacrifices
Thor and Loki put the "bro" in bromance--even if they are technically only adopted siblings. The Thor trilogy gave us plenty of hilarious bonding moments between the two Asgardians, even if they did usually end in Loki ultimately stabbing Thor in the back, but by the final moments of Ragnarok, it seemed the bad blood between them had been (delightfully) washed away. Unfortunately, this meant that the opening moments of Infinity War, where Thor and Loki both faced each other prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice--a gambit that would wind up costing Loki his life--all the more beautiful. Brotherly love has never been so tear-jerking.
6. Hank and Jan's Happy Ending
Hank Pym may not be the nicest guy in the world--in fact, he's actually pretty infamous for being a massive jerk--but he can have his softer moments as well. The finale of Ant-Man & The Wasp featured Hank reuniting with his long lost wife, Jan Van Dyne, after she'd been stuck in the quantum realm for decades, and it was heartwarmingly sweet. A perfect happy ending to a not so perfect life story.
5. Peter and MJ's High School Awkwardness
Spider-Man: Homecoming provided a welcome update to the Mary Jane and Peter Parker romance we all know by transforming MJ into a brand new character, named Michelle, to perfectly counterpoint a new take on Spider-Man. Peter and Michelle's goofy flirting and charming chemistry make them one of the sweetest blossoming relationships in the MCU--and arguably one of the slowest, considering they're not dating yet. But with Far From Home just around the corner, we'll hold out hope for the future.
4. Tony and Pepper's Proposal
If there was a romantic anchor for the MCU as a whole, it would have to be Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Not only were they there from the very beginning, dancing around one another, but they've managed to keep their dynamic interesting and engaging through upward of six individual films--a pretty big feat, all things considered. Of course, the moment that really capped it all off was the finale of Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Tony finally popped the question in lieu of announcing Spider-Man as a new Avenger. Not to mention their relationship portmanteau, Pepperony, is arguably the best thing to ever happen.
3. Steve and Peggy's Dance
Steve Rogers' life is basically defined by tragedy, and one of the biggest is his missed dance with Peggy Carter at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger. Still, sad as it may be, Steve and Peggy's ships-in-the-night romance is hard not to love and set the bar for the early MCU's love stories pretty high. Peggy may be deceased in the present day as of Civil War, but with the Infinity Stones in play, there's always a chance that the two of them might finally get that dance for real by the end of Endgame. If that's the case, best be prepared with plenty of tissues.
2. T'Challa and Nakia's Perfect Banter
King T'Challa may be Wakandan royalty and one of the most graceful superheroes around, but he still makes a fool of himself every now and again--usually when Nakia is involved. She and the king's playful, dynamic relationship throughout Black Panther was pitch perfect, from the jokes at T'Challa's expense to the almost-proposal at the end of the movie. Will Nakia ever settle down and take on the mantle of queen? She definitely doesn't need to, but we'd sure be happy if she did.
1. Steve and Bucky's Entire Lives
Look, you can only talk about romance in the MCU for so long before you inevitably get to the revolutionary love story that was Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes may have been "best friends since childhood," but their bond obviously runs much, much deeper--deep enough to break through seventy-some-odd years of brutal Nazi brainwashing. Steve's existence in the MCU is almost entirely structured around loss--the loss of Peggy, the loss of his life in the 1940s, the eventual loss of his shield--but his story with Bucky is all about recovery. The two of them just keep on finding one another, despite it all, and if that's not some heart-shatteringly romantic stuff right there, we don't know what is. After all, they're with each other till the end of the line, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
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