Classic rock songs are good for more than just blasting through the radio or sitting in the background of a road trip. Music has always had a way of bringing stories to life, and that’s especially true for fantasy books. These novels are packed with richly built worlds, unforgettable characters, and larger-than-life adventures, and the right song can capture that feeling in a way words alone sometimes can’t.

A great classic rock track can match a character’s struggles, set the mood of an entire world, or even make you feel like you’ve stepped right into the story. From epic quests and doomed heroes to dark worlds and characters fighting against impossible odds, here are 10 classic rock songs that are perfect soundtracks for these fantasy books.

10

“Stairway to Heaven” (1971)

For ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings follows Frodo Baggins, who discovers that the ring he inherited is the source of Sauron’s power. He must leave the Shire and travel across Middle-earth to destroy it before Sauron can reclaim it. Along the way, Frodo faces dangerous enemies, the Ring’s corrupting influence, and a growing war that threatens the fate of Middle-earth.

“Stairway to Heaven” challenges the idea that “all that glitters is gold,” which fits Tolkien’s story well. The One Ring promises power, but its real danger lies in the desire to possess it. Both the song and the novel explore the temptation of chasing something that seems to offer transcendence or greatness, only to discover that it can lead somewhere destructive.

9

“War Pigs” (1970)

For ‘The Blade Itself’ by Joe Abercrombie

The Blade Itself follows Logen Ninefingers, a feared Northman fleeing his violent past; Jezal dan Luthar, a vain officer preparing for a fencing contest; and Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled torturer investigating treason within the Union. Their lives collide when the mysterious Bayaz draws them into a dangerous expedition, just as war threatens the North and the Union’s enemies close in.

“War Pigs” and The Blade Itself both reject the idea that war is noble or heroic. The song condemns powerful figures who send others to fight while treating human lives as disposable pieces. The Blade Itself takes a similarly cynical view, showing how soldiers and civilians suffer because of those seeking power, territory, and influence. In both, ordinary people are essentially treated like pawns in a much larger game.

8

“Riders on the Storm” (1971)

For ‘The Way of Kings’ by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings shows no mercy to anybody. After being betrayed by Lord Amaram, Kaladin is stripped of his freedom and sent to the deadly bridge crews on the Shattered Plains. Forced to carry massive bridges under enemy fire, he watches fellow bridgemen die as expendable bait. With the help of a mysterious spren named Syl, Kaladin slowly rediscovers his purpose to protect others.

There’s no better song to describe Roshar’s Highstorms than “Riders on the Storm.” Beyond the obvious connection, both evoke the feeling of trying to survive while surrounded by forces far beyond your control. The storm becomes a metaphor for Kaladin’s entire life, as he is constantly pushed into situations that threaten to overwhelm him. The song’s moody atmosphere also fits the harshness of the Shattered Plains, where survival often means enduring whatever comes next rather than trying to control it.

7

“White Room” (1968)

For ‘The Dark Tower’ by Stephen King

Often described as Stephen King’s answer to The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Tower follows gunslinger Roland Deschain across the strange, magical world of Mid-World as he searches for the mysterious Dark Tower, a structure said to hold the multiverse together. Spanning eight novels, this fantasy-horror-sci-fi-Western behemoth connects King’s wider universe through works like Salem’s Lot and It.

“White Room” fits The Dark Tower through its imagery of chasing something that may never truly be reached, much like Roland’s endless journey through Mid-World. Both capture the feeling of being stuck between places and never fully belonging to any of them. No matter how close he gets to the Tower, his journey always comes with another sacrifice, deeply isolating like being in the “white room.”

6

“House of the Rising Sun” (1964)

For ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora follows Locke Lamora and the Gentleman Bastards, who secretly con Camorr’s nobles while pretending to be petty thieves. Their latest scheme targets Don Lorenzo Salvara, but a mysterious criminal called the Gray King threatens the city’s underworld. After Locke’s gang is attacked, he must uncover the Gray King’s plans, avenge his friends, and stop Camorr from falling into chaos.

“House of the Rising Sun” is about the consequences of caving in to our vices, and The Lies of Locke Lamora explores a similar idea through a life of crime that eventually comes with a price. Locke and his friends may steal from wealthy nobles, but the story never romanticizes their lives as criminals. When their schemes go wrong, they are the ones who have to face the bloodshed they’ve caused.

5

“Dream On” (1973)

For ‘The Neverending Story’ by Michael Ende

The Neverending Story follows Bastian, a grieving boy who steals a mysterious book and discovers that Fantastica is being consumed by the Nothing. While Atreyu searches for a way to save the Childlike Empress, Bastian learns that he must give her a new name. Once transported into Fantastica, he uses the Auryn to reshape the realm, but each wish comes at the cost of a memory.

“Dream On” and The Neverending Story both explore how our dreams change as we grow older. Bastian initially uses fantasy to escape his insecurities, but Fantastica eventually forces him to confront them. The song’s repeated command to “dream on” reflects what Bastian learns: growing up doesn’t mean abandoning your imagination. Instead, it means learning how to carry those dreams into the real world without losing yourself in them.

4

“Bad Moon Rising” (1969)

For ‘A Game of Thrones’ by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones follows the powerful Stark and Lannister families as political tensions threaten to tear Westeros apart. Ned Stark gets caught in the dangerous politics of King’s Landing, Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch beyond the Wall, and the exiled Targaryens plot to reclaim their throne. Meanwhile, something ancient is stirring in the far north.

“Bad Moon Rising” is a fitting soundtrack for Westeros because its famous warning, “I see the bad moon a-risin’,” captures the sense that disaster is coming. The song’s references to earthquakes, lightning, and hurricanes mirror the chaos spreading across the Seven Kingdoms. With the great houses inching toward war, one wrong decision could have deadly consequences.

3

“Paint It, Black” (1966)

For ‘The Black Company’ by Glen Cook

The Black Company follows a mercenary band caught between an ancient evil and a growing rebellion. After centuries of imprisonment, the powerful Lady escapes, revives her magical servants, the Taken, and begins rebuilding her empire. As the Circle of Eighteen rises against her, the mercenaries are drawn into a conflict where even the most powerful sorcerers cannot be trusted.

Both “Paint It, Black” and The Black Company share an obsession with what prolonged exposure to death does to people. The song’s emphasis on the color “black” reflects a world so consumed by violence that darkness becomes impossible to separate from everyday life. From its grim atmosphere to its morally ambiguous characters, the two works present a world where brutality is the cost of survival.

2

“Running Up That Hill” (1985)

For ‘The Fifth Season’ by N.K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season follows three women whose lives reveal the harsh realities of a world constantly threatened by earthquakes, climate disasters, and social collapse. All three can manipulate seismic energy, yet they are feared, controlled, and marginalized by society because of their abilities. As a catastrophic Fifth Season begins, their interconnected journeys show how difficult it is to survive in a world shaped by prejudice.

“Running Up That Hill” captures the desire to escape suffering by trading places with someone else. Despite possessing extraordinary powers, the three women have little control over their own lives or futures. Like the song’s desperate attempt to overcome suffering, their journeys become a struggle to climb the hills of a rigid social hierarchy, fighting not for power, but simply for survival.

1

“Hotel California” (1977)

For ‘The Kingkiller Chronicle’ by Patrick Rothfuss

The Kingkiller Chronicle follows Kvothe, a gifted musician and arcanist who recounts the extraordinary story of his life. Now living under an assumed name and secretly running a rural inn, Kvothe’s past has become the stuff of legend: he spent his childhood as a trouper, watched the Chandrian murder his family, and eventually became known as the Kingkiller.

“Hotel California” may be a song about American hedonism, but it also carries a sense of being trapped by and trying to escape our own vices. Kvothe embodies the lyrics, “We are all just prisoners here / Of our own device.” His tragedy is not simply the result of the terrible things that happen to him, but also of his own pride, which repeatedly pushes him toward choices he cannot escape.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has gone down in television history as the longest-running live-action sitcom to date, thanks to its devoted fan base and iconic characters. With the 18th season kicking into full swing and another season green-lit on FXX, this absurd comedy about five lovable jerks shows no signs of slowing down.

With the show spanning many seasons, several hilarious lines spoken by the five main characters have since become ingrained in pop culture and endlessly referenced and quoted by fans and others alike. Whether they’ve become memes or even running gags, these iconic lines have helped make It’s Always Sunny one of the best sitcoms of the 21st century.

25

“She’s dead! Take a good look ’cause she’s gone. Ain’t no one there. There’s no flesh and no bones. She’s dead, and she’s gone. Goodbye, mom.”

Charlie Kelly (Season 18, Episode 1)

Image via FXX

After Frank’s (Danny DeVito) bride-to-be, Sam (Carol Kane), dies unexpectedly moments before the wedding and before Frank’s greedy children, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson), can weasel their way into inheriting her large fortune, the two devise a plan by making Frank and the guests think she’s still alive by pulling her around on strings like a puppet while walking her down the aisle. But during the ceremony, Charlie (Charlie Day) misinterprets Dennis’ cue to start the music by singing a rather strange and sad memorial song he wrote for his late mother Bonnie (Lynne Marie Stewart), which only adds irony to this already unpleasant moment.

Always Sunny Season 18 started on a darkly hilarious high note. Charlie singing, “She’s dead! Take a good look ’cause she’s gone. Ain’t no one there. There’s no flesh and no bones. She’s dead, and she’s gone. Goodbye mom,” just emphasizes how dark and uncomfortably hilarious this whole situation is. This line also has a more meaningful message, as it’s the show’s writers’ way of showing one last tribute and farewell to long-time reappearing supporting actress Lynn Marie Stewart, who sadly passed away after filming the seventeenth season.

24

“The car is a finisher car. A transporter of Gods. The Golden God! I am untethered, and my rage knows no bounds!”

Dennis Reynolds (Season 10, Episode 6)

Image via FXX

Feeling the gang is holding him back after they’ve missed an important party boat, and after he moronically drives his Range Rover into a river to chase after it, Dennis leaves his friends and becomes a laid-back man, free of all of his anger. To do this, his first step was to sell his trashed car still stuck in the water. But, just when he thinks he’s found the perfect buyer, the man remarks that it would be a perfect starter car for his daughter. Enraged that his beloved vehicle is being referred to like this, Dennis flies off the rails into a weird shouting tirade about how the Range Rover transports a “Golden God” such as himself.

One of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s best running gags is having Dennis run off into one of his many intense rants describing how great he is. This speech in “The Gang Misses The Boat” is truly one of his most crowning rants, a hilariously bizarre and oddly epic speech that not only shows how creepy he is, but just how highly he thinks of himself.

23

“Rum Ham! Rum Ham! I’m sorry, Rum Ham, I’m sorry!”

Frank Reynolds (Season 7, Episode 2)

Image via FX

The gang takes some time off from doing their usual schemes by heading to the Jersey Shore to relax. But after floating on a dinghy for hours, gorging themselves on some delicious booze-soaked meat that the two call “Rum Ham,” Frank and Mac (Rob McElhenney) realize they’ve drifted off into the middle of the ocean. Worse, they lose poor Rum Ham after it has fallen off the boat. Frank can only cry and wail as his beloved meal floats off into the distance.

The great Danny DeVito’s commitment to every line delivery and the way he seemed genuinely distraught in this scene could have only made this classic season seven quote so iconic. “Rum Ham! Rum Ham! I’m sorry, Rum Ham, I’m sorry!” is an absolute gut buster from this 10/10 episode, managing to be endlessly quotable and never losing its effectiveness. It’s perhaps one of the most timeless lines from the show’s earlier seasons.

22

“You got to pay the troll toll if you want to get into that boy’s hole!”

Frank Reynolds (Season 4, Episode 13)

Image via FX

In another one of his desperate attempts to win over The Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), Charlie creates a strange, highly inappropriate stage play loosely based on his terrible upbringing called “The Nightman Cometh.” When the gang stars in the production, Frank becomes drawn to playing the “troll” character, who allows the Nightman, played by Mac, to get past him by paying a toll of gold to get to the young protagonist, played by Dennis, and enter his soul. But, as Charlie points out several times, it’s clear that Frank is singing “hole” and not “soul.”

Season 4’s “The Nightman Cometh” is widely considered one of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s crowning episodes, a nonstop laugh riot with endlessly catchy lines and hilarious, cringe-inducing moments. Frank’s “You got to pay the troll toll if you want to get into that boy’s hole!” song adds to the absurdity of this whole play. It’s weird, uncomfortable, and shows just how bizarre and dark Charlie’s play truly is. The line has become a favorite among It’s Always Sunny fans, especially since it’s said with so much passion and brilliance by Danny DeVito.

Dennis Reynolds (Season 7, Episode 13)

Image via FX

Dennis is on a warpath after being humiliated too many times at his high school reunion. As the rest of the gang confront him as he’s taking things out of the back of his car, he reveals a set of specific tools he intends to use against his enemies, including zip ties and duct tape. The others are obviously freaked out that he has all these strange items already, and he’s too angry to explain why he even has them there to begin with.

It’s no secret that Dennis Reynolds is the most unhinged member of the It’s Always Sunny gang, which makes him already having a set of kidnapping tools at his disposal in the back of his Range Rover not the least bit surprising. This line is so dark and creepy you can’t help but laugh at it. It’s also all made perfect by Glenn Howerton’s incredible acting talents and ability to crank his character’s craziness up to eleven with how he shouts.

20

“You don’t want to wash the bar with a water-based liquid.”

Charlie Kelly (Season 17, Episode 4)

Image via FX

As part of some bizarre new group activity, the gang buys several large jugs of water to blow into as instruments. The issue, though, that puzzles them is that the jugs are filled with water, and they don’t seem to know what to do with them. When one of the gang suggests they clean the bar with them, Charlie cluelessly states, “You don’t want to wash the bar with a water-based liquid.”

Always Sunny Season 17 proved to be one of the funniest seasons, largely thanks to episode 4, “Thought Leadership: A Corporate Conversation,” and this absolutely uproarious Charlie Kelly line. Charlie isn’t always shown to be the sharpest tool in the shed and doesn’t know most things, nor does the rest of the gang, for that matter, but his reaction here about water has to be one of the most foolish things he’s ever hilariously said. Now, it begs the question: if he doesn’t clean the bar with water, then what does he even use?

19

“I’m a Swedish plumber. I’m here to fix your pipes.”

Mac (Season 7, Episode 9)

Image via FX

In another one of their poorly thought-out plans, most of the gang get trapped in a wealthy family’s home with the residents still inside while attempting to steal a priceless vase. Being the only one left outside, Mac decides to come up with an Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-inspired plan by faking being a Swedish plumber to distract the family so that the others can make their escape.

Before acting out his plan, Mac tries to reassure his friends over the walkie-talkie that it will work and tests out his Swedish accent by stating, “I’m a Swedish plumber. I’m here to fix your pipes.” It’s hard to figure out what’s more hilarious about this line: the fact that Mac’s accent is so obviously fake, or that he’s genuinely proud of it. It’s one of Mac’s most shining moments, and it only gets more amusing every time it’s heard.

18

“I’m the Trash Man! I come out, I throw garbage all over the ring, and then I start eating garbage!”

Frank Reynolds (Season 5, Episode 7)

Image via FX

In their attempt to honor returning American soldiers, the gang decides to host a wrestling event while dressing up as characters to fight in the ring. Bringing his usual grossness to every scheme the gang comes up with, Frank announces to the others with his character, “The Trash Man,” and states, “I’m the Trash Man! I come out, I throw garbage all over the ring, and then I start eating garbage!”

The fact that Frank then commits his bit further by actually eating garbage right in front of the gang is the cherry on top of this classic Frank moment. What would this show be without the endlessly talented Danny DeVito and his wonderful ability to make this iconic quote so gut-busting?

17

“You light ONE b***h on fire and everybody freaks out.”

Dee Reynolds (Season 9, Episode 2)

Image via FX

In an attempt to show the rest of the gang that it’s so easy to buy assault rifles, Dennis and Dee head to a gun store to prove their point. However, they’re both quickly denied purchase after their criminal records and Dee’s history of being institutionalized after setting her college roommate on fire are brought up. In a fit of anger after having to explain her dark past, Dee hotly states, “You light ONE b***h on fire and everybody freaks out.”

It’s best not to get on Dee’s bad side, as this darkly hilarious quote often shows she’s not a woman to mess with most of the time. It’s Kaitlin Olson’s hilarious facial expressions and intense line delivery that make this one of the character’s most hilarious moments. It goes to show that Olson truly was one of the best additions to the cast this IASIP has ever had.

16

“You haven’t thought of the smell, you b***h!”

Dennis Reynolds (Season 10, Episode 3)

Image via FXX

While at a doctor’s office hoping to get stronger medication for their old high school friend, Psycho Pete (Dominic Burgess), Dee’s failure to act like a person with schizophrenia in front of the doctor for a prescription greatly infuriates her brother, Dennis, who utters a bizarre and unsettling threat about turning her into a skin suit luggage and adding her to his collection. As a noticeably terrified-looking Dee asks him if he really has a collection of skin, Dennis snaps with an even more unhinged response that he doesn’t because of how much it would smell and yells, “You haven’t thought of the smell, you b***h!”

Being one of the darkest comedic sitcoms in TV history, Dennis’s strange threat is certainly one of the main reasons why, and that’s what’s made this line such a standout. It perfectly shows Dennis’s dark side, as well as his complete lack of self-awareness, as he clearly has no idea how scary he’s coming across.

Out of the three major video game companies, each has its own defining franchises. Xbox has Halo, and PlayStation has God of War. Nintendo also has its key titles and franchises, but they are better at diversifying its portfolio, which results in countless essential franchises for every niche, from Pikmin to Mario Party. And with so many consoles, Nintendo’s catalog only gets more and more impressive.

Every Nintendo console has its must-play video games, but all of them collect into one giant pool of masterpieces, and we will select from those games to create a list of the ten most essential Nintendo video games that every fan must play. Based on aspects such as influence, originality, innovation, design, narrative, gameplay, visuals, how well it defines Nintendo, fan opinion, and critical acclaim, these are the ten biggest Nintendo staples. However, since most of Nintendo’s essential games are from the same few franchises, this list will also take variety into consideration.

‘Splatoon’ (2015)

Image via Nintendo

Nintendo has had many successful consoles, but the Wii U wasn’t one of them. However, it still featured a handful of great games, including the essential Splatoon. Players suit up with their best blasters and defend their turf to the best of their abilities, as they need to cover the most area with ink to win, but there is also a single-player mode where they need to rescue a stolen Great Zapfish.

The third game may be better, but Splatoon is the newest successful IP from Nintendo, so it is only right that the original earns the spot. Nintendo always tries to innovate and experiment in new genres, and this is their version of a shooter, and it was incredibly well received, not only being a fun and engaging game, but also turning into one of their most successful new franchises.

‘Super Metroid’ (1994)

Image via Nintendo

Even if some Nintendo franchises are niche, they are still essential in some way, including Metroid, which is home to some critically acclaimed masterpieces, such as Super Metroid. When Samus Aran lands on the isolated planet Zebes to retrieve a stolen Metroid larva, she must learn how to survive the harsh world and prepare for a battle against Ridley.

Super Metroid is the definitive metroidvania, arguably the best of the genre and easily the most polished. The tutorial is among the best in video game history, giving players the tools and info to enjoy the rest of this flawless experience. Super Metroid was the blueprint for the genre because of its remarkable level design and atmospheric storytelling that innovated metroidvanias forever.

‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ (2020)

Image via Nintendo

The beauty of Nintendo is that they have a game for every genre, whether that be open-world 3D adventures or life-simulators like Animal Crossing. After players move to a new town consisting of anthropomorphic characters, they take life at their own pace, from building a house and renovating it to fishing, catching bugs, and even paying off mortgages.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most popular and arguably the best of the franchise, arriving in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and becoming an outright phenomenon during lockdown. By reinventing the genre through the addition of a real-time clock, it encouraged consistent but brief play sessions. Animal Crossing is low-stakes, relaxing, and completely engaging, proving it is one of the best Nintendo games.

‘Super Mario Galaxy’ (2007)

Image via Nintendo

This list includes a variety of franchises, but as the figurehead of the company, Mario had to have multiple entries on this list, including Super Mario Galaxy. After Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, Mario sets off on a planet-hopping quest around the galaxy in order to find her. With the help of Rosalina, he can travel around the cosmos and rescue Peach before it is too late.

Honestly, any 3D Mario platformer is essential, but the best is arguably Super Mario Galaxy, which redefined the franchise with its spherical gravity gimmick that enhanced gameplay. It made every level more inventive, adding creative puzzles that resulted in a riveting platforming experience. It is a Game of the Year winner that has aged well, meaning fans can still enjoy it nearly 20 years later.

‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ (2017)

Image via Nintendo

Nintendo has many best-selling video games, and while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t there yet, it could be their biggest in a couple of years. Players select from some of their favorite Mario characters and embark on an expansive Grand Prix around famous Mario locations with antigravity, with only the best of the best coming away on top to win the big prize.

While this Switch game was a simple port from the Wii U, the added DLC and booster courses made it the definitive way to play. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe features the tightest racing in the franchise, and with a well-crafted kart system, intricately designed courses, and plenty of fun mini-games, it is the greatest Mario Kart game that is so polished and perfected it can only be essential for all fans.

‘Wii Sports’ (2006)

Image via Nintendo

This list just mentioned how Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could be their best-selling game ever, but for now, that honor still lies with Wii Sports. Bundled with the Wii console, gamers use the intuitive motion controls to play a selection of immersive sports, ranging from boxing to golf, bowling, tennis, and baseball.

It is only the best-selling Nintendo game because it was bundled with the Wii, but that doesn’t take away from its legacy, which cemented itself not just as a game, but as a cultural icon that brought friends and family together to make timeless memories. Wii Sports isn’t just essential; it is important to the landscape of the company and gaming in general because of its simple, yet addictive gameplay that anyone and everyone can play.

‘Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver’ (2009)

Image via The Pokémon Company

Pokémon is and isn’t a Nintendo franchise, but considering how all their games are exclusive to their consoles, it is eligible for this list. There are many essential Pokémon games, but this list opted for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. A remake of the classic Gold and Silver games, it has trainers journey around the Johto region to collect the eight Gym Badges, defeat the Elite Four, and conquer the Champion.

The best Pokémon video game is heavily debated, but HGSS is probably the most essential because not only does it feature the true classic vibe of the very first games that many grew up with, but it also has the perfected 2D formula that other fans grew up with. Almost everyone experienced the Johto region, and HGSS is the best way to play it, making it one of the best JRPG titles and the best game in a legendary franchise.

‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ (2018)

Image via Nintendo

Fighting games reach a certain demographic, but they don’t usually expand outside that since they are so similar; Nintendo fixed that with Super Smash Bros. They have plenty of incredible titles, like Melee, but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the go-to version. Gamers can pick through their favorite Nintendo characters and brawl in a chaotic side-scrolling fighting experience.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate brings every previous fighter, stage, and power-up, and puts them into one game alongside new additions for each. It is the definitive Super Smash Bros. game and nothing else comes close. Balancing through chaos is a genius design choice, and in terms of enjoyability and replayability, it is hard to beat this game, which is still one of the most played Nintendo games.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ (1998)

The Legend of Zelda franchise is one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, and while there are so many that deserve to be here, its best and most deserving is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. After the Gerudo King, Ganondorf, kidnaps Princess Zelda in order to have the Triforce for himself, Link must journey across the present and future in order to wake the Sages and defeat him.

Ocarina of Time is widely regarded as the greatest video game of all time, which obviously makes it an essential Nintendo video game. Besides influencing 3D adventure games with its design, layout, and mechanics such as ZR targeting, it is simply a well-made and fun game that is a rite of passage for every Nintendo fan to play. 1998 was a stacked year for video games, yet Ocarina of Time overshadows those classics.

‘Super Mario Bros.’ (1985)

Image via Nintendo

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This list is in no shortage of Mario games, but it obviously had to include the game that started everything: Super Mario Bros. Very similar to every Mario game, the titular plumber travels throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, jumping on Koopas and going to the wrong castle in order to find and rescue Princess Peach, who has been captured by the evil King Koopa, Bowser.

It may not be the best Nintendo video game, but that is only because the company has evolved, and so have their games. But that evolution wouldn’t be possible without the most important, influential, and essential video game, not just for Nintendo, but in history. Super Mario Bros is a classic known for saving the gaming industry and defining staple design techniques, showcasing why it is the most essential Nintendo masterpiece.

A good thriller has the power to keep you enthralled from the beginning to the end. Whether action-packed adrenaline rushes or masterful mysteries with sensational suspense, a thriller should elicit a satisfying reaction when the credits roll. Imagine a thriller film so good that it spawns not one but two follow-ups! A good thriller trilogy, whether unifying stories or united by themes, will keep you glued to your screen begging for one more.

We’re here to celebrate eight near-perfect thriller trilogies. From epic mysteries led by the world’s most beloved sleuth to the most iconic desert-set dystopian movies, these trilogies remain a major part of cinema history because they were so good, there was more in store. Now, these are the films that fall just shy of perfection. Whether it’s due to a single film that falls flat or lacks the legacy to boost them up a notch, these near-perfect film trilogies are most certainly worth a weekend watch.

8

The Apartment Trilogy

Image via Paramount Pictures

The reason Roman Polanski‘s unofficial trilogy falls into near-perfect status is due to the filmmaker’s legacy and that the bookend films are not nearly as extraordinary as the middle film. Which also just so happens to be one of the greatest psychological horror films of all time. Neverthless, Polanski’s Apartment Trilogy features three standalone psychological horror films thematically linked by their confined apartment settings. Together, they explore themes of isolation, paranoia, and the gradual loss of sanity. In the first film, Repulsion, Carol Ledoux (Catherine Deneuve), a withdrawn young woman, is left alone in her sister’s apartment. She spirals into deep depression, intense paranoia, and homicidal mania as she hallucinates unwanted sexual advances and violently attacks those who enter her space. The second and most well-known, Rosemary’s Baby, tells the story of Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), who moves into a historic New York apartment building with her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes). As she goes through a difficult pregnancy, she becomes increasingly isolated and paranoid, eventually suspecting that her eccentric neighbors and her husband belong to a sinister cult. Finally, The Tenant chronicles Trelkovsky (Polanski), a quiet man who moves into a Parisian apartment where the previous tenant committed suicide. He becomes consumed by the belief that his hostile neighbors are gaslighting him and plotting to force him to take on the dead tenant’s identity.

Polanski treats physical space as a living, hostile character that traps the protagonist’s mind. Through tight, indoor settings, these stories turn normal rooms into rooms of deep terror where a descent into madness occurs and where the blurred lines of reality are destined to torment its victim. The walls come to life as the rooms take shape, crack open, or close in to capture the mindset of its subject. The once safe spaces are also long gone, as outside forces or evil neighbors take control. The three films work masterfully together as paranoia is in full bloom. Each protagonist faces escalating pressure, gaslighting, or imagined threats from the outside creeping in. Domestic boundaries break down, leaving audiences to fear their own homes. Though the filmmaker’s legacy may be marred, there’s absolutely denying the sheer brilliance of his work. If you loved Rosemary’s Baby, the other two are must-watches at least once.

7

The Pusher Trilogy

Image via Magnolia Pictures

If the Pusher Trilogy may sound unfamiliar, that’s not necessarily a major shock to the system. They do fall into the underrated gem category of cinema. Brought to life by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, the trilogy explores the violent criminal underworld of Copenhagen through gritty realism. Each film follows a different subject as they deal with debt, stress, and total ruin over the course of a few highly intense days. In Pusher, Frank (Kim Bodnia), a mid-level dealer, has his life fall apart after a botched heroin deal leaves him owning a massive debt to a ruthless Serbian gang leader named Milo (Zlatko Burić). Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands centers on Frank’s ex-con friend Tony (Mads Mikkelsen) as he attempts to earn the respect of his criminal father and rebuild his broken life after prison. Pusher III: I’m the Angel of Death shifts the action to the aging kingpin Milo as he juggles cooking for his daughter’s birthday party, struggling with sobriety, and managing a chaotic, disastrous drug shipment. The Pusher Trilogy showcases how crime is no glamorous trade as each central character is one bad deal away from total collapse.

Through masterful realism, Pusher pushes its main characters to the brink. In turn, the action is tantalizing. With a raw documentary style direction, each film offers different perspectives as different levels and assets of Copenhagen’s criminal underworld are innately captured. The trilogy brings an unflinching examination on the mundane consequences of a life of crime. Shot on location in the Danish city, Refn’s abiltity to bring the backstreets into the spotlight provides a spellbinding and enriching perspective. By working their way through the hierarchy, the Pusher films work as a cohesive unit, yet have immense standalone depth. But truly, seeing the ecosystem in action across the three films is worth the journey. The films are wonderfully raw and natural, as the dialogue is properly messy and entirely human. The Pusher Trilogy is also responsible for launching Mikkelsen into global stardom, so we should be thankful for that! Though there are remakes, nothing beats the originals.

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Robert Langdon Trilogy

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

If there was one book that took the world by storm in 2003, it was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was inevitably going to be given a theatrical life. It was so good, the sequel novels were also adapted into feature films. Centering on the fictional character Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a Harvard symbologist, the action-adventure movies may not have been critical darlings, but they continued our fascination with the genre. In The Da Vinci Code, Langdon investigates a murder at the Louvre Museum, uncovering a hidden religious secret guarded for centuries. Angels & Demons moved the action to Rome and Vatican City as Langdon attempts to stop an ancient society known as the Illuminati from destroying the Vatican with stolen antimatter. Rounding out the trilogy was Inferno, which finds Langdon, waking up with amnesia, racing against the clock to stop a madman from releasing a global biological plague linked to Dante’s Inferno. Sitting right in the middle of escapism and guilty pleasure, the Robert Langdon film trilogy uses it’s time to educate while entertaining.

A fan-favorite trilogy, Ron Howard directs the film with panache and flair. By combining high-stakes global treasure hunts, stunning real-world backdrops, and the brilliance of Hanks to anchor the action, the trilogy masters the mission of entertainment. Just like the novels, the films offer fictional tourism for its viewers who may otherwise not have the chance to visit. The films flip cryptic historical stories, secret societies, and anagrams into a pulse-pounding play-along puzzle. Where else do you have the opportunity to gain genuine academic trivia about architecture, history, and literature? The three films feature Hanks bringing instant intellect, empathy, and charm to carry Brown’s tales to victory. And if you’re eager for high-profile stars along for the adventure, expect to see the likes of Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, and Felicity Jones, among others. While the Robert Langdon Trilogy may not be Indiana Jones or even National Treasure, they’re just a step below.

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The ‘Taken’ Trilogy

Image via 20th Century Studios

Every great actor needs a career revitalization. For Liam Neeson, that came thanks to the unlikely hit-turned-pop culture obsession: Taken. Created by Luc Besson and screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen, the film series redefined Neeson as a late-career action star, catapulting him to new heights. In Taken, directed by Pierre Morel, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Neeson) races against a 96-hour clock in Paris to rescue his teenage daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), after she is kidnapped by human traffickers. In Taken 2, directed by Olivier Megaton, Mills and his ex-wife, Lennie (Famke Janssen), are taken hostage while in Istanbul by Murad Hoxha (Rade Šerbedžija), the father of a kidnapper killed in the previous film, forcing Kim to help free them. Finally, in Taken 3, also directed by Megaton, Mills is framed for his ex-wife’s murder and must evade the pursuit of a relentless police inspector, Frank Dotzler (Forest Whitaker), while tracking down the real killers. A guilty pleasure phenomenon, Neeson and his “particular set of skills” became lean, mean, fast-paced 21st century action classics.

Though the first film is an exception, laying the groundwork for the franchise and other men of a certain age action genre, the reason the trilogy as a whole drops to near-perfect status is the steady decline following the original. That said, Taken and its sequels do exactly what the film franchise is meant to do. Never do they stray away from its main concept, borrowing what works from the original aand tweaking it along the way. The moment Neeson got on the phone and delivered, “I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you,” a pop culture touchstone was born. The film delivered in no-nonsense, high-octane action without an overcomplicated plot. Though the intensity was dropped to a PG-13 rating in the subsequent films, the DNA remained the same. If you were taken by Taken, watching the trilogy is a must-do. You’ll even be intrigued by the two-season run of the TV series. Be warned, no Neeson to be found there.

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The Mexico Trilogy

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Thanks to Robert Rodriguez, the contemporary Mexican/American neo-Western was revitalized through the Mexico Trilogy. Also referred to as the Desperado Trilogy or the Mariachi Trilogy, Rodriguez brings viewers along the ongoing bloody and musical exploits of a wandering, gun-toting musician known as El Mariachi. The trilogy began with the ultra-low budget El Mariachi, where the titular character, played by Carlos Gallardo, is a traveling musician mistaken for a vicious criminal, Azul (Reinol Martínez), in a small Mexican border town. Now with a bigger Hollywood budget, Desperado serves as a reimagining and sequel in which El Mariachi, now played by Antonio Banderas, seeks revenge against drug lord, Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), who shot his lover. He is aided by a local woman named Carolina (Salma Hayek) on his quest. Rounding out the films, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, El Mariachi is thrust into a sprawling, high-stakes political coup involving a corrupt general, Emiliano Marquez (Gerardo Vigil), who killed his wife, and a rogue CIA agent, Sheldon Sands (Johnny Depp).

Armed with a guitar case packed with heavy artillery and automatic firearms, The Mexico Trilogy launched El Mariachi to epic levels of Western heroism. Rodriguez keeps a common theme where El Mariachi loses his romantic interests or loved ones to escalating cartel violence, which drives his lonely path of vengeance and retribution. Rodriguez’s signature style blended Hollywood ideals with a distinct blend of fast-paced energy, dark humor, and a sublime Tex-Mex vibrancy. The films are an integral part of cinema history as the first film represented a genuine DIY approach to filmmaking. Rodriguez proved he could make a stellar indie flick with panache and maintain that gritty integrity when the budget ballooned. Desperado is certainly an upgrade that turns the kinetic energy of the first film into a hyper-stylized and super cool action thriller. By Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Rodriguez and his star-studded cast let loose in a playground of fun for an over-the-top adventure. The films will forever be celebrated by marrying Mexican folklore with Spaghetti Western tropes without pretension.

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Hannibal Lecter Trilogy

Image via Orion Pictures

It’s often the heroes who earn long-running franchises. But when you’re Anthony Hopkins and you craft one of the greatest villains of all time, Hannibal Lecter, it’s inevitable that your terrifying face extends beyond the original film. Based on the eponymous brilliant, cannibalistic serial killer created by Thomas Harris, the three Hopkins-led films haunted our waking dreams. Though the character does appear in 1981’s Manhunter and 2007’s Hannibal Rising, for this entry, we will focus on the subsequent projects with Hopkins. In the Big Five-winning The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme, FBI trainee Claire Starling (Jodie Foster) consults with the imprisoned Lecter to catch another active serial killer, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), before it’s too late. Ten years later, Ridley Scott directed Hannibal, where a wealthy survivor, Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), uses Clarice (Julianne Moore) to plot vengeance against a free Lecter living in Florence. Finally, Red Dragon, directed by Brett Ratner, serves as a prequel where retired FBI profiler Will Graham (Edward Norton) asks Lecter for help in tracking down the “Tooth Fairy” killer, Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes).

No matter who is sitting in the director’s chair, the three films are examples of masterclass tension and rare psychological depth in the horror realm, all centered around a brilliant and iconic central character. The three films served as an important blueprint in elevating high-stakes crime thrillers into sensational high art. While Red Dragon and Hannibal didn’t match the sheer brilliance Demme captured in The Silence of the Lambs, they did continue to pique our fascination with the cold-blooded killer mastermind. Hopkins defined the chilling archetype of a terrifying villainous intellect. The slow-burning psychological chess matches served as a brilliant canvas for atmospheric tension. The narratives blur the lines between the monsters and the individuals who set out to hunt them. They introduce a wealth of emotional stakes that other horror thrillers tend to lack. The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy is not for the faint of heart. If you’re squeamish, steer clear!

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2

Hercule Poirot Trilogy

There are many iconic detectives, but none are as brilliant as Agatha Christie‘s creation, Hercule Poirot. The incredible Belgian sleuth had been the source of many Christie stories, as well as many film adaptations, but the character truly came to life thanks to Kenneth Branagh‘s star-studded modern film adaptations of the detective tales. Pulling double duty as director and star, Branaugh kicked off the adventure with the iconic Murder on the Orient Express. The mystery follows Poirot as he investigates a stabbing aboard a snowbound luxury train filled with a plethora of mysterious passengers. The action shifts to Egypt in Death on the Nile as Poirot seeks to find the culprit when a glamorous river cruise turns deadly when a wealthy heiress, Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle (Gal Gadot), is murdered. Finally, Poirot heads to Italy for A Haunting in Venice, in which a reluctant retired Poirot attends a Halloween seance in a spooky palazzo where another guest dies. As three large-scale mystery masterpieces, the Hercule Poirot Trilogy marries the camp of the Christie character with the vast visuals that reinvigorated the classic detective genre.

The Branagh-directed trilogy is filled to the brim with lavish set pieces that immerse the viewers into the mystery alongside Poirot. Each film captures a richly distinct locale and aesthetic. From the snowy, isolated exterior that traps a glorious train to the sun-drenched waters of the Nile and the moody, gothic Venetian palazzo, each location serves as its own indirect character. They help shape the characters of the story and serve as a perfect backdrop for the mysterious thrills of each death. Branagh uses classic filming techniques to honor the past while bringing the films to the present. What makes the films work as a three-piece and not just three standalone films is that Branagh ensures the right amount of character growth and evolution from its central sleuth. From his growing loneliness, his crisis of faith, and how human cruelty sees morality and sanity, Poirot becomes more than an eccentric detective with an iconic mustache. If there is ever a reason to watch the films, it comes from the cavalcade of stars, including Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Michelle Pfeiffer in Murder on the Orient Express, Annette Bening, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders in Death on the Nile, and Tina Fey, Jude Hiil, and Michelle Yeoh in A Haunting in Venice. While there is still potential for the Hercule Poirot franchise to expand, these three are reasons why audiences are drawn to classical murder mysteries.

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Original ‘Mad Max’ Trilogy

Image via Warner Bros.

Before we saw what perfection could look like, George Miller and Byron Kennedy launched a ’80s-tinged post-apocalyptic and dystopian trilogy known as Mad Max. Starring Mel Gibson, Mad Max depicts a societal collapse caused by resource shortages. Max Rockatansky (Gibson) is a highway patrol cop who goes on a vengeance streak after a violent motorcycle gang murdered his family. In Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, a hardened Max roams the wasteland as he helps a small, isolated oil-refining community defend themselves against a brutal marauding gang. Finally, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome sees Max wander into the corrupt trading post of Bartertown, get exiled, and assist a tribe of lost children in a battle against the local ruler, Aunt Entity (Tina Turner). Establishing an iconic aesthetic, Mad Max may be responsible for laying the foundation for all post-apocalyptic action thrillers that followed.

While it’s hard to compare the first film to the two most recent iterations, what the original trilogy proves is that an organic evolution from raw, low-budget revenge flick can emerge into a mythic lore-filled juggernaut of a franchise. Miller does a sensational job at making the setting distinctly its own. There had been nothing like it before, so Mad Max set the tone for what a desert-set dystopia should feel like. And it was a living nightmare it was. The three film rely heavily on motion and cinematic language to explore its narrative. These films are not littered with exposition of world-building dialogue. Instead, they allow a show-and-tell visual vocabulary to do the trick. Max is the ultimate vengeful hero who goes from grieving man into a universal lone hero whose mission is to improve the lives of others—even risking his own life to do so. The Mad Max trilogy is considered perfect by many, but in comparing them to Mad Max: Fury Road, they simply cannot compare. That said, they’re the best of the almost-best!

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Mad Max

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Release Date

April 12, 1979

Runtime

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91 minutes

Director

George Miller

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Writers

James McCausland, George Miller

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• 

  Joanne Samuel

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  Jessie Rockatansky

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Godzilla has fought just about everyone Marvel can throw at him, but apparently that was only the beginning. Godzilla Conquers the Marvel Universe has already embraced the inherent chaos of dropping the King of the Monsters into Marvel history, and its latest adventure has found a particularly ridiculous way to bring two of the publisher’s biggest icons together.

This time, however, Wolverine isn’t fighting Godzilla; Marvel has apparently decided the kaiju could use a little of Logan’s powers for himself. The result is exactly the kind of monster you would expect from a universe where the Weapon X program was allowed to experiment on Godzilla, and somehow, things only get stranger from there.

The preview for Godzilla Conquers the Marvel Universe #2 takes readers to Universe 8873, where the Avengers of Doom have arrived looking for powerful kaiju to recruit. Their search brings them to a world where Frank Castle has already transformed Fin Fang Foom into the mechanical Mecha Fin Fang Foom, while the Weapon X program has apparently decided that regular mutants simply weren’t ambitious enough.

Godzilla Just Got His Own Wolverine Transformation

Enter Godzilla’s new Wolverine-inspired form. The kaiju emerges sporting Wolverine’s signature claws, with the Weapon X experimentation effectively transforming Godzilla into a gigantic version of Marvel’s most famous mutant berserker. The combination is already absurdly powerful, but Ghost Rider decides that even Godzilla with Wolverine claws could apparently use an upgrade. After Emma Frost explains that the scientists have hardened the kaiju against telepathic intrusion, she suggests that Ghost Rider may have better luck getting through to him. Ghost Rider promptly jumps onto Godzilla’s head, engulfs the creature in hellfire and discovers that his plan actually works. The preview ends with a flaming, Wolverine-clawed Godzilla charging into battle while Ghost Rider rides along on his head. Because apparently Godzilla becoming Wolverine wasn’t bonkers enough.

The crossover continues the increasingly bizarre premise of Godzilla Conquers the Marvel Universe, which has been using Marvel’s Multiverse to mash Toho’s monsters together with some of the publisher’s most recognizable characters. Issue #2 comes from writer Gerry Duggan, artist Javier Garrón and color artist Matt Curiel.

Godzilla Conquers the Marvel Universe #2 is on sale August 26.

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First Film

Godzilla (1954)

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Created by

Tomoyuki Tanaka

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Bret Michaels thought he was ready to reclaim the stage, but one comeback performance quickly forced the rock star to rethink his plans. 

After undergoing emergency surgery last month, the Poison frontman returned to performing, only to encounter further health complications. 

Now facing more time away from the stage, Michaels is opening up about the disappointment, the physical toll of the comeback, and his determination to return stronger.

For Bret Michaels, getting back onstage was supposed to mark the beginning of a return, not another interruption. The 63-year-old underwent emergency surgery to address kidney stones in July, but he remained determined to perform despite the complications that followed.

His Friday concert in Sugar Hill, Georgia, became a test of how much his body could handle. Michaels later explained that he had poured everything into the performance because it was his first show back, but several factors combined to make the experience more difficult than expected.

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“It was my first show back and I wanted to give every ounce of energy I had in me,” Michaels revealed in an Instagram post.

The singer, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, also had to contend with medication changes and the physical demands of travel. He acknowledged that he had not properly accounted for the impact of flying across the country before taking the stage.

“With my excitement, I also forgot to factor in the coast to coast flight, which had an effect on my blood sugar & blood pressure with the new medicine adjustments, including my insulin,” Michaels explained.

The heat in Atlanta also became another factor, making it clear that his recovery needed more time.

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Michaels’ Health Battle Forces Him To Miss Another Festival

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The consequences of the difficult comeback show became apparent when Bret Michaels was forced to miss Saturday’s Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

For an artist whose connection with his audience is central to his identity, the cancellation was particularly painful.

Michaels said he was “truly upset that” he missed the festival, pointing to his affection for its setting and the people involved. He specifically mentioned his love for “the fans, the outdoors,” and Tennessee, while also looking ahead to the possibility of eventually returning.

“And I vow to return in ‘27 or ‘28 and make it the best show ever, plus I wanted to see the rumored BearSquatch & rock with so many great bands, fans and crew,” he shared.

The “Talk Dirty to Me” singer has also been leaning heavily on the support surrounding him. He expressed gratitude toward family, friends, fans, fellow musicians and crews who reached out after the setback. He also acknowledged the get-well messages from performers at the festival he could no longer attend.

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Bret Michaels Refuses To Let The Setback Define His Comeback

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Despite the frustration, Michaels is approaching the latest health setback with the same determination that has shaped his career. Rather than framing the situation as defeat, he emphasized his desire to overcome what his body is currently demanding of him.

“I always choose victory over being a victim to my disease,” Michaels noted, explaining that he had genuinely believed he could complete his scheduled shows despite the series of medical complications.

The star said he had been working “diligently” alongside doctors and physical therapists while adjusting to new medication and accounting for the different factors affecting his recovery. 

Still, the emotional difficulty of being away from music remained obvious. “You’ve gotta know that my energy and my soul really want to play music,” he said.

Michaels made clear that if the decision were entirely his, he would already be back in front of an audience. “If I could, I would be back out there tomorrow,” he stated, before closing with a message to those who have continued supporting him.

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“Sincere love to all…stand strong, rock on and remain Unbroken!” he noted.

Fans Rally Around Michaels With Messages Of Support

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In no time, fans flooded Bret Michaels’ Instagram post with encouragement as he continued to focus on his recovery. 

The comments repeatedly urged the singer to prioritize his health and take the time he needed before returning to the stage. 

One supporter wrote, “Dear Michael, your health is what matters most; follow the professionals’ advice, and I have no doubt you’ll be back on stage making music very soon. Your fans here are rooting for this to happen and will be waiting for you-take good care of yourself.”

Another fan offered a similarly reassuring message, telling Michaels, “You got this bro! Enjoy a vacation of writing and listening to music. Enjoy your family and friends and heal. Looking forward to your return when you are completely recovered!”

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Others reflected on seeing Michaels perform live, with one fan writing, “Put yourself first and rest. Thank you for still rocking the stage! I got to see you in Phoenix and it was amazing Sending you healing light.” 

Another supporter kept the message simple but affectionate, sharing, “Keep resting and I’ll be there when you are back rocking having nothing but a good time!! My favorite human!!”

Bret Michaels’ Health Crisis Forces Nashville Cancellation

Years before the kidney stone emergency that later derailed Michaels’ comeback, the Poison frontman had already experienced another frightening medical setback that forced him to cancel a major performance. 

On June 30, 2022, Michaels was scheduled to perform with Poison at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium as part of the massive stadium tour featuring Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. 

However, shortly before Poison was due to take the stage, Michaels was hospitalized because of an “unforeseen medical complication,” forcing the band to pull out of its Nashville set. His bandmates eventually went onstage to explain the cancellation to the crowd. 

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Michaels later addressed the disappointed audience, apologizing to the fans who had come specifically to see Poison. At the time, TMZ reported that Michaels said the medical emergency may have involved a reaction to medication associated with COVID treatment, with his Type 1 diabetes reportedly contributing to the reaction. 

Despite missing the Nashville performance, Michaels remained hopeful about getting back onstage quickly. “I hope you rocked hard with my friends Motley, Leppard, Joan and Classless Act!” he wrote on Instagram.

Life has never been easy for the Scarlet Witch within the pages of Marvel Comics. Wanda Maximoff is a character defined by tragedy, whether it be her upbringing with her brother, plagued by war, persecution, and experimentation, or the loss of her artificial children and marriage with Vision, leading to the pivotal House of M storyline. Yet, her trials and mistakes, while painful, have often been catalysts for her to become a stronger, more thoughtful, and more empathetic hero in the end. With her latest storyline on the page, however, she’s about to experience a test of mental and physical fortitude unlike any other she’s ever faced.

Marvel kicked off a new run with the character at the end of last year called Sorcerer Supreme, which picked up in the aftermath of Victor von Doom’s fall, leaving the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation without a wielder. Enter Wanda, who saw an opportunity to change her destiny, rescuing both items from the ashes and defying tradition to become the new Sorcerer Supreme of Earth despite what the Vishanti or her mentor, Agatha Harkness, had to say. Since then, she’s built herself a powerful counsel of confidants, escaped the grasp of Limbo and Madeline Pryor, faced down Dormammu, and, in the most recent issue, stopped the firing of the Extinction King’s super-cannon. Rarely has she gotten a moment to truly celebrate her victories, though, as she and the Sorcerer Supreme of the Quantum Dimension, Turin, found themselves transported to the next of the monarch’s Extinction Weapons — the Torture Star — where a fate worse than death awaits them.

While issue #9 doesn’t release until Wednesday, August 26, Marvel Comics released a preview showcasing exactly what the Torture Star does to those unfortunate enough to be caught in its grasp. This living sun is an ancient cosmic being that burns with hatred and agony, which the Extinction King commands it to bring down on Wanda and Turin. The pages pick up right after it teleported them to Jupiter’s moon, Io, where the Scarlet Witch describes their living hell of being frozen, broken, and incinerated with the heat of a star over and over again, with only brief respites between phases. Worse, one horrifying moment clarifies, as they’re roasting alive, that they feel every moment of searing agony, even once they’re reduced to nothing but bones. It’s “torture beyond mortal constraints” that threatens to break their minds, unless they can find some way to escape the eternal torment.

‘Sorcerer Supreme’

The Torture Star represents Wanda’s greatest challenge yet since becoming Sorcerer Supreme. She and Turin’s new prison is essentially a black hole of infinite pain and, to make matters much worse, they’re completely stripped of their magic. All they have is the ability to telepathically communicate with each other and plan their escape, but without the powers that make them so formidable, they’ll need nothing short of a miracle to make it out with their minds intact. Sorcerer Supreme continues DC favorite Steve Orlando‘s run with the Scarlet Witch, pairing him with artists Bernard Chang and Leirix, the latter of whom provides the covers.

Sorcerer Supreme #9 hits store shelves on August 26. Check out the preview pages in the gallery above.

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Release Date

May 6, 2022

Runtime

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126 minutes

Director

Sam Raimi

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Writers

Michael Waldron

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Producers

Jamie Christopher, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Scott Derrickson, Victoria Alonso

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Pregnant Farrah Aldjufrie is ready to take her romance with former Buying Beverly Hills costar Zach Goldsmith public.

Shortly after confirming via social media on Sunday, August 23, that Goldsmith is the father of her first child due in November, Farrah, 37, took to her Instagram Stories with the pair’s first public couple photo.

The snap, taken on the day the real estate agents discovered they were having a baby boy, showed Farrah holding her cat with a blue bow collar wrapped around his neck as a smiling Goldsmith leaned into the duo with his eyes closed.

A video recorded by Farrah’s younger sister Sophia Umansky and shared via Farrah’s account just hours earlier showed Goldsmith hugging Farrah as the couple learned of their child’s gender. The footage also captured Goldsmith, who still works with Farrah at Mauricio Umansky’s real estate brokerage The Agency, kissing his partner’s head while tenderly holding her in a long embrace.

Farrah, who is the daughter of exes Kyle Richards and Guraish Aldjufrie, shared her pregnancy with fans via an Instagram post on July 3 that did not disclose the father’s identity. “My most exciting launch yet. Coming soon late November 2026,” the post, filled with snaps from a maternity shoot, was captioned.

Richards, 57, shared her joy over the news at the time, commenting on her eldest daughter’s announcement, “I can’t wait for this new chapter!! I love you so much Fairy.” (Richards also shares Sophia, 26, with her ex Mauricio, 56, as well Alexia, 30, and Portia, 18.)

Richards and Mauricio were in attendance at Farrah and Goldsmith’s gender reveal, both sharing footage from the occasion via their own Instagram Stories on Sunday night.

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Related: Kyle Richards’ Daughter Farrah Sparks Alex Manos Split Rumors: ‘No Ring?’

Kyle Richards’ eldest daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie, has sparked speculation that she and Alex Manos are over after the Buying Beverly Hills star was spotted without her engagement ring. Farrah, 34, shared photos from her family’s trip to Italy on Tuesday, August 22, geotagging La Conca del Sogno restaurant. In one picture, she could be seen […]

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Farrah and Goldsmith’s on-screen chemistry sparked public discussion among fans of Buying Beverly Hills, which was cancelled by Netflix after two seasons in 2024. Noting that the pair appeared flirty while on the show, which followed The Agency’s multi-million dollar listings as well as Mauricio’s family dynamics, some social media users took to Reddit to speculate that Goldsmith was in fact Farrah’s baby daddy. (Goldsmith is already father to two sons, whom he shares with his ex, Jennifer Hamilton-Goldsmith.)

“You guys, she’s liked a comment about the father being the realtor who was nervous to talk to her – assuming Zack Goldsmith,” wrote one Reddit user in light of Farrah’s announcement.

While Goldsmith is yet to address Farrah’s pregnancy, he often shares social media content featuring his sons, including a Sunday video that showed him driving with one of them and a family dog while jokingly reflecting on his “uncontrollable cuteness aggression” towards his boy.

Charles Xavier may be one of the most important figures in the history of the X-Men, but Marvel is about to explore what might happen if Professor X never got the chance to build his mutant dream at all. The publisher’s latest What If…? story goes all the way back to Xavier’s beginnings to change one of the most important moments in X-Men history.

And this isn’t simply a world where Charles Xavier dies a little earlier than expected. Marvel is rewriting the bizarre connection between Xavier and Cassandra Nova, creating a reality where the X-Men’s greatest mentor never survives long enough to become Professor X and his most terrifying enemy takes his place.

What If…? X-Men #1 asks a particularly ominous question: What if Cassandra Nova killed Charles Xavier? The preview returns to the strange circumstances surrounding the two characters’ origins. Cassandra is a mummudrai, described by the Watcher as an astral-plane entity that exists as the equal and opposite of a person’s spirit. In the familiar version of events, Charles senses Cassandra’s presence while the two are still in the womb and fights back against her. This new reality changes the outcome completely.

Cassandra Nova Just Took Professor X’s Place

In the new reality, Charles fails to defeat Cassandra, and the preview shows the two becoming one, with the Watcher asking what would happen if “the parasite became the host.” Years later, the consequences are horrifying. Cassandra has seemingly inherited the life that should have belonged to Charles Xavier. The preview shows her operating from the Xavier estate while discussing her attempts to consolidate power, and she makes it clear that she has very different ideas about mutantkind than her brother ever did. Instead of Charles creating a school where young mutants can learn to control their abilities, this reality has mutants, including Jean Grey and Emma Frost, desperately trying to escape. They don’t get far.

The final preview page reveals a team of mutant enforcers waiting for them, including twisted alternate versions of several familiar X-Men. Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit appear among the group confronting Jean and Emma, completely reversing the familiar idea of Xavier’s X-Men as a team created to protect mutantkind. It makes the one-shot much more than a simple story about Professor X’s death. Marvel is effectively rebuilding the X-Men’s history around the idea that Cassandra Nova won before Charles Xavier ever had the opportunity to become Professor X.

What If…? X-Men #1 is on sale August 26.

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First Film

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X-Men

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Created by

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

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Everyone loves anime, especially now that the medium has become so much more popular with titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. But manga, on the other hand, is still rather underrated despite being the original version of many of these stories. Whether they are underappreciated or not doesn’t change the fact that manga contain some of the greatest stories ever.

The modern landscape for manga is only getting better, and that is why this list will rank the greatest manga masterpieces from the past 25 years, which is from 2001 to 2026. Based on aspects such as writing, art, detail, originality, popularity, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality, these ten series are the best of the best in the 21st century and will remain renowned for the next 25 years as well.

10

‘One-Punch Man’ (2012-present)

Image via Tonari no Young Jump

Masterpieces aren’t reserved for dramatic stories with intricate plots. Sometimes the best manga of the past quarter-century can be a simple but fun, action-packed adventure. One-Punch Man follows Saitama, the strongest hero in the world; however, nobody knows it. This gets him into hilarious misadventures, even on some of the most dangerous missions against the strongest opponents.

In terms of action, there isn’t a better manga than One-Punch Man, which wows readers with some of the best art they will ever lay their eyes on. Outside the striking manga panels and stunning character designs, this manga is also surprisingly funny, using its characters for hilarious moments and epic battle sequences. One-Punch Man is an action masterpiece that defines the genre of the past 25 years.

9

‘Grand Blue Dreaming’ (2014-present)

Image via good! Afternoon

Comedy manga are vastly underrated in favor of their anime counterparts, but this list features a couple of sidesplitting classics of this century, including Grand Blue Dreaming. Iori moves to a seaside town for university, staying with his cousins. When he joins a diving club expecting something new, he is tricked into what is basically a drinking club, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have fun.

There are a lot of fantastic modern shounen manga, but seinen is where the best stories and comedies are, and the proof lies with Grand Blue Dreaming. The eccentric cast of characters and typical college humor is absolutely perfect, even if rare for manga, adopting a unique sense of comedy in comparison to others. Grand Blue Dreaming isn’t just senseless silliness, but it is also a moving story about maneuvering college life.

8

‘Golden Kamuy’ (2014-2022)

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The anime of Golden Kamuy is coming to an end in 2027, but if fans can’t wait any longer, then they should pick up the manga, the superior version of the story. With rumors of a massive stash of gold hidden somewhere in the country, a soldier and an Ainu girl team up to find it. The map is tattooed, and dozens of escaped convicts are involved, and the only way is to capture them and put the pieces together.

There aren’t many manga that can switch between absurd humor and a serious plot like Golden Kamuy, which blends its ridiculous sense of humor and bizarre characters into a dramatic war story. From shocking plot twists to some of the weirdest moments in manga history, Golden Kamuy is a quirky series, but that doesn’t get in the way of its adventure and core themes, which drive the compelling story.

7

‘The Climber’ (2007-2011)

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A lot of these manga are masterpieces in written form, but this medium is also acclaimed because of its art, and when it comes to that, barely any series beats The Climber. The protagonist doesn’t want to be bothered by others, but when he discovers the joys of climbing, he tries not to let them get in his way as he aims for the next highest peak after each successful climb.

Manga like Berserk are often claimed to have the best artwork, but The Climber might be reaching for the crown of the best art in manga history. The grounded aesthetic and realistic portrayal of characters are detailed to perfection, but the use of imagery creates hallucinatory visions that depict the character’s inner thoughts. The Climber is a distinct manga that revels in the beauty of being alone and doing what one loves.

6

‘Yona of the Dawn’ (2009-2025)

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Most fans think that action anime is only for men, but there are plenty of woman-focused action stories out there, with Yona of the Dawn being one of the best shoujo manga ever. Once upon a time there was a dragon and his four guardians, but as time passed, that fact became legend. After the kingdom is taken over, Yona, the exiled princess, learns that in order to take her homeland back, she must find these fabled dragon warriors.

The anime is soon to get a second season, but with the manga completed, it is the best way to experience the story. Yona of the Dawn is praised for its character development, which grows a spoiled and annoying brat into a reliable leader and resilient princess. Plus, the manga has a strong supporting cast that helps develop her while also having their own moments to shine.

5

‘Yotsuba&!’ (2003-present)

Grand Blue Dreaming is a hilarious manga, but one of, if not the greatest, comedy manga is Yotsuba&! The titular character just moved to a new town with her father, and while he is busy with his job, she can roam around town, make new friends, and have fun. There isn’t much to this manga, but the simple joys define the pure childlike wonder that it embodies.

Many people dismiss comedy manga, but it has so much more storytelling than many other genres. Yotsuba mixes life lessons into its hilarious plot. While it is well written, Yotsuba is beloved for its protagonist and comedy, which has her causing adorable chaos around town. From simple farm trips to playing with friends, every moment is hysterical for young and old fans, proving this series has what it takes to blow up as an anime.

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Fullmetal Alchemist is considered the greatest anime series of all time, and while the manga doesn’t have the same status, it is still among the best ever. After brothers Edward and Alphonse lose parts or all of their bodies in a taboo experiment, they set out on an adventure to find the philosopher’s stone. However, all they uncover is a government conspiracy that threatens to consume the entire world if they don’t intervene.

Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most complete manga ever, and by that, this list means it contains everything a manga fan could want, from great artwork and characters to an engaging story, riveting drama, mystery, action, worldbuilding, romance, and shocking plot twists. It is one of the best-crafted plots that works in adventure and drama seamlessly to create an outstanding and timeless manga legend.

3

‘Vinland Saga’ (2005-2025)

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Some manga of the past 25 years are still going, but others have finished their stories, and Vinland Saga is the most recent manga to have concluded its grand adventure. After the death of his father, Thorfinn joins the crew of the Vikings who murdered him, hoping to get his revenge when he is stronger. However, years later, he has a crisis of faith, unsure of what direction he should take in a life that is defined by bloodshed.

When it comes to the greatest manga ever made, many fans bring up three specific works, and Vinland Saga is among them. It is hard to argue, because Vinland Saga boasts arguably the best character development in the medium, taking Thorfinn from an angry annoyance to a deep and nuanced character. There is a reason why it is considered one of the best seinen manga, proving it is among the best of the last quarter-century.

2

‘Goodnight Punpun’ (2007-2013)

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A good manga makes people feel things, and Goodnight Punpun will make anyone break down and cry. The titular character is a normal boy living in a less-than-ideal situation, and this manga chronicles his life, from the good to the bad to the ugly. As a hopeless romantic, he wants nothing more than to fall in love, but this is where the root of his problems stems from.

A lot of fans don’t experiment outside their comfort zones, sticking to action or shounen series, but viewers should dip their toes into the ocean that is Goodnight Punpun. It may be an ocean of tears that will make viewers bawl their eyes out, but it is an incredibly profound and hard-hitting manga that will be relatable for some and tragic for all. It is a manga that will leave a pit in fans’ stomachs, but its realistic story is one of the most engaging of the past 25 years.

1

‘Kingdom’ (2006-present)

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As mentioned, many of the manga on this list have come to an end, but some continue, further proving why they are the best of the last 25 years. Kingdom is about a young boy who dreams of becoming the greatest general in the Warring States period of China. One fateful day brings him into contact with the emperor-to-be, and thus begins the duo’s journey to unite the kingdoms and achieve their lifelong dreams.

Manga sometimes feature big stakes and flashy battles, but the grandeur of Kingdom is better than any other over-the-top manga. Its intricately crafted war sequences are a spectacle to witness, because not only are they gorgeous to look at through the art, but they also use genuine strategy. Kingdom is all about the battles, but it has plenty of endearing characters and political intrigue to prove why it is one of the best manga series of all time.

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Kingdom

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Release Date

June 4, 2012

Directors

Jun Kamiya, Akira Iwanaga, Kenichi Imaizumi, Kazuya Monma

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Writers

Naruhisa Arakawa, Noboru Takagi

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