Asterix: Difference between revisions

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[[File:AsterixObelix2_422.jpg|frame|''These Tropers are crazy! (Ils sont fous ces tropeurs!)'']]

 

{{quote|''[[Once an Episode|The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely...]] [[Undefeatable Little Village|One small village]] [[La Résistance|of indomitable Gauls]] still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the [[Mooks|Roman legionaries]] who garrison the fortified camps of [[Hurricane of Puns|Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium]] . . .''}}

 

Probably has the best translations of any comic-book ever; they're smart enough to keep the basic story while making new puns in the appropriate language.

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** They seem to love real fights too. Just look how their arguments about the fishes usually ends up. The reason why they become so reluctant about fighting when they're out the magic potion is because they know they don't stand a chance against the [[The Spartan Way|highly-trained]] and highly-armored [[The Empire|Roman]] army without it.

** The one who really enjoys a fight is Obélix. Since the effects of the potion are permanent on him, he may seem just a big bully, but in his twisted, childish way he seems to genuinely appreciate the legionnaires he beats up. Also, in one particular issue, the Romans managed to get a hold of a cauldron of magic potion. Obélix seemed more eager to fight than ever.

* [[Bloodless Carnage]]: No matter how many swords and axes are carried into battle, the Gauls will always knock out the Romans with their fists.

* [[Blood Sport]]: [[Rugby Is Slaughter|Rugby]], as described in ''Astérix in Britain'', is a very simple game: "Each team may do just about anything to bring the ball behind the other team's goal line. The use of weapons is prohibited, unless agreed in advance." And it gets even more violent when magic potion is involved.

** "Who are you calling FAT!?"

** [[Once an Episode|Each time]] the [[Goldfish Poop Gang|Pirates]] are scuppered, they ([[Barbe Rouge]], Pegleg and the black guy) have a similar dialogue as they float in the wreckage berating each other. Generally, Pegleg will make some comment in Latin, the black guy puns on it, and the captain tells the other two to pipe down. Rather hilariously, they actually swap roles at least once.

* [[Captain Obvious]]: Obélix, very much. "You know, Astérix, I think we've been scammed."

* [[Cat Fight]]: Subverted and defied. Even though the women in the village are not as battle-happy and quarrelsome as their husbands, if a fight occurs things can get physical . In that case, expect them to use any weapon at hand (fishes, rolling pins, baskets...) to pummel each other senseless. Most times, the men will try to separate them instead of sitting back and watch.

* [[I Surrender, Suckers]]: According to the comics, Vercingetorix surrendered to [[Julius Caesar]] not by laying his weapons at Caeasar's feet but by laying them ''[[Agony of the Feet|on]]'' [[Agony of the Feet|Caesar's feet]].

* [[Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique]]: Obelix uses it on a corrupt ferry captain in ''Asterix and Cleopatra''.

* [[Karma Houdini]]: Tortuous Convolvulus

* [[Killed Off for Real]]: Arguably, {{spoiler|Admiral Crustacius}} in ''Astérix and Obélix All at Sea''. As a rule, characters are never killed in the ''Astérix'' books, but his fate, namely being trapped in stone form (supposedly for good, unless Getafix pays a visit) in the middle of the Circus Maximus's ring, is the nearest the series comes to genuinely offing a character.

*** [[Fridge Brilliance]] moment: Since drinking more potion while under the influence of the potion turns you to stone, it's likely Getafix just gave Obelix drops of water and used a Placebo Effect to trick Obelix.

*** The [[Animated Adaptation]] attempts to explain it by having him complain that now that he finally got to taste the potion, the amount was so small that he didn't have time to really find out what it tasted like.

* [[Mighty Glacier]]: Played straight in ''Astérix the Gladiator'', when the gladiator trainer dodges Obélix's punches easily. However, Obélix is usually more of a [[Lightning Bruiser]] than a [[Mighty Glacier]] in most of the other books in the series.

** By the looks of that scene Obelix wasn't even trying; his "punch" is drawn completely differently from every other punch he makes in the same album.

** Regardless, Panacea (known as Philharmonia in some English versions) does not fit this trope - when she ''does'' get married, her husband is young and attractive (i.e. with [[Heroic Build]] and [[Lantern Jaw of Justice]], which aren't used that often otherwise).

* [[Undefeatable Little Village]]: The town where Astérix live is probably the [[Ur Example]] of this trope.

* [[The Uriah Gambit]]: Crismus Bonus's sentence.

* [[Too Important to Walk]]: Chief Vitalstatistix is carried by two shield bearers. Frequent [[Running Gag|RunningGags]] are made of the facts that he's rather overweight and his bearers are of different heights.

** Also, whenever Cleopatra suddenly shows up some place, she's always sitting on a gigantic golden sphinx-shaped chair on wheels pulled by slaves flanked by dancers and trumpeters. She has at least once referred to one such appearance as "dropping by incognito".

** A chief of a Gallo-Roman village has ''four'' shield-bearers. When he turns his back on someone, the shield-bearers also turn so that they may leave - which leaves him facing the person he turned his back on.

* [[Villain by Default]]: Roman Prefects are ''invariably'' corrupt, greedy, scheming and decadent.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Astérix and Obélix have an argument or falling-out pretty much [[Once Per Episode]]. It never takes long for them to make up, though.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Ancient Rome]]

[[Category:Comic Books]]

[[Category:Konami]]

[[Category:Print Long Runners]]

[[Category:The Fifties]]

[[Category:Beat'Em Up]]