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The Pokémon series has seen a whole lot of supporting characters accompany the series protagonist on his journey, with the introduction of new characters becoming increasingly frequent. While this keeps the show fresh, there are still some companions we’d like to see back, although we’re glad some have bowed out too.

In this list, we’ve even considered Pokémon as potential companions as long as their relationship with Ash was more friendly than that of being his pet. The list also doesn’t mean that any companions we don’t want back were bad, but rather those who wouldn’t elevate the series further than when they used to be on.

10 Don't Want: Tracey

It was a welcome change when we had Tracey take the role of a new companion on the show as this was the first time fans had seen it happen, but the return of Brock highlighted problems that came with Tracey.

All in all, he was kind of like Misty in that he was the voice of reason at many points and was generally a straight person character without too many quirks. His habit of sketching was a distinct quality, but there’s just not enough characterization here to excite us of Tracey’s return.

9 Want: Misty

She remains the very favorite for most Pokémon fans to this day despite having been written out as a main character over a decade ago. The reason for Misty’s popularity is a combination of the nostalgia factor and because she had the best chemistry with Ash.

It was the “will they/won’t they” intrigue that came with the relationship between Ash and Misty that kept fans talking. Her friendship was Brock was also significant enough to keep Misty relevant away from Ash, and we’re missing her spunky personality in the series. While she has returned in a recurring capacity, it just doesn’t carry the same meaning.

8 Don't Want: Max

He was a nice enough kid whom fans could see as the younger version of Ash, and his role in keeping Brock in check like Misty had was also welcome. However, Max suffered from always being seen as May’s younger brother, and having him back even on his own won’t be much fun.

He could return as a challenger for Ash as he’d promised the latter during their farewell, but that should only be a one-off, and it’s better to keep Max as a fond memory from those quality movies he was featured in rather than return him as a main character.

7 Want: May

Now, here’s one character from the Advanced generation we’d like to see back in a regular role, as May can build upon the development she’d been on before her character was written out. She’d suffered from being deemed a "Misty replacement," but there was definite mileage left in May.

With enough separation between seasons from when she was last a main character, May’s return can be a triumphant one as we see her established in her pursuits. She could now be shown as someone people would want to challenge rather than her be the challenger.

6 Don't Want: Cilan

A boy with a lovely personality and a very likable character, Cilan didn’t have anything wrong with him to be worthy of any real criticism and had a nice few seasons’ worth of a stay. However, Cilan did suffer from being really similar to Brock in many aspects.

He was good at cooking, was older than Ash, had more of a mentor-like role, among other similar habits, so having him back wouldn’t do much to separate how he was when he was a main character. If Cilan would be brought back, people would ask why not simply bring Brock back.

5 Want: Iris

Ash’s companions always start off having something very different about them compared to other characters but usually revert to being normal in personality. Iris was a very nice exception to this rule, as she would retain that wild nature of hers.

It would be nice to see Iris continue her outlandish antics, as these were never overdone and brought in a certain whimsy to the show. It would also be nice to dive into the dragon type Pokémon plot angles that came with Iris.

4 Don't Want: Serena

There have been a lot of jokes at Ash’s expense for not getting the signals from Serena that she was clearly in love with him, and this was an angle used by the series throughout the tenure she had in the story.

Unfortunately, it means if we see Serena again the show will once again have her be all over Ash, which is something we can’t say we’re looking forward to. Should Serena be shown as her own person, then there’s some intrigue; since the chances of that happening are very unlikely, it’s better to keep her away.

3 Want: Dawn

After a few seasons where we’d had a larger set of main characters, Dawn’s inclusion was very welcome as her dynamic with Brock and Ash proved to be on par with the one Misty had with the two previously.

She didn’t bring any drama or weird storylines, and it was great to see a regular character be as likable as she was. It would be ideal if the same trio goes back to traveling again, but Dawn returning in any capacity would bring the right kind of normalcy on the show.

2 Don't Want: Charizard

Yes, we’re well aware that this was a Pokémon rather than a real person, and also that Charizard was one of the Pokémon Ash let go. However, it was never treated as Ash’s Pokémon and was its own thing. Charizard’s rebellious personality was such that it appeared as if Ash was constantly following it rather than the other way around.

Charizard did return at one point in the Best Wishes! series, but it was established as a companion and not a strictly trained Pokémon. However, there was just too much drama where it was involved and Charizard broke Ash’s heart way too many times. Bringing Charizard back as a constant companion would again open up the toxic relationship he had with Ash, and nobody wants that.

1 Want: Brock

It’s a surprise when one considers that Brock hasn’t been a main character in about a decade, but fans will never consider him truly gone as Brock remains the longest-lasting companion Ash ever had. Brock was there through all good and bad times with Ash, and he loved him like a little brother unconditionally.

He’s reappeared on a recurring basis, but Brock is best enjoyed when he’s there in each episode. We’d love to see him re-inject the series with his trademark love-at-first-sight moments, as well as the sensitive aspect he brought when Ash was down and out.

NEXT: 10 Anime To Watch If You Love Pokémon

There’s an incredibly diverse range of anime out there to enjoy. Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or a devotee of cutesy romantic stories, there’s going to be a perfect anime for you. If there’s one thing that all anime tends to have in common, though, it’s a refusal to be plain and boring.

Depending on the genre, there are likely to be all kinds of brilliantly bizarre, melodramatic events unfolding. Yu-Gi-Oh! is one series that often exaggerates things for the sake of putting on a gripping show. Some of the cards played, from Duelist Kingdom onwards, were downright absurd. Whether they’re just as deadly in the real-life TCG or victims of the complete disregard for the rules seen in early Yu-Gi-Oh!, here are some of the strongest cards ever played in the anime.

10 Toon World

As any Yu-Gi-Oh! fan will tell you, Toon decks aren’t exactly the most practical. They’re very unique and a lot of fun, but they’re difficult to pull off consistently. This is partly due to Toon monsters’ reliance on the Toon World Spell, which most Toons can’t really function without.

Luckily for them, in the anime, Maximilian Pegasus’ Toon World card was absolutely ridiculous. His monsters simply became Toons while the card was active, and could counter attacks coming their way. They even became invulnerable to attacks on Pegasus’ turn, safe within Toon World’s castle. If the Spell functioned this way in the actual TCG, it would be beyond OP.

9 Obelisk The Tormentor

Do you remember the days when you were brand new to the Yu-Gi-Oh! world? You’d hear tales of the fabled Egyptian God cards, read of their effects as you got to grips with the game’s rules and be completely beguiled by them.

Of course, these cards were designed to be a cut above most, in terms of their strengths, effects and scowling faces on the card art. Of the set, Obelisk The Tormentor could be considered the most powerful, thanks to a handy little effect that it luckily doesn’t have in the TCG: by Tributing two monsters on attacking, its Attack Points become infinite. Now, how many Life Points does the opponent have? Not infinite. You see the problem here.

8 Labyrinth Wall

In the TCG as players know it, Labyrinth Wall isn’t really the biggest deal. It’s a level five Normal Monster with 3000 DEF. That’s a heck of a wall to get over, for sure, but it’s not something that’s really a practical pick.

In the anime, meanwhile, Labyrinth Wall is a completely different beast. As seen in the Yami Yugi and Joey Wheeler’s tag Duel against the Paradox Brothers, this card causes an actual labyrinth to appear, which the players’ monsters must slowly traverse. It’s one way to drag out a pivotal match as long as possible for the drama’s sake.

7 Blue-Eyes White Dragon

Ah, yes. If you were tempted to play the TCG for yourself after watching the show, this is one of the cards you probably coveted the most. The infamous Blue-Eyes White Dragon, wielded by Yugi’s great nemesis Seto Kaiba, is presented as an almost mythical creature in the anime.

3000 ATK? What in the name of absolutely everything? Today, the card is rather vanilla, but the healthy archetype that sprung up around it means it’s still as simple-but-effective as it ever was.

6 Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon

So, yes. High-level dragon cards were enticing enough to new fans and players, but that novelty wears off. That 3000 ATK is all it’s really got going for it, after all. When the Blue-Eyes White Dragon really wants to impress, what does it do? It fuses with two other Blue-Eyes White Dragons, that’s what it does.

Now, logic would dictate that three of this mighty dragon combined into one formidable entity would have three heads and 9000 ATK. Logic has no place in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, though (hence Labyrinth Wall), which is why Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon actually has three heads and 4500 ATK. Still, we can probably agree that 4500 ATK is more than enough darn ATK.

5 Crush Card Virus

Generally speaking, TCG decks are all about two things: key game-winning cards, and other cards that help bring out those game-winners at the right time. This why effects that can destroy cards in your hand are so powerful, but those that can destroy cards you haven’t even drawn yet can be even more debilitating.

Crush Card Virus is an interesting one. In the TCG, it comes with heavy downsides (your opponent takes no damage for a period) and its destructive capabilities are limited. As wielded by Kaiba in the anime, though, it destroyed every monster with more than 1500 ATK in Yami Yugi’s hand and deck as well as any in play. They can’t be Special Summoned back, either. This version of the card would immediately make all kinds of decks mostly useless for the rest of the match.

4 Kuriboh

Kuriboh, the adorable little Cousin It of the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, is hardly the most formidable-looking card around. It boasts a mere 300 ATK and 200 DEF, and tends to just be used as fodder to prevent damage from an attack (as per its ability). If you’re wondering what it’s doing here, then, think back to Yami Yugi’s legendary defense against Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Through the unstoppable power of plot armor, Yugi combines Kuriboh with the Multiply card to protect against the ultimate dragon’s onslaught. Even this powerhouse can’t break through the wall, which keeps regenerating itself.

3 Giant Soldier Of Stone

So, yes. As we’ve established, the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime has no problem with playing fast and loose with the rules of the game, ignoring them or adding entirely impractical ones as and when. The Kuriboh incident was one great example of this, but that time Giant Soldier of Stone destroyed the moon was just pure, delicious ridiculousness.

When Yami Yugi Duels Mako Tsunami, our hero finds himself in a tough spot when the sea levels rise (partly as a result of Yugi’s own Full Moon Spell) and Tsunami’s ocean-based monsters gain an advantage. To counter this, he has his Giant Soldier of Stone attack his own Full Moon Spell, which destroys it and leaves Tsunami’s monsters stranded. This incredible and absurd power move from the Giant Soldier of Stone led to the creation of the snarky card named Attack the Moon!.

2 Mirror Force

Every Yu-Gi-Oh! player has fallen victim to the deadly Mirror Force at some stage in their Yu-Gi-Oh! career. Many decks focus around the simple strategy of swarming the field and overwhelming the opponent with sheer numbers, and Mirror Force can put a swift stop to that. In one fell swoop, it will destroy every Attack position monster the other player controls.

Originally, in the anime, this card would direct an attack of your opponent’s to each of their monsters instead (a subtle but important difference). It was changed to function as it does in the TCG, where it’s every bit as devastating.

1 Dark Magician

Whatever the card’s text may tell you, Dark Magician really isn’t the ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense. For a level seven card, its 2500 ATK and 2100 DEF are completely mediocre, and it doesn’t even have an effect to help it out.

You’d never know it judging by the anime, though. Yami Yugi’s trusty Dark Magician became one of his signature cards, getting him out of all kinds of impossible situations in all kinds of impossible ways. A staunch ally that proved just how OP it could be countless times, working perfectly with the rest of our hero's deck.

NEXT: Yu-Gi-Oh!: 10 Best Cards In Yugi/Atem’s Deck

The Straw Hat Grand Fleet was formed during the Dressrosa arc. This arc was filled with many strong fighters and most of them were involved in the fight at the Corrida Coliseum. The Straw Hat Grand Fleet swore loyalty to Monkey D. Luffy and promised to aid him whenever he desired.

It is not uncommon to see strong pirates having a fleet of their own. Whitebeard had a huge number of allies who helped him during the fight at Marineford. A fleet is always a welcome addition when you're on your quest to reach the very top. The Straw Hat Grand Fleet is made up of seven pirate crews and it is full of some extremely well-known names. In this post, we will be ranking the strongest members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

7 Leo

Leo is a member of the Tontatta Kingdom. He joined the Straw Hat Grand Fleet after Luffy took down Doflamingo, and he is the only member of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet who didn't participate in the competition at Corrida Coliseum. Leo is the captain of the Tontatta Pirates, and he is able to use Tontatta Combat. However, the level at which he can use it remains unknown.

Additionally, Leo also possesses the Nui Nui no Mi, a devil fruit that allows him to stitch and un-stitch everything. The stitches have considerable strength as they are able to hold down fully grown humans. Leo is the captain of the fifth ship of the Grand Fleet, but he's far from being the strongest member of the Grand Fleet.

6 Orlumbus

Also known as "Massacre Ruler", Orlumbus is the Admiral of the Yonta Maria Grand Fleet. He was competing at the Corrida Coliseum for the Mera Mera no Mi, and became an ally of Luffy, also helping the Straw Hats in their battle. When Zoro cut Pica, it was Orlumbus who threw him at a great speed, from Flower Hill to Old King's Plateau.

This demonstrates his incredible strength as a fighter. When the Straw Hats finally brought down the Donquixote Family, Orlumbus swore his loyalty to Luffy and became a part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. He's the captain of the seventh ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

5 Hajrudin

Hajrudin is a giant from Elbaf, who participated in the event at Corrida Coliseum. He wanted to win the Mera Mera no Mi for himself, which would have made him extremely dangerous. Hajurdin has incredible strength and if he were to eat a powerful devil fruit, it would render him unstoppable.

Hajrudin is the captain of the New Giant Warrior Pirates. He used to be a part of Buggy's Delivery, which was a mercenary group, which he eventually left. At Dressrosa, Hajrudin clashed against many strong opponents. He proved his worth when fighting against Machvise, and defeating him after an intense battle. Hajrudin is the captain of the sixth ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

4 Ideo

Ideo is the captain of the Ideo Pirates, which is one of the smallest crews to date in the series. It consists of just four members - Ideo, Blue Gilly, Abdullah, and Jeet. The crew certainly has variety and a decent amount of power. Ideo is a member of the long-arm tribe and his forte is boxing. One of the testaments to his strength is the fact that he has won the World World Central Fighting Tournament twice.

Ideo has a unique fighting style which makes his punches very lethal. They explode upon impact and this fighting style earned him the epithet of "Destruction Cannon." His punches are capable of moving a giant with its power. Currently, he is the captain of the fourth ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

3 Bartolomeo

Bartolomeo is the biggest Luffy fanboy and he is tied with Boa Hancock for the position. He is heavily influenced by Luffy and treats him with the utmost respect. He is the captain of the Barto Club and a Super Rookie with a bounty of 200,000,00 beris.

Bartolomeo possesses the Bari Bari no Mi, which is a paramecia type devil fruit. It allows him to create barriers, which are capable of tanking strong attacks. He is unable to use any kind of Haki and is carried by his insanely powerful devil fruit ability. After Luffy liberated Dressrosa from Doflamingo's control, Bartolomeo joined the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. He became the captain of the second ship of the Grand Fleet.

2 Cavendish

Cavendish is one of the Super Rookies. He is the captain of the Beautiful Pirates, and he has a bounty of 330,000,000 beris on his head. Cavendish detests the Worst Generation for stealing his thunder. He was one of the many fighters at the Corrida Coliseum and has an alter-ego known as Hakuba, a bloodthirsty lunatic who will obliterate everyone in his path.

He only comes out when Cavendish sleeps, and many times, both personalities are fighting for control over Cavendish's body. Cavendish possesses a sword known as Durandal. The grade of the sword is unknown, but it will be revealed in the future. Cavendish is capable of using Armament and Observation Haki. It is pretty clear that he is a very strong fighter despite not having a devil fruit. He is the captain of the first ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

1 Don Sai

At the top of the list, we have Don Sai. He is a really underrated fighter who has been overlooked by many people. Sai is the 13th head of the Happo Navy. He was able to defeat Lao G without breaking a sweat. Sai uses a unique fighting style known as Hasshoken, which utilizes vibrations. He is able to use two Armament and Observation Haki. Sai's Armament Haki is very strong as he was able to bend the Haki-coated of his grandfather, Don Chinjao.

According to Chinjao, Sai has surpassed him in strength. It should be noted that Chinjao was a very notorious pirate in his prime, who was capable of splitting ice-continents with his head. Sai is currently the captain of the third ship of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.

NEXT: One Piece: 10 Best Rivalries, Ranked

Without Saiyans, the Dragon Ball universe would be a completely different place. This iconic warrior race has changed anime with their planet-crippling attacks, unwavering sense of pride, and luminescent transformations. After watching Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and others in action for years, we know just what Saiyans are capable of, but there's still so much about Saiyans that remain a mystery.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly expanded upon the existing Saiyan lore, giving fans more of a look as to how they used to live, which only made us wish we could get a spinoff set in this time. In an effort to help keep the memory of the strongest warrior race alive (and hopefully pressure Toriyama a bit), here are ten things you may not have known (or even just forgot) about Saiyans.

10 Hybrid Saiyans Possess A Greater Potential To Become Super Saiyans

Goku and Vegeta endured many harsh battles over the course of two decades before they even got close to their first Super Saiyan transformations, yet Gohan, Goten, and Trunks managed to reach Super Saiyan with relative ease. When a Saiyan has reached a certain level of power and is placed under great emotional stress while possessing an appropriate number of S-cells, they'll undergo their first Super Saiyan transformation.

Saiyan hybrids already possess high numbers of S-cells due to their wider emotional palette and gentler nature, and because they never had to live under forced on Planet Vegeta, their S-cell count also experiences another natural boost. All of these factors enable them to access this legendary power of their race, which eventually led to the Super Saiyan form being reduced to, in Vegeta's words, "a child's plaything."

9 They Are Genetically Inclined To Like Strong-Willed Women

Although Goku and Vegeta have the power to destroy whole planets and tangle with gods, both their wives manage to strike fear into their hearts. In Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta reveals that Saiyan men are genetically predisposed to like strong-willed women, like Chi-Chi and Bulma, since they resemble the now-extinct women of Planet Vegeta.

This does leave us to ponder why Gine, Goku's mother, and Gure, Tarble's alien wife, weren't as strong-willed as Goku and Vegeta's wives though. Kind of makes us wonder what's going on behind the scenes when the credits start rolling...

8 The Saiyan Ancestors Spoke Of A Legendary Super Saiyan Form That Kale/Broly Possess

Over the years, fans have gotten to see many Super Saiyan forms, from Super Saiyan to Super Saiyan 3, and even Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue. However, the strongest Saiyan transformation known to date might just be the Super Saiyan form that Dragon Ball Super's Kale and Broly have exhibited.

When Kale first transformed during the Tournament of Power, Vegeta warned Goku that Kale's Super Saiyan form could be the Legendary Super Saiyan form that their ancestors spoke of. This means that the first Super Saiyan transformation ever was most likely a lot more spectacular than the one we saw on Namek years ago.

7 Not Every Saiyan Is A Warrior

Since the early days of Dragon Ball Z, we were led to believe that the Saiyans were wholly a warrior race. While this is true for the most part, Dragon Ball Super: Broly gave us the most flushed-out depiction of Planet Vegeta's society that we've ever seen, and to our surprise, there were many Saiyans who weren't fit for combat at all.

Several Saiyan scientists were shown monitoring Broly's power level, and Beets, the Saiyan who found himself stranded on Planet Vampa with Broly and Paragus, didn't exactly have a warrior's physique. We even saw Saiyan snipers at the start of the movie, as well as Gine and another Saiyan woman shown preparing meat that would most likely be devoured in under two seconds by a powerful warrior.

6 Stronger Saiyans Are Resistant To Extreme Temperatures

When Saiyans are focused on the fight, they've been shown to ignore just about everything else. We've seen time and time again, however, that Saiyans don't just ignore extreme changes in temperature, but they're also immune to them. When Bulma sent Goku to the Earth's core to look for a rare crystal for her Time Machine, he barely needed any protection at all.

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Goku and Broly also fought under lava for a brief few seconds as though it were water. And let's not forget how the beginning of Goku and Vegeta's fight against Broly took place in the arctic. The below-freezing temperatures had no effect on their overall performance during the fight, and even if they did, they should've warmed up during the second half of their fight anyway.

5 Having A Tail Can Boost A Saiyan's Overall Power

Originally, a Saiyan's tail was his secret weapon, allowing him to transform into a Great Ape to overwhelm his foes. After Vegeta lost his tail, they were absent for the majority of the series, but Dragon Ball GT found a way to make them relevant again.

After Goku's tail grew back when he turned into a child, he was able to fight with a greater level of ferocity than he did without it. His younger body was also able to handle his Super Saiyan 3 transformation and even played a pivotal role in his attainment of Super Saiyan 4.

4 Saiyans Can't Survive In Space

Many fans thought that Goku and Beerus fought in space, but technically, they were still in Earth's exosphere. Since oxygen still exists there, Goku could survive, and we have hard evidence to show that Saiyans, no matter how strong, can't survive in the middle of space where oxygen is scarce.

In Dragon Ball Super's manga, when Moro began draining Namek's energy, Goku and Vegeta couldn't leave the planet's atmosphere to challenge him, a huge flaw that will always leave Saiyans at a disadvantage against opponents like Moro and even Frieza.

3 Saiyans Prefer To Eat Meat More Than Anything Else

Saiyans are known for their voracious appetites, often consuming more food in one sitting than many people would eat over the course of one week alone! It's obvious that their efficient metabolisms and heightened calorie demands are the main culprits here, but what most fans may not have realized is that Saiyans generally prefer to eat meat as opposed to anything else.

In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, we see Gine cutting up chunks of meat in the marketplace, and fans most likely remember Goku and Vegeta scarfing down huge chunks of meat whenever they choose to feast. Even when we're introduced to Caulifla, she's shown chowing down on a hunk of meat straight from the bone! This makes perfect sense since meat would provide Saiyan warriors with the vast quantities of protein required to support muscle growth, although it makes us wonder if Saiyans are deficient in any other nutrients they'd normally get from fruit and veggies.

2 Even Super Saiyan Pee Packs A Punch!

This fact about Saiyans made us laugh more than anything. During the Buu Saga, as Vegeta was busy fighting an uphill battle against Majin Buu, Goten and Trunks decided to take a leak while in their Super Saiyan forms.

In a twist that goes overlooked, their urine generated steam! The two even attempted to carve their names into the rock with their superpowered urine! We don't know what would happen if this Super Saiyan urine touched a human, but anything that causes steam to rise into the air can't be too good for the skin.

1 Saiyans Can Get Old

It's common knowledge that Saiyans age much slower than humans, despite living for a similar amount of time. In the Nintendo 3DS game, Dragon Ball Fusions, fans were introduced to Stabba, a pure-blooded female Saiyan elder who, despite her age, isn't exactly a pushover.

We know we have yet to see Goku, Vegeta, or any other pure-blooded Saiyan with some wrinkles in the show, but nevertheless, they can get that old! That just goes to show that even Saiyans can't defeat time. Jiren, however, is a different story...

NEXT: Dragon Ball: 10 Things About Super Saiyan Evolution That Make No Sense

Viewers were surprised at the reveal of Michelle Jones as “MJ” in Spider-Man: Homecoming, as this meant she was supposed to take on the role of Peter Parker’s main love interest in the MCU and was another version of Mary Jane. We’d already seen a live-action Mary Jane in the Spider-Man trilogy, and it was inevitable that comparisons between Michelle Jones and Mary Jane would come about.

For this reason, we’re comparing the film versions of “MJ” here and aren’t taking into account the comic book Mary Jane as she has too much of a history, meaning it wouldn’t be a fair comparison with the film versions. With that said, here’s an assessment of the “MJ” characters and who is better for Peter, Spider-Man, and as a whole.

10 Spunk: Michelle Jones

Having an engaging supporting character around and remain relevant without any powers in the Marvel universe requires a lot of spunk, and this was the kind of quality the comic book Mary Jane carried. The film version lacked all of this, unfortunately, as she was more of a girly girl.

Michelle Jones kept closer to this personality style, as her appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming was loaded with her being a girl with a case of attitude. She was seen in places she didn’t need to be, she didn’t care about social standings and always carried a sarcastic remark with her. It’s this quality that makes her a fun person to follow.

9 Romantic Interest Quality: Mary Jane

It helped that the films set up Mary Jane as the romance of Peter’s life, and the quality of the storytelling was such that we believed in it too, no matter how many times Mary Jane messed up the relationship. She was seen as that ultimate woman in Peter’s life, which carried the story forward and established Mary Jane as the girl everyone wants.

Unfortunately for Michelle, she wasn’t nearly as strong a character in Spider-Man: Far From Home, mainly because her romantic involvement with Peter seemed to come out of the blue, and Michelle wasn’t nearly as spunky as before because of it.

8 Chemistry With Peter: Michelle Jones

There’s more than just romance that makes a good onscreen combination, and Michelle shined in most scenes with Peter in both her outings. In particular, the scenes where she wasn’t buying any of Peter’s excuses were those where you saw how opposite, yet meant-to-be these two were.

Mary Jane’s connection with Peter was also more interesting when she wasn’t in a couple with him, but the numerous problems they had both before and after they were together hampered the chemistry between the characters as you’d always be looking out for that one big fight or some new issue to arise.

7 Friendship With Peter: Mary Jane

Interestingly, the scenes where Peter and Mary Jane were as friends rather than as romantic interests were the ones that played out best. It added to the believability that they could be a couple when the time came mainly because they had been seen as good friends beforehand. And if the series had them strictly as friends it might even have turned out better.

Michelle wasn’t shown as Peter’s friend at any point in the MCU, with her role in the first Spider-Man film being that of a lurker who was around just to make sarcastic comments toward Peter, while the second film had her solely as his object of affection. There could be a friendlier relationship between them in the third movie, but we’ll have to wait and see.

6 Long-Lasting Potential: Michelle Jones

Since the MCU seems to have no expiration date in sight and Spider-Man is expected to last all the way till at least Avengers 5, there’s a world’s worth of breathing room for Michelle Jones to make her mark in the series and further her progress.

Most people are certain that she will also develop powers somewhere down the line like Jane Foster is about to in Thor: Love and Thunder, and we’ve still got the whole love story with Peter to follow, so there’s too much potential to even mention all of it here. Mary Jane reached just about the end of her potential by Spider-Man 3, and we can’t see what else she would’ve had to offer.

5 Ties With Other Characters: Mary Jane

So far, Michelle has been mainly based either as her own person or someone whose stories connect with Peter; there’s been close to no interaction for her with the other characters, even the main villains of the two movies.

Here, Mary Jane fared better as she had an established connection with almost every major character there was in the Spider-Man trilogy. We saw her antagonism toward Norman Osborn, the failed romance with Harry, the friendly relationship with Aunt May, and even a rivalry with Gwen Stacy. These connections made her more relevant to the story of each movie.

4 Independence: Michelle Jones

The difference between Liz Allen and Michelle Jones can also be applied with the latter and Mary Jane, as Michelle stood out for being someone who could handle herself. A character like this is especially important to Marvel considering DC already has such female characters in spades.

By Spider-Man 3, some fans were exasperated at Mary Jane always being in a relationship but never truly feeling content with herself; she wasn’t seen happy at her work either. Michelle can live without Peter or any other romantic interest, and she seems to exist on her own plain of thought without resorting to feeling sorry for herself or having continual angst.

3 History With Spider-Man: Mary Jane

Peter and Spider-Man should be seen as two separate individuals in this regard, as his superhero persona acts differently compared to the actual person. Here, Mary Jane’s iconic upside-down kiss seals the deal for her connection with Spider-Man, as it was then supplemented with her equally iconic scene with Spider-Man in the second movie where they swung across New York.

Michelle has hardly had any interaction with Peter’s superhero persona, and the ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home didn’t do this any favors when she was shown regretting ever swinging around New York with him. Add to that, Mary Jane had also played parts in Spider-Man’s fight against Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom.

2 Character Development: Michelle Jones

Continuing on from our earlier point about Michelle having more potential to show in the future, her current development as a character has also been stronger than Mary Jane’s. Michelle had started out as a loner in Homecoming, but even there we saw by the end how she grew into the idea of making friends. Her quieter role in the sequel worked because we saw how she had now opened herself up to the idea of love and danger.

Mary Jane, meanwhile, pretty much remained the same throughout the trilogy, with the only development being that she’d figured out that Peter was the one she truly wanted to be with; this was then downplayed when Spider-Man 3 had her questioning this decision.

1 Winner: Michelle Jones

Even though she isn’t a live-action version of the comic book Mary Jane, we have to say that Michelle Jones plays out better than the Mary Jane we saw in the Spider-Man trilogy, mainly due to her character having more stand out qualities such as her independence and surety.

Mary Jane worked well given the storylines she got in her series, but she doesn’t have much to show for when she’s placed on her own without her connections to Spider-Man. Michelle’s immense potential also means she pips Mary Jane for the winning position, as fans are excited to see what she’ll be up to in the next Spider-Man movie.

NEXT: 10 Meanest Marvel/DC Supervillains Of All Time

Yandere is a Japanese term for a character who switches between cute, romantic, and sweet to deranged, brutal, and unhinged. When it comes to these characters, you either hate this trope or love it for the drama it causes. These characters tend to get jealous quick and manipulate the world if it means getting their romantic dreams fulfilled. Trust us, you do not want a yandere involved in your life.

While there are both male and female yandere, we are going to focus on ten female yandere who gave fans shivers up their spins.

10 Yuno Gasai From Future Diary

Yuno is often the first character that comes to anime fans minds when they think of yandere characters. A lot of yandere are not usually the focal point of a story, but it was in Future Diary. She had a major crush on the main protagonist and would do anything to protect him. What made the show so interesting is that the protagonist was scared of her, but also used her in order to survive the killing game that he was involved in.

We won't spoil the show, but the twist only added more to Yuno's character in a way that is unforgettable. She definitely had creepy moments that made fans go "Oh god."

9 Kotonoha Katsura From School Days

School Days is a short anime with only 12 episodes, but it was unforgettable for its psycho ending. It is pretty hard to watch the protagonist slowly sleep with every girl in his school without telling any of them. Everyone starts to get obsessed with him, but none of them are quite as obsessed as his original girl, Kotonoha.

While Sekai is also up there with the yandere characters, we put Kotonoha down because she is the one who really ups the anti in the last episode.

8 Nina Einstein From Code Geass

Nina was far from a central character in Code Geass, but she certainly made herself memorable. She got a major crush on princess Euphemia and honestly who can blame her, Euphemia is gorgeous. However, the manner she goes about it is very creepy. She has that infamous table in the dark scene and when Euphemia dies, she absolutely loses her mind.

One of the creepiest aspects of Nina's crush is that she did not really know Euphemia and only hung out with her once.

7 Anna Nishikinomiya From Shimoneta

This yandere is obsessed with Tanukichi Okuma to the point that she physically assaulted him. She also has threatened another girl with scissors to her throat for hanging out too much with Okuma. She has also threatened to kill Okuma for sleeping with other women.

All this happened due to an accidental kiss. She is played more for comedy than horror like Kotonohana and Yuno.

6 Kaede Fuyou From Shuffle!

This character is considered to be one of the first yandere characters to appear in mainstream anime. She goes between soft-spoken, gentle, and sweet to utterly hostile and soulless. She takes care of Rin and has feelings for him. He does not want to be taken care of by her, but lets her do so anyway because he does not want her to relapse into her violent and psychotic mode.

She can make some very scary faces and really put chills down your spine in her microaggressions.

5 Kurumi Tokisaki From Date A Live

Kurumi is a very popular character and due to that popularity, it has been highly debated whether or not she is a yandere. What is fact is that she kills and eats people to further her own lifespan. Instead of having romantic interest, she actually wants to eat Shido. Instead of loving him, she wants to use him to further her own goals.

However, the switching personality template of a yandere is there. Its her motivations that make her a controversial yandere.

4 Toko Fukawa From Danganronpa

Danganronpa is a mixture of games and anime. The games are the real treasure, but that did not stop Toko from being on this list. She is played for comedy, and has actual multiple personalities. Both personalities do love the same guy though. One personality is a shy but rude girl and the other is a serial killer.

Perhaps the funniest aspect of her character is that she never murders any student in the murder game despite actually being a serial killer before they all got trapped together.

3 Lucy From Elfen Lied

Lucy is interesting because she actually has three different personalities. There is her default, which is a middle ground between her psychotic side and her innocent side. Then there is her innocent side and psychotic side. She loves Kouta and would do anything for him since he is the only person in the world that showed her kindness. However, she killed his entire family so that is a bit of an issue.

Out of the yandere on this list, Lucy is one of the more complex cases. She kills for survival purposes and less for Kouta.

2 Shion Sonozaki From When They Cry

When they Cry is an anime is a ton of yandere-like behavior. Everyone seems to be kind and friendly one second and obsessed and scary the next. We won't give away the twist, but there is an interesting reason everyone is behaving so buck wild.

Shion is a character who starts killing many characters because she suspects they are guilty for the disappearance of Satoshi. Not only does she kill all these people, but the tortures him. This includes Satoshi's own little sister who he loved the most.

1 Hotogi Shirayuki From Aria The Scarlet Ammo

Raised as a shrine maiden, Hotogi first seems very shy and calm. However, she has an obsession with Kinji that goes a bit further than just loyalty. She spies on him, gets easily jealous of anyone else with him, and tries to get intimate with him whenever she gets the chance. One such occasion was breaking the heater in a room she trapped them in together, with hopes that they could snuggle and warm each other up.

NEXT: 10 Romance Anime From The 90s Everyone Needs To See

The Star Wars galaxy is full of exotic aliens, bizarre beasts, and dangerous droids – this new omnibus reveals the secrets of these iconic, imaginative creations, from movies and comics to TV and toys. Featuring amazing imagery and behind-the-scenes features – including interviews with designers, crew, cast, and writers! And remember – let the Wookie win!

Get a look at an exclusive page from Star Wars: Aliens, Creatures, and Droids TP, along with a preview below.

Uncover the wiles and insights of the Merc with a Mouth in this lavishly presented collection of Deadpool's best (and worst)! In this guide to everyone's favorite mercenary, discover what makes the katana-wielding, gun-toting, insult-firing anti-hero tick, or maybe more accurately in his case, tock. Includes the greatest comic book covers and scenes we love to remember (or wish we could forget), accompanied by the musings of our morally confused comrade!

Get a look at an exclusive page from The Philosophy of Deadpool HC, along with a preview below.

An alien riddle from award-winning writer/artist Andreas, fully collected in English for the first time! The last survivors of a mysterious sea voyage have begun to disappear in unnerving ways, and Cromwell Stone must solve the mystery before it catches up with him. The truth rests on an otherworldly key stolen from that ship, which will set him on a darker, stranger path... Lovecraft meets Agatha Christie!

Get a look at an exclusive page from Cromwell Stone HC, along with a preview below.

With production in full-swing for Marvel Studios' first Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, some recently leaked set photos may have spoiled the series' introduction of Battlestar (aka Lemar Hoskins).

Originally released by Murphy's Multiverse, the most notable inclusion from the alleged set photos is the name "Hoskin's Family Flowers" shown plastered on the outside of a store window and on the side of a car. Aside from these two examples, the remaining images don't seem to contain any other direct relation to Battlestar or Lemar Hoskins.

Battlestar made his debut in Captain America #323 in November 1986. He got his powers from the same experiments as John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, who will be played by Wyatt Russell in the series. In the comics, while Walker wore the mantle of Captain America, Hoskins took over the title of Bucky. However, he eventually changed it to Battlestar. He has fought alongside Steve Rogers and Falcon.

Battlestar's debut has not been confirmed or teased, and the inclusion of Battlestar's last name could just be a simple easter egg for Captain America fans. In the past, Marvel Studios has shown a tendency to subtly reference characters from the comics without the audience actually seeing them on-screen (such as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2).

Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell and Daniel Brühl and will be available on Disney+ in fall 2020.

KEEP READING: Anthony Mackie Describes What It's Like to Hold Captain America's Shield

Ever since his creation in 1974's Marvel Premiere #15 by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Iron Fist has thrilled comic book fans, blending hard-hitting martial arts combat with bombastic superhero action all set within the Marvel Universe. Even if it had some noticeable flaws, Danny Rand also starred in his own Netflix series set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe running for two seasons.

Just in time for the character's 35th anniversary this year, we're taking a closer look back at all the classic outfits Danny Rand has worn as the Immortal Iron Fist, both in comics and in live-action.

Iron Fist's original costume remains his most iconic, featuring a bright green color scheme with yellow accents on Danny's mask, belt and shoes. Largely form-fitting to show off Danny's toned physique, the exposed chest showed off the dragon tattoo the superhero acquired in K'un-L'un reflecting the source of his powers after slaying a mythical dragon and plunging his fists in its heart.

The look would endure for the character with only slight revisions for decades after Danny allied with Luke Cage to become Heroes for Hire in one of the Marvel Universe's most dynamic duos. The character's various animated and video appearances would often feature a variation of the costume, and it was even briefly referenced in the Netflix series.

Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and David Aja's instant classic comic book run on the character, launching in 2006, had Danny slightly change up his costume to reflect similar fashion sense to a previous Iron Fist he met early on over the course of the run, Orson Randall, K'un-L'un's champion from the beginning of the 20th century who had used his chi-fueled abilities to remain vital and active a century later.

While maintaining the yellow head mask and scarf, the torso featured an earthier green tone. With his chest no longer exposed, the familiar dragon tattoo was now a golden logo on the shirt's chest while Danny usually covered his hands and forearms with handwraps like a bareknuckle boxer.

Shortly after the conclusion of Brubaker, Fraction and Aja's run, Danny took up his best friend Luke's longstanding offer to join the New Avengers and changed his outfit accordingly as part of the Heroic Age, the brighter, more hopeful era following the defeat of Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers.

The yellow on Danny's costume was given more of a visible golden hue than its usual yellow, including the handwraps. The standard green coloration was now made a brilliant white to reflect the heroes embracing heightened optimism and idealism with some variations of the new costume either having a golden dragon logo or a black one.

Iron Fist finally made his live-action debut as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2017, where Finn Jones portrayed the superhero martial artist. Several outfits worn by the character over the course of his training reflected different comic book outfits but, by the end of the first season, the character had established his own look to reflect the grounded, gritty approach Netflix took with its various MCU properties.

Worn by the character in both his own series and the crossover miniseries The Defenders, Danny completely eschewed the mask and scarf, instead wearing an unbuttoned, green army shirt with his exposed chest displaying the black dragon tattoo.

When he's not wearing a version of his classic duds, Danny's current comic book costume blends several different previous designs as Danny reformed the Heroes for Hire with Luke while continuing to balance his civilian and superhero lives across his solo adventures.

The main color of costume was reverted to its traditional green, though earthier like the Immortal Iron Fist era. The yellow color made its return, no longer golden as with the rest of the accents, while the handwraps were dropped entirely. Danny's chest remained completely covered, with the dragon logo now a uniform yellow to match the rest of the ensemble's color..

KEEP READING: Even Iron Fist Thinks the X-Men are Being Weird Right Now

Those waiting to see two of the greatest monsters go head to head will have to wait a little bit longer.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. and Legendary's Godzilla vs. Kong has been delayed eight months to Nov. 20, 2020. It was initially scheduled to open in theaters on Mar. 13, 2020.

Godzilla vs. Kong will be the fourth film in the Legendary's monster universe. Previous films include Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island and, most recently, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The crossover film will star Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry, and will see the two famous creatures clash in an epic battle. Of the four, only Millie Bobby Brown has appeared in a previous monster movie, having stared in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

The monster universe has had its ups and downs financially. While Kong: Skull Island ($566 million) and Godzilla ($524 million) were financial success, Godzilla: King of the Monsters only brought in $385 million.

Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry. The film will open in theaters on Nov. 20, 2020.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Director Dodges the Big Snoke Question

Ryan Meinerding, Marvel Studios Head of Visual Development, has revealed concept art for a scrapped scene from Avengers: Endgame that features a more "friendly neighborhood" Smart Hulk.

"This is a key frame for a scene that was cut from Avengers: Endgame where we got to see Smart Hulk being terrific at being a hero," Meinerding said on social media. "Will post more Hulk design work soon! Some VisDev team members made an appearance in this shot, [Rodney Fuentebella], [Ian Joyner] and Melissa Encinas!" Despite this scene not appearing within the final cut, those who saw Endgame's theatrical re-release will recognize this as one of the included deleted scenes. Fortunately, those who weren't able to see the deleted scene upon release are now able to do so within the film's bonus features.

As one of the few founding Avengers that survived the film, it remains to be seen whether Marvel Studios has plans for the Hulk to return. But with Mark Ruffalo recently mentioning a potential cameo for the upcoming She-Hulk Disney+ series, it appears likely that the Hulk's time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not over.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD.

KEEP READING: Endgame Gave the Perfect Opportunity to Bring Grey Hulk Into the MCU

There's more to the Lyla Michaels' story than meets the eye. Speaking to CBR, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" star LaMonica Garrett teased the long history between his character the Monitor and Lyla, who will play a major role as Harbinger in the upcoming crossover event.

"I think, each episode, they're gonna unpeel layers and layers of that onion as it goes along and as 'Crisis' begins, and that was one of my favorite things," Garrett said. "When I read the scripts, I'm reading it as the actor, like, 'Alright, what's going on? What do I have to do?' But I'm also reading it as a fan."

"When I first read... that she gets out of her car and she's walking, and then she meets with the Monitor, it blew my mind, like, 'Yes!'" he recalled. "Because Lyla -- the name, they've had her around since Season 1 or 2 -- they've been laying breadcrumbs for years in the whole Arrowverse, and having that moment culminate with -- you know Lyla Michaels, just the significance of who she is and who she turns into -- seeing them meet together, that was great for me. It was a great payoff. They're going to dig more and more into that as each episode goes along, and especially when 'Crisis' starts."

Asked to describe their dynamic, he explained, "In the comic book, it was more of a father/daughter kind of thing, like he raised her. With the show, it's hard to adapt everything from the comic book directly as it was, just because it's just not. It's too hard to do, especially in television."

"It's going to be a unique relationship, but it's going to be one that you can tell that they've been together for a while," he continued. "This isn't something that just -- how he came to Oliver and how he came to Flash and just started telling them what to do, it wasn't one of those kind of relationships. They have history, and I think that's the fun part of watching it is to see how the history started with them and how deep it is. That's going to be something I think audiences will really like. You'll see a different side of both characters."

In Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's Crisis on Infinite Earths, Lyla was saved by the Monitor as a child and imbued with immense powers. The comic book event saw her summoning the heroes he required to protect the cosmic tuning forks, though she was later possessed by a Shadow Demon. This allowed the Anti-Monitor to corrupt her into killing the Monitor.

On Arrow, Lyla hasn't indicated how long she has been working with the Monitor, but little is known about her background. To date, the series has only ever revealed information about her time in the military. Judging by Garrett's tease here, the Arrowverse will reveal how her partnership with the Monitor came to be sooner rather than later.

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" begins Sunday, Dec. 8 on Supergirl, then continues in Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9, and then picks up in The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10. After a winter hiatus, the crossover concludes on Tuesday, Jan. 14 on both Arrow and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

KEEP READING: Crisis on Infinite Earths Trailer Reveals First Arrowverse Crossover Footage

The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang has her eyes set on a Rick Grimes return.

In an in-depth interview, Kang spoke to Deadline about Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes her hope that he will return in some capacity to the popular series. "Not this season, but man, I would love it if he did," she said. "You know we were talking about having him direct something for a while, but then he wanted to focus on some acting stuff, and he didn’t want to drop out on us at the last minute if something came along, and you know he’s been doing a movie lately."

Kang only alluded to Lincoln's movie, but fans know its a big-screen, feature-length film that will now debut in theaters. The Walking Dead content chief officer Scott Gimple will pen the script, but no official release date has been announced.

The Walking Dead stars Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Cooper Andrews, Avi Nash, and Samantha Morton. The midseason finale will air Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.

KEEP READING: The Walking Dead: Oceanside Finds a Stranger in Its Midst

WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the latest episode of Watchmen, "This Extraordinary Being," which aired Sunday on HBO.

The first episode of HBO's Watchmen television series, "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice," began with a flashback that took place during the 1921 Tulsa race riot. In city overcome with death and destruction, a young Will Reeves was shepherded to safety by his parents. As the riot erupted all around them, Will's parents took him to a man who would help him escape aboard his truck. Although the scene took place in an all too real and frightening event, it closely mirrored the origin story of Superman. As a baby, Kal-El was sent to safety aboard a rocket to evade planet Krypton's destruction.

At the time, it was unclear what the purpose of this similarity truly was. Was it simply meant as an homage to the origin of the world's first and most famous superhero, or was it simply a mirror of the super-heroic in the horrific? While both of those udeas are true in some aspect, the show's parallels between that riveting scene and Superman's origin were more deliberate than that. In the series' latest episode, "This Extraordinary Being," Superman's origin actually comes into the fold as part of Hooded Justice's beginnings, as it confirms that Hooded Justice is the HBO series' version of Superman -- not Doctor Manhattan.

As "This Extraordinary Being" begins, a scene from the in-universe American Hero Story television show sees Hooded Justice being confronted by two government agents. They bring forth the notion that he was the one who started it all -- the first superhero who inspired all that would follow, from the Minutemen to the Watchmen. And while American Hero Story is filled with inaccuracies, the agents' statement is true. Hooded Justice started his vigilante career in 1938. His heroic actions would inspire others to put on costumes, and take to the streets to fight crime. He was, for all intents and purposes, the first superhero of the Watchmen universe, both in the comic books and in the television series.

And, as comic book readers know, Superman was also the first superhero of the DC Universe. After his first appearance in 1938's Action Comics #1, more characters such as Batman, Robin, the Flash and Wonder Woman would follow, until the DC Universe as we know it would come to be. Therefore, both Hooded Justice and Superman were the original superheroes in their respective universes who inspired everyone that came after, to some extent.

The scene, however, is just a prelude to the revelations that come about Hooded Justice in "This Extraordinary Being." Thanks to her grandfather's Nostalgia pills, Angela Abar is able to see his memories. It's there that we learn Will Reeves was actually the one hiding under the Hooded Justice mask. Will started out as police officer in New York, but he was quickly undermined because of his race. One night, while out on patrol, Will comes across a friendly magazine street vendor who is reading Action Comics #1. The vendor tells Will all about Superman, how he was a baby who was sent away by his parents to avoid his planet's destruction. Upon hearing the story, Will sees flashes of his parents, and his own escape from the Tulsa race riot.

Will clearly recognizes the parallels between the fictional superhero and himself, and it's evident this is something that helps fuel his Hooded Justice persona, and his quest for justice and equality. Moreover, even his wife is a reporter, much like Lois Lane. He even takes on the Ku Klux Klan in the same way that Superman did in the real and fictional world.

In the Watchmen universe, it was easy to see the all-powerful Doctor Manhattan as the answer to Superman. After all, he is a god-like being with immense power who makes a difference on the worldwide stage. The character himself is seen as the "supreme superhero," and the Super-Man. He may sound like the Man of Steel, but HBO's television series subverts that expectation by highlighting Hooded Justice. Even though Superman and Hooded Justice have plenty of differences, the Last Son of Krypton and the last son of Tulsa have more than a little in common too.

Developed by Damon Lindelof, HBO's Watchmenstars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, James Wolk, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

KEEP READING: Watchmen: A Product From the Comic Returns in a Different Form

Few anime are as memorable, as poignant, or as engaging as Neon Genesis Evangelion. For 26 episodes, the series took audiences on a psychological journey– a dive into the human psyche. At times uncomfortable and often upsetting, Neon Genesis Evangelion was less a mecha anime and more a psychological drama.

End of Evangelion drove that point home even further, expanding the series’ concepts of instrumentality and fully embraces its underlying existentialist themes. End of Evangelion marked a fitting end for the franchise and that could have been that, but the series has been trucking on ever since with games, spin-offs, and the infamous Rebuild of Evangelion. “Retelling” the main series, the Rebuilds make quite a few changes. Some surprisingly for the best. Others, unsurprisingly not so much.

10 Improves: Great Reimagining Of First Six Episodes

1.11, if nothing else, serves as a pretty decent remake of the first six episodes, shining a spotlight on Shinji and Rei’s little arc before Asuka is introduced. Honestly, it’s a clever way of turning the series into a film but probably not the smartest way to open the Rebuilds. For a series that ends up so wildly different, it’s strange to play the opening so straight.

But it does work and while it shouldn’t be taken as an alternative to those first six episodes, it is an excellent way of quickly revisiting Neon Genesis Evangelion as a franchise. It’s well animated, has the best atmosphere out of the three movies, and features a great score.

9 Doesn’t: No Room To Breathe

That said, while 1.11 does a surprisingly good job at weaving those first six episodes into an entertaining movie, both 2.22 and 3.33 end up with serious pacing issues. Even during downtime, it feels like there’s never any time to breathe, especially when compared to the original series which make good use of silence and slow pacing.

The Rebuilds move way too fast, to the point where 3.33 sees a shocking time skip, one that does more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. With 3.0 + 1.0 set to wrap the Rebuild up, there’s no change the film will be anything but fast paced.

8 Improves: Indulges In Spectacle

With the power of a decent budget on their side, the Rebuild of Evangelion can allow itself to indulge in spectacle far more than the main series could. 1.11 makes excellent use of neon lighting, 2.22’s animation is downright breathtaking at times, and 3.33 has some incredible sequences on a whole.

Regardless of one’s opinions on the Rebuilds, it’s hard to deny that they’re very mesmerizing pieces of animation. Each one has its own distinct style, feel, and tone, but they all have the budget to knock those big Neon Genesis Evangelion moments out of the park.

7 Doesn’t: Mari Is A Bad Addition

Mari’s been in two movies and there’s still no real substance to her character. Her motivations are unclear, her origins aren’t even worth considering at this point, and she has yet to contribute to the plot in a way that’s truly meaningfully– in a way that actually justifies her existence. Everything Mari says or does could have been given to a pre-existing character.

She takes up space and lacks development. Mari blatantly exists for fan-service purposes, pandering to NGE’s otaku fanbase. It’s disappointing, but it makes sense considering how merchandise happy the series has always been. Mari is little more than an action figure.

6 Improves: Better Animation

Neon Genesis Evangelion infamously ran into animation issues over the course of its 26 episode run. The last two episodes even feature limited animation due to the series’ ever-growing budgetary restrictions. With the franchise now an established moneymaker, however, the Rebuild movies don’t have to worry about the budget as much.

Scenes are consistently well animated, but the Rebuilds still keep things experimental. Not as much as the original series, but to a respectable degree. 2.22 in particular is exceptionally well animated, with some high points that arguably even rival that of the main series and End of Evangelion.

5 Doesn’t: Worse Art Direction

That said, Rebuild of Evangelion doesn’t look nearly as good even if it’s better animated. The art direction doesn’t feel anywhere near as cohesive. 1.11 and 2.22 are visually quite similar and do look like a modernization of the main art style, but 3.33 goes in a completely different direction, making the third movie come off incohesive with one another.

It doesn’t help that NGE’s limitations ended up serving as one of its strengths. Without the budget to animate everything fully, what art there was had to look good, often leading to the main series relying on excellent direction to pick up any budgetary slack.

4 Improves: Better Action Scenes

Awkward art direction aside, the Rebuild movies thrive when it comes to action. 3.33’s opening is one of the best action sequences in the entire franchise, with excellent fight choreography, crazy visuals, and animation that blows just about everything from the main series out of the water. Not even End of Evangelion can compete with the action highs of 2.22 and 3.33.

All signs point to 3.0 + 1.0 at the very least seeing some great action. Its little preview already promises combat, but trusting a Rebuild preview isn’t always the best idea. Either way, it seems unlikely that the Rebuilds will end without some sort of a final fight considering how much more action-oriented they are.

3 Doesn’t: Characters Lack Depth

One of the biggest problems with remaking a television series into a four-part movie franchise is the inevitability that audiences will realize the characters in the film version aren’t nearly as in-depth. They can’t be, the movies simply don’t have time to flesh everyone out. Even if someone like Shinji gets out the other side fine, pretty much all the supporting characters are left to rot.

Even Asuka, one of the series main characters, is significantly less interesting in the Rebuilds than in the main series. The Rei who had actual character development doesn’t even exist anymore, and 3.0 + 1.0 is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting to get Shinji anywhere close to a character arc resolution.

2 Improves: Expands The Series’ Lore

Neon Genesis Evangelion’s lore has been gradually expanded since the series’ original end with End of Evangelion. Concepts that the main anime couldn’t touch on have been expanded on in spin-offs, the manga adaptation, video games, and even the Rebuild. There’s plenty of evidence to even suggest that Rebuild is a sequel, a part of an endless cycle.

It’s interesting and 3.0 + 1.0 will likely point to one of two directions on that matter, but all three films have helped expand the series’ lore: from recontextualizing the Angels to expanding Kaworu’s role and triggering Third Impact early to show off an even further ruined world. It’s compelling cinema.

1 Doesn’t: Zero Sense Of Direction

Too bad these movies clearly have no idea what they’re trying to do. It’s certainly plausible that 2.22 was so stereotypically shounen to make 3.33 return to form more impactful, but the animation disconnect between movies just seems to suggest some shifting of ideas between films. It makes sense, though, these movies began as remakes.There’s no way the series would have started with a straight-up remake of the first six episodes had 2.22 and 3.33 actually been planned in advance. It doesn’t seem like the Rebuild movies are actually building towards anything. Their main appeal is just seeing how the series has changed between mediums.

NEXT: DC: 10 Most Powerful Darkseid’s Elite Members, Ranked

Frieza first appears roughly halfway into Dragon Ball as a whole, but his presence has stuck with the series ever since. Just as Super Saiyan changed the game for transformations and heroic power-ups, Frieza changed the game for villains– especially for Dragon Ball. Pretty much every villain after Frieza has some connection to Frieza, whether explicitly or just in terms of personality.

Toriyama found a villain who worked, and does Frieza work. Piccolo Daimao taken to the absolute extreme, Freeza is a supervillain with no equal. An emperor looking to make a profit off of slavery and genocide, there’s something despicably human about Frieza. He’s vile, cruel, and one of the best worst villains in Dragon Ball.

10 Literal Genocide

It’s kind of hard to discuss Frieza without acknowledging the very real and very on-screen genocide he committed against the Saiyans. It’s an important part of Goku & Vegeta’s backstories, one that connects them more intimately to Frieza as a character. It also cements how irredeemably evil is Frieza is not too long after his introduction.

He’s more than willing to wipe out an entire race– happy, even. That’s what makes Frieza so morbid. He isn’t like Piccolo Daimao who just wanted to rule the world. Frieza’s worst acts are grounded in a sickening reality. He is pure evil, plain and simple.

9 Enslaved The Saiyans

Of course, before Frieza wiped out the Saiyans because he was afraid of a local legend, he enslaved them and twisted their way of life into something far more barbaric. It’s arguably that King Cold actually enslaved the Saiyans, but King Vegeta’s dynamic with Cold in DBS: Broly paints something more akin to a business partnership.

With Frieza in the picture, however, it becomes incredibly clear that the Saiyans have no real freedom under his rule. They are for Freeza to command, for Frieza to control, and for Frieza to wipe out whenever he so pleases. The Saiyans live and die for Frieza, and for Frieza alone.

8 Killed Dende

If there’s one character who didn’t deserve to die during the Frieza arc, it was Dende. Sure, he comes back, but the poor kid goes out in such an unceremonious fashion. Perhaps that’s for the best, though, considering Frieza’s forces had a habit of killing off Namekians in increasingly gruesome ways.

Rescued by Gohan at the start of the arc, Dende has to watch his entire race one by one. Eventually, he’s the last Namek-born Namekian left. Piccolo’s around with Nail’s power, but Dende’s death marks a brief death for Namekian culture on a whole. Dende never even gets to see Frieza’s final form.

7 Tortured Vegeta

The final fight against Frieza does not go well for Vegeta. He ends up suffering more than any other character. He does manage to goad Frieza into transforming, but the raw power of Frieza’s second form is enough to bring Vegeta to tears. Although he forces a Zenkai before Frieza enters his final form, Vegeta is left totally helpless.

Frieza beats Vegeta into an inch of his life, slowly torturing him around Namek, seemingly punishing the Prince of all Saiyans for his insubordination. It’s brutal, especially knowing that Goku will arrive just in time to watch Vegeta die. Vegeta is then laid to rest in an unmarked grave. For a few minutes, at least.

6 Stabbed Goku In The Back

Goku’s hatred for Frieza in their final fight on Namek is clear, but he’s not a monster. Goku does not give into his Saiyan tendencies, instead choosing to exist as a Saiyan from Earth, bringing both halves of his identity together. Goku has every right to kill Frieza, and he does indeed try, but he’s comfortable sparing Frieza as well.

If Frieza can suffer in his humiliation, that’s enough for Goku. It’s even better if Frieza can learn something. Angry beyond belief and exhausted, Goku gives Frieza his energy, perhaps not trusting, but hoping, Frieza will let it be. He doesn’t, of course, attacking Goku behind his back and sealing his defeat.

5 The Super Saiyan Trigger

There’s more to Goku’s Super Saiyan trigger than just Frieza killing Krillin. Goku watching his best friend die before his eyes after he’s exhausted everything he has is immensely upsetting, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Frieza comes back, shoots Piccolo through the chest– almost nulling the entire trip to Namek– kills Krillin, and then threatens Gohan.

That’s a lot for Goku to process at once, and in such a suddenly intense situation. Everyone had their guard down. Everyone genuinely believed Frieza was dead. Frieza could have killed Goku if he wanted, but he chose to instead hurt Goku as much as possible.

4 Came Back For Revenge

This isn’t particularly evil– no one in Frieza’s army manages to kill anyone regardless of the timeline– but it’s definitely the worst thing Frieza did in terms of sensibility. By choosing to touch down on Earth instead of just blowing it up, Frieza seals his fate. But that’s the way for seals to be fate. It’s interesting when villains do themselves in.

Really, though, this is just a bad move. Frieza’s been restored and he has dear old dad to lend him a hand, but he fought Goku head-on, was utterly humiliated, and suddenly thinks he can pull a Vegeta because daddy updated his OS.

3 Blew Up The Earth

Dragon Ball Super bringing Frieza back is a questionable decision at best, but he at least seems to have learned some lessons from all his losses in the original series. Not only does he do the bare minimum training to be strong enough to fight Goku & Vegeta, he actually manages to blow up a planet correctly this time!

Of course, Whis does end up reversing time and giving Goku the chance he needs to obliterate Frieza, but it’s worth noting that Frieza would have won the events of Resurrection F had Goku and Vegeta not had an actual angel on their side.

2 Manipulated Paragus And Broly

Dragon Ball Super: Brolly runs with the idea that Goku, Vegeta, Broly, and especially Frieza are all intimately connected, but Frieza takes this to an extreme in the film. He catches onto Paragus’ hostility towards King Vegeta and uses that to his advantage, essentially pulling the strings so that Broly can be his very own Saiyan.

He goes so far as to kill Paragus in order to trigger Broly’s Super Saiyan transformation. Even when Broly manages to escape at the end of the film, Frieza chooses to let him be subdued so he can control his powers and Frieza can take advantage of him at a later date.

1 Literal Genocide, Again

While the Saiyan genocide is just a part of Dragon Ball’s backstory, the Frieza arc actually puts the Namekian genocide on full display. From the first Namekian slaughtered all the way to Dende, readers and viewers are forced to watch Frieza slowly destroy a race. To watch his army kill old men and children; to watch Frieza beat Nail to near death; to watch Dende drop dead in the blink of an eye.

Frieza is irredeemable and it’s impossible to bring him back as an allied character in Super without reconciling this fact. What Frieza has done goes beyond any other villain in the series.

NEXT: JoJo: 10 Strongest Characters In Steel Ball Run, Ranked

Disney+ is only available in a few countries, but that is not stopping those in locations where the service is not available from watching.

Many users outside the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand have trend to VPNs to gain access to the streaming platform. However, according to Screen Binge, Disney has been blocking foreign accounts using VPNs. Many of the top VPNs have been blocked by Disney, with only NordVPN working at the time of this writing.

That does not mean that Disney+ will only be available in the above three countries forever. The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden and Ireland will be able to purchase the service on March 31, 2020. No official release dates for other regions have been announced yet.

Disney+'s start had its up and downs. It brought in 10 million sign ups, beating its 2019 goal of 8 million. However, its launch was plagued by technical issues and reports of accounts being hacked and sold online.

Disney+ is now available in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, with content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

KEEP READING: Disney+ Reportedly Working on 'Continue Watching' Feature

Long-time Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy will be making the jump from animation and video games to live-action in next month's "Crisis on Infinite Earths," a transition that didn't come without its difficulties.

Conroy discussed with Entertainment Weekly how the "Crisis" role took him by surprise, stating how the experience of playing Batman for the first time in live-action "threw him" at first.

"I never approached this character from that physicalized aspect. I always just inhabited him with my voice," Conroy said. "When you do that in a recording studio, it's a very intimate experience and you're sort of living in your own imagination. You do it with your eyes closed and you're in this other world, and you have Mark Hamill feeding you [need], and the other actors (because we always recorded together in the booths.)"

"To actually be on the set, in the physical world, and to be walking as the character and inhabiting the character in three dimensions, it was a real transition for me," he added. "It did take a while to get used to, I have to admit. I was surprised because I know the character so well."

Conroy will appear as Bruce Wayne in "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Hour Two," which will see Kate Kane and Kara Danvers go off in search of him.