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Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. Christmas is almost here, so I thought I’d write up an entry on one of the most lasting Christmas tales of them all – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It’s one of the most famous stories ever told and continues to endure even today as a true classic. The story has been retold over and over again across different mediums. As such, I thought I’d rank the ten best versions for you to seek out when you find yourself in need of an inspirational Christmas story. Of note, I won’t be including stage adaptations, as those should be considered their own category, but I will consider theatrical films, TV films, shorts, animation, and one little surprise we’ll get to later. I had originally planned to split this entry into two, one for the adaptations of A Christmas Carol and another for the actors playing Ebenezer Scrooge. However, a strong portrayal of Scrooge is so vital to any version of this story that the lists ended up exactly the same overall, so I’ve combined them. Of course, I’ll be looking at all aspects of these adaptations, from acting and faithfulness to the source material to music and effects. Anyway, I’ve rambled enough for now. Let’s get miserly!

Number Ten: A Christmas Carol (1938) starring Reginald Owen

In one of the first modern films depicting this story, Reginald Owen takes the lead as Ebenezer Scrooge. Best known as Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins, Owen puts his character acting chops to good use in turning Scrooge into a pompous blowhard. Though his portrayal seems a bit cartoony with as many serious adaptations as we’ve gotten since then, this version was the foundation on which nearly all future versions would be built. He’s the rock on which this adaptation stands. Sadly, the rest of this film is somewhat barebones, cutting out many thematic elements Dickens intended to be central to the story, landing it at only number ten on this list.

Number Nine: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962 Animated) starring Jim Backus

This animated Christmas special was the first adaption of A Christmas Carol specifically marketed for children. Though Backus’ Mr. Magoo is typically a kind (and blind) old man, the frame story of Magoo playing Scrooge in a play works well and would later be used by others in their own adaptations. While Magoo himself does well as a curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge, this version suffers from it being a musical. I’ve never been a fan of musical versions of A Christmas Carol, largely because it destroys the pace. Dickens crafted a novella that’s an absolute masterclass in pacing a story, keeping things slow and foreboding one minute before moving the action right along to the next important scene. This is a perfectly paced story in all regards, and inserting songs every so often runs contrary to that. That said, this is a strong version nonetheless. Despite a few liberties taken with the source material and the order of events, it’s an excellent introduction to this classic story for kids.

Number Eight: Scrooged (1988) starring Bill Murray

So, this one is probably the most unique entry on this list, as it’s a modern reimagining of A Christmas Carol. Instead of Scrooge, Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a slimy, ambitious TV executive who plans a live performance of A Christmas Carol on his station for Christmas Eve. This version is also one of the few comedic takes on the tale, though the laughs are appropriately dark, given the sheer callousness of Cross. This one isn’t my personal favorite, but it’s a version beloved by many, and I give it a lot of credit for successfully trying something new and different. The parallels between the pressures of modern Corporate America and Scrooge’s obsession with work and accumulating wealth are strikingly effective. While the humor may not be for everyone, this is a smart adaptation well worth a viewing. Sadly, I do fear that Murray’s Frank Cross is the Scrooge on this list most likely to revert to his old ways at some point, but that’s neither here nor there. Scrooged is a worthy reimagining of the Dickens classic.

Number Seven: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) starring Michael Cain

If the dark humor of Scrooged isn’t your thing, what about the zaniness of Kermit and the Muppets? Jim Henson’s creations have a long history of doing their own versions of books and movies, but this one might be their most famous adaptation. There is a lot of good here in this version, namely in the faithfulness to the source material. Outside of the typical Muppet antics, the actual sequence of events is surprisingly on point. The Muppets are also perfectly cast, with Kermit and Miss Piggy as the Cratchits, Statler and Waldorf as Jacob (and Robert) Marley, and Gonzo narrating as Charles Dickens himself. This version does have two weaknesses, however. One, it’s a musical, which I’ve previously discussed my aversion to. But bigger than that is the one human actor – Michael Cain as Ebenezer Scrooge. Michael Cain is a transcendent actor, to be sure, but I just don’t find him a believable Scrooge. He’s too likable and not mean enough, even though he tries his best. Cain does an admirable job, but I’m always well aware that I’m watching Michael Cain playing Scrooge rather than being immersed in the story of Scrooge himself. All the same, this is an excellent version that was the first for many children of my generation. My first version was different, though. More on that later.

Number Six: A Christmas Carol (1938 Radio Drama) starring Orson Welles

Bet you weren’t expecting a radio drama, were you? The CBS Radio Network had a tradition of airing this iconic story from 1934 through 1953. While the performance was usually given by actor Lionel Barrymore, one of the only times he couldn’t was in 1938 when he fell ill. In response, CBS made the brilliant decision to enlist one of the most iconic baritone voices of all time – Orson Welles. I had no idea until a few weeks ago that this even existed, but listening to Welles read A Christmas Carol is simply incredible. The voice, the cadence, the emotion, it’s all perfect. Seriously, if you’re in the mood for a different experience with this story, give this one a listen. It’s well worth it.

Number Five: A Christmas Carol (2009 Animated) starring Jim Carrey

Disney took a big risk in making this CGI film version and an even bigger risk in casting Jim Carrey not only as Scrooge but also as the three Ghosts of Christmas. Yet crazy enough, Carrey has the range to not only make it work but make it something all his own in the process. The rest of the cast is very strong, as well, including Gary Oldman as both Bob Cratchit and Jacob Marley and Colin Firth as Fred. I’ll give Disney credit, they swung for the fences in casting and knocked it out of the park. The direction is also solid, as this is one of the most faithful adaptations of the story out there. So, why is it only number five? Simply put, the GCI and motion capture effects were too distracting for many audiences, resulting in animated characters that looked too uncanny to be believable. The graphics were revolutionary at the time, but it was the one area where, to quote Ian Malcolm, the studio kept asking if they could and didn’t bother to ask if they should. All the same, this adaptation succeeds on so many levels.

Number Four: A Christmas Carol (1999) starring Patrick Stewart

Based on Patrick Stewart’s popular one-man show A Christmas Carol, this adaptation was clearly crafted with faithfulness in mind. It’s easily the most faithful to the original novel of any version I’ve found. It's the only one to include a few rare scenes, such as the Ghost of Christmas Present’s whirlwind and the young couple indebted to Scrooge after his death. The tone and setting are also appropriately dark, making the London of this version one of the dreariest of all. It’s an excellent adaptation but is held back by one thing – Patrick Stewart. I know, it’s blasphemy, but hear me out! Stewart is an incredible actor with an unbelievable career. He’s iconic, and that’s the problem. He’s too iconic, particularly as a heroic actor. It’s hard to imagine a man known for his portrayals of morally incorruptible characters as Ebenezer Scrooge, no matter how strong his acting chops might be. Hell, I kept expecting Data to show up and end this Holodeck simulation or Storm to enter the Danger Room. Stewart plays Scrooge well, particularly in the beginning, where he’s a downright evil bastard, but I just wasn’t sold on him throughout. The finale also felt more awkward to me than triumphant, which left an odd taste in my mouth. Still, this version does so many things right, and I can definitely see why many think of this one as the best adaptation around.

Number Three: Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983 Animated) starring Alan Young

Ah, so many good memories of this version. For me and many others of my generation, this was our introduction to A Christmas Carol. It’s the best kids’ version in my mind, using the right balance of softening some intense things while still communicating the ghost story tone of the original story. It’s also the shortest entry on this list, clocking in at a mere twenty-six minutes, but I don’t feel it’s harmed by the run time. Though some events are shortened or omitted, the level of faithfulness in this short special is quite remarkable. But best of all is the casting. Mickey is a wonderfully humble Bob Cratchit, and is there a more natural choice for Ebenezer than Scrooge McDuck himself? In fact, this outing served as Alan Young’s audition to be the permanent voice of Scrooge, which he was for over thirty years after this featurette. Though short, this gem is funny at the right moments, scary at others, and always charming and spirited. Not to mention that my two-year-old LOVED his first viewing of it last year!

Number Two: A Christmas Carol (1951) starring Alastair Sim

You probably knew this one would be somewhere near the top of the list. Considered by many to be the definitive adaptation, Alastair Sim’s career was largely made and defined by his emotional portrayal of Scrooge. Sim effortlessly glides around the range of Scrooge’s feelings, reacting to every event exactly as one would hope from the famous miser. More than almost any other entry on this list, this film is dark and grimy throughout, leaning hard into the tale as a creepy ghost story. The fact that it’s a black-and-white classic helps with this, and the movie’s tone is far different in the colorized versions. More than anything, this adaptation has one of the most satisfying redemption scenes in the series, something that is difficult to do well. A timeless classic if there ever was one.

Before our top pick, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

A Christmas Carol (1971 Animated) starring Alastair Sim

This half-hour animated short was produced by legendary animator Chuck Jones and once again headlined by Sim. Though not as transcendent as Sim’s original outing as Scrooge, this is still a wonderfully faithful adaptation. It even won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film!

Ms. Scrooge (1997) starring Cecily Tyson

This film reimagining was created for USA Network and features a Black female lead named Ebenita Scrooge. It's an impressive modern twist that masterfully weaves racial tensions into the story, along with a healthy dose of religious imagery. Though not frequently aired, it's worth a watch for fans of A Christmas Carol.

Scrooge, or, Marley’s Ghost (1901) starring Daniel Smith

This silent film was the one that started it all, the first recorded film version of the Dickens classic. Though it’s only a little over six minutes long, it truly was the first brick to be laid back in the day. Moreover, it even managed some revolutionary special effects for its time, such as Marley’s face superimposed on the door knocker.

Finally, it’s time for…

Number One: A Christmas Carol (1984) starring George C. Scott

This is it, the ultimate Christmas movie, the one my wife and I always watch on Christmas Eve right before going to bed. While it takes a couple of liberties, all the major plot points are there, with some delicious additions to Scrooge’s past besides. With respect to Alastair Sim, George C. Scott truly is the ultimate Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s cold, callous, apathetic, and ruthless. This is one of the few adaptations to show Scrooge actually doing business in a scene where he bullies his customers into accepting his inflated price for corn. Scott’s Scrooge is truly masterful, not just in how he treats others, but in our understanding of why he does so. He looks at the world around him and thinks, “My God, this world is full of lazy, wasteful idiots! I must be the only sane man on Earth!” But beyond Scott, the ghosts in this version are spectacular. Jacob Marley’s literal jaw-dropping entrance always sticks with me, Past is equal parts sweet and sarcastic, and Present delights in luring Scrooge into traps with his own words in order to lecture him. And Yet to Come? Holy crap, this is easily the scariest version of the final ghost I’ve ever seen. Best of all is Scrooge’s interactions with the ghosts. In some versions, Scrooge clearly changes much earlier in the story, with the final ghost only cementing things, but not in this one. Scrooge is constantly bargaining and reasoning, trying to explain things away even to the ghosts themselves. They, in turn, antagonize him further, often appearing to enjoy the uncomfortable lessons Scrooge must learn. Where other versions’ ghosts are sometimes flat, boring apparitions, these ghosts are the perfect foils to Scrooge’s stubborn realism. All of these things combine into the most beautiful and satisfying redemption for any version of A Christmas Carol, in my humble opinion. If I had any complaint about this adaptation, it would be Tiny Tim’s awful makeup job, but other than that, this is the perfect rendition of the Dickens classic, and nobody will ever convince me otherwise.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking. As you can tell, A Christmas Carol is among my favorite holiday stories and one I love studying at any opportunity. Of course, this was merely my opinion. I’d like to know what you think. Any good versions I missed? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly, especially if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, I’ll be wading into controversial waters and analyzing the film Die Hard to determine if it really is a Christmas movie. This is a hotly debated topic with strong emotions on either side, but I want to try and do this as analytically as I possibly can. As such, I’ll be doing some arguing with myself, making the case both for and against it being a Christmas film before reaching my ultimate conclusion. Regardless, none of this is meant as a criticism of Die Hard as a film. It’s a transformational action movie that became the standard-bearer for the genre and also became one of the most often copied or parodied action films of all. I mean, how many other films are directly compared to this one? Speed? Die Hard on a bus. Air Force One? Die Hard on a plane. I could go on and on, but there is definitely no criticism here of Die Hard as one of the definitive action films of all time. I simply want to see if it’s actually a Christmas film or not. Anyway, with all that said, let’s get started!

The case for a Christmas movie

First, and most obviously, Die Hard takes place entirely on Christmas Eve. This is more than can be said for several other films considered Christmas movies. In particular, White Christmas comes to mind. The only Christmas-set scenes in the movie are the early scenes and the final scene, yet nobody questions that White Christmas is a Christmas classic. Honestly, maybe we should, but that’s a question for another time. As for Die Hard, there’s no denying it does have proper Christmas timing.

Of course, the setting isn’t everything. There’s also tone, and this is an area where Die Hard receives some criticism from detractors, saying that it’s too violent and vulgar to be a Christmas movie. While it was certainly different back in 1988 to have such a violent movie with a Christmas setting, I don’t view this as disqualifying. We’ve gone on to have other movies considered Christmas films that are violent as well. These range from more cartoony violence, such as Home Alone, to films with gratuitous sex and murder, such as Bad Santa. While violence certainly goes against the meaning of Christmas, it can certainly find a place in Christmas storytelling.

Music is another area we can look at for this argument. Going back to White Christmas, we can see that this film features a mere two Christmas songs in it. Die Hard doubles that with four Christmas songs featured throughout: “Winter Wonderland,” “Christmas in Hollis,” “Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!” and “Jingle Bells.” Once again, if one wishes to disqualify Die Hard based on music, one should be willing to do the same to White Christmas.

We should also consider the villain, Hans Gruber, portrayed masterfully by the late Alan Rickman. He’s an excellent antagonist by any measure, and his demeanor and actions throughout the story feel positively Grinch-like. He has literally zero regard for the loss of human life, shown by his attempts to calm the hostages only to plan to kill them all to cover their escape. He even seems rather callous towards his own men, only feeling emotion at losing the manpower they represent when they’re killed. With all this, plus Gruber’s constant snide remarks about Christmas miracles, he is certainly worthy of being regarded as a proper Christmas villain, helping the case for Die Hard as a Christmas movie even more.

In the end, amidst all the gunfire and explosions, the film’s story is one about a man and a woman learning how to be a family again. John McClain makes many mistakes, most born out of his compulsion to take control of any given situation. Holly, his wife (with a Christmassy name, to boot!), also seems to go out of her way to make things harder for John, clearly prioritizing her career over her family, as seen when she’s working late on Christmas Eve. Each is forced into a moment of letting go of their past sins and moving forward, John when he has to walk barefoot on glass and knows he’s likely too injured to survive the night, and Holly when she and John have to unclasp her promotion watch to send Gruber falling to his death. Holly ultimately takes up her married surname, McClain, once more in a beautiful conclusion to this story.

The case against a Christmas movie

While my other self makes a compelling argument for Die Hard being a Christmas film, there are several problems with the notion. Yes, the film takes place at Christmas, but so do many other films. One example is Iron Man 3, which isn’t described by anyone I know as a Christmas film. Also, neither film was released in theaters anywhere close to Christmas – Iron Man 3 in April and Die Hard in July. This seems to point to the idea that the makers of Die Hard never intended for it to be a Christmas film.

Music is another interesting point of contention. Yes, Die Hard features a number of Christmas songs, but most of them are played quietly in the background or briefly sung/hummed by one of the characters. The film’s score draws far more attention to the “Ode to Joy,” which features prominently as Hans Gruber’s theme. The song is iconic, appearing many times in the movie in many different ways, and is considered by many to be the theme song for Die Hard. This is the problem. The most likely song to stick in the audience’s head after the film ends isn’t even a Christmas song! Contrast this with another Christmas film, Home Alone. Not only are many Christmas songs featured, (and not as quiet background music) but the John Williams score is a masterclass in how to score a Christmas film. Many holiday songs, notably “Carol of the Bells,” are remixed and reworked into iconic themes that feel unique yet still in the Christmas spirit. Outside of a couple of major Christmas song moments, Die Hard falls flat in this regard.

The ultimate reason Die Hard falls short of being a Christmas movie is its story. Though Christmas settings and elements are present during the story, almost all of these are superfluous. We see random Christmas trees and Santa hats present during the fights and shootouts, but these things rarely play a major role in the story. The only exceptions are McClain’s first message to Gruber, done by dressing a dead thug in a Santa suit, and the way McClain hides his pistol during the final confrontation, taping it to his back with Christmas packing supplies. Still, even these elements, memorable as they are, aren’t required to be Christmassy.

In fact, if we were to strip away every reference to Christmas in the entire film, this would impact the story very little. The office Christmas party to get everyone in place for the terrorist attack? One of the workers mentioned it’s really a party for closing a major deal, so Christmas is irrelevant there. Gruber’s snide remarks about Christmas? Just a way to show his smartass personality with lines that are easily changed. Seriously, take away any mention of Christmas in Die Hard, and it’s literally the same exact movie. And yes, there is the heartwarming conclusion where John and Holly reconcile as a family, but that’s nothing exclusive about Christmas. In other movies with plots that are only tangentially related to Christmas, the holiday is still integral to the plot. Home Alone? The entire reason Kevin is “Alone” is that his family and everyone in his neighborhood are traveling for Christmas, leaving him the only one to defend against the Wet Bandits. Bad Santa? The entire point is a mall Santa using his job to the mall on Christmas Eve without raising suspicion. A Christmas movie doesn’t have to be about Christmas, but it does have to feature the holiday as an irreplaceable part of the story, which Die Hard really does not.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the natural divisions on this topic among fans. Hell, even the makers of the film don’t agree! Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza has declared that it is and was written to be a Christmas movie, but actor Bruce Willis has stated just as emphatically that it isn’t. It’s unbelievably difficult to make this determination, as I see the merits of both arguments, but I have to go with my gut. On my last watch of the film, I kept noticing the Christmas props in the film and thought, “Huh, that seems conveniently placed. Oh, there’s another one. But what does any of this have to do with Christmas?” If I’m questioning that much the relevance of Christmas in the plot, even after all these years, I think that makes the answer clear.

Final verdict: Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie

And that’s going to do it for this controversial blog entry. Again, please don’t mistake my final verdict. I love Die Hard as a film. It modernized and redefined an entire storytelling genre! I just can’t come to see it as a Christmas movie. If you do, that’s cool. In fact, I’d love to hear from you and why you think it is or isn’t a Christmas movie. Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly, especially if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog on the art and craft of storytelling. Here in America, it was Thanksgiving yesterday, so I thought we’d celebrate by talking about something every hero should be thankful for – a great sidekick. Often, sidekicks serve in an entertaining comedic role, keeping up the spirits of both the hero and the audience through the story’s highs and lows. But truly elite sidekicks do far more than that, as we will soon see. So, what qualities make an elite sidekick? There are a few, but the most important is loyalty. A top-notch sidekick will stick with their friend through anything, no matter how tough things get. They also need to be skilled – even if they aren’t as good as the hero, the sidekick has to contribute and carry their own weight. Finally, they have to believe in the hero, even if the hero loses their own faith along the way. Sidekicks often see heroes at their worst, and their most basic job is to be by their side to kick them into shape when this happens. Original, I know, but it’s true. I’ve tried to compile who I believe are the best sidekicks out there. I am trying to keep to one character per franchise, though you’ll have to forgive me for cheating once – you’ll understand when we get there. Anyway, let’s get started counting down the best of the best when it comes to ever-faithful wards!

Number Ten – The Genie of the Lamp (Aladdin, 1992)

Walt Disney Animation has given us a slew of memorable sidekicks over the years, but none can come anywhere close to Genie. Many sidekicks naturally serve as a comedic foil to the protagonist, and Genie is possibly the best example of this. Yet through all of his absurdist humor, Genie shows incredible wisdom, desiring his own freedom and reminding Aladdin that he can only win Jasmine’s heart by being himself. Even when he is forced to change sides and help the evil sorcerer Jafar, you can see the pain in his eyes at being used like a tool. Though the initial motivation of the story revolves around Aladdin and Jasmine falling in love, the true emotional weight of the climax lies in Genie losing his chance at freedom for good. Yet he remains Aladdin’s friend through it all, making it all the more satisfying when he’s at last rewarded with his freedom.

Best moment: Probably Genie’s best moment as a sidekick comes with Aladdin’s second wish. Jafar has ambushed Aladdin and tossed him into the sea to drown, though an inadvertent rub of the lamp brings Genie into the fray. He wants nothing more than to help his friend and Master, but he can’t unless Aladdin makes a wish to save his life. With a random nod of Aladdin’s head, Genie bends the rules and takes that as permission to grant said wish.

Number Nine – Spock (Star Trek, 1966)

Not every sidekick needs to be a comedic foil, as seen in the iconic TV series, Star Trek. To balance out James T. Kirk’s cavalier swashbuckler, we need his resolute, logical, and unemotional first officer, Spock. Of course, these characteristics aren’t absolute, which is what makes Spock such a compelling character in addition to a great sidekick. He is, after all, half human and half Vulcan, forcing him to wrestle with the emotional side he constantly tries to suppress. Yet in his quiet moments, he always refers to Kirk as his friend. Though Spock is renowned for using his wits to find clever solutions to complicated problems, he can get his hands dirty when needed. His Vulcan nerve pinch is legendary, as is his ability to mind meld with others for information. So, we have a loyal sidekick that complements the protagonist both in personality and in skillset, but what about being self-sacrificing? Need you ask?

Best moment: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan provides not only Spock’s most iconic moment but one of the most iconic moments in all of science fiction. After their epic space battle with Khan, the Enterprise is unable to escape the ensuing explosion due to their damaged warp drive. Sealing himself inside the irradiated engine room, Spock repairs the warp drive in time for the ship to escape. He dies a heartbreaking death with his best friend, James Kirk, bearing witness to his final moments.

Number Eight – Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Top Gun, 1986)

At first glance, Goose is less of a complementary sidekick and more of an enabler. After all, Maverick and Goose are both typical flyboys, running on instinct and adrenaline for the most part. But where Maverick is naturally a daredevil and a risk-taker, as shown when he risks his life to help Cougar land safely in the opening scene, Goose retains a subtle influence as Maverick’s conscience. After all, Goose is the one with a wife and son, a stark contrast to Maverick’s lone wolf act. This, of course, makes Goose’s death all the more tragic, shattering his family and breaking Maverick’s confidence. But once Maverick regains his confidence in the final dogfight, he also regains Goose’s influence as his conscience, even after the latter’s death. Talk to me, Goose.

Best moment: While Goose’s death is easily his most memorable moment, his best moment as Maverick’s sidekick comes earlier in the film. After an embarrassing failure during a training exercise, Maverick is reprimanded for breaking the hard deck and performing an unsanctioned flyby. While Maverick’s natural instinct is to blow this off with all the anger of youth, Goose comes to him in a quiet moment and admits his own fear that they won’t even graduate from Top Gun, let alone be the best. Maverick still has lots of growing to do from here, but this is the beginning of his maturation, and it’s all thanks to Goose.

Number Seven – Dr. John Watson (Sherlock Holmes, multiple)

Being the sidekick to one of the most enduring characters in all of storytelling all but guaranteed a spot on this list for Watson. Though intelligent and an accomplished doctor in his own right, Watson often functions as a sounding board for the sheer brilliance of Holmes’ deduction. This actually ends up being a fantastic method of storytelling, as Watson is the first-person narrator of the stories. The end result of this is the reader feeling as if they are the sidekick. After all, many of Watson’s interruptions and questions are reasonable thoughts for the reader to have. Watson ends up not only being an excellent sidekick but also a perfect conduit for immersion into the story.

Best moment: Watson has been portrayed in many different ways over the years. In some versions, he’s just as he appears in the books, other versions show him more as a well-meaning bumbler, and still others have him as nearly a match for Holmes himself. My favorite moment is in the 2011 film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The film is a reimagining of The Final Problem, pitting Holmes against Moriarty. Still, it is Watson who uses everything he’s learned from Holmes to catch Moriatry’s spy and stop an assassination attempt just in time. Many actors have played Watson, but Jude Law is certainly one of the best.

Number Six – Sancho Panza (Don Quixote, 1605)

Easily the oldest work on this list, Miguel de Cervantes crafted the original sidekick in Sancho Panza. While the protagonist, Don Quixote, was an idealistic and delusional knight, Sancho remained by his side as a faithful and loyal squire, albeit one who never passed up the chance to spout his common wisdom and proverbs. Through all their troubles and misadventures, Sancho remains calm and good-natured, always working to temper the unrestrained bravado of his liege and get him out of the problems he creates. Yet for all the subtle influence Sancho exerts on Don Quixote, it also works the other way. As Don Quixote lies on his deathbed and suddenly regains his sanity, Sancho picks that moment to succumb to delusion and suggests they become pastoral shepherds. A fitting end to a satirical epic, indeed.

Best moment: At one point in their travels, a duke offers Sancho the chance to leave Don Quixote and govern a kingdom himself. Though Sancho is understandably hesitant to leave his friend, Don Quixote speaks with him at length and eventually comes to the conclusion that Sancho would be a good leader. Saying his goodbyes, Sancho takes charge and governs with surprising effectiveness, even in the face of pranks from the duke’s men. Still, he comes to miss his journeys and eventually resigns to rejoin Don Quixote’s adventure.

Number Five – Short Round (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984)

Young children as sidekicks are frequently more annoying than they are helpful, but Short Round is a rare exception. From the outset, it’s shown that he and Indy have a strong relationship, as Indy trusted Shorty to be his getaway driver as he escapes from Lao Che’s men. As they, along with Willie, are entangled in a further adventure involving the Sankara Stones, this bond is showcased further, particularly with both Indy and Shorty cheating at cards around the campfire. Best of all, Shorty can hold his own in hand-to-hand combat once things get dicey, consistently fighting off Thuggee guards with Indy throughout the film. Even though Shorty does make the occasional misstep, causing more trouble for Indy, he always comes through when it matters most. While Temple of Doom is considered by some to be the odd one out in the original Indiana Jones trilogy, the pairing of Indy and Shorty is easily the best part of the film and one of the biggest reasons why it works so well.

Best moment: At the midpoint of the story, Indy, Shorty, and Willie have all been captured by the Thuggee cult. Their leader, Mola Ram, manages to brainwash Indy and prepares Willie as a human sacrifice. Shorty, however, is quickly discarded and sent to work in the mines, which is a massive mistake by Mola Ram. In a display of pure heart and guts, Shorty manages to break out of his shackles, confront Indy, and bring him back to his senses by burning him with a torch. The rip-roaring finale features several great scenes involving Shorty, but none can come close to this emotional moment with his father figure and best friend, Indiana Jones.

Number Four – Hermione Granger (Harry Potter, 1997-2007)

Ron Weasley might be Harry Potter’s best friend, but he isn’t the best sidekick for the Boy Who Lived. That honor goes to the brightest witch of her age, Hermione Jean Granger. Simply put, Harry and Ron would probably have been killed several times over if not for Hermione’s brilliance. She’s possibly the ultimate complementary sidekick, specializing in things her friends aren’t good at. While she has to learn to be more like Harry and Ron in combat over the course of the series, her incredible skills with all manner of spells, combined with her top-notch memory, make her the MVP of so many fixes for the Golden Trio. Best of all, we can see the influence these characters have on each other. Despite their personality differences, Harry eventually learns to be more cautious from Hermione, Ron begins to take his studies more seriously, and Hermione develops serious nerve and resolve as she grows. Speaking of which…

Best moment: Hermione’s had a lot of great moments, such as saving Ron from Devil’s Snare, learning about the Basilisk, and punching Draco Malfoy in the nose. Still, the gutsiest thing she’s ever done came in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Bellatrix Lestrange and sneak into the Lestrange vault at Gringotts isn’t just bold, it’s borderline insane. Not only is she going into enemy territory as a wanted Muggle-born, but she has to act like one of the most sadistic witches in the world, contrary to her kind nature. Thanks to Ron and Harry’s improvisational skills, they manage to pull the ruse off, bringing another of Voldemort’s Horcruxes into their possession. No wonder she eventually became Minister of Magic!

Number Three – Chewbacca and R2D2 (Star Wars, 1977)

This is it, the one entry where I had to declare a tie. These two are both among the most awesome sidekicks of them all, for different reasons. First, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more loyal and loveable friend than Chewbacca. Whether with Han, Lando, or Rey, he’s the best copilot in the galaxy, hands down. Once you’ve earned his loyalty, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you, including ripping the arms of your enemies from their sockets! As for R2, this little astromech droid has more cajones than anyone else in the Star Wars universe. He’s braved the Dune Sea, helped General Skywalker in the Clone War, and flew with Luke on his fateful run down the Death Star trench. R2D2 is the ultimate ride-or-die companion, and if he had the capability, he’d probably be trying to kill Stormtroopers with a blaster of his own!

Best moments: Both characters' best moments happen in Return of the Jedi. For Chewie, allowing himself to be captured by Jabba the Hutt as part of Luke’s plan to rescue Han Solo is incredibly brave, and it put Chewie in position to help secure their final escape over the Great Pit of Carkoon. For R2, he’s no stranger to wading through a warzone to hack some computer or equipment on the other side of the area. Though he’s done this several times over the series, his willingness to put himself in harm’s way is probably most memorable during the Battle of Endor. Sadly, he is blasted and disabled before completing the job, but his sheer gutsiness in moving through the mess of Stormtroopers to get there is reason enough for this to be his best moment.

Number Two – Dick Grayson (Batman, 1940-present)

As the original Robin, the Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson has decades of experience as Batman’s sidekick across multiple mediums. Possibly no hero and sidekick combo is more iconic than this one, as they are frequently referred to as the Dynamic Duo. Ever since the tragic death of Grayson’s parents during their trapeze act, Bruce Wayne has acted as his mentor and father figure. Grayson eventually joined Wayne’s crimefighting efforts, using his acrobatic skills to great effect. Thanks to Wayne, he also sharpened his sleuthing skills, eventually making him much more of a true partner in their relationship. Of course, Grayson has gone on to have a remarkable career as a solo hero, Nightwing, but he’ll always be remembered as the first Robin.

Best moment: Grayson has had a lot of memorable adventures, both with Wayne and by himself, but my favorite moment is his founding of the modern Teen Titans. As an angsty teenager on the cusp of adulthood, Grayson abandons Wayne to strike out on his own. What does he do first? Befriend a group of misfit orphans and form a surrogate family with them, just like Wayne did with him. Like father, like son.

Before the top pick, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

Ed Norton (The Honeymooners, 1955)

Though Norton can come across as nothing more than the dumber, funnier friend of Ralph Kramden, this belies the surprisingly intelligent and worldly personality hiding underneath. He’s a perfect good-natured foil to Ralph’s temper, and was the inspiration for both Barney Rubble and Yogi Bear, to boot!

Barney Fife (The Andy Griffith Show, 1960)

Oh, Deputy Fife. Far from the most effective sidekick, but easily one of the most memorable. His faults are many, such as harassing Mayberry’s citizens for minor offenses or accidentally shooting himself in the foot on occasion, but he really does try his best. Barney’s uptight nature blends well with the laidback Andy Taylor.

Donkey (Shrek, 2001-2010)

Eddie Murphy has played and voiced a plethora of memorable sidekicks over the years, but Donkey is possibly his most famous role of all. Though not overly brave, Donkey is extremely loyal to Shrek, refusing to leave his side even when the ogre gets annoyed at Donkey’s antics. Plus, he eventually becomes a loving father in his own right!

And with that, it’s time for…

Number One – Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings, 1954-1955)

Could it have been anyone else? Sam isn’t just the greatest sidekick of them all, he’s the true unsung hero of The Lord of the Rings. Without his incredible companionship, there is little chance Frodo would have made it all the way to Mount Doom himself. I mean, Sam just has everything. Loyal? To a fault. Brave? Every step he takes on this journey is a courageous one. Skilled? He faces foes much stronger and deadlier than him and comes out on top on more than one occasion. But beyond these qualities, Sam is the greatest sidekick of all because of one thing – he’s inspirational. Frodo goes through hell on his journey, both physically and emotionally. After carrying the One Ring and resisting its corrupting influence for so long, he begins to doubt his strength to keep going. Sam is the one who lifts him up and reminds him what they’re fighting for, what they’re fighting to preserve. Sam was Frodo’s guiding light through Middle Earth, as well as a guiding light of inspiration for so many readers the world over. Best of all, Sam is actually rewarded with his happy ending at the end of the story, returning to the shire to start a family with Rosie. Well done, Samwise. You’ve earned it.

Best moment: Wow, too many to pick from. His speech in The Two Towers, carrying Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom on his back, and constantly trying to protect Frodo from Gollum come to mind. Still, Sam’s finest hour comes when he faces the dreaded spider Shelob in combat, saving Frodo’s life. Moreover, Sam manages to wound Shelob in the process, a feat nobody else on Middle Earth has accomplished. Facing certain death, this was the moment Sam risked it all and proved his mettle.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking. Of course, I want to hear from you. Which sidekicks are you thankful for? Who else should’ve made the list? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly, especially if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, I’m leaning hard into my love of fantasy, much like last week, and ranking my favorite magic systems across all storytelling mediums. We’ve got a bit of everything today, from books and movies to TV and even some anime. I always love a good magic system, and my tastes run the gamut from complex hard systems to wondrous soft systems. Some of these entries are ones you may not have even thought of as magic systems, but when broken down, contain all the necessary parts to be considered magic. Hopefully, this will be helpful to my fellow authors in crafting their own magic systems. Again, these are my favorite magic systems that have influenced my writing, not necessarily the best magic systems. No flaming for my opinion, please!

In case you aren’t familiar with the concept, magic in storytelling can often be defined somewhere on a scale of hard to soft. Harder magic systems have more clearly defined rules, origins, and limits on what can be done and how. They can be complex and tough to follow, but when done well, the magic integrates perfectly with a story and becomes a living part of the world itself. Soft magic, on the other hand, is less clearly defined as to rules, origins, and limits. While an author must be careful not to rely on soft magic as a crutch, when used properly, it makes for truly awe-inspiring moments. As we go, I’ll be grading each magic system on a 1 to 5 scale from soft to hard, in my opinion. This isn’t a measure of quality, of course, but simply a description. Anyway, I’ve rambled enough for this intro. Let’s get into it!

Number Ten – Star Wars

Grade 2, mostly soft.

We’ll start with one of the first types of magic I was ever introduced to: The Force. In the original trilogy, The Force is one of the best soft magic systems I’ve ever seen. It has only a few specific powers, mostly telekinesis, precognition, and mental abilities, yet those powers have incredible potential. We don’t really know the origins of The Force other than Obi-Wan’s description of it as an energy field encompassing all living things, yet this is all we really need. The Force is also limited in the original trilogy by the sheer lack of practitioners. Throughout all three films, only five characters (debatably six, if you count Leia) are able to use The Force: Luke, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Darth Vader, and Palpatine. This is an excellent way to keep a soft magic system interesting, though it goes out the window after the original trilogy. The prequel trilogy expands on The Force, attempting to explain it with the occasionally reviled concept of Midi-chlorians, microscopic organisms within our cells that determine a person’s capability with The Force. As well, the number of users of The Force skyrockets in this trilogy with the Jedi Order at the height of its influence. Still, The Force itself works quite well, as the story being told in the prequel trilogy isn’t truly about The Force, but about the Old Republic. Much of the tension is focused on the politics of the situation and the outbreak of the Clone War, which the Jedi couldn’t prevent even with The Force. Sadly, this magic system lost a lot of points due to the sequel trilogy, which added several new abilities and skills with little to no explanation or foreshadowing. This could have been avoided, as shown in non-canon novels. For example, several books detailed Palpatine’s resurrection using a combination of The Force and cloned embryos of himself, a far better explanation than, “Somehow, Palpatine returned.” The Force is an excellent example of a great magic system made worse when it was later used as a storytelling crutch.

Number Nine – The Matrix

Grade 3, medium.

Like Star Wars, The Matrix is a sci-fi franchise that actually incorporates a surprising number of fantasy elements in its world. Though not defined as a magic system in the films, I view it through that lens and have come to refer to it as Hacking. The rules are well-defined at first. Free humans, when hacking back into the Matrix, are able to bend or break many of the rules governing this computer program. Depending on their skill, this can grant them increased speed, strength, reflexes, and stamina. The costs are not clearly defined, but it does appear that Hacking tires the user out. Opposing the humans are the Agents, computer programs that also have super-human abilities, but only because they’re programmed to have them. Thus, as Morpheus explains, their abilities are still based on a system defined by limits. In theory, any human could exceed those limits with Hacking, but in practice, the only human able to do so is The One, Neo himself. Appropriately, Neo’s awakening as The One comes with a significant boost to his power, but to counter this, the Wachowskis devised a fairly brilliant twist. In defeating Agent Smith, Neo accidentally set the dangerous program free, allowing Smith to learn his own form of Hacking and surpass the limits the Matrix had set for him. This eventually made Smith a danger to both humans and machines. Though parts of this system went overboard late in the franchise, such as Neo’s powers extending beyond the Matrix and the overall Power Creep, there really is so much to love about this magic system.

Number Eight – Harry Potter

Grade 3, medium.

Magic in Harry Potter is an example of a system that began very hard before softening over time. Rowling states the rules of magic early on. With rare exceptions, such as when a child is discovered to have magic, a witch or wizard must have certain things to use magic. They need a wand with some sort of magical core to focus their power, an incantation (often in Latin) to summon the magic, and a specific flourish of the wand to direct it. Through the series, Rowling creates a magic system that’s impressively expansive, encompassing every aspect of life in the Wizarding World, yet this also ends up being a bit of a weakness. Late in the series, it becomes clear that every established rule has exceptions. Some witches or wizards can perform wandless magic, silent spells are commonplace in duels, and Voldemort and his Death Eaters can even fly without brooms. While exceptions are to be expected for particularly powerful practitioners, one must be careful not to make the exceptions too common, lest they undermine the foundation of the magic system. Still, this is a very fun magic system that manages to integrate flawlessly into its world while still inspiring awe and wonder at critical times.

Number Seven – Naruto

Grade 4, mostly hard.

The magic system in the Naruto anime is based on Chakra, spiritual energy found in nature and in people. Instead of wizards, there are Shinobi who can draw on Chakra to perform Jutsu (spells) of many types. The sheer vastness of this system makes for a huge variety of characters and combat styles. Some are brute-force Shinobi who use Chakra to enhance their martial arts, some can merge pure Chakra energy with one of the elements, others are adept at creating illusions, and still others can summon weapons or supernatural creatures to aid them in battle. But the unifying factor in all these techniques is the thing that makes this system so iconic: hand signs. In order to use Chakra, a Shinobi must master these twelve hand movements and use them in different patterns to perform the Jutsu needed. For fans of anime, Naruto’s hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu is as iconic as Harry Potter’s Expelliarmus. The one weakness of this magic system is in how overpowered certain individuals became by the end of the original anime’s run. There are many unique Jutsu accessible only by individuals of certain lineages or clans, and as more of these skills came into play, a system originally grounded with clear rules and limits eventually became demigods hurling energy blasts at each other. Power Creep strikes again, but that doesn’t change how excellent the basis of this magic system is for me.

Number Six – A Song of Ice and Fire

Grade 1, very soft.

In some ways, George R. R. Martin’s ongoing epic could be described as fantasy for people who aren’t that into fantasy. His stories focus far more on the political tensions in his world, yet magic is still present and vital to the narrative. Martin keeps his magic as mysterious and unscientific as possible, often playing supernatural occurrences as a possible trick of the mind instead of outright magic, at least in the minds of the characters. He also handles a very tricky subject extremely well: resurrection. It’s so hard to believably resurrect dead characters with magic, but Martin makes it work with the costs involved. These costs aren’t quantified, yet we see them all the same. For example, Beric Dondarrian has been resurrected multiple times and describes it as pieces of who he once was being chipped away with each rebirth. He’s alive again, but he’s no longer himself. While he may have a rudimentary knowledge of things that happened to him in his past lives, the intimacy has been lost. The war between hard and soft magic rages between authors and fans of fantasy, but Martin makes a compelling case for keeping magic soft and mysterious.

Number Five – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Grade 5, very hard.

This short but massively popular anime series gave us possibly the most scientific magic system ever: Alchemy. Alchemy is essentially magical transmutation governed by the Law of Equivalent Exchange. This law states, “Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.” In essence, this encompasses two real-world scientific principles, the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Natural Providence. To perform Alchemy, an Alchemist must have an intimate understanding of the components involved and the will to deconstruct those components before reforming them as they see fit. Failure during any part of the process results in a catastrophic Rebound, as shown in the opening episodes of the series. The two protagonists, brothers Edward and Alphonse, naively attempt to use Alchemy to bring back their deceased mother. This horrifically results in Alphonse losing his body entirely and Edward losing one of his legs. In desperation, Edward uses Alchemy once more, sacrificing his right arm to preserve his brother’s soul and bind it to a suit of armor. Again, all this occurs in the opening of the series, highlighting both the power and the danger of this magic system and creating incredible drama as the brothers set out on a quest to fully restore their bodies. The system expands in creative ways from there, yet always adheres to its founding rules, helping it feel grounded and believable. If you’re crafting a hard magic system, study up on this one as you go.

Number Four – Mistborn

Grade 5, very hard.

What list of magic systems would be complete without one from the master of hard magic, Brandon Sanderson? This system is so nuanced and complex that I can’t possibly go into everything, but I’ll do my best with the basics of what makes it so strong. It’s a very different sort of magic system built around different types of metals, and different users utilize the metals in different ways. First are Allomancers, who ingest certain metals to achieve different magical effects, but at the risk of deformity and dependency upon the metal if they use too much at once. Second are Feruchemists, who instead touch these metals to activate the corresponding ability, but they must first give up said ability in their base state, weakening them for a time. Finally, there are Hemalurgists, who drive spikes made of various metals into other magic users to leech these abilities from them, but the overall power of the magic is reduced within the recipient after this process. It’s an incredible magic system that Sanderson uses in many creative ways. As his series goes on, the magic evolves with it, with later books detailing characters able to compound different metals together, for example. While most epic high fantasy trends more toward soft magic, this series is a wonderful example of how to use a hard magic system in such a sprawling fashion.

Number Three – Avatar: The Last Airbender

Grade 4, mostly hard.

Easily one of the greatest elemental magic systems ever, magic users in this world are called Benders. A Bender can Bend one of the four elements, water, fire, earth, or air, by performing martial arts. Each Bending art is associated with a real variation of Kung Fu – Tai Chi for water, Northern Shaolin for fire, Hung Gar for earth, and Bagua for air. Beyond these single Benders, there is the Avatar, one person capable of Bending all four elements. Whenever an Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into an individual of the next natural element in line. What begins as a simple magic system for a children’s show quickly becomes highly complex and nuanced. For example, one Earthbender is a blind little girl who develops her own style of Bending based on Praying Mantis Kung Fu, complete with the ability to sense tiny vibrations through her feet. She later evolves this further, learning how to manipulate metal by sensing the earthen particles within it. These are but a sampling of the ingenious branches of this magic system. Sadly, some of these new abilities went off the rails in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra, softening the system in harmful ways, but the original iteration of this system remains a favorite of mine and has been a huge influence for me in my own writings.

Number Two – The Lord of the Rings

Grade 1, very soft.

One of the oldest official magic systems and perhaps the greatest of them all, Tolkien crafted a truly vast fantasy world with wondrous magic integral to the story. When I mentioned the strength of soft magic being able to create awe and wonder for the reader, this is the preeminent example. The entire crux of the conflict is that the dark magic of Sauron is growing stronger while the benevolent magic of Gandalf and the elves is dying out. We never get any specifics on how it all works, but we can see the corrupting influence of any magic associated with Sauron, from the Wraiths and the Witch King to the One Ring itself. The same is true of Gandalf. We get glimpses of his massive power, such as when he fights the Balrog, and any specifics as to how he does it would dilute Gandalf’s sheer badassery in such instances. For such a soft system, Tolkien also handles the limits of magic quite well, namely with the lack of magic users in his world. With our heroes scattered across Middle Earth, the tension isn’t a question of if Gandalf has a spell powerful enough to solve the problem but rather that Gandalf can’t be everywhere at once. Magic pervades almost every aspect of the story, but it’s rarely the solution to every problem our heroes encounter. Sure, there are still some plot holes that have been discussed without end, (looking at you, Great Eagles!) but even these holes can’t detract from this masterclass in soft magic.

Before we unveil my top pick, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

My Hero Academia

Though this anime explores the superhero genre instead of fantasy, each character’s powers, called Quirks, are basically tiny magic systems in and of themselves. This is an excellent example of how to handle multiple unrelated powers in different characters. The lore and history behind the protagonist’s Quirk, One for All, is particularly strong.

Earthsea

While not as universally known as Tolkien’s or Martin’s works, this epic fantasy series uses its magic system quite effectively. Based on the idea of speaking something’s True Name in the proper language, magic is used to explore every aspect of the world, most notably the evolving relationship between the supposed dominant males and lesser females.

Coco

This masterpiece from Disney and Pixar crafted a beautiful magic system for the Land of the Dead. In it, everything is governed by memories, specifically, the memories passed down of an individual by those who knew them in life. Every rule and nuance weaves into the story, leading to one of the most beautiful climaxes in all of storytelling, in my humble opinion.

Number One – The Dresden Files

Grade 4, mostly hard.

This is it, the most inspirational magic system I’ve ever encountered. Jim Butcher has crafted an incredibly versatile world of magic in his ongoing book series, and the series still hasn’t reached its conclusion yet! There’s a little bit of everything in this system. Elemental magic, ritual magic, the occult, True Names, Power of Belief, Norse gods, Greek gods, faerie tale creatures, and even divine relics created and empowered by the Christian God Himself. Holy crap! Yet as complicated as it sounds, all of these elements blend together perfectly in a way that somehow remains defined within its own rules and easy to follow for the reader, all explored through the eyes of the protagonist, Chicago wizard Harry Dresden. There is some debate as to how hard or soft this system is overall. There are still many aspects of this system that have yet to be revealed, as well as other aspects that have been revealed but not defined or expanded upon. Yet the parts that Butcher has revealed in full are extremely tight and consistent, keeping with the rules established in this universe, so it stands to reason that the unrevealed parts would follow suit. One of my favorite things of all is how Butcher infuses the magic with his own quirky sense of humor. In one instance, Dresden defeats a rival dark wizard with a simple broom-sweeping spell. In another, the ghost of a deceased wizard is detected and revealed by the cat the wizard had in life because cats can, of course, sense ghosts, and they treat them just like they treat living humans – as their servants. I could go on and on about the different aspects I adore about this magic system. It’s been, by far, the biggest influence on my own magic system, which is why it sits atop this list.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking. I hope I was able to help my fellow authors with my musings on different types of magic. Of course, there’s not a true winner between hard, soft, and medium magic systems – they each have their merits and I love them all in the right circumstances. But I’d love to hear from you. What magic systems have influenced and inspired your writings? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly, especially if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Happy Halloween, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, in honor of All Hallows’ Eve, I’ll be ranking the ten best monsters and supernatural creatures across all forms of storytelling. These mysterious beings have captured our imaginations for years, some going as far back as ancient mythology. But which supernatural creatures are the best and most iconic of all? We’ll explore that today, looking at the origins of these creatures and examining some of their most iconic portrayals throughout history. Of note, I’m defining these entries specifically as non-human entities. Half-human creatures or humans that transform into supernatural creatures as their only or predominant ability are fair game, but otherwise regular humans who have learned how to harness magical forces are not. For this reason, witches, wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, and the like will not be on this list. With that out of the way, let’s get spooky!

Number Ten – Trolls

Though the term Troll has become a modern term for someone trying to annoy a rival with juvenile antics, the first trolls were far more dangerous. Originating in Scandinavian mythology, trolls were powerful nature beings with a reputation for kidnapping civilized humans. They usually live in isolation, typically in the mountains, but less frequently by river banks. Their popularity in storytelling exploded from there, as the “troll beneath the bridge” became a frequent trope in fairy tales. Some analysts even define Grendel, the notorious antagonist in Beowulf, as being within the troll family. In modern storytelling, trolls have become a mainstay of the fantasy genre, such as in Tolkien’s Middle Earth and Rowling’s Wizarding World. Hell, there are now versions of the creatures designed to be child-friendly, such as Treasure Trolls. Through the many subvariants of this monster, such as goblins and orcs, the troll has become an enduring staple of storytelling, and a worthy start to this list.

Number Nine – Centaurs

Of all the land-based half-human creatures, such as satyrs and the dreaded Minotaur, centaurs are probably the most well-known of them all. They are a fantastic device for exploring the struggle between civilized man and untamed nature within a single being. As such, many centaurs have a reputation for being wild and raucous. After all, it was a centaur, Nessus, who was the ultimate downfall of the mighty Heracles, killing the hero after his own death using his poisoned blood. Then again, perhaps the most famous centaur, Chiron, was known as a pillar of wisdom and justice. He personally taught many Greek heroes, such as Achilles and Jason. This reputation has endured to the modern day, where Chiron trains the title character in the Percy Jackson book series. A similar situation occurs in Harry Potter, as most centaurs are wild and dangerous, but one centaur, Firenze, shuns his brethren to become the Divination professor at Hogwarts. In the Chronicles of Narnia, this is further expanded upon, with centaurs being wise stargazers loyal to King Aslan. In spite of their more positive portrayals in the modern day, centaurs remain the very definition of complicated creatures.

Number Eight – Ghosts

Though ghost can sometimes be an overly generalized term, true ghosts are defined as the restless and wayward spirits of deceased humans. At best, they are frequently depicted as tragic figures imprisoned by their failings and regrets in life, such as the house ghosts in Harry Potter. Perhaps the most famous signature ability of ghosts is the power to possess the living for a time, as seen in stories such as Beetlejuice. Often, ghosts have a limited ability to manifest and communicate directly with the living. The more benevolent ones will use this to actively try and help those they knew in life to avoid their miserable fate, most famously done by Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol. Of course, when ghosts become angry and vengeful, there is no force on Earth capable of stopping them. One has to look no further than the film Poltergeist to see what happens when ghosts declare the living to be their enemy. Treat ghosts with respect, and whatever you do, don’t build a house on their buried corpses!

Number Seven – Sea Monsters

As long as man has sailed the oceans, there have been myths and legends about what monsters may lurk beneath the waves. This is understandable, as even a fleeting glimpse of a massive creature in the open ocean will make a sailor fearful. Of all these legends, none have endured in storytelling as much as the terrible Kraken. Stories of giant squids attacking ships at sea have always captured our imaginations, such as in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. More modern stories, such as Clash of the Titans and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, have solidified the Kraken specifically as a sea monster to be feared and respected. Beyond the Kraken, there are other monstrous legends based on sea creatures, primarily whales and sharks. Most famously, Moby Dick tells the epic tale of Captain Ahab’s ill-fated mission to kill the giant whale that took his leg. And who could forget the giant great white shark from Spielberg’s classic film, Jaws? Ultimately, sea monsters of all sorts are meant to tap into one of the most primal human fears of all – the fear of the unknown.

Number Six – Mermaids

Though technically sea monsters, mermaids are often a category all their own, being human-fish hybrids. While most modern depictions show mermaids as benevolent creatures of grace and beauty, their origins are far darker. Sailors were warned to resist listening to their songs for fear of dying in the resulting shipwreck, similar to the Greek myths of the sirens. Though there were some conflicting early accounts of mermaids, the shift to them being benevolent really began with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. Disney’s later reimagining of this story as an animated film further cemented the popularity of Mermaids in modern times, spawning other variations such as Aquamarine and Ponyo. Still, some modern adaptions harken back to the darker origins of mermaids, most notably Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In general, when writing about mermaids, it seems prudent to decide in advance which direction to take them as characters and commit to this direction.

Number Five – Succubi

Among the darkest and most consistently evil of supernatural creatures, succubi are demons appearing as beautiful human women. They feed on the life force of men, taking their strength from them during intimate sexual contact. According to some legends, the first succubus was Lilith, the original wife of Adam. Over time, however, the term succubus has simply come to mean a woman who tempts and seduces men into sinful sexual acts, rather than stealing their life force or soul literally. Still, they are popular antagonistic figures in fantasy storytelling. One of my favorite versions takes place in The Dresden Files book series. Here, they are called the White Court of Vampires, but despite their title, the members of the White Court are succubi and incubi (male succubi), feeding off the life force of humans through intimate contact. Author Jim Butcher’s ingenious twist is that they must do this to survive, with one particular White Court vampire fighting against his inner demonic desires and only feeding as much as he must to survive. This is a brilliant changeup that turns a terrifying, evil creature into a tragic soul tormented by the nature of his very existence. Such subversions of expectations often make for the best characters in storytelling.

Number Four – Werewolves

Speaking of tormented souls, let’s talk about werewolves, shall we? Werewolves, sometimes called lycanthropes, originated in European folklore as far back as the first century AD. Many of these superstitions were rooted in the general fear of wolves, which were among the greatest threats of the day to anyone who did not live in a large city. What could be more dangerous than a simple wolf? A wolf who walked among normal humans by day. In some traditions, werewolves were truly evil, with the human using a spell or a talisman to transform willingly. In others, werewolves were tragic figures, their transformation a completely involuntary affliction that stripped them of their mind and free will, sometimes even transmitting the disease to other humans bitten by the werewolf. As such, they’re extremely popular figures in fantasy and Gothic horror, receiving countless depictions in literature and even being paired with other monsters, such as Dracula. There has been excellent variety in the types of werewolves used even in the modern day – tragic werewolf Remus Lupin in Harry Potter, heroic shapeshifter Jacob Black in Twilight, and multiple different types of good and evil werewolves in The Dresden Files. Regardless of what type of werewolf shows up, here’s hoping you’ve got a silver bullet handy.

Number Three – Dragons

Dragons were always going to be on this list, but a recent spike in popularity launched these creatures into the top three. Dragons have existed in folklore across the world for centuries, and their depictions vary greatly depending on the country of origin. In most European traditions, dragons are powerful, dangerous creatures known for capturing maidens and hoarding treasure. East Asian folklore, conversely, almost universally depicts dragons as powerful, wise, and benevolent omens of good fortune. Some dragons in these nations even have wish-granting abilities, as seen in the Dragon Ball franchise. Even further variations exist in South America, where many of their deities are serpentine dragons and run the gamut from benevolent to destructive. Regardless of origin, dragons are mighty not only for their size and physical strength but also for their power over the elements. Dragons have been known to breathe and manipulate fire, water, ice, and even lightning! They’re so popular, I can’t possibly list all of their best appearances in storytelling. Game of Thrones, American Dragon: Jake Long, How to Train Your Dragon, Wagner’s The Ring Cycle, and The Hobbit are just a very few of the many iconic depictions of dragons in storytelling.

Number Two – Vampires

Closely related to succubi, vampires are undead creatures, sometimes called demons, who are sustained by the blood of the living. Though some folklore associates vampirism with a host of demonic creatures, the modern depiction of vampires as cultured, charismatic, and seductive began with Polidori’s short story, The Vampyre. This was further cemented by Stoker’s immortal classic, Dracula. Much like succubi, vampires have recently been explored in a more tragic light, exploring the psyche of these men and women who must feed on the blood of humans, possibly transforming their victims into vampires themselves in the process. As such, vampires are perhaps the most dominant supernatural creatures in horror storytelling, with Dracula being the second most common major character in the history of film, beaten only by Sherlock Holmes. In the modern day, countless examples of vampires persist, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and True Blood. Vampires are so dominant that they very nearly took the top spot, but for the number one pick coming on very strong in recent years.

Before that, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

Unicorns – Often seen as a pure, benevolent counterpart to dragons in European folklore, they’ve become less of a storytelling medium in modern times and more of a symbol for free spirits, as well as the national animal of Scotland!

Giants – Another common antagonist in folklore and fairy tales, giants can often be described as “Trolls, but bigger.” Still, the popularity of giant antagonists helped inspire similar modern characters such as Godzilla, so they’re worthy of a mention.

Elves – Whether it’s the jolly helpers of Santa Claus or the brave, beautiful warriors of Middle Earth and so many other fantasy stories, Elves are a mainstay of the fantasy genre. Still, they’re so close to human that I couldn’t include them in the actual list.

Gorgons – While gorgons may not be as widespread throughout storytelling as other creatures, they make up for it with sheer iconicity. The tale of Medusa endures with ease even in modern times, and turning your enemies to stone is just badass.

Mummies – A classic monster of many books and horror films, but as they’re basically corpses reanimated by an Egyptian curse or something like that, I decided they were just too similar to the top pick. Speaking of which, it’s time for…

Number One – Zombies

Thanks to a recent surge in fictional representation, zombies have upset the vampires and stolen the crown! This was such a close call, but the idea of artificially reanimated corpses was the very genesis of the science-fiction genre. I argue this genre would never have existed without the first sci-fi novel ever: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s monster, while not technically a modern zombie, provides the foundation upon which zombies were built in their modern form. Whether through scientific experiments, disease, or necromancy magic, the core essence of a zombie is the reanimation of a corpse, making zombies the opposite of ghosts. Sometimes, zombies are slow, mindless creatures who infect humans with their bites, as in Night of the Living Dead. Other times, zombies are fast and highly intelligent, such as in the Resident Evil series of video games. Sometimes, they’re surprisingly complicated sentient beings, as shown in I Am Legend. They can even be played for over-the-top laughs, as in Zombieland. Still, the lynchpin that cemented their win over the vampires comes from their presence in two iconic modern TV series – the White Walkers of Game of Thrones and the Infected of The Walking Dead. They’re so popular that it’s almost a given that every franchise will eventually introduce some zombie-like group of antagonists, even if for no other reason than to give the heroes a hoard of enemies to slice to bits again and again. Zombies aren’t living, making them insanely hard to kill for good, and that persistence has landed them atop this ranking.

And that’s going to do it for this Halloween ranking. Of course, I’d love to know your thoughts. Do you agree? What monsters or creatures did I miss? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!