Here at Avenging Force we’re getting pretty tired of the same-old, same-old. ‘Shipper wars and “Team [Couple]!” cries are getting pretty played out, and we’re well past tired of great stories and characters getting watered down to who they might kiss at the end of the story. We’re here for great friendships–good, solid, thought-out friendships, lifelong pairings that outlast and outshine romantic interests and individual storylines. We’re here for drift compatibility.
For those not aware of what exactly drift compatibility is, we have two things to say to you: 1) Get off your ass and go see Pacific Rim, and 2) drift compatibility is when two people are innately attuned to one another. It’s not about existing relationships; you can determine the drift compatibility of two strangers by watching them interact. What it signifies is two people who are inherently comfortable with one another, that have that je ne sais quoi that makes them work better as a pair than they might individually. Drift compatible people know literally everything about each other and accept it all for what it is, no judgment, no questions–it’s literally part of the job of driving a Jaeger to see into your partner’s mind and memories.
Below we’ve come up with a few pairs from our favorite fandoms, old and new, that we think are drift compatible. Take a look at our picks and let us know what you think in the comments!
Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter (Boy Meets World)
Jaeger Name: Helmet Hair
Colors: Black and Grey
Characteristics: No additional bells or whistles, just a solid fighter, landing punch after punch in perfect sync.
John “J.D.” Dorian and Christopher Turk (Scrubs)
Jaeger Name: Guy Love
Color: Scrubs Blue and Green
Characteristics: Hugs opponents to death with crushing arms.
Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff (Marvel Comics)
Jaeger Name: Widow Hawk
Colors: Mostly Black with Purple stripes across the shoulders and Red around around the waist and wrists.
Characteristics: Arrows deployed from mounts at the shoulder; Shock currents running around the wrists to stun their opponent.
Carol Danvers and Jessica Drew (Marvel Comics)
Jaeger Name: Princess Sparklefists
Colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow
Characteristics: Electric currents in fists for electrical punching. Propulsion systems at the feet to “fly” short distances and add power to attacks.
Clarissa Darling and Sam Anders (Clarissa Explains it All)
Jaeger Name: Window Entry
Colors: Tie-Dye
Characteristics: Retractable ladders that can be used for knocking opponents flat, emits loud guitar riffs to use as distractions.
Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck and Peregrin “Pippin” Took (Lord of the Rings)
Jaeger Name: Second Breakfast
Colors: Earth Green, Yellow, and Maroon
Characteristics: Retracts all limbs and becomes a rolling weapon to knock it’s opponents down.
Mal Reynolds and Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
Jaeger Name: Big Damn Hero (h/t to Lauren for the name)
Colors: Brown and Rust Red
Characteristics: Double pistols and a mean roundhouse punch to knock opponents flat.
Jed Bartlet and Leo McGarry (The West Wing)
Jaeger Name: Eagle Blue
Colors: Red, White, and Blue
Characteristics: Shoulder-mounted cannons that shoot book-shaped projectiles at it’s opponents.
Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)
Jaeger Name: Brainy Alpha
Colors: Black and Bright Blue
Characteristics: Retractable claws and fangs used to rip their opponents to shreds.
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Jaeger Name: Death Seeker
Colors: Crimson and Gold
Characteristics: Giant sword strapped across its back; signature move Hermione throwing a jab at the same time Harry surprises the opponent with an uppercut to the jaw.
Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir (Community)
Jaeger Name: Disco Spider
Colors: Patchwork Quilt
Characteristics: Turns the floor into lava and then challenges opponent to a dance-off.
Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)
Jaeger Name: Outlaw Justice
Colors: Saloon-Style paint job
Characteristics: Projectiles mounted at shoulders, hips, and wrists… and swagger.
I love this game, and am very proud of myself for my Firefly jaeger name.
WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
William Adama/Laura Roslin (BSG)
Lagertha/Bjorn (Vikings)
Madmartigan/Arik (Willow)
Willow/Fred (Buffy/Angel)
Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy (Spider-Man)
Rocket and Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Gambit/Rogue (X-Men)
Barry Allen/Felicity Smoak (The Flash/Arrow)
Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)
I COULD PLAY THIS ALL DAY.
I feel like we’ll need to do a followup post and give those Jaeger teams names, colors, and characteristics! There are so many possibilities.
I’m with you on almost all of these EXCEPT that I don’t think Adama is gonna be drift compatible with anyone except maybe Kara Thrace. I do love that you even THOUGHT of Madmartigan/Arik to include on this list, though. Love love love.
I’m not convinced Kara Thrace is drift compatible with anyone (I actually have the same issue with Harry Potter). And I feel like Adama (Bill, not Lee, obviously) and Roslin have an inherent kindredness of spirit that would help them in a jaeger.
(Speaking of kindred spirits: ANNE AND GILBERT. Not Anne and Diana, I don’t care what Anne thinks.)
But after having these (extensive) conversations about drift compatibility the past few days, I think that what constitutes drift compatibility is kind of in the eye of the beholder, as Pacific Rim never EXPLICITLY spells out for us the requirements of drift compatibility. Is it a strong emotional bond? Is it the ability to approach problems in a similar way? Is it an innate compatibility of personalities? Is it sameness or complementariness? While there are certain pairings that I feel like are CLEARLY not drift compatible (no one will ever come close to convincing me that Batman and Superman are drift compatible) there are so many that are CLOSE, and then it comes down to a matter of personal interpretation on what drift compatibility means.
I think that’s an excellent point. My personal opinion is that it’s the innate comparability of personalities, on a level where the two people understand each other instinctively. A strong emotional bond only adds to this and increases the effectiveness of the two people drifting together.
It’s why I think even people who approach problems differently cant be drift compatible, such as Harry and Hermione. They have unique ways of solving problems, but they both understand how the other one works in a way that even Ron couldn’t really. Though, I absolutely do understand your view that Harry would have a hard time drifting with anyone. I think given what he’s been through he’d have a difficult time opening up his mind like that, which is why if he were to drift with anyone it woudl be Hermione or Ron.
AND ONLY CRAZY PEOPLE WOULD THINK BATMAN AND SUPERMAN WOULD BE DRIFT COMPATIBLE. THEY’D BREAK THE JAEGER IN HALF.
RIGHT? WHY WOULD ANYONE THINK THAT?
Also, I do agree with you, to a point – that people who innately understand one another can be drift compatible, but I think for two people who have distinctively different problem-solving approaches, at least one of them needs a high degree of empathy and willingness to put themselves in another person’s shoes. That’s why, IMO, Stacker and Chuck could drift – Stacker understands how Chuck works, and he was willing to adapt his own personal style to accommodate it. (Also think that’s why Chuck and Herc could drift – Herc did the same thing for his son, as PR showed us that the two are not that similar). But if neither personality is willing to give ground there and accommodate their co-pilot, regardless of how well they know each other, that jaeger is doomed.
And that’s why I think Harry would have a problem – he ALWAYS thinks he’s right. This is also why I think most superheroes/Chosen Ones are not drift compatible with anyone. They’re too used to running their own show. Sure, some of them could maybe make it work in a pinch, but mostly due to the empathy and adaptability of their partner. Like Buffy and Giles COULD pilot a jaeger together if they had to, but that would be because Giles understands Buffy and is ceding control to her, not because they’re actually compatible.
I don’t even want to try to calculate how much time I’ve spent thinking about this lately.
The one thing I know for SURE is that Pacific Rim makes it clear that you don’t actually have to know the other person to be drift compatible with them, as evidenced by the way they ‘test’ Raleigh against a bunch of other people at the beginning. Watching the way they think in a fight and finding two well-matched people seemed to indicate drift compatibility enough to Stacker to say, yes, Mako and Raleigh were definitely drift compatible, because of the chemistry you could plainly see in their sparring. Any emotional bonding developed AFTER they became the drift team.
So I think while it’s not entirely clear the EXACT specifics of what makes you drift compatible, I don’t know that it would necessarily be predicated on some kind of personal connection you have with the other–it’s more about the way you and the other person work together. Which is why I think Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon are a great pair, despite the fact that I have been argued with because the two of them have been at odds before. It’s not about decisions or reactions, it’s more about the inherent capability to work together and do it in a way that’s complementary and would make sense in a “I’m the left arm, you’re the right” kind of way.