High Five: The wildest names in Asterix and Obelix

His name is the same in almost every language: Obelix. He is Asterix's rotund companion who fell into a cauldron of magic potion as a child and since then has possessed superhuman strength. In Icelandic, however, the name of this emotional giant is "Steinríkur," which roughly translated means "rich in stones." It probably alludes to the monoliths that he loves and carries around with him.

Obelix's best friend contrasts starkly with his stout master. The little white pup is named Idefix in both the original French and in the German translation, and his name is a word play on the French term "Idée Fixe" — a possessive or reoccurring idea or motive. For South African readers, the dog's name is also a pun relating to thought and the mind: "Witblix" is Afrikaans for "flash of genius."

The village troubadour is a lovable guy — if it weren't for his terrible voice, which always manages to annoy his neighbors. His English name, "Cacofonix," alludes to his highly jarring — cacophonous — voice, while his German name "Troubadix" is a pun on the word "troubadour," a poet-musician of the Middle Ages. In Bengali, he's named "Kawlorobix," which means "raising a racket about nothing."

His specialty is a magic potion that gives the drinker superhuman strength. In the French original, the white-bearded druid's name "Panoramix" refers to his broad knowledge. In English, his name "Getafix" reminds the reader that he is the guy to go to when you need a potion of any sort! His Serbian name is particularly creative: "Aspirinix" — a word tribute to the well-known headache medicine.

Asterix is the star of the Gauls. The petite warrior always manages to defeat the Romans using his sharp wits — and with a little help from Getafix's magic potion. It's no wonder that in Chinese, Asterix's name is translated as "Yali," which roughly means power.