History Recap / AsterixAndTheGoths

* BilingualBackfire: Happens to Rhetoric when it's discoverd Getafix can speak Gothic.

At the conference, Getafix shows off his magic potion and wins the top prize. The Goths quickly kidnap him. When their druid doesn't leave the forest, Asterix and Obelix become worried and start looking. Finding a visigoth helmet lying in the grass, they realize what has happened. However, an encounter with some legionaries causes the two Gauls to be mistaken for the Goths, and soon the local Romans are looking for the duo while ignoring the very obvious Goths trekking towards Germania.

* BeleagueredBoss: Provides the trope image. Asterix and Obelix pull a MuggedForDisguise on two Roman soldiers (who think they're the invading Goths). When news gets around that the Goths are disguised as legionaries, they start arresting each other for the reward (and since the Gauls have since gone back to their own clothes, aren't bothered by the Romans either). The Roman general understandably has a breakdown. In the original French, his name was Nenpeuplus, phonetically meaning "can't take it anymore".

* DressingAsTheEnemy: Asterix and Obelix do this twice; first as Legionaries, and then as Goths.

* HistoricalInJoke: Getafix mentions at the end that the Goths are now too busy to fight between themselves to think about invading Gaul before a few centuries. In 1870 Bismarck unified UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} mainly through a war with UsefulNotes/{{France}}. For that matter, the scene where all the Roman soldiers suspect each other for espionage, taking turns in betraying oneanother, can easily be interpreted as a UsefulNotes/ColdWar joke, because of the constant fear of East Bloc infiltration.

* TakeThat: The Goths (Germans) in this story are represented as purely villains. This story was drawn only 20 years after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII when anti-German sentiment was still strong. Uderzo apologized for this one dimensional portrayal and in later Asterix stories Germans are shown far more sympathically.

* [[YouHaveFailedMe You Have Failed to Buy Off the Druid]]

* AllGermansAreNazis: The Goths (Germans) in this story are represented as villains. This story was drawn only 20 years after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII when anti-German sentiment was still strong. Later Uderzo apologized for this one dimensional portrayal and in later Asterix stories Germans are shown far more sympathically.

* NoNameGiven: Three of the rival kuningoz.

* HaveAGayOldTime: In the French version, Getafix asks for "un druide debile." "Debile" used to mean weak and feeble, but nowadays is used almost exclusively to mean "dumbass" or even "retard."

* SymbolSwearing: Explained as (untranslated) Gaulish and Gothic cuss words.
* TactfulTranslation: Each time Getafix refuses Metric's order to brew the magic potion for them, Rhetoric translates his answer as "Yes" to avoid angering his boss. Getafix, [[BilingualBackfire who speaks perfect Gothic,]] finally snaps and tells Metric that Rhetoric has been lying to him.

----

* HistoricalInJoke: Getafix mentions at the end that the Goths are now too busy to fight between themselves to think about invading Gaul before a few centuries. In 1870 Bismarck unified UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} mainly through a war with UsefulNotes/{{France}}.
** For that matter, the scene where all the Roman soldiers suspect eachother for espionage, taking turns in betraying oneanother, can easily be interpreted as a UsefulNotes/ColdWar joke, because of the constant fear of East Bloc infiltration.
* LetsYouAndHimFight / EnemyCivilWar: Getafix decides that the best way to protect Gaul from a Goth invasion is to instigate a civil war between the Goths, and does so with liberal distribution of magic potion.

* TheStarscream: At least nine of them. To be fair Panoramix is deliberately looking for subservient, bullied potential rivals.

* SymbolSwearing: Explained as (Untranslated) Gaulish and Gothic cuss words.

* TimeMarchesOn: Asterix talks how the Goths are divided in a Western and Eastern part. Visigoths and Ostrogoths did exist back in Antiquity, but the joke is aimed more at UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} in the 20th century, when it was divided in a Western and Eastern part from 1949 to 1990. Since 1990 Germany has been unified again, making this reference outdated. Another thing that makes this story particularly out dated is the general anti-German atmosphere, typical for post-World War II stories.

** For that matter, the scene where all the Roman soldiers suspect eachother for espionage, taking turns in betraying oneanother, can easily be interpreted as a ColdWar joke, because of the constant fear of East Bloc infiltration.

* AllGermansAreNazis: The Goths (Germans) in this story are represented as villains. This story was drawn only 20 years after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII when anti-German sentiment was still strong. Later Uderzo apologized for this one dimensional portrayal and in later Asterix stories Gemans are shown far more sympathically.

* NoNameGiven: Three of the rival kuningōz.

* HistoricalInJoke: Getafix mentions at the end that the Goths are now too busy to fight between themselves to think about invading Gaul before a few centuries. In 1870 Bismarck unified Prussia mainly through a war with UsefulNotes/{{France}}.

Both Goths and Gauls enter Germania. While Asterix and Obelix pose as Goths and end up falling in with a Gothic company, Getafix is taken to the Goth leader Metric. Metric demands for the druid's magic through interpreter Rhetoric, promising that if Getafix refuses, Rhetoric will die with him. Naturally Getafix refuses, and Rhhetoric lies that Getafix agrees, buying a week to escape. Along the way, Rhetoric bumps into Asterix and Obelix and all three are brought before Metric. It's here that Getafix reveals that he can speak Gothic, and that Rhetoric was lying to Metric. The four (Asterix, Obelix, Getafix and Rhetoric) are thrown into the dungeons, awaiting public execution. Getafix has a plan to throw Germania into chaos, and asks for the ingredients to the magic potion, under the ruse of final meal. Rhetoric is powered up, and uses his strength to overthrow Metric. The Gauls then go on to give magic potion to Metric and other Goths, creating what are known as the Asterixian Wars. With the Goths busy fighting each other, they will be of no threat to Gaul, and our heroes leave for home.

!!Tropes present in this work:
* AllGermansAreNazis: The Goths (Germans) in this story are represented as villains. This story was drawn only 20 years after the end of WorldWarTwo when anti-German sentiment was still strong. Later Uderzo apologized for this one-dimensional portrayal and in later Asterix stories Gemans are shown far more sympathically.

* HaveAGayOldTime: In the French version, Getafix asks for "un druide débile". "Débile" used to mean weak and feeble, but nowadays is used almost exclusively to mean "dumbass" or even "retard".
* HistoricalInJoke: Getafix mentions at the end that the Goths are now too busy to fight between themselves to think about invading Gaul before a few centuries. In 1870 Bismarck unified Prussia mainly through a war with France.

* TactfulTranslation: Each time Getafix refuses Metric's order to brew the magic potion for them, Rhetoric translates his answer as "Yes" to avoid angering his boss. Getafix, [[BilingualBackfire who speaks perfect Gothic]], finally snaps and tells Metric that Rhetoric has been lying to him.
* TimeMarchesOn: Asterix talks how the Goths are divided in a Western and Eastern part. Visigoths and Ostrogoths did exist back in Antiquity, but the joke is aimed more at Germany in the 20th century, when it was divided in a Western and Eastern part from 1949 to 1990. Since 1990 Germany has been unified again, making this reference out-dated. Another thing that makes this story particularly out-dated is the general anti-German atmosphere, typical for post-World War Two stories.
* VacationEpisode: This is the first album in which Asterix and Obelix travel to another country, in this case Germania (Germany).

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: The Gothic people as such did not exist yet--in fact, there was only one Germanic language in those days.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Asterix talks how the Goths are divided in a Western and Eastern part. Visigoths and Ostrogoths did exist back in Antiquity, but the joke is aimed more at Germany in the 20th century, when it was divided in a Western and Eastern part from 1949 to 1990. Since 1990 Germany has been unified again, making this reference out-dated. Another thing that makes this story particularly out-dated is the general anti-German atmosphere, typical for post-World War Two stories.

* TheStarscream: At least nine of them.

Both Goths and Gauls enter Germania. While Asterix and Obelix pose as Goths and end up falling in with a Gothic company, Getafix is taken to the Goth leader Metric. Metric demands for the druid's magic through interpreter Rhetoric, promising that if Getafix refuses, Rhetoric will die with him. Naturally Getafix refuses, and Rhhetoric lies that Getafix agrees, buying a week to escape. Along the way, Rhetoric bumps into Asterix and Obelix and all three are brought before Metric. It's here that Getafix reveals that he can speak Gothic, and that Rhetoric was lying to Metric. The four (Asterix, Obelix, Getafix and Rhetoric) are thrown into the dungeons, awaiting public execution. Getafix has a plan to throw Germania into chaos, and asks for the ingrients to the magic potion, under the ruse of final meal. Rhetoric is powered up, and uses his strength to overthrow Metric. The Gauls then go on to give magic potion to Metric and other Goths, creating what are known as the Asterixian Wars. With the Goths busy fighting each other, they will be of no threat to Gaul, and our heroes leave for home.

!!Tropes present in this work

* HistoricalInJoke: Getafix mentions at the end that the Goths are now too busy to fight between themselves to think about invading Gaul before a few centuries. In 1870 Bismarck unified Prussia mainly by attacking France.

* SymbolSwearing: Explained as (Untranslated) Gaulish and Gothic cuss words.

At the conference, Getafix shows off his magic potion and wins the top prize. The Goths quickly kidnap him. When their druid doesn't leave the forest, Asterix and Obelix become worried and start looking. Finding a visigoth helmet lying in the grass, they realize what has happened. However, an encounter with some legionaries causes the two Gauls to be mistaken for the Goths, and soon the local Romans are looking for two while ignoring the very obvious Goths trekking towards Germania.

* LetsYouAndHimFight: Getafix decides that the best way to protect Gaul from a Goth invasion is to instigate a civil war between the Goths, and does so with liberal distribution of magic potion.