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Calvin's 10 Greatest Moments In Calvin & Hobbes

From experimenting with the Duplicator to trying to take care of his mom, Calvin's caring actions bring plenty of heart to Calvin and
Hobbes.

BY LUKAS SHAYO P UBLISHED 6 DAYS AGO

Calvin and Hobbes has been a cultural cornerstone for decades. The comic strip features the six-year-old Calvin
and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, as they experience numerous adventures that often torment Calvin's family. As an
energetic child with an incredible sense of imagination, Calvin sometimes becomes a constant source of
frustration for everyone around him.

C BR VI DE O O F THE DAY

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Despite being a chaotic child, there are several precious moments where Calvin reveals his heart. The best Calvin
moments in Calvin and Hobbes feature Calvin's imagination, empathy, and intelligence working in tangent. Its
stories like these helped Calvin and Hobbes remain beloved decades after it ended.

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10 The Duplicator
Calvin gets Hobbes to help him advance Scientific Progress with the Duplicator machine

Even in Calvin's imagination, things often go wrong. Calvin's nature is to cause chaos everywhere he goes, and
the Duplicator just made that worse. After all, Calvin made a clone of himself without boosting his clone's
morality.

Calvin easily could've questioned himself and his personality after his chaotic clone ran wild. Instead, he
shrugged off the incident, admitted the clone a mistake, and pretend that nothing went wrong at all. Calvin's
adventure with the Duplicator offered great insight into his nature, turning it into a fan-favorite Calvin and
Hobbes story.

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9 The Last Strip

Calvin and Hobbes go exploring on a sled into the great unknown

The final Calvin and Hobbes strip is unique because there is no underlying joke. Bill Watterson recognized there
was no need for one. Calvin and Hobbes offer their last goodbyes, and the pair just exists as they are. They get to
brave the great unknown and explore it with just a sled and their winter gear.

"The Last Strip" paints a unique view of Calvin as a character. He isn't trying to crack a joke or to cause chaos all
around him. Instead, he is nothing more than a little boy excited to run into the forest with his best friend. This
bittersweet moment reminds any reader that Calvin is just a six-year-old boy enjoying life. That's the charm of
Calvin and Hobbes, and it's why readers love it to this day.

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8 Forgetting Hobbes' Christmas Present

 Calvin and Hobbes hug as their Christmas present to each other

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Calvin likes to cause problems. He loves making murderous snowmen and tormenting poor Susie. Yet,
underneath it all, Calvin is a sweet kid with a strong connection to Hobbes. One day he forgot Hobbes' Christmas
gift. Despite how terrible he felt, Calvin admitted the truth to his best friend, and the two hugged it out.

Every once in a while, Calvin and Hobbes reminds readers why they love Calvin. Beneath the chaos and wild
imagination, Calvin has a huge, caring heart. By showing his compassion and undying love for Hobbes, he
manages to prove his good nature. Heartwarming moments like these make Calvin even more adorable.

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7 Calvin's Big Day

 Calvin and Hobbes hurry to do chores their chores in a Calvin and Hobbes comic

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Calvin and Hobbes loves depicting its central characters exploring the outdoors. In any given comic, Calvin and
Hobbes may charge into the woods and prepare to start snowball fights or to play Calvinball. One Calvin's
adventures came about when he and Hobbes decided to do their chores before playing. After accomplishing
everything, Calvin's mother informs them that it's already bedtime.

Calvin's disappointment is a familiar feeling for any child, but it also emphasizes why Calvin is always as
rambunctious as he is. If he actually does what his parents want, he'll never have time for fun. Even though
things didn't turn out the way he'd planned, it's pretty impressive that Calvin decided to honor his parents and
get all his chores done in one day.

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6 Imitating His Dad

 Calvin imitating his dad and making his mother burst into laughter

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Calvin's family is filled with chaos. After all, Calvin's dad constantly lies to him about the secrets of the world, and
the two are always at odds about the little boy's antics. Thankfully, Calvin also manages to amuse his parents as
much as he frustrates them.

The strip where Calvin imitates his dad perfectly strikes the balance between humor and realistic actions for a
child. It's easy to imagine a six-year-old acting like Calvin does, trying to not-so-subtly to make a point to his
parents. Calvin's seriousness during the performance makes his actions even more charming. Even his dad can't
get mad at Calvin's perfect mimicry, and the complete lack of build-up on Calvin's part makes it even funnier.

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5 Losing Hobbes
Calvin crying to his mom after a dog steals Hobbes

The strip is called Calvin and Hobbes for a reason. It's all about Calvin and Hobbes standing together and playing
pranks on each other and others. The two are the best of friends and love each other to a profound degree. That's
why Calvin losing Hobbes felt like the most devastating moment ever.
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Calvin and Hobbes are inseparable. Even at school, Calvin always has Hobbes. When a wild dog captured
Hobbes, however, Calvin felt completely alone. This heartbreaking moment developed Calvin's character and
really put his tender heart on display. Hobbes may be a stuffed tiger, but to Calvin, Hobbes is his best friend, and
Cavin will do anything he can to take care of him.

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4 The Time Machine

Calvin and Hobbes argue about using the time machine box

Calvin's time machine is a recurring plot device that typically sends Calvin back in time to wrestle with
dinosaurs and other historical creatures. Calvin's best time travel adventure took him to the future. The energetic
child had to fight other Calvins to get them to do his homework for him. This hilarious moment played on
philosophy and paradoxes.

Calvin's procrastination left him in a precarious position where he almost had no homework done at all. It's only
Hobbes that earned him a good grade. The time machine story also reveals Calvin's academic prowess, given
that he eventually earns an A+. His intelligence and creativity are also on display, which is always fun to see.

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 3 Developing Perspective
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Calvin experiences an existential crisis after learning to consider someone else's point of view

Philosophy and comedy go hand-in-hand in Calvin and Hobbes. The two friends are named after philosophers,
after all. So Calvin wrestling with the idea of neo-perspective is not altogether surprising. Yet the ending of Calvin
and Hobbes' "perspective strip" is just brilliant. Calvin endures an existential crisis after considering there could
be more than one perspective on a matter, but he resolves things by simply stating his dad is wrong.

The different art style is a great way to show off Bill Watterson's skills, but Calvin's nature is what bleeds through
the page more than anything else. His shock comes from nothing, and his rejection of his new perspective on his
dad's struggles is perfectly natural. This hilarious story emphasizes Calvin's stubbornness and complete lack of
any interest in the moral position of others. Calvin's childlike view of the world has always made him Calvin and
Hobbes' best character.

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2 Caring For His Sick Mom

 Calvin tries to take care of his Mom, who's sick in bed

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With how often Calvin becomes a handful for his mom, it's always nice to see him do something sweet for her.
With his mom sick, Calvin returned the favor and tried to be a mom to his mom. In doing so, he charmed her and
brightened up her mood.

Naturally, the sweet moment was soon interrupted by a comical complaint by Calvin. His switch back into his
usual somewhat obnoxious self highlights the fact that he's simply a six-year-old trying to do his best. It's the
perfect encapsulation of the two sides of Calvin: the chaotic kid living to cause problems and the sweet little boy
who wants everyone around him to be alright.

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1 The Baby Raccoon

Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin learns the baby raccoon he rescued died
The biggest break from Calvin and Hobbes' normal episodic storyline is the story of the baby raccoon. After
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finding a sick raccoon, Calvin takes it in and the family attempts to nurse it back to health. Unfortunately, they
fail, and the raccoon tragically dies. Calvin breaks down when the raccoon passes, and it takes the entire family
to comfort him.

Every issue of the strip proves how much Calvin loves animals. After all, he gets along with a stuffed tiger better
than he gets along with people. Calvin's love for the raccoon comes as no surprise, but his maturity in accepting
the raccoon's death proves Calvin's good nature more than anything else. His love for the world is beautiful, and
growing up is never easy. What's truly impressive is Clavin's ability to analyze his own thoughts and feelings,
and then relay them to his dad. No matter how chaotic and mischievous Calvin can be, his innocent heart is
enormous and remains one of the most endearing elements of his character.

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About The Author

Lukas Shayo
(114 Articles Published)

A lifelong comics fan and a collector who is definitely running out of space for new comics, Lukas is a recent graduate of the Macaulay Honors College in New
York City. A former Editorial Assistant now serving as a comics writer, Lukas made the jump to CBR in the hopes of getting the chance to be a professional…