Famous Groups of 4: The Ultimate List

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Iconic quartets from movies, music, history, and more!

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2 The Beatles

3 The Fantastic Four

4 The Madagascar Penguins

5 The Ghostbusters

6 The A-Team

7 The Sex & The City Girls

8 The Teletubbies

9 The Pac-Man Ghosts

10 The Seinfeld Crew

11 The Golden Girls

12 The King of the Hill Alley Crew

13 The Simpsons Family Minus Maggie

14 The Scooby-Doo Humans

15 The Left 4 Dead Survivors

16 Destiny’s Child

17 The Wizard of Oz Travelers

18 The Rugrats Babies

19 The Mario Bros Crew

20 The Original Always Sunny Crew

21 The Hangover Crew

22 The Stranger Things Boys

23 The Lord of the Rings Hobbits

24 The Family Guy Friends

25 The Main Brooklyn 99 Detectives

26 The Red Hot Chili Peppers

27 The Classic Sonic Team

28 The Penuts Gang

29 N.W.A.

30 The Winnie the Pooh Crew

31 The South Park Boys

32 The Mount Rushmore Presidents

33 The Founding Father Presidents

34 KISS

35 The Rick and Morty Adventurers

36 The DuckTales Kids

37 Aqua Teen Hunger Force

38 The Jetsons

39 The Rolling Stones

40 Black Hippy

41 The 90s Bulls

42 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

43 The Big Four Banks

44 The Musketeers

45 The Four Credit Cards

46 The Mean Girls

47 The Four Major Evangelists

48 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

49 The Cars Racers

50 The Rat Pack

51 The Showtime Lakers

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Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: November 27, 2025 Fact Checked

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Everyone knows the phrase “dynamic duo” and “treacherous trio” but what about the…quizzical quartets? We’ll work on it…anyway, there are just as many memorable groups of four out there as there are iconic groups of two or three, but they’re often overlooked. Here, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of iconic groups of four, ranging from the most popular and common choices to the really obscure and unique (iconic globally important banks, anyone?).

Iconic Foursomes from Pop Culture

• Cartoons: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Madagascar Penguins.
• TV shows: The Seinfeld friends, The A-Team, the Stranger Things kids.
• Real people: The Beatles, NWA, the Founding Fathers, the '90s Bulls.
• Abstract entities: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Four Banks.

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1

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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1. 
   Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Named after the four most infamous Italian Renaissance artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello di Niccolò, and Raphael Sanzio), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live in a sewer, hang out with a rat, and eat lots and lots of pizza. Talk about squad goals!
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2

The Beatles

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1. 
   John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Probably the most iconic band of all time, the four members are also so iconic on their own that most people don’t even need to hear any last names to recognize them. How many other bands can claim that?!

   • Fun fact: The Beatles picked their name as an homage to Buddy Holly’s band, The Crickets.

3

The Fantastic Four

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1. 
   Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing. One of the rare iconic sets of four that literally has the word “four” in their name, the Fantastic Four are instantly recognizable crime fighters.

   • Another iconic group of four superheroes—The Incredibles—were almost certainly inspired by the Fantastic Four.
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4

The Madagascar Penguins

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1. 
   Skipper, Rico, Private, and Kowalski. The Madagascar franchise has a lot of fun, memorable characters, but the militaristic strike force populated entirely by penguins is probably the most iconic.

5

The Ghostbusters

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1. 
   Dr. Peter, Egon, Winston, and Ray. Played respectively by Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Dan Aykroyd, the Ghostbusters are the total package. They’re funny, cool under pressure, the right amount of goofy, and total masters at fighting the paranormal.
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6

The A-Team

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1. 
   Hannibal, Murdock, Faceman, and B.A. The A-Team is so iconic that you recognize the characters despite the show not being on the air for the past 40 years. Played by George Peppard, Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict, and the one and only Mr. T, The A-Team follows the four former ex-military super soldiers as they work as soldiers of fortune who occasionally fight evil.

7

The Sex & The City Girls

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1. 
   Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. Played respectively by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis, Sex and the City follows this group of four friends as they navigate the complexities of life as women in New York.

   • These gals are so iconic that even today, you have to ask yourself…are you a Carrie?
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8

The Teletubbies

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1. 
   Dipsy, Po, Laa-Laa, and Tinky-Winky. As weird and psychedelic as they are iconic, Teletubbies is a children’s show about a floating sun baby who inspires aliens with TVs in their stomachs to dance a lot. They also make profoundly weird sounds, which is always a good time in a children’s TV show.

9

The Pac-Man Ghosts

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1. 
   Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Originally named Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, and Pokey, the quartet of ghosts in Pac-Man are instantly recognizable. In the Pac-Man TV show, there’s actually a fifth ghost—a woman named Sue—but we’re not counting her.

   • Fun fact: In the original game, the ghosts don’t actually move at random. They are coded with their own “personalities.” Blinky always follows Pac-Man’s path, Pinky tries to ambush Pac-Man by going where his path leads, Inky tracks Blinky and Pac-Man to reach them in the middle, and Clyde follows Pac-Man until Pac-Man gets within sight, at which point he flees.
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10

The Seinfeld Crew

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1. 
   Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine. These four lovable goofballs are the beating heart of the classic sitcom about “nothing.” We get to follow these zany adults as they try to navigate the weirdness of modern life in New York. Wait…is Seinfeld basically just Sex and the City?

11

The Golden Girls

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1. Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia, and Rose. Played by Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Betty White, the titular Golden Girls are a hilarious good time. Plus, the world just needs more sassy, iconic older ladies, right?
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12

The King of the Hill Alley Crew

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1. Hank, Dale, Boomer, and Bill. Could you ever imagine a better group of fellas to just stand around and drink a beer with in an empty alley? And the conversation! From “Yep” to “Mmhmmm,” the fireworks just fly when these four are hanging out!

   • Check out this creepy wikiHow and King of the Hill art mashup found by a Redditor.

13

The Simpsons Family Minus Maggie

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1. Bart, Lisa, Homer, and Marge. Sure, Maggie is a core member of the Simpson family, but she doesn’t talk and she gets way less screen time than the other four, so we’re counting this as a valid quartet.
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14

The Scooby-Doo Humans

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1. Fred, Velma, Shaggy, and Daphne. Yes, this is Scooby erasure, and we’re sure we’ll pay for this crime dearly, but let’s be real…Scooby was pretty much dead weight when it came to actually solving mysteries.

15

The Left 4 Dead Survivors

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1. 
   Bill, Zoey, Francis, and Louis. The Left 4 Dead characters aren’t iconic for being wacky personalities or anything like that, but for being such easy characters for players of the game to map onto. Left 4 Dead was a really groundbreaking video game when it came out, and having four very distinct characters for players to identify with really elevated the game.
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16

Destiny’s Child

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1. Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and LaTavia Roberson. The question does still remain: which member of the group was actually the child of Destiny? There are four of them. It should have been “Destiny’s Children.”

17

The Wizard of Oz Travelers

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1. Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. With Dorothy leading the way, the Wizard of Oz crew are so iconic for being perfect metaphors for human desire. Scarecrow just wants to be smart, Tin Man seeks love, and the Cowardly Lion yearns to be courageous. There’s something for everyone to identify with!
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18

The Rugrats Babies

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1. Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil. There’s a lovely symmetry to the Rugrats kids. Phil and Lil are twins, Tommy and Chuckie are best friends. Phil and Chuckie are less self-aware, while Tommy and Lil are thoughtful and observant.

19

The Mario Bros Crew

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1. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. You can swap Toad out for Daisy if you’re more into symmetry in the gender department or you’re looking for double date costumes. In any case, this quartet is instantly recognizable from any of the Mario games.
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20

The Original Always Sunny Crew

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1. 
   Dee, Dennis, Charlie, and Mac. Frank (played by Danny DeVito) definitely adds a welcome element to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but as the old man who shows up later in the first season, he’s not technically a core member of the original crew.

21

The Hangover Crew

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1. Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug. Played respectively by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha, the Hangover boys are never up to any good—not when they’re drinking at least. You would have thought after the first three times they blacked out and had zany adventures that they’d find a way to avoid this outcome again, but alas, Hangover 4 exists.

   • Got a fifth for your costume crew? Ken Jeong’s gangster character and Mike Tyson both make fun additions to the team.
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22

The Stranger Things Boys

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1. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will. If you’re looking for ‘80s-inspired lovable dorks who look out for their friends and solve paranormal mysteries, look no further than Stranger Things

   • Eleven is a great fifth if you’re wearing costumes and need an extra one. For family outings, parents can easily pull off the Sheriff Hopper or Ms. Byers.

23

The Lord of the Rings Hobbits

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1. Samwise, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin. What initially seems like a goofy group of fun-loving goobers actually becomes the group responsible for saving all of Middle Earth. Not only are they extremely unique characters with distinct personalities, but they also have super memorable names (I mean, how adorable is “Pippin?”)
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24

The Family Guy Friends

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1. Peter, Cleveland, Joe, and Quagmire. If the King of the Hill quatrain of bored adults who drink too much could probably use some more vibrant conversation, the Family Guy troupe of bored adults who drink too much could probably tone it down a bit.

25

The Main Brooklyn 99 Detectives

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1. 
   Jake, Amy, Rosa, and Charles. You may be tempted to swap out Charles for Terry, but Terry is actually a lieutenant, not a field detective. These four solve crime. Sure, it’s often in the least efficient and most comically elaborate way possible, but they get the job done!
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26

The Red Hot Chili Peppers

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1. Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante. These shirtless Californians are infamous for making music about shirtless in California. With classics like “Otherside,” “Under the Bridge,” and “Californication,” their music is just as instantly recognizable as the band’s members.

   • Fun fact: Flea, the iconic bassist in the band, got his nickname for always being fidgety and jumping around like a little bug.

27

The Classic Sonic Team

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1. Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy. You may not immediately recognize Amy (probably because her name is so normal compared to the rest of them), but she was the pink hedgehog from the cartoon series and the sequels. In any case, the original Sonic squad is one of the most instantly recognizable video game crews in the history of the genre.
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28

The Penuts Gang

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1. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and Snoopy. These lovable kids (and their pets) are beloved for their masterful character designs and relatable childhood antics. Everybody has felt like Charlie Brown at some point.

   • Fun fact: Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, originally named the strip “Li’l Folks.” The name Peanuts was chosen by his publishing company. Schulz actually hated the name at first!

29

N.W.A.

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1. Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren. N.W.A. was iconic for a lot of reasons. They had incredible style, they said what they wanted to say, and they were pioneers of gangster rap—one of the most popular genres of music even today. The group was formed by Eazy-E in 1987, and the rest is history!
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30

The Winnie the Pooh Crew

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1. 
   Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. The friendly animal crew that would hang out with Christopher Robin represented everything pure, kind, and loving about the innocence of childhood. Honestly, is there a more huggable fictional character than Eeyore?!

31

The South Park Boys

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1. Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Stan. If the Winnie the Pooh crew represented everything kind and loving about childhood, the South Park squad represents the exact opposite. They’re crass, rude, aggressive, and they get into all kinds of trouble. At least they’re cute when it comes to the paper cut-out collage art style!
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32

The Mount Rushmore Presidents

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1. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt. If you’re compiling iconic groups of four, you probably want to include the four biggest faces on the planet—literally, they’re colossal.

   • Fun fact: The presidents of Mount Rushmore weren’t actually chosen for their individual achievements. They were chosen for what events they represented. Washington represented the birth of the United States, Jefferson was the Declaration of Independence, Roosevelt was the economic boom of the 20th century, and Lincoln was the end of slavery.

33

The Founding Father Presidents

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1. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. These four are widely recognized as having contributed an asymmetrical amount to the birth of the United States. That said, while these four all went on to be presidents, there are actually seven founding fathers: three of them just never became president. They include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.
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34

KISS

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1. Starchild, Demon, Spaceman, and Catman. Actually named Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, the KISS characters are so instantly recognizable. Their over-the-top music and crazy theatrics easily make them one of the most memorable rock bands in history.

35

The Rick and Morty Adventurers

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1. 
   Rick, Morty, Summer, and Beth. Like usual, Jerry is getting the raw deal here. This group of four includes the main characters who actually go on adventures voluntarily. Or, you could say they’re the four Rick and Morty characters who don’t cry and cower at the first sign of danger. Or, the four characters who can put up Christmas lights without accidentally floating away into space and destroying an airplane.
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36

The DuckTales Kids

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1. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby. These four clever little kiddos are the subject of one of the most beloved kids' cartoons. They hit that perfect sweet spot of being extremely memorable as individuals, but so in tune with one another that they form a cohesive group. They also have one of the best theme songs of all time.

37

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

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1. Frylock, Meatwad, Master Shake, and Carl. Is there a more iconic group of anthropomorphic fast food living in New Jersey? Probably not. These four are just so weird in the best way possible. From Meatwad’s child-like shapeshifting to Frylock’s big-brained treatises on quantum mechanics, there’s just so much happening with each one of them.
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38

The Jetsons

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1. George, Jane, Judy, and Elroy. This futuristic family from the 1960s are interesting for a few reasons, but they really stand out as a unique look into what America’s vision of the future looked like back in the pre-internet era.

39

The Rolling Stones

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1. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts. You can swap out Ronnie Wood for Ian Stewart if you’re a purist who only cares about the early years of the band. In any case, the Stones are among the most iconic bands of all time.
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40

Black Hippy

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1. 
   Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock. The Black Hippy crew is widely credited with completely reshaping the landscape of modern Hip Hop. Before they came on the scene, popular rap music was largely focused on party anthems and dance songs, but the Hippy collective made it cool again to write smart, meaningful verses.

41

The 90s Bulls

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1. Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Kerr. The biggest powerhouse in the history of basketball, the ‘90s Chicago Bulls, was dominant in a way that’s hard to comprehend. The NBA had never seen anything like them, and there hasn’t been anything like them since. They also had some crazy personalities. From Jordan’s hyper-competitiveness to Rodman’s dyed hair and behavioral antics, the sports world will never forget these four.
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42

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

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1. Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Originally appearing the last book of the Bible, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are supposed to represent the end of the world. Specifically, they show up to enact their own brand of retribution on the planet. Today, the phrase “four horsemen” itself is enough for people to immediately know what you’re talking about.

43

The Big Four Banks

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1. JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup. These are the four megabanks. If any one of them were to disappear tomorrow, the entire US economy would collapse! They’re so important that they’re actually designated as the only US banks to be globally systemically important (G-SIB), which means they have special rules regarding what they’re allowed to do, since any of these banks failing would be a world-ending event.
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44

The Musketeers

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1. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D’Artagnan. These are the four main characters of Dumas’ famous novel, The Three Musketeers. It follows the four musketeers as they go on swashbuckling adventures. They’re infamous for their motto: “All for one, and one for all.”

   • Why is it called The Three Musketeers if there are four of them? D’Artagnan is a newcomer to the group. He’s sort of like a fraternity pledge, or a musketeer on a probationary trial period.

45

The Four Credit Cards

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1. 
   Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Much like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the four credit card companies bring ruin and pain. We’re just kidding! But seriously, use your credit cards responsibly. These four companies have a combined (nearly) 100% market share of all credit usage.
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46

The Mean Girls

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1. Regina, Cady, Gretchen, and Karen. Played by Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert, this is a fun group of four because they all have their own iconic moments. Regina and Cady are the main protagonists, but Karen has the hilarious “You’re from Africa? But you’re white?” moment, and Gretchen can’t stop trying to make “fetch” happen.

47

The Four Major Evangelists

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1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The titular authors of the four books of the Gospel are potentially the most iconic characters on this entire list if you think about how many people have actually read their work!
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48

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

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1. Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Wish Bone, and Bizzy Bone. This iconic hip hop Cleveland supergroup is responsible for pioneering chopper rap and soulful R&B. In fact, Krayzie Bone holds the record for the seventh fastest rapper in the world.

49

The Cars Racers

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1. Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, and Doc. These lovable cartoon vehicles were originally voiced by Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Paul Newman, and Bonnie Hunt. These hot rods were iconic from the jump, and even today, they’re still beloved by children and Pixar fans everywhere.
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50

The Rat Pack

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1. 
   Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Peter Lawford. The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers and musicians who often played together in the 1960s. They also starred in movies together. They were popular not only for their work but also for their rambunctious behavior. Out of all the loosely associated members, Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr., and Lawford are the most iconic.

   • Fun fact: The story goes that the group came up with the name “Rat Pack” after partying for multiple days in a row. One of them noticed that they were all disheveled, reeked of booze, and had bags under their eyes, and said they looked like a pack of rats.

51

The Showtime Lakers

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1. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and Byron Scott. The Showtime Lakers were basketball magic. Their up-tempo offense, crazy play, and vibrant personalities made them a winning combo in the eyes of basketball fans everywhere. Winning five championships doesn’t hurt, either.
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