Best Quest for the Best with Tristan Podcasts (2025)

1
Geoff's Favorite Romance | Kaguya-sama: Love is War 2:27:34

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1d ago2:27:34

2:27:34

Quest 031: The party watches Kaguya-sama Love is War, discuss educational anime, and for their side quest Tristan rounds out the trilogy with his own top 10 video games. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greatest question of them all: What are the bes…

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Why has Trump pardoned Honduras’s drug trafficker ex-president? 26:47

11h ago26:47

26:47

President Donald Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, a former president of Honduras who was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons offences. It was only last year that Hernández was convicted in a New York courtroom of being part of a huge drug trafficking conspiracy, after being extradited to the US. Prosecutors said th…

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The death of reading 26:47

1d ago26:47

26:47

Are we living through the slow death of reading - replaced by an addictive screen culture that fragments our attention and floods us with trivial or unreliable information? Writer and voracious reader James Marriott believes we are entering a post-literate age with profoundly negative consequences for education, culture and democracy itself. In tod…

1
Whatever happened to Iran’s nuclear programme? 27:27

2d ago27:27

27:27

Last June, Israel and the United States carried out coordinated strikes on nuclear and military sites across Iran in what became known as the 12-day war. The aim was clear: destroy Iran’s nuclear-enrichment facilities amid warnings that Tehran was dangerously close to developing a nuclear weapon. But conflicting reports in the immediate aftermath l…

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When popes get political 26:44

6d ago26:44

26:44

Pope Leo is on his first official visit abroad, and there are already signs he’s willing to use his position to speak out on controversial matters. His recent comments about abortion and the rights of migrants have created headlines in the United States, and raised eyebrows from some conservatives who see the first American pope challenging Preside…

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Shein: How the fast fashion disruptor ran into real world problems 26:56

7d ago26:56

26:56

The backlash over the opening of Shein’s first brick and mortar store in Paris this month is just one in a series of controversies and complaints over the ultra-fast fashion retailer. As the company looks to go public, we explore whether its business model can withstand the world’s scrutiny. Laura Bicker, the BBC’s China Correspondent, tells us wha…

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The international drama of Miss Universe 26:27

8d ago26:27

26:27

Miss Universe 2025 has been rocked by controversies and chaos, from stage falls and contestants storming out, to judges quitting and allegations of vote rigging – which the organisers deny. The pageant – styled as a celebration of women of all backgrounds and nationalities – has suffered waning international attention in recent years, with many que…

1
Can Trump’s Gaza plan turn a ceasefire into permanent peace? 26:32

9d ago26:32

26:32

A ceasefire took effect in Gaza just over six weeks ago, and although both sides have accused the other of multiple violations of the agreement, there has not been the return to full-blown war that many feared. But the ceasefire agreement that was signed in early October was not a complete peace settlement. It left many issues still to be negotiate…

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Miles's Favorite 𝒽ℯ𝓃𝓉𝒶𝒾 | I Dream of Mimi (Buttobi!! CPU) 1:25:21

10d ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Quest 030: The party watches I Dream of Mimi (Buttobi!! CPU), discuss anime that did not live up to expectations, and for their side quest they play the game "Pokemon, or Prescription". Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greatest question of them all: …

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The decision facing Zelensky 26:14

10d ago26:14

26:14

American, Ukrainian and European negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss a US-proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was faced with a dilemma last week – either make concessions to Putin, or risk losing US support. But Zelensky said there were "signals that President Trump's team hear…

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Is there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims? 31:37

13d ago31:37

31:37

The US is essentially boycotting this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa over accusations that the white Afrikaners are ‘being killed and slaughtered’ and that white farmers are having their land ‘illegally confiscated. The South African government say the claims are "widely discredited and unsupported by reliable evidence". Today we speak to BBC…

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What is Sudan’s war really about? 26:37

14d ago26:37

26:37

** This episode contains some very distressing details, including of killings, sexual violence and the experiences of children in war** More than 150,000 people have been killed and about 12 million have been forced from their homes since Sudan's civil war began in 2023. But more than two years on, the reasons for the conflict are still not clear. …

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The oil lobbyist who tried to sink the first big climate deal 26:38

15d ago26:38

26:38

The American lawyer, oil lobbyist and master strategist Don Pearlman is said to have chain-smoked his way through almost every UN climate gathering from the early 1990s until his death in 2005. Some of those who saw Pearlman operate in Kyoto, where the first legally binding international agreement on climate change was agreed in 1997, say he create…

1
The Saudi prince's long road to rehabilitation 26:42

16d ago26:42

26:42

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – MBS – will be welcomed at the White House on his first visit to Washington since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi led to global outrage. MBS has always denied involvement in Khashoggi’s murder. Nevertheless, both he and Saudi Arabia were ostracised after the killing. Tuesday’s meeting between Presid…

1
When One Guy Makes A Whole Anime | Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express 2:08:40

17d ago2:08:40

2:08:40

Quest 029: The party watches Milky Subway (and also Voices Of A Distant Star), discuss anime that did not live up to expectations, and for their side quest they talk about their experiences with the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc Movie. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to …

1
Is the world entering a new age of nuclear testing? 27:00

17d ago27:00

27:00

In the last 72 hours, comments from President Trump and his administration have sparked fresh debate about whether the US could – or should – resume the kind of nuclear weapons tests that were halted over 30 years ago. The current debate centres on whether Trump plans to test nuclear delivery systems, such as missiles, or nuclear warheads. The latt…

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Ghislaine Maxwell, the Epstein Files, and the scandal that won’t go away 30:06

20d ago30:06

30:06

**This episode contains themes of sexual abuse and grooming** Calls to release all the Epstein files are growing, after Wednesday’s bombshell release of over 20,000 pages of documents related to the sex trafficking scandal. The private messages released by the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have increased scrutiny on what Presiden…

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The hostage negotiator’s guide to making deals with Putin’s Russia 27:37

21d ago27:37

27:37

Donald Trump has spent this year trying to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. So far, Vladimir Putin doesn’t seem interested in the US’s proposals. One man who has successfully negotiated with Russia – and with many of America’s adversaries – is Roger Carstens, former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. From 2020 to 2025 he wor…

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Why is Trump threatening to sue the BBC? 26:29

22d ago26:29

26:29

The BBC has this week been rocked by a series of controversies, leading its Director General and Head of News to resign, and President Donald Trump threatening to sue the corporation over an edit it made to his January 6th, 2021 speech in one of its programmes, which the BBC admits was misleading. How did the management of the world’s most trusted …

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Is social media dead? 26:35

23d ago26:35

26:35

For much of the 21st century, our social lives have been shaped, at least in part, on the internet. But in an age of influencers, generative AI, complex algorithms, and politically entangled technocrats, some users say social media is growing less, well, social.So, is social media dead? Or is it just becoming something else? We speak with New Yorke…

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The Infinite Uma Money Of Cygames | Uma Musume: Beginning Of A New Era 1:44:38

24d ago1:44:38

1:44:38

Quest 028: The party watches Uma Musume: Beginning Of A New Era, discuss what class they would be in a fantasy party, and for their side quest...Miles continues the Taste Test Trend with his Top 10 Video Games. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greate…

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Why Trump is threatening to go 'guns a-blazing' into Nigeria 26:32

24d ago26:32

26:32

President Donald Trump has warned that he will target Nigeria if the government there "continues to allow the killing of Christians". For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants were systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria. But how true are the claims that there is a persecution – or even …

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Viktor Orban’s dilemma: Trump’s favour or Russian oil 26:33

27d ago26:33

26:33

The man Donald Trump has called a "great leader", and who has long provoked admiration in MAGA circles, suddenly finds himself in an unusual position – at odds with the US president on an issue of critical importance. Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, is visiting the White House on Friday to try to resolve a dispute over Russian oil and gas. …

1
A tale of two cities: London’s lesson for New York’s first Muslim mayor 26:48

28d ago26:48

26:48

Even before Zohran Mamdani was elected as New York’s first Muslim mayor, his critics frequently cited London as a sort of cautionary tale, suggesting that New York under Mamdani could go “the way of London.” That’s because London already has a liberal, Muslim mayor - Sadiq Khan. But is that where the similarities end? We talk to Tim Donovan, a form…

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What’s behind Trump’s rift with Colombia? 27:12

29d ago27:12

27:12

For years, Colombia has been one of the United States’ closest allies in the region – a key partner in the war on drugs. But now this relationship is coming under strain amidst a personal feud between President Trump, and Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro. In today’s episode, we speak to BBC Mundo’s William Marquez to examine the history of the US…

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The Supreme Court battle over Trump’s tariffs 26:17

30d ago26:17

26:17

The Trump administration faces a Supreme Court challenge on Wednesday over its use of tariffs, an economic policy that has upended global trade. This case, which has been described by the President in epic terms, questions the legality of Trump’s signature economic policy - and poses one of the biggest existential threats to his second term so far.…

1
Brazil (Anime) Mentioned! | Michiko & Hatchin 2:00:39

1M ago2:00:39

2:00:39

Quest 027: The party watches Michiko & Hatchin, discuss anime that would have had a greater affect on them if, and for their side quest...They Kill Quest Lazarus. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greatest question of them all: What are the best 100 a…

1
What if Russia wins? 26:29

1M ago26:29

26:29

Discussion of nuclear weapons has returned both to our news cycle and to the cultural conversation. Last week, President Donald Trump said that the US would resume testing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, several recent films and books imagine a near future scenario where a nuclear attack is threatened or carried out. Tristan talks to Carlo Masala, prof…

1
When the two most powerful men in the world met 26:45

1M ago26:45

26:45

On Thursday, Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China held a closed-door meeting in South Korea. The subjects of negotiation ran the gamut — from rare earth minerals, to fentanyl, to computer chips — and, according to President Trump’s subsequent news conference, the two parties reached a long-awaited deal. But exactly what did the world’s tw…

1
How a Venezuelan prison gang became the face of Trump’s immigration crackdown 26:35

1M ago26:35

26:35

The Trump administration has centred on Tren de Aragua – a Venezuelan prison gang – as a justification for cracking down on Venezuelan immigrants, and for several attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea. When President Trump designated the gang a Foreign Terror Organisation, and invoked a 1798 law that allows presidents to swiftly deport citizens of …

1
Why the US-Canada relationship is on shaky ground 26:42

1M ago26:42

26:42

After months of tense negotiations, President Trump has announced that he has terminated trade talks with Canada. The reason: a new Canadian TV commercial featuring an anti-tariff message from an old Ronald Reagan speech. The ad played during a World Series game and ran on various US cable channels, angering President Trump. The ad is just the late…

1
Why is the French president suing Candace Owens? 29:48

1M ago29:48

29:48

The controversial right-wing podcaster Candace Owens is being sued by the French president and his wife in a US court. The Macrons are accusing Owens of spreading a conspiracy theory that Brigitte Macron was born a man. So where has this theory come from? We speak to the BBC’s Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the Fame Under Fire podcast, about w…

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If China attacked Taiwan, what would Trump do? 26:29

1M ago26:29

26:29

President Trump is in Asia this week to strike deals with several countries, including with China. One of the big questions overshadowing the trip is Taiwan’s future. China has long vowed to "reunify" with self-governing Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force. On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US wouldn’t abandon the island …

1
May All Your Bacon Burn | Howl's Moving Castle 1:56:03

1M ago1:56:03

1:56:03

Quest 026: The party watches Howl's Moving Castle, discuss anime tropes, and for their side quest...Geoff goes over his top 10 video games. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greatest question of them all: What are the best 100 anime of all time? Join …

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How Giorgia Meloni became Trump's best friend in Europe 26:54

1M ago26:54

26:54

Giorgia Meloni is Italy’s first female Prime Minister, and her political star has risen rapidly - from working class roots in Rome, to becoming one of the most important and divisive leaders in Europe. A populist whose party has roots in Italian fascism, and who takes a hard right stance on migration and family values, she has formed a kinship with…

1
The cost of USAID cuts to women in Afghanistan 26:39

1M ago26:39

26:39

Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, the US has contributed billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan for food and medical care – a lifeline in a country ravaged by two decades of war. But earlier this year, following deep cuts to USAID under the Trump administration, more than 400 USAID-backed medical clinics have closed, and for pregnant women in …

1
Jeffrey Epstein and the downfall of Prince Andrew 26:45

1M ago26:45

26:45

***This episode contains themes of sexual abuse and grooming*** The memoir of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most well-known accusers, was published posthumously this week, repeating allegations against Epstein as well as Prince Andrew. The revelations come as Prince Andrew gave up his royal titles, amongst renewed and increasing scruti…

1
The Louvre daytime heist that shocked the world 26:32

1M ago26:32

26:32

The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed for 2 days as the police investigated a brazen heist which resulted in the theft of France's “priceless” crown jewels. Thieves wielding power tools broke into the world's most visited museum in broad daylight, before escaping on scooters with eight items of jewelry of great historical significance. Erin Thompso…

1
Josh Strife-Hayes's Favourite Anime? | Pokemon 2:16:00

1M ago2:16:00

2:16:00

Quest 026: The party is Joined by Josh Strife-Hayes and watches Pokemon! They discuss what loot they would drop if they died, and for their side quest they briefly discuss the ultimate question of Pokemon VS Digimon. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the …

1
Is the AI boom actually a bubble? 26:42

1M ago26:42

26:42

AI companies are seeing a monumental surge in investment – but some experts are now warning of the risks of an economic bubble. Could AI be the biggest market bubble since the dot-com crash? Or is it a genuinely transformative technology that’s simply taking time to deliver? We speak to the BBC’s Evan Davis. Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin …

1
Why has Trump authorised CIA action in Venezuela? 26:20

2M ago26:20

26:20

On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to take covert lethal action in Venezuela. The revelation came off the back of a series of US strikes on Venezuelan boats accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea, which resulted in the death of 27 people in what some human rights experts are calling "extrajudicial exe…

1
A Gazan journalist’s diary 26:37

2M ago26:37

26:37

Reporting on the war in Gaza has only been possible because of the work of Palestinian journalists, because the Israeli government will not let foreign broadcasters – including the BBC – inside the territory to report freely, even now a ceasefire is in place. One month ago, freelance journalist Ghada Al-Kurd began sharing voice notes with us, talki…

1
Is the US-China trade war back on? 26:50

2M ago26:50

26:50

“If there’s a fight, we’ll fight to the end”, a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, of the increasingly fierce trade war playing out between the US and China. As President Donald Trump threatens imposing 100% tariffs on goods coming from China, his counterpart, President Xi Jinping, has restricted US access to its rare earth min…

1
Trump is bailing out Argentina. What happened to ‘America first’? 27:48

2M ago27:48

27:48

President Trump’s administration may have frozen foreign aid but this week it’s giving Argentina a $20 billion lifeline. It's a move his critics are suggesting is more about politics than sound economics. Argentina’s president, the chainsaw-wielding Javier Milei, is a friend and close ally of Trump’s. On on Tuesday, Milei will visit the White House…

1
The Walrus Abides | Odd Taxi 2:19:19

2M ago2:19:19

2:19:19

Quest 024: The party watches Odd Taxi, discuss Anime Opening Styles, and for their side quest...They Kill Quest My Hero Academia. Since the beginning of time, man has been in search of the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Three friends set off to answer the greatest question of them all: What are the best 100 anime of all time? Join Tristan, M…

1
Why Hamas agreed to a ceasefire – but isn’t disarming yet 26:31

2M ago26:31

26:31

Donald Trump is in Israel today on a victory lap after securing what he claims is the beginning of lasting peace in the Middle East. The Gaza ceasefire – and with it, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners – follows weeks of intense talks brokered by American negotiators. Some of the hostage families have credited the US presiden…

1
Will the Gaza ceasefire hold? 26:56

2M ago26:56

26:56

Israel and Hamas have approved President Trump’s plan for a ceasefire and approved a framework including the release of all the hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza. It is being described as the first phase of a wider agreement, but is the deal secure enough to last? We speak to Liran Berman, whose brothers Gali and Ziv …

1
Australia’s mushroom killer trial 26:50

2M ago26:50

26:50

It’s been called ‘Australia's trial of the century’. Erin Patterson, the mushroom murderer, was sentenced last month and given a life sentence, but that wasn’t the end of the story. Both the prosecution and the defence are lodging competing appeals. Patterson wants her conviction overturned, and if her appeal succeeds there could be a retrial. Her …

1
Trump’s ‘CEO of everything’ 26:19

2M ago26:19

26:19

The billionaire Larry Ellison could soon control huge portions of America’s AI, attention economy and legacy media. He already owns swathes of AI infrastructure and is preparing to takeover TikTok, whilst his son, whose company already owns Paramount, is preparing a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. So who is this ‘CEO of everything’, and how is …

1
One man's quest to get his brothers released from Gaza 26:31

2M ago26:31

26:31

By BBC World Service

Quest For The Best With Tristan Podcasts