Juxtaposition can be an incredibly useful storytelling tool when used correctly; helping to highlight the contrast between two opposing themes or ideas. It can lead to some pretty hilarious results too though, as evidenced by some of the many great Thomas the Tank Engine mods that have been created over the past decade or so.
The trend sees modders replacing the models of bosses and other in-game enemies with the titular tank engine, and, in some cases, one or two of his train-themed friends. The best Thomas the Tank Engine mods use the children's tv show character to transform what were originally intended to be life-or-death moments into incredibly comical scenes.
5 Resident Evil Village
When most people think of Resident Evil, terrifying tyrants like Mr. X and Nemesis are typically the first things to spring to mind. Capcom decided to mix things up a little with Resident Evil Village though, instead creating a tall yet fairly pleasant-looking woman to hunt players down. Then came the Count Theodora mod.
Rather than simply swapping out Lady Dimitrescu's model for Thomas the Tank Engine, Crazy Potato's mod uses a bizarre hybrid model that combines the two characters into one. It's not the best Thomas the Tank Engine mod ever created, nor is it even the best for a Resident Evil game, but it is definitely one of the more unique examples of the tank engine mod trend.
4 Elden Ring
Considered by many to be the best game of 2022, Elden Ring really didn't need mods to offer up a great experience to players. Of course, this didn't stop modders from creating loads anyway. One such mod is the Fire-Breathing Thomas the Tank Engine mod by rainergeis, who has now released several mods for the popular FromSoftware game.
This particular mod replaces Flying Dragon Agheel with Thomas the Tank Engine and can lead to some truly hilarious visuals. The fact that the model can often be seen clipping through the ground only adds to the comedy and helps to completely change the tone of what would otherwise have been a fairly serious boss fight.
3 Fallout 4
Bethesda's Fallout series is well-known for its incredible modding scene, so it was perhaps only a matter of time before Fallout 4 got in on the Thomas the Tank Engine mod trend. What makes the Fallout 4 Really Useful Fallout mod stand out is that it was actually created by the same person who started the tank engine mod trend back in 2013.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to some reported legal action from Mattel, Trainwiz removed the mod from Nexus, though it can apparently still be found on other modding sites. Those lucky enough to find it will get to experience the little blue engine replacing all of Fallout 4's Deathclaws, as well as every Vertibird, missile, and nuke found throughout the Commonwealth.
2 Resident Evil 2
The first of several Thomas the Tank Engine mods for Resident Evil games, the Thomas the Tank Engine Over Mr. X mod does exactly what it says on the tin. The execution is a little sloppy when compared to some of the other great Thomas the Tank Engine mods that are out there, but that's arguably what makes this one so endearing.
In truth, there's really not too much to choose from when it comes to ZombieAli's mod and the Thomas the Tank Engine mods that are available for Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil Village. However, the fact that this one came first just about gives it the edge. It will be interesting to see which character ends up getting replaced by Thomas in the 2023 Resident Evil 4 remake.
1 Skyrim
When it comes to the best Thomas the Tank Engine mods, it's difficult to look much further than the Really Useful Dragons mod, which replaces all of the dragons in Skyrim with characters from the train-themed children's book and television series. As well as being the very first tank engine mod to make its way online, it's also one of the most impactful, managing to be both hilarious and a little bit terrifying all at the same time.
Sadly, however, some of the people over at Mattel didn't find the mod very funny, which led to their lawyers getting in touch with the mod's creator, Trainwiz. It's unclear what happened after that, but the mod is still available today and plenty of videos of it in action can still be found on YouTube despite some of them initially being taken down due to copyright claims.